“What did Mr. Suzuki say?” asked Sue nervously. She suddenly remembered what Andy had told her about the bad experiences his father had had in China.
“He said he had already forgotten about it,” said Rochelle. She winked. “Mr. Suzuki went on to say how much he admired Mom’s artwork, and he wanted to know whether she was doing more landscape paintings.”
Sue winked back. “Ohhh, that explains it. I was wondering why Mom is suddenly feeling so friendly toward the Suzukis.”
Sue’s alarm clock woke her up at ten o’clock the next morning. She could easily have gone back to sleep, but she struggled up, determined to get adjusted to local time as quickly as possible.
She spent the day in a fog. She did her laundry and chatted with Rochelle about Japan. She handed out some souvenirs she had bought in Tokyo. For her mother she had bought a shopping bag decorated with an aborigine Ainu design, for her father a primitive woodblock print, and for Rochelle a brocade fan. She had a similar fan for Grandma Mei.
Sue almost forgot that Andy was coming over for dinner until she saw her mother starting to prepare the meal.
“Why so much food, Mom?” Sue asked as she helped chop vegetables. “Believe me, Andy’s no gourmet. He’d be happy with some sandwiches and chips.”
“Andy is not the only guest joining us for dinner this evening,” Sue’s mom replied, looking up from her cooking to wink at Sue. “Grandma Mei will also be joining us. I thought it would be nice for us to all sit down and get to know one another.”
Sue slowly turned back to her vegetables. “Uh . . . great.” But she wasn’t so convinced it was great. Isn’t that just asking for trouble? And what if Grandma Mei’s still mad at me?
“Mom, does Grandma know that Andy will be here?” Sue asked.
Her mother grinned. “No. Let’s give her a big surprise!”
“Oh, sure, she will just love your big surprise,” muttered Sue.
Her mother’s face became serious. “Listen, Sue, Grandma Mei wasn’t angry just because your boyfriend is Japanese. What hurt her the most was the fact that you kept this a secret. That’s why I want Andy to come here openly and face Grandma.”
Sue knew her mother was right, but that didn’t make the waiting any easier.
Half an hour later, Grandma Mei arrived. Sue didn’t wait to see whether her grandmother was still angry with her or not. She ran up, hugged her grandmother hard, and gave her the fan. “See, Grandma, I got back safe and sound.”
Before her grandmother could reply, the bell rang again. Andy stood at the door, dressed in his dark suit, white shirt, and tie. Sue smiled in spite of herself. He looked good enough to eat, but when he saw Grandma Mei, he stopped dead and swallowed.
Grandma Mei stared at Andy with no expression at all. Sue waited for the fireworks to start.
Andy took a deep breath. With shaking hands, he brought out a package from behind his back and handed it to Grandma Mei. “I bought this especially for you, Mrs. Mei.”
“Open it, Mother,” said Sue’s mother, and everybody joined in urging her to open the package.
“Yes, let’s see what Andy’s brought,” urged Sue’s father.
Sue tried to catch Andy’s eye and give him a “What’s this?” look, but Andy wouldn’t take his eyes off Grandma Mei. Sue remembered the package he’d had at the Chinese store. Did that have something to do with this surprise gift?
Slowly, Grandma Mei tore open the colorful wrapping paper and then the flimsy tissue paper. Everyone leaned in to see the contents. Inside was a doll dressed in an elegant Chinese brocade jacket with a high collar and buttons down the sides, and trousers of shiny silk. Grandma Mei stared wordlessly at the doll, and then looked up at Andy.
The doll! The doll the Japanese soldiers destroyed. He remembered! Sue ached to reach over and give Andy a hug, but she was waiting to see how Grandma Mei would react.
Andy cleared his throat. “I know that you lost your doll when those Japanese soldiers broke into your home. This is to make up for their actions.”
“Andy, your family had nothing to do with those soldiers!” Sue cried. “Your grandparents were in America at the time. In fact, your grandfather even joined the U.S. Army and served in Italy!”
“But I still offer my apology for the actions of the soldiers,” said Andy. “I hope you will accept it.”
Grandma Mei stared at the doll, and then she did the last thing they expected. She burst out into gales of laughter.
“This . . . this isn’t . . . isn’t . . . at all like the doll I lost. That was just a crude clay doll, wearing a cotton jacket!”
Andy looked nervous. “Shall I exchange the doll?” he asked.
Grandma Mei looked at Andy and then back at the doll. Suddenly she bent over. This time she was not laughing. She was sobbing.
Sue went over and put her arms around her grandmother. “Andy meant well, Grandma.”
Grandma Mei wiped her eyes and nodded. Cradling the doll, she turned to Andy. “Thank you,” she said huskily. “You’re right: the war is over.”
Sue raised her head and her eyes met Andy’s. She had been attracted to him because he was good-looking, because he was a wonderful violinist, and because the two of them enjoyed the same kind of humor. In buying the doll for Grandma Mei, he showed another side of himself, a side that touched her deeply.
Well done, Andy, Sue mouthed silently. Andy smiled at her.
The past is done and the war is over. Sue walked over and squeezed Andy’s hand. Now we can start to think about the future.
About the Author
Lensey Namioka was born in Beijing and moved to the United States when she was a child. She is the author of many books for young people, including Ties That Bind, Ties That Break, an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults, and its companion novel, An Ocean Apart, a World Away. Her middle-grade novels include Half and Half; Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear, a Young Reader’s Choice Award nominee; Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family; Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers; Yang the Eldest and His Odd Jobs; and April and the Dragon Lady, a nominee for the Utah Young Adults’ Book Award. Several of Lensey Namioka’s beloved Samurai mysteries have recently come back into print: The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils, White Serpent Castle, Valley of the Broken Cherry Trees, and Village of the Vampire Cat. Lensey Namioka lives in Seattle with her family.
Also by Lensey Namioka
Half and Half
An Ocean Apart, a World Away
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear
Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family
Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers
Yang the Eldest and His Odd Jobs
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New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Namioka, Lensey.
Mismatch / Lensey Namioka.
p. cm.
Summary: Their families clash when a Japanese-American teenaged boy
starts dating a Chinese-American teenaged girl.
1. Chinese Americans—Juvenile fiction. 2. Japanese Americans—Juvenile
fiction. [1. Chi
nese Americans—Fiction. 2. Japanese Americans—Fiction.
3. Family life—Fiction. 4. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. 5. High
schools—Fiction. 6. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.N1426Mis 2006
[Fic]—dc22 2005003669
February 2006
www.randomhouse.com
eISBN: 978-0-307-43356-5
v3.0
Mismatch Page 17
