【老万】小说：美乐火锅店（英文版）

按：这是我写的小小说《美乐火锅店》的英文版，感谢我的女儿帮我修正英文错误。祝大家节日愉快！

Merlot Hot Pot

Part 1

As told by: Olivia Li, student at the University of Washington, waitress at Merlot Hot Pot Restaurant

At the east end of Seattle's Chinatown is South King Street.  It is known for the Bruce Lee Museum and a Taiwanese hot pot restaurant called Merlot. The restaurant was there already when my parents came to Seattle 20 years ago. I don't know how long it has been open.

I graduated from high school last year and was admitted to the University of Washington, not far from Merlot. Through the connection of a friend, I began coming to this restaurant every Sunday afternoon to work as a part-time waitress.

Merlot is a buffet: all you can eat for $30. Unlike restaurants that cook to order, where customers sometimes have peculiar requests for alterations, everything here is a standard process, so the requirements for waitresses are not high. My job is relatively simple - there is not much to do except lead the guests to their tables, serve them tea and water, and write down their orders.

My salary is five dollars per hour, less than the legal minimum wage, but I also earn tips. I serve at least a dozen groups of guests a night, and the tip varies from $5 to $20. Therefore I can earn up to $200 every weekend, which is a big help for my college expenses. I also get a free meal after clocking 4 hours.

On the first day of work, I went to see the boss, Julie. She is Taiwanese, in her fifties, and appears highly capable.

Julie briefly explained some basic requirements, then let me observe the other waiters for a while.

"Our restaurant has been open for a long time. Many of the guests are regulars." Julie added as I observed. "You'll get to know them soon enough. If you can call them by name, they'll be happy and tip more. However, remember not to inquire about their personal matters unless they volunteer to tell you, even if you think you are already close with them."

"Got it."

"Well, you can start. Ask David if you have any questions."

David, surnamed Wang, is the foreman here.

David told me that every Sunday night an old couple would come to dine. The lady would just watch the gentleman eat, so she didn’t count as a guest. Usually this would not be allowed because the rule of the buffet is that you pay if you come in. However, David had me remember that this is a special case.

Well, I'd like to see what kind of people they are and why we make an exception for them.

Dinner started at 5. Just after 6 o'clock, an elderly couple walked into the restaurant. The man was Caucasian, appeared to be in his 80s, and leaned on a cane. Under the gray coat, his slightly fat body looked a little labored when he walked. The old lady was of Asian descent. She was younger, six inches shorter than her husband, and had very delicate facial features.. Her clothes were ordinary but fit well. One could tell that she must’ve been a beauty when she was young. However, her eyes were empty, and she seemed to be focusing on a far away place. When she looked my way, she didn’t seem to be looking at me - she was looking at the air behind me, which made me a bit uncomfortable.

David beckoned me over and said softly, "It's them."

I took them both to an empty table and sat them down. The old man said, "Hello, my name is Dennis. I haven't seen you here before. Are you new to work?"

I smiled: "I work part-time here on weekends. I just started today."

Dennis said, "Oh yeah? Nice to meet you. What's your name, little girl?"

I replied, "My name is Olivia -” David had already explained everything to me “- just one, right?"

"Yes, Olivia; my wife doesn't want to eat. Just a glass of water for her."

“Of course.” I poured a glass of ice water for each of them and served a pot of hot tea.

The old lady listened to my conversation with Dennis without saying a word. Seeing the confusion in my eyes, Dennis said to me, "She's Lucy, and she doesn't like to talk." I hurriedly said, "It's okay. What would you like to order today?"

Dennis didn't look at the menu and recited his order without skipping a beat: "Tomato soup base, lamb shoulder slices, fatty beef slices, some cabbage, tofu, enoki mushrooms, pumpkin, and vermicelli. Thank you!"

The eyes of Lucy, who was sitting across from Dennis, were still hollow, as if no one was here. Though I was slightly disconcerted, this was the couple’s own business, so I didn’t say anything.

Between pouring tea and water for other guests, I glanced at their table curiously from time to time.

Dennis simmered the meat slowly, appearing to have a little difficulty eating. Yeah, is it really okay for an 80-something-year-old to eat so much meat?

After a while, Dennis waved to me. I quickly made my way to his table.

"Excuse me, Olivia, can you get me some more napkins?"

"No problem!" I handed him three large sheets of tissues. Dennis wiped the sweat from the top of his head. His face was much redder than when he had entered. At this time, I saw that Lucy's eyes began to shine, her previously stiff expression began to soften, and I actually saw a smile on her face.

When I turned to leave, Lucy reached out to Dennis, who took her hand and said something with a smile. Lucy responded with a smile from time to time, her eyes full of affection, like a girl in love.

The couple stayed for a long time that day and paid the tab when it was close to closing time. Dennis finished the two large plates of meat and side dishes all by himself. For a total of more than $33 for the meal, he left a $20 tip. I was surprised "Thank you, you don't have to be so generous!"

Dennis said, "Thank you for your service, Olivia. We had a great night. I'll need your help in the future."

He stood up slowly, took Lucy's scarf from the back of the chair, and wrapped it around her neck. Lucy took Dennis's arm, her head rested on his shoulder. Her face was flushed, her eyes were gleaming, and she looked transformed from when she had first arrived. Did Merlot Hot Pot have magic?

The next weekend, I came back to work. At six o'clock, Dennis and Lucy came again. Just like the last time, after sitting down for a while, Dennis became chatty and buoyant. Lucy's expression became vivid, and she laughed from time to time. I could even spot shyness on her face. When they left, the two looked intimate as if they were newly in love.

It had been more than a year, and they showed up on time almost every week. I got used to it. Every time I went to Merlot Hot Pot, my mind was entirely occupied with the thought of seeing Dennis and Lucy show their affection again.

One Sunday in October, after six o'clock, Dennis and Lucy didn't show up. I wondered if they had been delayed by something. At half past six, they still hadn’t arrived, not even at seven.I busied myself and slowly pushed them to the back of my mind until I got off work and remembered that they hadn't been at the restaurant all night. Because this had happened occasionally before, I didn't think much of it.

Another week passed, and neither of them were seen. I realized something was wrong, so I went to ask David: why didn't Dennis and Lucy come?

David was joking with Gianna, the waitress with dyed silver hair. Gianna is a few years older than I. She just broke up with her boyfriend last month. I thought David was interested in her. He talked a lot every time Gianna was around.

After listening to my question, David shrugged and said that he didn't know either. Dennis was probably sick. After all, he was old and his health was not very good.

I thought to myself, right, the last time I saw them, they were already faltering, and I was afraid that they would come less and less often.

Although they were regular customers, I did not have their contacts. On the first day of training, Julie told me not to mind guests’ business. I still remembered that. So did David. Therefore I couldn't get in touch with Dennis, and had to keep my questions in my head and hope that they didn't have any trouble.

Thanksgiving came and went. Dennis and Lucy still didn't show up. I almost stopped thinking about them. My homework hadn't been easy lately. I had a lot of other things to take care of. Like other passers-by in my life, Dennis and Lucy slowly faded away in my mind.

On Christmas Eve, many restaurants were closed, but Merlot Hotpot was still open like other Chinese restaurants. I was off duty when Julie called me to say that Gianna couldn't come on a short notice. She asked if I could stand in. I knew that David had been hitting on Gianna. They must have gone to enjoy the world of two.

Anyway, I had no coursework as it was winter break, so I agreed. Julie thanked me profusely and said that there would be an extra $100 reward that day.

The business in the restaurant was good, as many young couples were too lazy to cook on Christmas Eve. I estimated that I should be able to earn a lot of tips, which was great.

After eight o'clock, it was already dark, and snowflakes began to fall in the street. The door opened, and a cold wind blew in, bringing a chill in me. A cane entered the door, followed by an old man in a gray coat. When I saw his face, I was stunned. It was Dennis!

I greeted him excitedly, “Hello Dennis, long time no see. How are you? Why didn't Lucy come?”

Dennis was also surprised, "Oh, Olivia! I didn't expect to meet you here today. I'm alone this time."

I didn't want to ask any more questions, so I found a vacant seat for Dennis to sit down and asked what he would like to order. Dennis thought for a moment and said it would be the same as usual. I said “Okay, I'll be right back”, and poured him a glass of ice water. Because every time I brewed the hot tea, Lucy drank it alone, I didn't serve it this time.

As I was about to leave, Dennis stopped me: "Just one minute - could you make me a pot of tea?"

I hurriedly apologized, and immediately went back to the front desk to bring a teapot.

The soup base and side dishes came. Two large plates of lamb and beef were piled up in front of Dennis. He started to simmer the meat. As if he was having a hard time, he had to stop at every bite, staring blankly at the other side of the table, as if thinking about something.

Slowly, people trickled out of the restaurant, and half of the meat in front of Dennis disappeared. I went over and asked, "Dennis, do you need anything?"

"Oh, Olivia, I'm sorry, I'm a little lost. No need, everything is fine."

"Okay, just let me know if you need anything." Then I went on to serve other guests.

Closing time was approaching. Except for Dennis, the last table of guests had settled the bill. The other waitresses left one after another, and Julie and I were the only staff left. I figured that with the special Christmas bonus, I could earn more than $400 today, which was more than great.

Dennis and I were old acquaintances, and it was not appropriate to drive away a regular customer on Christmas Eve. I thought about it, and told Julie that she could go home, and I would accompany Dennis to finish eating before leaving. Julie gave me a big hug and said “Merry Christmas, a good girl like you shall be blessed.” Her son and daughter-in-law's family came back from out-of-state for the festival, so she needed to be home. Otherwise she could have stayed with me.

"Julie, don't say these useless things. Just give me a raise."

Julie laughed and said, "UW students are so shrewd. You don't care about the wages here. You all come for the tips. Tell the guests if you want a raise."

Julie left. I locked the door, hung the “closed” sign, walked to Dennis's table, and said, “Dennis, no rush. I don’t have to be anywhere, so I will wait until you're done before leaving.”

Dennis looked around, and his already red face turned even redder: "Olivia, I'm sorry, I think I really lost my mind and didn't notice that you are all closed. I'd better go."

"It really doesn't bother me. I don't have any other arrangements. Only after ten o'clock. Lucy didn't come today. I can chat with you to keep you company."

I saw something flash in Dennis' eyes. He stopped insisting. I poured myself a glass of ice water and sat down in front of him.

Dennis hesitated for a moment and said, "Olivia, thank you for being so kind. I didn't tell you when I came in today, but Lucy won't come here any more."

Part 2

As told by: Dennis Williams, retired U.S. military pilot, frequent customer of Merlot Hot Pot

It was Christmas Eve. I was sitting at Merlot Hot Pot in Seattle's Chinatown, simmering meat as usual. This was the first time I'd been out since what had happened a month ago.

Time flies so fast. I didn’t even notice it when the restaurant closed. Alas, getting older makes one slow to react.

Fortunately, Olivia, the waitress, was kind enough to chat with me and let me finish my meal.

I thought about it and decided to tell her the story of me and Lucy. My friends all left for another world, and I didn't want to take the story to my grave.

"And then?" Olivia asked curiously.

I took a sip of ice water and continued my story.

Back in the United States, I immediately applied to my superior to marry Lucy. After half a year, the application was approved, and Lucy also graduated from university. I flew to Taiwan to get married and brought her to the United States. At first we lived in Louisiana, where I served. Then I retired. We moved to Seattle because of Lucy. Here we have the Chinese community she grew up with.

While in Taiwan, Lucy took me to eat all kinds of Chinese food. My favorite was Taiwanese hot pot. Lucy loved to cook and made a lot of tasty dishes for me. After she came to the United States, she often prepared hot pot at home. For me, it was a great treat, and for her, it was more a way to console her nostalgia.

More than four years ago, I noticed that Lucy's memory had worsened. Twice she forgot her way home when she went out to run errands. Another time, she looked at me and asked who I was, not joking. I realized that she sometimes didn't recognize me.

I quickly took her to see the doctor. He said she had Alzheimer's. This kind of disease, once developed, would not get better, and all the familiar things in her life would slowly be forgotten. For the rest of her days, she would live in a fog that would become increasingly thick, unable to see her past, and she wouldn’t even remember people the closest to her.

This deeply saddened me. Lucy had been with me for so many years, and I didn't want to part with her like this.

Lucy's condition was getting worse and she couldn’t recognize me more and more often. She was confused and didn't know why she was with me. Sometimes she would pull out the photos we took together in Taiwan, point to the young man in the uniform, and say that this was her husband, that his name was Denny, and that she didn’t know where he was. She would ask people to help her find her Denny.

I opened my wallet and took out the black and white photo to show Olivia. In the photo, Lucy had long curly hair and a shawl, her eyes were shining, and she was young and beautiful. I stood with her in front of a small restaurant, smiling so happily. The restaurant's sign read "Shantou Pasta".

Olivia recognized Lucy at a glance, saying that she still smiled as she did when she was young.

I carefully put the photo back in my wallet and continued my story.

"Oh, so it is." Olivia sighed.

I was running out of words, so I stopped for a while.

The snow stopped and my story was over. Olivia remained silent.

I took out my phone, called an Uber, and asked to pay. Olivia shook herself and printed out the bill. Five bucks holiday surcharge, plus tax for a total of $38.60.

I put on my reading glasses and put $500 in the tip section.

Olivia covered her mouth in awe and said, “Oh no, this is too much!”

I said, "No, I want to thank you for patiently listening to my old stories, Olivia. It was really nice to see you today. You're a kind girl, and I wish you happiness."

Olivia asked, "Will you come back again?"

I shook my head. I didn't think so. Lucy was gone. Today, I said goodbye to my past life. After this, my heart would give out. Next time, it would be for me to meet her.

Olivia put away the dishes on the table. The phone rang, signaling that my Uber was at the door. Olivia helped me stand up, opened the restaurant door, and walked me out.

South King Street was covered with fresh snow, a vast expanse of white. This was what Lucy's world was like. Across the street, a young couple was laughing and having a snowball fight.

I got into my Uber and waved to Olivia: "Goodbye Olivia.Merry Christmas!"

She waved back: "Merry Christmas, Dennis! Take care!"

The car started, tossing up clumps of snow. I turned my head and watched Olivia shrink little by little, until she was out of sight. I took a breath and closed my eyes. I saw the picture of me and Lucy, both of us so young. The couple in the photograph comes up to me, smiling.