Takeshi: Age 24. From Japan, living in the United States. Just graduated from UC Berkley with a master's in Psychology. His student visa expired when he graduated. He is trying to find work so he can stay in the country, but has not yet succeeded.
Shy, caring, sweet, a little ambitious/determined.
He misses his mother's home cooking. It's hard to find truly authentic Japanese food in America, and nothing is quite like his mother's cooking. And he is a lousy cook, so it's something he misses a lot.
He started going to college in California and fell in love with it here. But when he finished his undergrad, he didn't know what he wanted to do next, so he took a year off to think about it. During this time, he returned to Japan to stay with his family. While he was there, his sister killed herself. She was in high school. Subconsciously, he blames himself for not being there for her when she needed someone. He feels that he should have known more about what she was going through and been able to help her face it. This incident may have been part of his decision to pursue Psychology, and in going to California, he may have been running away from the pain of his grieving family.
His father had hoped Takeshi would go to medical school. He doesn't feel that psychology is a real science. He is what is called a "salary man." He works in business, making his way up the ranks.
Takeshi's mother is a housewife, with a natural inclination for artistry. She has a knack for ikebana (flower arranging), and is always making things with creativity. She would always make very beautiful things with not much.
They are a middle class japanese family. They don't speak English at all, and Takeshi has only been speaking English in earnest since he started college in the US, although he has been learning since childhood. His accent is still pretty strong, but his understanding is pretty good.
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Mary Beth: I am 25 years old, and I come from Louisiana. I grew up in a trailer park in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I have two big brothers and a little sister. My family is a bunch of rednecks. Papa was always drinkin', and mama was always yellin' at us. When I was 14, I got knocked up. I gave birth to a little baby boy, sweet as pie. I loved him so much, but I knew I couldn't keep him. I didn't want him growin' up in the same conditions I had to live in. So I gave him up for adoption, to a nice family who had some money and seemed like nice folks. We've kept in touch, and recently they've let him have contact with me. He's 11, and real sweet, just like I'd hoped.
When I was 15 I ran away from home. I hitchhiked out west, but when I got to Arizona, I got picked up by a pair of truckers who raped me and left me on the side of the road outside of Phoenix. I walked the rest of the way to the city and lived on the street for a few days before I found a halfway house where I stayed until I was 18. While I was there, I met a real sweet lady who took me under her wing. She saw something in me, and knew my trauma was makin' me "hide my light" as she said. She talked with me and taught me that I am a worthy and strong and beautiful creature of God, and that I was so deeply loved no matter what happened to me. She told me there ain't nothin' I can't do, and she encouraged me to follow my dreams, and my heart. She saw that I was a natural artist, and she bought me art supplies and gave me an extra room for me to make a studio out of. By the time I left, she had helped me find myself again. I still have some sorrows, but I don't let it stop me from lovin' myself and takin' care of the people I've come to love.
At 16, I started working and saved up all my money. I got my GED, and at 18 I left for California to go to college at UC Santa Cruz. I got a full scholarship, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Art and Business.
After I graduated, I decided it was time to take action on my dreams. I took out some loans, got some grant money, and I opened my own little art gallery in Santa Cruz.
I have some college friends, but none of them are very close. I like to be with myself more often than not, even though I am real kind and friendly. I just have a hard time trusting people, that's all.
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There's a painting at my gallery that I love dearly. It's an abstract painting, a canvas almost entirely covered in a sea of deep blue. There is a small, pale yellow shape on the canvas. And that is it. Something about it (is it the color combination? The form itself? The vast sea of blue?) makes me feel so nostalgic for something or somewhere I can't quite place... maybe I haven't been there yet, or maybe it's someone I've been in another life, or in a dream. Either way, I feel a sense of familiarity and comfort when I look at it. It gives me pleasant chills. But for some reason, no one else seems to find the same pleasure in it as I do, and it hasn't received much attention since I put it up.
One day Takeshi walked into my gallery. He spent a good long while lookin' at that painting. I knew he felt somethin' from it. So I asked him what he thought of it. He said he liked it, and that it made him feel a sense of loneliness, as though he wished he could enter the painting and take care of this lonely yellow shape. But then, abashed, he said he knows nothing about art and is probably wrong. To this I said, "No. So many people come in here and think they know so much about art. But they're missin' the point! They overlook this simple masterpiece every time, and it makes me feel as sad as that lonely yellow form. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only person who feels this way about the world... if I am the only one of my color... my frequency... and will I ever find another one who isn't just another bit of blue? But the best I can do is just keep on bein' yellow, no matter how many people overlook me."
I'm real determined. After so many things happening to me, I've decided I ain't gonna let life beat me down anymore. I'm gonna make my life what I want it to be, and ain't nobody gonna stop me. If it means I can't have any friends, then fine. But I ain't hidin' anymore. I'm gonna be me, and I'm gonna love me because I deserve it. I'm a good person, and I deserve my lovin'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dating for a month (Takeshi and I have become real close by now, and he's been real sweet to me. We have wonderful conversations, and I've learned a lot about his home country and his culture and his family. I find him fascinatin', and I love our little rendezvous), Takeshi tells me his visa is expiring, but that he doesn't wanna leave. He really likes what we have, and I do too. I don't want him to go either, so I tell him that he can stay with me until he finds some work here. But I had to make it clear to him, I ain't ready for sex right now. This led me to confess to him what happened to me in Arizona with the truckers. I tell him that I've tried to have sex since then, but it just don't feel right, and I end up feelin' awful about myself for a long time. I don't wanna jump into anything too quick and risk ruining the beautiful and caring friendship we've got goin'. He is so sympathetic, and he is totally okay with us takin' it real slow. I love that about him. He makes me feel real safe.
Not long after this, he confessed to me that his sister (whom he said had died a few years ago) had actually killed herself. He was real tore up about it. It made me feel so tender towards him. After this, our relationship took on a whole new level of trust and caring. I'm really starting to love him a lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About a month later, Takeshi started askin' me questions about the incident in Arizona. I think he was tryin' to get me to release my past or somethin'. I got real upset with him, and told him it was none of his business to be psycho-analyzin' me. I may have taken it too far, because I gave him a taste of his own medicine and told him he was feelin' guilty for his sister's suicide. I don't think he wanted me to see that, and I feel bad for how much he was hurtin' about it. But sometimes my temper gets the best of me, especially when I'm feelin' hurt too.
We backed off from the subject for a while, but we later talked and we realized we both just care a whole lot for each other and we're just tryin' to take care of each other and make each other happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's now a month later. We've been together for three months, and overall it's been wonderful. I've never had a friend like Taki. He makes me feel at home. So comforted and welcomed and loved for who I am. And he is so sweet and endearing, I could just eat him up! But we're both gettin' worried about his bein' here illegally. Recently I suggested that maybe we could get married so that he could stay here. I don't think he likes the idea too much, but it's been real hard for him to find work here. I don't wanna see him get deported. The thought of it makes me so sad. He is the best friend I've ever had, and to lose him would be the worst thing possible. I don't know what I'd do without him.
Today is my birthday, and we are gettin' ready to go out to dinner to celebrate. But I've just found out my son and his family are comin' to town. They're only gonna be here for tonight and then they're flyin' back to West Virginia where they live. I've never gotten to meet my son since his birth, but I've always wanted to. I've seen pictures, and he's gettin' real big and handsome. I would give anythin' just to give him a hug.
My son's parents (Dr.'s Linda and Mark Jackson) are both psychologists, and have their own practice in West Virginia. I found out that the immigrations office knows about Takeshi's overstayed visa, and that they're gonna be comin' here tomorrow morning to arrest him. I asked them to please offer Taki a job so that he can get a visa and stay here. They've been talkin' about movin' out to Santa Cruz and opening up their new office here. They agreed to meet us for dinner tonight to assess whether he' be a good fit for their office. They like people who are positive, confident, and well spoken. Taki is all of these things when he's feelin' real good about himself, so I wanna make him feel real good about himself so that he makes a good impression on the Jacksons. I just gotta make him feel as good as I can, and just keep makin' him feel good so that when we get to dinner, he's feelin' confident and happy. If they like him, they'll give him a job and an expedited work visa. Plus I'll get to see my son, and maybe even see him on a more regular basis.
I haven't told Taki yet, I don't wanna make it seem like I got him the job. He's real proud and I don't think he'd like me goin' behind his back like that. But there isn't much time left, and I need to get him a visa. I've told the Jacksons to make it seem real natural if they offer the job to him, as if it was their idea.
Shy, caring, sweet, a little ambitious/determined.
He misses his mother's home cooking. It's hard to find truly authentic Japanese food in America, and nothing is quite like his mother's cooking. And he is a lousy cook, so it's something he misses a lot.
He started going to college in California and fell in love with it here. But when he finished his undergrad, he didn't know what he wanted to do next, so he took a year off to think about it. During this time, he returned to Japan to stay with his family. While he was there, his sister killed herself. She was in high school. Subconsciously, he blames himself for not being there for her when she needed someone. He feels that he should have known more about what she was going through and been able to help her face it. This incident may have been part of his decision to pursue Psychology, and in going to California, he may have been running away from the pain of his grieving family.
His father had hoped Takeshi would go to medical school. He doesn't feel that psychology is a real science. He is what is called a "salary man." He works in business, making his way up the ranks.
Takeshi's mother is a housewife, with a natural inclination for artistry. She has a knack for ikebana (flower arranging), and is always making things with creativity. She would always make very beautiful things with not much.
They are a middle class japanese family. They don't speak English at all, and Takeshi has only been speaking English in earnest since he started college in the US, although he has been learning since childhood. His accent is still pretty strong, but his understanding is pretty good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Beth: I am 25 years old, and I come from Louisiana. I grew up in a trailer park in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I have two big brothers and a little sister. My family is a bunch of rednecks. Papa was always drinkin', and mama was always yellin' at us. When I was 14, I got knocked up. I gave birth to a little baby boy, sweet as pie. I loved him so much, but I knew I couldn't keep him. I didn't want him growin' up in the same conditions I had to live in. So I gave him up for adoption, to a nice family who had some money and seemed like nice folks. We've kept in touch, and recently they've let him have contact with me. He's 11, and real sweet, just like I'd hoped.
When I was 15 I ran away from home. I hitchhiked out west, but when I got to Arizona, I got picked up by a pair of truckers who raped me and left me on the side of the road outside of Phoenix. I walked the rest of the way to the city and lived on the street for a few days before I found a halfway house where I stayed until I was 18. While I was there, I met a real sweet lady who took me under her wing. She saw something in me, and knew my trauma was makin' me "hide my light" as she said. She talked with me and taught me that I am a worthy and strong and beautiful creature of God, and that I was so deeply loved no matter what happened to me. She told me there ain't nothin' I can't do, and she encouraged me to follow my dreams, and my heart. She saw that I was a natural artist, and she bought me art supplies and gave me an extra room for me to make a studio out of. By the time I left, she had helped me find myself again. I still have some sorrows, but I don't let it stop me from lovin' myself and takin' care of the people I've come to love.
At 16, I started working and saved up all my money. I got my GED, and at 18 I left for California to go to college at UC Santa Cruz. I got a full scholarship, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Art and Business.
After I graduated, I decided it was time to take action on my dreams. I took out some loans, got some grant money, and I opened my own little art gallery in Santa Cruz.
I have some college friends, but none of them are very close. I like to be with myself more often than not, even though I am real kind and friendly. I just have a hard time trusting people, that's all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's a painting at my gallery that I love dearly. It's an abstract painting, a canvas almost entirely covered in a sea of deep blue. There is a small, pale yellow shape on the canvas. And that is it. Something about it (is it the color combination? The form itself? The vast sea of blue?) makes me feel so nostalgic for something or somewhere I can't quite place... maybe I haven't been there yet, or maybe it's someone I've been in another life, or in a dream. Either way, I feel a sense of familiarity and comfort when I look at it. It gives me pleasant chills. But for some reason, no one else seems to find the same pleasure in it as I do, and it hasn't received much attention since I put it up.
One day Takeshi walked into my gallery. He spent a good long while lookin' at that painting. I knew he felt somethin' from it. So I asked him what he thought of it. He said he liked it, and that it made him feel a sense of loneliness, as though he wished he could enter the painting and take care of this lonely yellow shape. But then, abashed, he said he knows nothing about art and is probably wrong. To this I said, "No. So many people come in here and think they know so much about art. But they're missin' the point! They overlook this simple masterpiece every time, and it makes me feel as sad as that lonely yellow form. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only person who feels this way about the world... if I am the only one of my color... my frequency... and will I ever find another one who isn't just another bit of blue? But the best I can do is just keep on bein' yellow, no matter how many people overlook me."
I'm real determined. After so many things happening to me, I've decided I ain't gonna let life beat me down anymore. I'm gonna make my life what I want it to be, and ain't nobody gonna stop me. If it means I can't have any friends, then fine. But I ain't hidin' anymore. I'm gonna be me, and I'm gonna love me because I deserve it. I'm a good person, and I deserve my lovin'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dating for a month (Takeshi and I have become real close by now, and he's been real sweet to me. We have wonderful conversations, and I've learned a lot about his home country and his culture and his family. I find him fascinatin', and I love our little rendezvous), Takeshi tells me his visa is expiring, but that he doesn't wanna leave. He really likes what we have, and I do too. I don't want him to go either, so I tell him that he can stay with me until he finds some work here. But I had to make it clear to him, I ain't ready for sex right now. This led me to confess to him what happened to me in Arizona with the truckers. I tell him that I've tried to have sex since then, but it just don't feel right, and I end up feelin' awful about myself for a long time. I don't wanna jump into anything too quick and risk ruining the beautiful and caring friendship we've got goin'. He is so sympathetic, and he is totally okay with us takin' it real slow. I love that about him. He makes me feel real safe.
Not long after this, he confessed to me that his sister (whom he said had died a few years ago) had actually killed herself. He was real tore up about it. It made me feel so tender towards him. After this, our relationship took on a whole new level of trust and caring. I'm really starting to love him a lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About a month later, Takeshi started askin' me questions about the incident in Arizona. I think he was tryin' to get me to release my past or somethin'. I got real upset with him, and told him it was none of his business to be psycho-analyzin' me. I may have taken it too far, because I gave him a taste of his own medicine and told him he was feelin' guilty for his sister's suicide. I don't think he wanted me to see that, and I feel bad for how much he was hurtin' about it. But sometimes my temper gets the best of me, especially when I'm feelin' hurt too.
We backed off from the subject for a while, but we later talked and we realized we both just care a whole lot for each other and we're just tryin' to take care of each other and make each other happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's now a month later. We've been together for three months, and overall it's been wonderful. I've never had a friend like Taki. He makes me feel at home. So comforted and welcomed and loved for who I am. And he is so sweet and endearing, I could just eat him up! But we're both gettin' worried about his bein' here illegally. Recently I suggested that maybe we could get married so that he could stay here. I don't think he likes the idea too much, but it's been real hard for him to find work here. I don't wanna see him get deported. The thought of it makes me so sad. He is the best friend I've ever had, and to lose him would be the worst thing possible. I don't know what I'd do without him.
Today is my birthday, and we are gettin' ready to go out to dinner to celebrate. But I've just found out my son and his family are comin' to town. They're only gonna be here for tonight and then they're flyin' back to West Virginia where they live. I've never gotten to meet my son since his birth, but I've always wanted to. I've seen pictures, and he's gettin' real big and handsome. I would give anythin' just to give him a hug.
My son's parents (Dr.'s Linda and Mark Jackson) are both psychologists, and have their own practice in West Virginia. I found out that the immigrations office knows about Takeshi's overstayed visa, and that they're gonna be comin' here tomorrow morning to arrest him. I asked them to please offer Taki a job so that he can get a visa and stay here. They've been talkin' about movin' out to Santa Cruz and opening up their new office here. They agreed to meet us for dinner tonight to assess whether he' be a good fit for their office. They like people who are positive, confident, and well spoken. Taki is all of these things when he's feelin' real good about himself, so I wanna make him feel real good about himself so that he makes a good impression on the Jacksons. I just gotta make him feel as good as I can, and just keep makin' him feel good so that when we get to dinner, he's feelin' confident and happy. If they like him, they'll give him a job and an expedited work visa. Plus I'll get to see my son, and maybe even see him on a more regular basis.
I haven't told Taki yet, I don't wanna make it seem like I got him the job. He's real proud and I don't think he'd like me goin' behind his back like that. But there isn't much time left, and I need to get him a visa. I've told the Jacksons to make it seem real natural if they offer the job to him, as if it was their idea.
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