Saving Fish from Drowning - Heal Burma

AMY TAN
Wendy positioned the hat’s rattan ring over her head, then tied the
red ribbons under her chin. They walked out into the full sun, she
now restored and refreshed. To Wendy, the hat was a shopping coup.
She had saved them from being arrested by the police. And for
twenty-five cents, she had a fashion accessory that bestowed on her
an air that was cool and chic, like Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly in
one of those movies from the fifties. Meanwhile, the locals were
snickering among themselves. How funny to see the foreigner in a
farmer’s work hat, like a fish that has put on clothes.
Around the corner and down an alley, Moff and Rupert had found
a shop that sold Western basketballs and badminton sets. As soon as
they paid for one of each, Rupert began dribbling the basketball and
Moff attempted to take it away. Shopkeepers and customers watched
with grins on their faces. “Michael Jordan!” someone called out.
Moff looked back. Michael Jordan? Even in this part of the world,
they knew about him? Some boys with their longyis tucked up like
short pants waved a hand, and when Rupert threw the ball their way,
one of them caught it palm open. The boy expertly dribbled it down
the lane before returning it to Rupert with a single bounce.
Another ball appeared, this one smaller, an airy globe of rattan. A
boy in a brown longyi tossed it lightly and with an upturned heel
kicked it to another boy. That boy let the ball bounce on his head and
lobbed it toward Rupert, who instantly caught it on his knee and
kept it bouncing there until he tossed it toward his father. Moff
aimed his foot at the approaching missile, and it ricocheted in the
wrong direction and fell to the ground. Rupert picked up the woven
ball. “Cool,” he said to Moff. “Like Hacky Sack but bouncier.” He
handed the caneball to its owner, the boy in the brown longyi. Moff
held up a couple hundred kyat notes and pointed to the ball. The boy
handed him the ball and solemnly took the two hundred kyats.
“Cool,” Rupert said again, and bounced the ball between his knees,
moving forward in this manner as his father headed toward the
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