***** Vol.3 Chap.26 Lingering uneasy feelings *****
Frank walked to the registration desk and saw May-Ling waiting there already.
“Hi, Doctor Chen. Had a good rest?”
“Oh, Dr. Abdulcizi! Yes. I had a good nap and now I felt refreshed.”
“Please call me Frank.”
“OK, if you call me May-Ling.”
“It is a deal. I hope you don’t mind, but Dr. Abrahamson wanted to take both of us out for dinner. Is that OK with you?”
“Of course.”
“Great. I told him to meet us here as well. He is really interested in our work.”
“Really?”
“He is the one who put our two talks together.”
“I see. Did you not know that ahead of time?” May-Ling asked inquisitively.
“No, did you?”
“Of course not, so it is all Dr. Abrahamson’s doing.”
“Yes, he is the culprit.”
They both laughed.
Frank looked around and saw Chris coming toward them.
“Well, here he comes.” Frank told May-Ling softly.
“Well, speaking about the devil…” He said aloud.
“Hi Frank, Doctor Chen, I hope I am not the devil.”
“Just kidding. We were just talking about you, and you show up immediately.” Frank quipped, while May-Ling was smiling.
“Please call me May-Ling.”
“Thank you, May-Ling. Did Frank tell you I would like to take both of you out to dinner? I know of this great seafood place where they served the best seafood. You do like seafood, I hope?”
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“I love seafood.”
“Isn’t seafood a staple for people in China?” Frank asked.
“What is a staple?” May-Ling was puzzled at the word.
“Staple refers to the primary food that you eat all the time.”
“Oh, I see. That must be vegetable. Yes, vegetable is definitely a … staple (?) for the common people. Other types of food are only for the rich and for special occasions only.”
“Well, May-Ling, let us make tonight a special occasion.” Chris said with a broad smile on his face.
“Thank you. You are all so kind to invite me to come to America. That is already a special occasion for me.”
“This is your first time in America?” Frank asked.
“Yes.”
“In that case, we certainly must make tonight’s dinner a special occasion. Frank, any suggestions?”
“Not really. I love your suggestion.”
“Ok. Shall we go? We can catch a cab out front.”
The three walked towards the front door. Chris pulled out his cell phone and made reservations for the three of them.
As they are walking, Chris told them about the upcoming conference. Frank was nodding politely, although he could not help remembering his empty lab and why no one answered the phone. There was a feeling that something was not right back home.
To May-Ling, everything was new. She was trying hard not to appear like she was gawking at everything. She was amazed at the decorations in the hotel, dazzled by the tall buildings, impressed about the richness of the land, and most of all appreciative of the friendliness and openness of the surrounding people. Everything seemed a lot more than she had imagined or could imagine.
Amidst all the fresh adventures, she remembered her husband, Haw-Ting. Poor Haw-Ting. He must be running ragged, handling all the business back at the clinic. Most likely, he was running tirelessly with all the patients, handling his own patients and all hers as well. She worried he would not get enough rest and food.
As she dwelled on the things at home, a dark cloud seemed to gather around the horizon. She could not put her finger on what that was. It was a feeling of uneasiness, an ill omen perhaps. The dark clouds were coming towards her, closing in, gathering on top of her head. She choked and almost yelled out, but refrained from herself. She made a soft cloaking sound.
Chris and Frank turned to her.
“Are you OK?” They both said it at the same time.
“Yes, I am fine, thank you. Something got caught in my throat.” She faked clearing her throat. “It’s OK now.”
“What is the name of this restaurant?” Frank asked.
“It is called Bayside Seafood Grill.”
“Wow, the name sounds great.”
They got to the front door and Chris told the attendants to get them a cab. The attendant whistled and waved to the waiting cab opening the door for them as the cab pulled forward. Chris left a tip for the attendant.
“Bayside Seafood Grill on Fifteenth and Lincoln please.” Chris told the driver.
The cab ride was wild. It was a busy night and the rush hour traffic was heavy. May-Ling hanged on to the seat for her dear life while Chris and Frank were chatting casually and nonchalantly about a special session for the next workshop.
In about twenty minutes, they arrived at the restaurant and May-Ling was happy to get out. They had to wait for thirty minutes for their table even though Chris had already made reservations. It was a busy night at the restaurant.