登陆注册
10466600000006

第6章

Biju at the Baby Bistro.

Above, the restaurant was French, but below in the kitchen it was Mexican and Indian. And, when a Paki was hired, it was Mexican, Indian, Pakistani.

Biju at Le Colonial for the authentic colonial experience.

On top, rich colonial, and down below, poor native. Colombian, Tunisian, Ecuadorian, Gambian.

On to the Stars and Stripes Diner. All American flag on top, all Guatemalan flag below.

Plus one Indian flag when Biju arrived.

"Where is Guatemala?" he had to ask.

"Where is Guam?"

"Where is Madagascar?"

"Where is Guyana?"

"Don't you know?" the Guyanese man said. "Indians everywhere in Guyana, man."

"Indians in Guam. Everywhere you look, practically, Indians."

"Trinidad?"

"Trinidad full of Indians!! Saying—can you believe it?—Open a caan of saalmon, maaan.'"

Madagascar—Indians Indians.

Chile—in the Zona Rosa duty-free of Tierra del Fuego, Indians, whiskey, electronics. Bitterness at the thought of Pakistanis up in the Areca used-car business. "Ah … forget it… let those bhenchoots make their quarter percent… ."

Kenya. South Africa. Saudi Arabia. Fiji. New Zealand. Surinam.

In Canada, a group of Sikhs came long ago; they went to remote areas and the women took off their salwars and wore their kurtas like dresses.

Indians, yes, in Alaska; a desi owned the last general store in the last town before the North Pole, canned foods mostly, fishing tackle, bags of salt, and shovels; his wife stayed back in Karnal with the children, where they could, on account of the husband's sacrifice, afford Little Angels Kindergarten.

On the Black Sea, yes, Indians, running a spice business.

Hong Kong. Singapore.

How had he learned nothing growing up? England he knew, and America, Dubai, Kuwait, but not much else.

There was a whole world in the basement kitchens of New York, but Biju was ill-equipped for it and almost relieved when the Pakistani arrived. At least he knew what to do. He wrote and told his father.

The cook was alarmed. What kind of place was he working in? He knew it was a country where people from everywhere journeyed to work, but oh, surely not Pakistanis! Surely they would not be hired. Surely Indians were better liked—

"Beware," the cook wrote to his son. "Beware. Beware. Keep away. Distrust."

His son had already done him proud. He found he could not talk straight to the man; every molecule of him felt fake, every hair on him went on alert.

Desis against Pakis.

Ah, old war, best war—

Where else did the words flow with an ease that came from centuries of practice? How else would the spirit of your father, your grandfather, rise from the dead?

Here in America, where every nationality confirmed its stereo-type—

Biju felt he was entering a warm amniotic bath.

But then it grew cold. This war was not, after all, satisfying; it could never go deep enough, the crick was never cracked, the itch was never scratched; the irritation built on itself, and the combatants itched all the more.

"Pigs pigs, sons of pigs, sooar ka baccha," Biju shouted.

"Uloo ka patha, son of an owl, low-down son-of-a-bitch Indian."

They drew the lines at crucial junctures. They threw cannonball cabbages at each other.

"***!!!!" said the Frenchman.

It sounded to their ears like an angry dandelion puff, but what he said was that they were a troublesome pair. The sound of their fight had traveled up the flight of steps and struck a clunky note, and they might upset the balance, perfectly first-world on top, perfectly third-world twenty-two steps below. Mix it up in a heap and then who would patronize his restaurant, hm? With its coquilles Saint-Jacques à la vapeur for $27.50 and the blanquette de veau for $23, and a duck that made an overture to the colonies, sitting like a pasha on a cushion of its own fat, exuding the scent of saffron.

What were they thinking? Do restaurants in Paris have cellars full of Mexicans, desis, and Pakis?

No, they do not. What are you thinking?

They have cellars full of Algerians, Senegalese, Moroccans… .

Good-bye, Baby Bistro. "Use the time off to take a bath," said the owner. He had been kind enough to hire Biju although he found him smelly.

Paki one way, Biju the other way. Rounding the corner, meeting each other again, turning away again.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 今晚无眠

    今晚无眠

    一觉醒来,结了婚,有位漂亮的妻子,还有两个女儿,妻子却跟我提出这样的要求……
  • 权倾天下之妖妃传

    权倾天下之妖妃传

    昏暗的房间里,只剩下了两个人的身影交错着……低沉的说话声让这里的氛围变得更加的压抑,只是这一切终在此结束。三十年的光阴荏苒,岁月沉浮,终究在此而终结。这是一个女人一生的沉浮史,是岁月里那纠缠不清的情缘史,是无法摆脱的命运史……且看她云起云落,岁月浮沉?
  • 生活格言

    生活格言

    我们人类社会那些出类拔萃的名家巨人,在推动人类社会向前不断发展的同时,也给我们留下了宝贵的物质财富。他们通过自身的体验和观察研究,还给我们留下了许多有益的经验和感悟,他们将其付诸语言表达出来,被称之为名言或格言,其中蕴含并闪耀着智慧的光芒,成为世人宝贵的精神财富。人们将之作为座右铭,产生着无限的灵感、启发、智慧和力量,从而成为人生的航灯,照耀着成功的彼岸。
  • 来不及

    来不及

    沿着濑户内海东侧的海岸线一直向外延伸,临近伊予滩的地方有几个相连的小镇。这几个小镇合称万天,它们虽经济繁荣却相对封闭,类似巫术妖魔一类的东西,还是被大多数人相信着。顺着东万天有一条建到一半废弃的铁路,由于万天四周矗立着险要的高山峻岭,工程不得不被搁置。传说那条铁路的尽头,是取之不尽的黄金珠宝。万天人从来没见过太阳,他们头顶的天空总是阴雨连绵,夏冬两季占据了整年的五分之四。这会儿正值夏季,闷热潮湿的空气里充斥着聒噪的蝉鸣。
  • 商王宠妻

    商王宠妻

    自然界向来有着它固有的规律。有些生物,生来就注定是天敌。比如贪婪的狼和弱小的羊;比如傲视大地的鹰和冷血腹黑的蛇;再比如…云南国那位最锱铢必较的商王,和看似幼小又无比软弱的她。一朝穿越,她从曾经最风光的单身金领竟变成了年方十二岁,父母双亡且家道中落的落魄商贾之女。姑母带着幼年的她嫁入丞相府那一日,他是被隆重邀请的贵客;而她,不过是一个受尽众人白眼的拖油瓶。可他,却在看到她的第一眼,就被她脸上看似乖巧却实则冷漠彻骨,仿佛看透尘世虚华的表情所吸引。从此,她成为了云南国最冷漠腹黑的商王宠在心尖上的人儿…*
  • A Burlesque Autobiography

    A Burlesque Autobiography

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 雍正朱批奏折选辑

    雍正朱批奏折选辑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 最强游戏分身

    最强游戏分身

    带着变异的单机版网络游戏来到平行现代世界,林云轩得到召唤游戏分身为其所用的能力!格斗士,魔法师,暗夜刺客,圣骑士,鬼剑士,神枪手众多游戏角色等待着他的召唤。炼金术师,人偶师,附魔师……诸多副职业等待着他的学习。流星陨落之刃,神圣千年之光,精灵之语……无数神兵利器等待着他的使用。更有千百种技能,千百种道具,静待林云轩的发掘!面对着分身带来的无限可能,林云轩发誓开展定要以一己之力!搅乱大地,改变整个世界!PS:新书《无敌神皇》已经上传,主角靠着异位面网络游戏在都市创圣域,建神选之军,立神国,纵横两界,请各位书友能够登录点击,推荐,收藏O(∩_∩)O
  • 佛说一向出生菩萨经

    佛说一向出生菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 双剑合璧

    双剑合璧

    莫绿因暗恋对象开始玩网游,怎料游戏中明示、暗示都被对刚被当成了路人甲。现实寒夜难耐,一番冲动表白,惨遭拒绝后,她心中怨念不止。半夜在游戏里溜达散心时,她无意踩到了排行榜上的大神——月黑风高。那神一样的形象,竟袒露出痞子一样的本性来,霎时让小菜鸟跪地不起。太不要脸了!太不像话了!太应该放倒他拎回家暖被窝了!为解心头恨,交锋之余,她雇他去砍自己暗恋的对象,事后却被严重勒索!惨遭强行绑定!这个世界,再次进入玄幻期……