as i walked from the fuzhou ancestral pepper cake shop to the 228 park i passed a rack of clothes. on it was a furry white vest that caught my eye. as i paused to look at it an old lady came over. try it on! she said. i hesitated. she took another one out, a brown one. i said fine and put down my bag and took off my coat. i put it on, she went to grab a mirror. it looks good she insisted, every time.
i’m sorry i don’t think i’ll wear this i said, putting the vest back on the hanging rack and backing away. she said wait!! she pulled out a brown hoodie with goofy and donald duck on it. i shook my head. wait!! wait!! she pulled out a blue and brown bomber/rain jacket. only you can wear this, she said. plenty of people want it but they need bigger sizes. only you can wear this. look at them, she said, gesturing to the people passing by. they’re too fat. only you can wear this. i only want 390. 390! that’s less than an umbrella and u can wear this in the rain. please you’re my first customer. i’ve read two newspapers out here today, not a single person has stopped.
i took off my thin tweed coat and put the double layered jacket on. it did look good.
350, she said. i’ll give it to you for 350. i’ll be happy just to break even. this is all money, she said, gesturing at her table full of thin elephant print pants, scarves, granny jackets, vests. you think i can afford all this? you could help me not go home with empty pockets. i’ve got five grandsons.
i made a sympathetic face.
taiwan is dying, she said. 40 years ago you should have seen the business! i had customers lining up! now…nothing.
why is the economy so bad? i asked.
i don’t dare say, she said. but 台湾要死了.
of course i bought the jacket. put it on! she said. i said it’s too warm. she put it in a bag. thank you she said, bowing. thank you, thank you, thank you. i echoed her repeatedly, awkwardly, walking away.
later that day i watched the city of sadness in a movie theater. it’s a beautiful movie about the beginning of the white terror in taiwan. it’s very sad. almost all the young men are killed. it was getting chilly out as i waited for my bus back home so i took off my coat and put the jacket on. it kept me warm.
hog maw 