11 Episode 11 - Visiting Family

As he walked back into the coffeehouse, now filled with a wonderful mix of aromas, Amari played his unread messages.

'Hey, punk kid. Where have you been?'

'Message me when you get this.'

'There's somewhere I'd like to take you, when you have time.'

Without thinking, he smiled, but the feeling was interrupted by a giggle. "I saw that, hein? Who's the special someone?"

He frowned instantly and glared in Cate's direction. "It's nothing like that."

Returning her attention to packing up food, she didn't say anything more. He pulled out a flower and handed it over, almost as an apology for snapping at her, then set the rest of the bouquet into the bag.

"Aww, a daisy. C'est gentil." She grabbed the bag handles and placed them in his hand, then squeezed his shoulder. "There are chocolate cupcakes, lemon bars, snickerdoodles, and honey granola bars in there. I also have another small bag with some blueberry-walnut muffins."

"Jesus. How many people do you think I'm visiting?"

The smells rising from the bags were heavenly and he took a long whiff, then felt a warm muffin in his empty hand. After taking a large bite, he exhaled in satisfaction.

"Maybe you'll run into someone you know. Otherwise, they can share with neighbors, tsé?"

The boy finished stuffing his mouth, grabbed the small bag, and mumbled a thank you and goodbye as he rushed out.

"Careful!" Cate shouted after him. "Have a good visit!"

Amari took large strides as he hit the sidewalk, walking as quickly as possible toward the subway. Late morning on a Monday, there weren't many people around, so he could walk more freely. Though he didn't really need them, it had been almost a year since he had gone to Chinatown, so he turned on directions as he approached the station. Heading across the street, he ran the trip over and over in his mind.

::Down a block, into the station, the furthest stairway to head south. Off after two stops, out, and a block over to catch the L. The first entrance, then closest stairway to head across the East River, off at Union to exchange. Head straight to the second set of stairs, down to the platform on the left, and get on one of the farthest cars to the right. Off at Canal Street, take the first staircase up and closest exit out, then five blocks straight down to the shop.::

Though it had been a while, Amari had no difficulty remembering where to go, and within half an hour, he was walking toward the small pottery and cooking store.

"Wéi?" asked the soft voice through the phone.

"Wéi, āyí? Zhè shì Ā mǎlǐ a."

There was a little squeal of delight from the woman before she spoke again.

"Ā mǎlǐ! Hěnjiǔ bùjiàn a! Hái hǎo ma?"

The woman's excitement made him smile. "Ēn, yeah. You're right, it's been a long time. I'm good, and on my way to see you. Is that okay?"

"Dāngrán! Of course! We would be so happy to see you."

He heard her pull the phone away from her mouth and shout out, telling her husband he would be stopping by. A vague but eager response echoed in the background, and the woman was in his hear again.

"We're both in the store, so come whenever."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he said, having already walked a block during the call. "Duìbùqǐ, for the late notice."

"Not at all. Méi wèntí Xiǎo Li. You come right over."

Amari thanked her and hung up, walking the familiar street toward the shop. Nothing much had changed in the year he was away, and he found it comforting somehow. The woman was waiting for him on the sidewalk outside and began waving furiously as he approached. He could only smirk at her. She must look ridiculous to people passing by, making such grand motions to someone so close, but she didn't care.

Taking a few hurried steps forward, she gave him a big hug, her head just reaching his shoulder. It had been a while, and Amari couldn't stop himself from squeezing the woman back, taking in the familiar smell of shampoo and hint of sandalwood in her hair. She gave him a loving pat on his shoulder, then moved her arms and grabbed his wrist.

"Come. Let's go see shūshu." She pulled him into the little shop, the bell ringing as the door opened and closed.

"Lǎogōng!" she cried out joyfully to her husband. "Xiǎo Li láile! Put down what you're doing and come see him!"

A hefty man, more than a head taller than the woman, stepped out from a curtained-off back room. He called out in an excited but gentle voice as he walked down the aisle toward them.

"Xiǎo Li! It's good to see you. It has been such a long time since you visited."

Amari bowed to the man, his wrist still firmly in the woman's grasp. "I know, shūshu. Sorry."

"Méishì, Lili."

He felt the man grab his shoulder, the grip much stronger than his wife's, and Amari thought he might crush him. Still, it was a good feeling. He imagined this is what it felt like to visit family after being away - not receiving any less love, no matter how long he had been gone.

"Come and sit behind the counter," said his aunt, pulling at his wrist. "Chīfànle ma? Are you hungry?"

Taking a seat on a stool next to the store register, he shook his head and placed the bags on the counter. "Actually, I brought you some food. Something sweet." He pulled out the flowers, handing them over. "For you."

"Aww, thank you Ā Li," she said, taking them and sniffing. "Tiān a, they smell like cinnamon."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that." He pulled out the boxes of desserts from the bag. "I had to pack them with the food."

"Méishì. I'm going to go put these in some water."

She hurried to the backroom, leaving him alone at the counter with his uncle, and the man cleared his throat in the awkward silence.

"So, Ziggy? That weird man. He is the same?" His uncle's tone shifted at the name, obviously not fond of Amari's friend and roommate.

The boy could only smirk. "Same as always, shūshu. Still weird, but a good guy, despite his faults." There was only a grunt in return, nothing else to say about him.

His aunt returned and gave Amari's hand a pat, taking the open seat beside him. "I worry about you living in that apartment, with those strangers going in and out. You can still come stay here if you want."

"Āyí, I'm okay." He returned the woman's gentle pat. "Ziggy's good to me, and I like it in Brooklyn. Staying in one place for this long... It's comfortable."

Remembering the year he spent living and working in their shop, Amari huffed out a tiny laugh. "Plus, I was terrible at this job and you know it. I bumped into things, broke your precious pottery, and couldn't really help customers... I appreciate your kindness, but it just wasn't for me."

"Well, we don't care about all that. You know you're always welcome here."

He nodded and his uncle gave him a pat on the back before returning to the stock room. The rest of the day was spent sitting with his aunt behind the counter. Between customers, Amari asked about the many months he had missed - about changes in the neighborhood, and big events in the older couple's life.

The two had a married son and daughter, both moved away with families of their own, so when he had stumbled through Chinatown looking for work, the woman immediately took him in, almost like a replacement child. It took months before Amari could trust their kindness and believe someone really just wanted to give him food and shelter.

It was the first feeling of family he had in more years than he could count, or at least similar to it, but there was also a sense of helplessness, something that always nagged at him while he lived there. Out of the goodness of her heart, his aunt had taken him in - a seventeen-year-old, bad-mannered, angry kid with nowhere to go - but that fact always hurt Amari a little. The last thing he could stand was being a burden to someone he cared about, and he didn't want this loving couple to be responsible for a screw up like him. Ziggy had been his out, and his guilt was the main reason he agreed to move.

As the two sat chatting, Amari was slowly reminded of the other reason he decided to leave. Some of the customers who came in were wonderful, recognizing him and stopping to catch up. He remembered their voices and names, and he knew enough of the language to get by in a conversation, even with his terrible pronunciation.

Others were less accepting. He was a small, brown-skinned boy, with a wild frohawk and multiple piercings, always dressed in black and always with a gloomy or expressionless face. In an area filled with traditional Chinese families, he stood out in the crowd and made some people uncomfortable.

He couldn't see their expressions, but he felt the tension and heard the changes in their tone. On top of that, he wasn't good at his job, which only made the situation worse. It was definitely best for everyone involved that he found somewhere else to go.

"Tiān a! Āyí has talked so much!" The woman laughed cheerfully. "I just feel like I haven't seen you in forever. You've been gone so long."

"I know, āyí. Sorry." Amari flashed a small smile at her. He was glad to hear their life was going well, and glad that his aunt was excited to tell him all about it.

"What about you, Xiǎo Li? Don't tell me again that nothing is new. It has been too long for that."

"Even though nothing's new?"

He scratched at his head, trying to think of something to tell her, but his phone distracted him with a buzz. An earbud was still in his ear, almost always in when he wasn't home, so he checked the message quickly.

'Seriously, this kid. Ignoring me again.'

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