:)


5. Hei

Hei is Uncle Sam’s neighbor. Though he’s pure Taiwanese, he’s dark-skinned in a way that doesn’t seem tanned. So for that we call him Hei.

Though Hei is much older than I am, he doesn’t seem to be employed. Nor does he seem to have a family, or much of a future plan. He just roams around the neighborhood in his plastic blue slippers and wifebeater, chatting up whoever he runs into. During the summer, he carries his electric mosquito racket at all times, burning mosquitoes in a frenzy of swatting. You can hear the buzz of the dead mosquitoes wherever he goes.

Hei always smells heavily of tobacco, though I’ve never seen him smoke. He also seems well-read, able to discuss any topic — especially politics, which he’s opinionated about. And it’s only when discussing politics that he can’t tolerate contrary opinions.