1934 Seattle - Grace and Max
Grace was on the Broadway High Honor Roll again which Papa seemed to take for granted. Papa, ever the Japanese doctor, only cared about her grades, but Mama knew Grace was more than a bookworm. For her senior picture, Mama let her get her hair styled like that of her favorite actress, Myrna Loy. Loy’s latest film “The Thin Man” was a huge hit. Grace and her best friends Helen Schmidt and Susie Meyer loved Myrna Loy’s character. The beautiful, wealthy, wise-cracking Nora who was married to Nick Charles.
In the scene where Nora finds Nick in the bar, she says, “How many drinks have you had?”
Nick said, “This will make six Martinis.”
Nora doesn’t blink an eye and shoots back at the waiter, “All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here.”
Grace thought Myrna Loy was everything she wanted to be. Smart but also wise to the ways of the world. She was glad Helen and Susie didn’t expect her to be like the other Japanese-Americans at Broadway High. When the Valedictorian this year was a Japanese boy, Grace was embarrassed. We’re not all serious and studious.
And there was Max. Helen was right. He did like her. It was thrilling to know that a boy liked her. At German Club, she noticed Max looking at her. But he’s younger than me. And I’m Japanese. But that fact didn’t seem to bother Max. One day, he lingered after everyone else was gone to help Grace clean up. As the two of them wiped down the chalkboard, he suddenly leaned down and kissed Grace on the lips. Grace was so surprised, she didn’t push him away. His lips were soft and warm. His blue eyes glimmered like the rare clear skies of Seattle.
But then she whispered to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
She wasn’t sure what made her say that. Was it the fact that he was younger? Or that he was white? Or was it what Papa and Mama might say if they found out? They never talked about romance. Papa had never said anything about boyfriends, but she couldn’t imagine him welcoming any boy, Japanese or Hakujin, who was interested in her.
When Grace asked Mama why she married Papa, she only said, “Unmei datta. It was fate.” Mama and Papa’s past was a mystery.
Everyone at Broadway High knew about the girls who were dating or engaged. They were always strutting around with their boyfriends. But she didn’t know of any couples made up of a Japanese girl like her, and a Hakujin boy. For sure, the teachers would frown on an Honor Roll student dating someone of a different race.
After German Club the following week, Max stayed behind again to talk to Grace. “Let’s meet at Pike Market this weekend. I wanna show you something,” he said.
Grace was thrilled. Her first date. The memory of that first kiss at the chalkboard. Although Max was cute, Papa would definitely disapprove. Especially because Max’s father supposedly made his money doing something illegal during Prohibition.
But Grace felt like she would burst unless she told someone about the date with Max. So she finally confessed to Helen who said, “Golly, that sounds like fun. I wish someone would ask me out.”
Well, as long as no one else knew. Anyway, she would be going off to college at the end of the year while Max would still be in high school. Maybe she’d meet a suitable boy at the Dub. Max would just be a high school thing.
The days until the weekend seemed to crawl by. At German Club, Grace avoided looking at Max and sat by Helen and Susie. When the club members discussed films with German directors and actors, Max suddenly said, “I saw Shanghai Express. Marlene Dietrich was all right but Anna May Wong was super.”
Grace blushed furiously at the mention of that Asian actress. Did Max think she was like Anna May Wong? Sexy. Chic, Helen nudged her and winked. Then Susie said, “What was so great about Anna May Wong?”
Helen shoved Susie and glared at her. Susie gave Helen a “what did I do wrong?” look.
* * *
That Sunday afternoon, the clouds hung low but thankfully the rain had let up. Grace met Max in front of the Virginia Inn restaurant on the corner of Virginia and 1st. Max leaned over to give her a kiss but Grace shrank back. “No, not here,” she hissed. “Not in public.”
“Can I at least hold your hand?” he said.
“No,” she said and she wrapped her arms tightly around her pocketbook.
Max laughed. She softened and said, “Look, I’m sorry, Max. I’m new at this.”
“That’s okay. You’re smarter than me, but maybe not about everything,” he smiled.
They started walking over to the market, Grace stiff with nervousness while Max put his hands in his pockets and slowed his gait to keep pace with Grace.
Suddenly she noticed how many farmers were in their stalls at the market. Some were probably Japanese. Do any of them recognize me? Maybe one of them remembers me and Papa from our trips to the Furuya House on Bainbridge Island. Oh, God. What if someone says something to someone who knows Papa? “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” said Grace as she stopped and turned back.
“What? Why’re you so worried?” said Max. “No one cares.”
Grace glared up at Max. “You don’t know what it’s like to be me.”
“No, I don’t. But that’s why I like you,” he said. “You’re not like the other girls.”
Grace thought, why am I so afraid of Max? He’s just a boy.
Max suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled, “Come on. I want to show you something wunderbar.”
Grace laughed. In German Club, the kids said “wunderbar!” every time the teacher taught them something new. His legs were so much longer than hers, she had to run to keep up. He led the way down a wet narrow cobbled street into a penny arcade. The shop was crowded with kids, all too busy playing with the coin-operated machines to notice a Japanese girl like her. She had never been here. Smells of tobacco, sweat and gum. Noisy bells and laughter filled her senses as Max led her deeper into the den.
One boy with slicked back hair whistled at her. “Mighty fine looker,” he said and grinned with a missing tooth. She noticed a few Asian faces in the arcade. Filipinos? Chinese? No one from Broadway High, I hope.
Grace flushed with excitement. No boy had ever looked at her with lust, much less whistled at her.
Max stopped. “Here. This is my favorite - Princess Doraldina,” Grace found herself in front of a large wooden fortune-telling machine with glass windows. Seated behind the glass was the life-sized figure of a gypsy - beautiful dark hair wrapped in a purple head scarf and large hoop earrings glittering from her ears. Her one hand was on a crystal ball while the other hovered above a set of tarot cards spread out on the table before her.
Max put in a nickel in the copper slot, and suddenly the gypsy came to life. The machine whirred, the crystal ball lit up, and the gypsy’s head moved. Grace gasped, “Oh my God, she looks alive!”
The gypsy waved her hand over the cards and even her jeweled chest moved with every breath as if she were listening to the spirits. She stopped at one card. Then a pink card appeared in the slot below. Max said, “Let’s see what she says about me this time.” He picked up the card and read, “You are a hummingbird destined to enjoy the nectar of many blossoms.”
Max turned to Grace and smiled, “Are you a blossom?”
Grace felt her cheeks redden. Then Max gave Grace a nickel and said, “Here. Let’s see what Doraldina predicts for you.”
Grace put the nickel in and watched the Princess come to life again. Then in the slot below, her pink card appeared. Her hand shook as she read, “When the desert moon is full, love will appear.”
Max laughed, “Well, there’s no desert moon around here, so you’re out of luck.” Grace slipped the card into her pocketbook. I’m going to remember this forever.
“Max Thomas, all this time in German Club, I didn’t realize what a smooth talker you are,” said Grace. It was true. This boy was usually quiet when she saw him at school, letting the others do all the talking.
Then Max led her to the back of the penny arcade where he pulled back a heavy velvet curtain to reveal a door. How did he know about this hidden door? As they stepped into a surprisingly large room, it occurred to her. A speakeasy. Helen said Max’s father made money selling liquor. Did this place belong to his father? Oh, God Papa’s going to hit the roof if he finds out.
Max found a corner booth and went to get drinks. Grace was so excited, her heart pounded and she took a deep breath to calm herself. God. Wait till Helen hears about this. A real speakeasy. Maybe not as nice as the places Nick and Nora drank at in the Thin Man movie. But she could hear Helen urging her on, “Grace, you’ve got as much right as anyone to have some fun.”
And Max was right. Here, no one cared who she is or what she was doing. She didn’t have to be the doctor’s daughter or the Honor Roll student or Japanese. Here she could be just another girl.
“Here. Try this,” Max placed in front of her a small glass filled with ice, sparkling pink liquid with a twist of lemon. A small amount spilled down the edge of the glass. He quickly pulled out his folded handkerchief and placed the glass in it before handing it to Grace.
She accepted the drink as if it were a cup of sake. One hand around the wrapped glass and the other cradling it. A cocktail! She sniffed. The bubbles tickled her nose. She took a sip. The tart lemon with the dry champagne was pleasing. “What is this?”
“French 75. Ernest Hemingway’s favorite drink they say,” he said.
The mention of a famous writer charmed her. “Max Thomas. You’re full of surprises,” she said and smiled.
He leaned in and kissed her. This time, she leaned into his kiss and let him explore her mouth. He tasted of sun and must and beer. Then he put his hand on her knee and squeezed gently. “You’re going to get a lot more surprises, Miss Ishii.”
Really nice, Nanako. Love the style and flow and getting to know your folks in this intro...