Beats Don't Smile. Do They?

Greenwich Village, 1958. First of all, Beats don’t smile. Do they? 

 Second, I wouldn’t say I don’t like Jo-Jo.  (Like the name Qiao better). Just that when she’s around, Nell-mom and Gary Daddy-o make a big fuss over her, which is cool, just… feels like they like her better.

That’s not true, I know, but… sometimes it feels like it.

Wonder why she doesn’t ask me to come to Chinatown? Just to meet her at that restaurant. Sophie & me went down there once, not to where she and her mom worked, but we stopped at a lunch place.

When Sophie ordered a 100 year old egg, I thought she was kidding. Turned out she wasn’t! I don’t know if it was really 100 years old, but that’s what they called it. 

She tasted. I didn’t.

Later we went to a bakery and had moon cakes and that was much better.

Then we walked all around the neighborhood, but I think we took a wrong turn because all of sudden we were on the other side of Canal Street in Little Italy. I wanted to go back but Sophie said no because there’s a guy she likes who works in one of the cafés there. I can see why because he has big, blue eyes like Ray, but he smiles a lot more than my brother. We went all over though, and couldn’t find him.

Oh, yeah, this whole smiling thing. You have to do it sometimes but as a rule, I don’t. At least not when some tourist is taking my picture.

If Qiao wants me to smile… she can invite me to Chinatown, to her house, maybe? Get her mom to make a fuss over me. (I really like fried rice and moon cakes.) And what I’d really love is for them to tell me the whole zodiac thing they do. Qiao was born in 1944 in the year of the monkey. That means she’s supposed to be quick witted, clever, sociable, and a fast learner.

I was born in the year of the dog, which Qiao says is good, because it means I’m a loyal friend and fight for the underdog. She also said it means I can be stubborn, but that’s not always a bad thing. I mean, I don’t think it’s bad at all.

Anyway, I think Qiao wants me to call her Jo-Jo, because that’s what Ray calls her. Now she’s looking my way. And guess what? I’m smiling. (Just don’t tell anyone.) She’s looking straight at me like she can’t believe it. And guess what she’s doing now?

Smiling back.

Young girl: Christina Welsh

Moon cake: Karen

Smiling guy: Alan Light