Mei Mei's Muffins
“What is your drawing meant to be?”
Eli glanced up when he realized the pretty Chinese girl in the next seat was speaking to him. “It’s a chocolate chip muffin.”
He was surprised when she replied, “I do not really think so.”
“Why?”
Mei drew her hand to her mouth in dismay. “Oh, I have made mistakes. I did not mean to…”
Embarrassed, she pointed at his drawing, “See?”
“Wha?” Eli looked down at his sketch pad and then back up at her. Realizing his mistake, he began to laugh, but quickly stopped when he noticed her anxiously glancing at the elderly Chinese woman quietly snoring beside her.
Grinning he whispered, “ You are absolutely correct.”
He quickly added a few irregularly shaped blobs. Triumphant, he displayed his sketch and asked, “Better?”
Mei grinned mischievously, “No.”
Giggling she continued, “I cannot be certain that this is a chocolate chip muffin.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, why not?” Mei laughed when Eli blew his bangs in mock frustration. They both froze when the older woman stirred and mumbled something unintelligible.
Mei patted the woman’s wrinkled hand and made soft shushing noises. “Rest grandmother. All is well.”
When the old woman’s breathing evened, Mei whispered, “They could be chocolate chips or raisins, or even blueberries. How can I be certain?”
Eli smiled in surrender and introduced himself. Before he could ask her name she Interrupted, “But why are you drawing muffins?”
Eli grinned self consciously. “It’s a project for art school. I have to create a series of related images. See?” He quickly fanned through the pages of his sketchbook.
“ If any of them turn out really good, they will be published in the art school calendar.”
“You mean, like May is for Muffins?”
“Yeah, I guess. Something like that,” he replied, noticing the dimples that appeared when she smiled.
In the brief moment between breaths, Eli studied her. She was not just beautiful, she was perfect. Even her hair swung in dark symmetrical waves.
“My name is Mei Ling Wan but grandmother calls me Mei-Mei. I am to attend culinary school next year.”
“Culinary school? That sounds interesting. What’s your favorite thing to cook?”
“I like to make spicy things like curries and chili, but I also love to bake.”
Changing the subject she asked, “May I see some of your drawings?”
Eli hesitated, but when she held his gaze and asked, “pretty please,” he relented.
He held his breath as she flipped carefully through his drawings. He watched the tiny wrinkle between her eyes for any hints. When she finally closed the drawing pad and returned it to him she whispered, ”They are very beautiful.”
“I am not sure drawings of zucchinis and tomatoes could be considered beautiful, but thank you.”
He felt the warmth of her skin as she reached out and touched his hand. “May I show you my favorite?”
She flipped expertly through the pages, stopping at a shaded drawing of mushrooms. He grinned. “Yeah, that’s one of my favorites too.”
Eli shifted in his seat to hide the blush stealing across his face. He felt the warmth of her thigh as it occasionally brushed against him. He could smell the clean smell of soap and the flowery shampoo she used as they bent their heads together studying his drawings. Even her voice caressed and tickled his ears with its slightly formal English. In their bubble of whispers and giggles, they had not noticed the older woman stirring. A stream of hard clipped Chinese syllables caused Mei to abruptly sit back in her seat tucking her hair back with one hand and smoothing her skirt with the other. Eli saw the briefest flicker of annoyance on Mei’s pretty face before she rearranged her features into repentance.
Without making eye contact, Mei recited in a polite schoolgirl voice. “Please. I am sorry. Grandmother says it is not appropriate for me to talk to a strange man on the train.”
Eli looked from Mei to the grandmother struggling to find something to say. Eventually, he leaned back into his seat and stared morosely. “Perhaps,” he thought, “the old woman will nod off again.” Then maybe, the beautiful Mei would talk to him again. But each time he dared to glance at the older woman, he was met with a hard glittering stare.
The train lurched as it entered the station. Before he could even formulate a question, the grandmother gathered their belongings and ushered Mei towards the door. Impulsively, he ripped the muffin drawing from his pad and thrust it towards her. She shot him a quick shy smile before they disappeared into the crowded station.
For years afterwards, Eli looked for Mei each time he rode the train. At first, he searched with the urgency of youth. As time passed though, the urgency faded as young love always does. Eventually his life moved on. He finished art school, married, had children, and then grandchildren of his own. Mei became a sweet memory to pull out as he half dozed on the evening train. Until one evening as he shuffled through the crowded station, the familiar outline of a chocolate chip muffin on a storefront window caught his attention. The name of the store was written in large red Chinese characters but beneath, the English translation read, Mei Mei’s Muffins.
It was his Mei! It had to be.
He pulled on the door eagerly, disappointed to find it locked. He stood staring at the rows of perfect muffins artfully displayed in the windows. He traced the familiar drawing on the window with his fingertip. She had used the sketch he had given her. He was not sure if he was overjoyed to have found her or devastated that he had missed her and would have to wait another day. As he turned to go, he noticed an elegant older woman watching him. Breathlessly, he asked, “Mei?”
“Eli? I knew someday you would find me.”
Eli glanced up when he realized the pretty Chinese girl in the next seat was speaking to him. “It’s a chocolate chip muffin.”
He was surprised when she replied, “I do not really think so.”
“Why?”
Mei drew her hand to her mouth in dismay. “Oh, I have made mistakes. I did not mean to…”
Embarrassed, she pointed at his drawing, “See?”
“Wha?” Eli looked down at his sketch pad and then back up at her. Realizing his mistake, he began to laugh, but quickly stopped when he noticed her anxiously glancing at the elderly Chinese woman quietly snoring beside her.
Grinning he whispered, “ You are absolutely correct.”
He quickly added a few irregularly shaped blobs. Triumphant, he displayed his sketch and asked, “Better?”
Mei grinned mischievously, “No.”
Giggling she continued, “I cannot be certain that this is a chocolate chip muffin.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, why not?” Mei laughed when Eli blew his bangs in mock frustration. They both froze when the older woman stirred and mumbled something unintelligible.
Mei patted the woman’s wrinkled hand and made soft shushing noises. “Rest grandmother. All is well.”
When the old woman’s breathing evened, Mei whispered, “They could be chocolate chips or raisins, or even blueberries. How can I be certain?”
Eli smiled in surrender and introduced himself. Before he could ask her name she Interrupted, “But why are you drawing muffins?”
Eli grinned self consciously. “It’s a project for art school. I have to create a series of related images. See?” He quickly fanned through the pages of his sketchbook.
“ If any of them turn out really good, they will be published in the art school calendar.”
“You mean, like May is for Muffins?”
“Yeah, I guess. Something like that,” he replied, noticing the dimples that appeared when she smiled.
In the brief moment between breaths, Eli studied her. She was not just beautiful, she was perfect. Even her hair swung in dark symmetrical waves.
“My name is Mei Ling Wan but grandmother calls me Mei-Mei. I am to attend culinary school next year.”
“Culinary school? That sounds interesting. What’s your favorite thing to cook?”
“I like to make spicy things like curries and chili, but I also love to bake.”
Changing the subject she asked, “May I see some of your drawings?”
Eli hesitated, but when she held his gaze and asked, “pretty please,” he relented.
He held his breath as she flipped carefully through his drawings. He watched the tiny wrinkle between her eyes for any hints. When she finally closed the drawing pad and returned it to him she whispered, ”They are very beautiful.”
“I am not sure drawings of zucchinis and tomatoes could be considered beautiful, but thank you.”
He felt the warmth of her skin as she reached out and touched his hand. “May I show you my favorite?”
She flipped expertly through the pages, stopping at a shaded drawing of mushrooms. He grinned. “Yeah, that’s one of my favorites too.”
Eli shifted in his seat to hide the blush stealing across his face. He felt the warmth of her thigh as it occasionally brushed against him. He could smell the clean smell of soap and the flowery shampoo she used as they bent their heads together studying his drawings. Even her voice caressed and tickled his ears with its slightly formal English. In their bubble of whispers and giggles, they had not noticed the older woman stirring. A stream of hard clipped Chinese syllables caused Mei to abruptly sit back in her seat tucking her hair back with one hand and smoothing her skirt with the other. Eli saw the briefest flicker of annoyance on Mei’s pretty face before she rearranged her features into repentance.
Without making eye contact, Mei recited in a polite schoolgirl voice. “Please. I am sorry. Grandmother says it is not appropriate for me to talk to a strange man on the train.”
Eli looked from Mei to the grandmother struggling to find something to say. Eventually, he leaned back into his seat and stared morosely. “Perhaps,” he thought, “the old woman will nod off again.” Then maybe, the beautiful Mei would talk to him again. But each time he dared to glance at the older woman, he was met with a hard glittering stare.
The train lurched as it entered the station. Before he could even formulate a question, the grandmother gathered their belongings and ushered Mei towards the door. Impulsively, he ripped the muffin drawing from his pad and thrust it towards her. She shot him a quick shy smile before they disappeared into the crowded station.
For years afterwards, Eli looked for Mei each time he rode the train. At first, he searched with the urgency of youth. As time passed though, the urgency faded as young love always does. Eventually his life moved on. He finished art school, married, had children, and then grandchildren of his own. Mei became a sweet memory to pull out as he half dozed on the evening train. Until one evening as he shuffled through the crowded station, the familiar outline of a chocolate chip muffin on a storefront window caught his attention. The name of the store was written in large red Chinese characters but beneath, the English translation read, Mei Mei’s Muffins.
It was his Mei! It had to be.
He pulled on the door eagerly, disappointed to find it locked. He stood staring at the rows of perfect muffins artfully displayed in the windows. He traced the familiar drawing on the window with his fingertip. She had used the sketch he had given her. He was not sure if he was overjoyed to have found her or devastated that he had missed her and would have to wait another day. As he turned to go, he noticed an elegant older woman watching him. Breathlessly, he asked, “Mei?”
“Eli? I knew someday you would find me.”