Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

Author:Thanhha Lai
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

We follow Anh Minh to Cô Hạnh’s house, where bunches of girls are smooshed into the front room and spilling out into the yard. Then he disappears.

I squeeze into the crowd, trying to stay close to Út, who has a look of dread and is slithering toward the back. I have a very bad feeling about the gathering. Somehow Út’s mom, Cô Tâm, materializes and grips Út’s arm. This same moment, a hand grips me. Cô Hạnh smiles and drags me toward Út. Is a really strong grip a trait among Vietnamese women? PBS never mentioned it. At least we got to remove our hats and masks.

Cô Hạnh hands me over to her sister’s grip, goes toward the kitchen, and comes back with a huge bowl covered with a cloth. She steps on a stool. This is serious.

“Everyone, listen.” Cô Hạnh holds the bowl high. Is this a taste test? Why does Út look that sickened? She’s not a picky eater. I’ve seen her tear through roasted pigskin. “Go in pairs and wet your hair out back. I hope each has remembered to bring a towel.”

I’m beginning to panic.

“Each should use enough paste to cover every bit of your partner’s hair. If we keep suffocating each potential lice egg before it hatches, we should never find crawling black specks.”

LICE???? EGGS????

Everyone follows directions, except for the anxious Út and the in-shock me. Út’s mom puts her face right on Út’s, still gripping us. “You thought you were so clever two months ago, but not this time. Remember, if you shave your head again your father will take you to his shrimp camp and you’ll have the same future as the boys in the village who do not study well. Do you want that?”

Út can barely hide her smirk. She’s already told me Froggy keeps her here, but if someone were to force her to go play in the ocean air and be elbow deep in hatchlings, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“Now put on the medicine and sit and chat like every girl here. It stings a little, but the result is worth one hundred times the inconvenience.”

IT STINGS????

We are steered to the back. There are towels for those who forgot, of course. We bend forward and pour warm water over each other’s head. It feels surprisingly good. Cô Tâm hovers behind us.

Back inside, Cô Hạnh takes over. “I’ll manage you two. Bend your head forward, like this, I need to see your nape and behind your ears especially.”

My eyes water just smelling what’s in the bowl. Grainy, smashed something is steeped in a clear potent broth, smelling like it would catch on fire if there’s an open flame all the way in the next room.

Smeared, eyes rimmed red, Út gets her head wrapped in a plastic bag. My turn. I back away, but what good does that do?

“What do you do for lice in America? Here, I mix rice wine with the pounded seeds of quả na.” Cô

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