Cruising Forty Years Later (July26)

 

Couple Florida Viets in drab street-wear asking directions at the Al Wadi table. Do you speak English?... (First a face like that bending from the pavement with such a question.) How might they get to the city? What was there to see? Something to recommend for a one-day stay… They knew of... forearms erected and a horizontal spar spanning across the top. Ya, ya, Marina Bay Sands. Trying not to be a party-pooper squirming, no call for that for nice people. (Later the woman had the iconic wonder up on her iPhone.) Jocular warning to be sure keep their money in their pockets at the casino, unlikely as it was they were those kinda suckers. The morrow was a cruise ship. Ah, cruise?... They were going on a ship cruise?... That was what they was doing. But, surprise-surprise, not around the local islands. Dubai. Eighteen days!... Seriously. There would be a casino on-board, too. Yes, the chap knew. All cruisers had them, he likewise knew. The picture here before you did not tell the story at all, and far from it. Pair had left '75, grateful to America, considered themselves very lucky and reluctant to call out any racism. All part and parcel. Nonetheless, it was pleasing to hear unexpected responses from a fellow migrant, he said. Pretty decent English; surprised to be immediately picked. Husband was a little less accomplished: let's say twelve when he climbed outta the boat at the Thai or Malaysian camps, looking like a drowned rat. Lady four years younger, carried in arm by an uncle and the meeting in the food queue… Let’s say.

…Was Le Van Thai still going strong Downunder, liver holding out? Continuing with his placid pictures he painted for the local market, that gave no hint of what he had endured? (Showing them for the first time, Le was surprised to hear the POV.)

And Nguyen with his PhD, going to Arkansas to marry the lady running the nail salons. Still wearing his PJs around the streets of Footscray? 

Pair here had been down to Oz, found a good place, with good people there. They had been very good to their people, the woman had heard. (Mal Fraser at a time when the Jesuit A. was still in short pants.)

Trump. Oh well. Couldn't be blamed too much. (Hardly, after what they had endured.)

The Viet quarter out back at Joo Chiat was known to them, they had passed through the night before. With the dark the woman had gotten a bit concerned about the bars & karaoke joints featuring their compatriots. (No Soliciting On the Premises.) Over in Florida one would no doubt need to keep wits about you too, even Viets.