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Photos: 4 Shutterstock (balabolka), New York; 136 Shutterstock (Martial Red), New York; 137 Shutterstock (petch one), New York; 137 Shutterstock (Filip Bjorkman), New York

Abbreviations

Before you start

1.Look at the illustrations of the main characters. Think of three adjectives to describe the characters based on how they look. As you read the story, check to see if you were right, and make changes as you find out more about the characters.

2.Have you ever been to a nail salon? What do you think it must be like to work in one?

3.Look at the cover and the illustrations below. What do you think the story is about?

Chapter 1

Tien shook the bottle of blue nail polish and twisted it open. Before pulling out the tiny wet brush and applying it to her client’s toenails, she turned toward the open door. Her head was already throbbing from the chemical fumes inside Queen’s Nail Salon. She tried to breathe in some fresh air but it was useless. The warm October breeze flowing in couldn’t remove the strong smell that spread throughout every inch of her workplace. “So this is the American Dream,” thought Tien bitterly. “I have a degree from a top university – and a full-time job in a toxic wasteland.”

“I couldn’t decide which blue to pick,” said the client, unaware of Tien’s thoughts. “So many pretty ones: ice blue, ocean blue, midnight blue,” she continued. “But I think I made the right decision with this royal blue, don’t you? Also, I’d like you to finish it with white polka dots. Please use this snow white, not pearl white,” she said, pointing out another bottle of almost the same color. “I think that will look super cute.” Tien said nothing. Her attention was still focused on the open door. “Excuse me,” said the client, clearing her throat loudly. “Can you add polka dots?” she asked, now shaking the bottle in front of Tien’s face. “Um, do you speak English?”

The answer to both of these questions was definitely yes. Tien could easily add many artistic features to both toenails and fingernails: daisies, strawberries, butterflies, zebra stripes, sunsets over the ocean, and several planets in the solar system. She was, in fact, a real artist who drew and painted beautiful portraits. In college, her art professors said that her work was the best they’d ever seen. Furthermore, Tien was born in the U.S. and spoke English fluently. Nevertheless, she resisted the impulse to get very angry. She needed every penny from this job and couldn’t afford to lose a tip.

Tien turned toward her client. “Oh, sorry,” she said automatically. “Yes, I can do polka dots for you,” she continued. “Snow white. Got it.” Then the woman opened her magazine and didn’t say another word. Tien tried to concentrate on her work but she felt miserable. She wasn’t supposed to be working at Queen’s Nail Salon anymore. This was just the temporary job that she did part time in college. It was only a stepping-stone on her way to an exciting career as an artist. Although she loved Auntie Chau – her great-aunt and the owner of Queen’s Nail Salon – dearly, she hadn’t planned to stay in this business. She couldn’t bear to imagine forty more years hunched over rude people’s feet. Auntie Chau accepted the backbreaking work. She didn’t mind the awful smell. For Tien, however, it was agonizing.

Auntie Chau was a refugee from Vietnam and came to the U.S. in 1974. Over the years, she had sponsored several family members to move there. Her mother came thirty years ago, and Tien was born five years after that. It seemed that most of these female relatives studied English until they were fluent – or fluent enough – to work in nail salons. It was just the path they took. For many years, Auntie Chau had owned Queen’s Nail Salon. Since then, most of her employees had been either relatives or close friends.

Tien grew up thinking that employment in the nail salon was mostly for the new immigrants. For the native-born Americans, like herself, life was supposed to be much better. Her generation had all the advantages: fluency in English, higher education, and more professional opportunities. In college, Tien’s parents pushed her in the direction of medicine or law. Against their advice, Tien pursued a degree in fine art. How could she not? She had begun to draw the minute she could hold a pencil. Art was her passion and she stubbornly refused to study subjects that didn’t interest her.

Three years after college, Tien often regretted her decision. “What was I thinking?” she said under her breath, as she skillfully painted her client’s toenails blue. Sadly, praise from her former art professors didn’t repay her large student loan. It didn’t pay for her day-to-day necessities. Tien sometimes made a little money doing caricatures – an art form she truly disliked – at children’s birthday parties and street fairs, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She needed more consistent work. And, believe it or not, she earned a lot more money doing manicures and pedicures than she would as either a clerk in an art supply store or a cashier at a museum gift shop. Therefore, Tien worked at Queen’s Nail Salon even though she was born in the U.S. and spoke English. She worked there even though she was a gifted artist with a degree from a respected university. She worked there even though it gave her a horrible headache.

A few minutes later, Tien shook the bottle of white nail polish and twisted it open. “Can I add polka dots?” she thought to herself, “I could paint this dreadful woman’s portrait on her big toenail…I just don’t want to!”

Why does the client think that Tien is uneducated?

Why does Tien regret her decision to study art?

Think about it …

Tien is unhappy with her job in the nail salon and would rather work as an artist. How do you think Tien can achieve her goal?

Do you have a goal? How are you working towards achieving it?

Chapter 2

Tien grew up in the suburbs, an hour by car outside of the city. After graduating high school, she moved to the city to go to the university. Auntie Chau already lived there and happily offered Tien the small basement apartment below her house. This served as both her living space and art studio. While this arrangement was supposed to be only temporary, it had now lasted for over seven years. Auntie Chau wouldn’t hear of charging her any rent. But she accepted the small sum of money that Tien dutifully left for her in an envelope every month. “It’s for your retirement, Auntie,” she insisted. “One day you’ll need it.”

The living arrangement actually suited both Tien and Auntie Chau very well, and they had grown to depend on each other. Unlike Tien, Auntie Chau liked to cook. Therefore, Tien could always count on a bowl of steaming Pho Ga – Vietnamese chicken noodle soup – or some other delicious food at night after work. Unlike Auntie Chau, Tien liked to drive. Therefore, Auntie Chau could relax on the way to and from work and not worry about the traffic. In addition, Auntie Chau felt safer because her great-niece dutifully closed up Queen’s Nail Salon with her every night. Together, they counted the money and gathered it together for the bank deposit.

Without a doubt, Auntie Chau was Tien’s most supportive relative. During the college years, her great-aunt always expressed enthusiasm for Tien’s beautiful artwork and faithfully attended all of her student exhibitions. She proudly admired Tien’s amazing talent and encouraged her to keep trying to succeed. Unfortunately, the other family members viewed her as a failure. Tien knew by the sad and bewildered looks her parents exchanged even at her college graduation. Her father sighed as he walked past a cluster of science buildings on campus. He even repeated the English proverb that described Tien’s academic choice: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. They believed that she had missed an opportunity to get the type of education that would give her – and them – more satisfaction in life.

In early December, Tien drove Auntie Chau to her parents’ home for a big party. The entire family and many friends had come to celebrate her younger sister’s early admission to a first-tier law school. Tien’s parents were overjoyed, of course. And Tien was proud of her sister too. But these gatherings were very hard. Whenever she was with the whole family, she had to endure their insensitive comments. “Hey, I guess your art degree served as a warning,” said Uncle Van laughing. “After seeing what happened to you, your sister made a much wiser decision, didn’t she?”

Tien tried to ignore the observations about her wasted years in college. However, the condescending remarks about her ongoing job in the nail salon were even worse. The topic was obviously unpleasant, yet some relatives invariably brought it up. Tien had one particularly nasty cousin, Hong, who always seemed to provoke her. Hong approached the table where Tien sat with Auntie Chau and stood over them. “My friend got her nails done recently,” said Hong, stabbing her fork into a piece of cake. “She had little fake diamonds glued to her fingernails. Can you do that sort of thing at Queen’s Nail Salon?”

“Yes,” said Tien, awkwardly smoothing down her long black hair. “We can do that.”

“Well,” continued Hong, “maybe I’ll come in for that style. After all, you can probably use the money, right?” Tien felt her face reddening.

“If you like,” she responded coolly. “But please don’t go out of your way.” Tien wanted to leave the table but resisted the strong impulse to get up.

“Seriously,” Hong continued, “I might as well pay you instead of a complete stranger. After all, with my salary as a bank manager, I can afford to pamper myself…and give a little back to charity.” She looked at Tien’s short, unpolished fingernails with a scornful glance. Tien loudly slammed her water glass on the table. She was about to tell Hong that she wouldn’t do her nails for a million dollars, but Auntie Chau interrupted.

“Tien is much too busy to do your nails, Hong,” she said. “She’s getting ready for a big art show.”

“Really?” said Hong. “When?” she asked, with one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

“Next summer,” said Auntie Chau convincingly. “It’s an exhibition at a very fancy gallery. Many, many people will be there.”

“Congratulations,” said Hong, her triumphant smile now faded. “You must send me an invitation.” Then she excused herself and walked toward the kitchen. Tien looked at her great-aunt curiously. Obviously, the big art show was news for her too.

“Auntie,” she whispered. “Why did you tell Hong that ridiculous story? None of it is true!”

“But it will be true,” she insisted, squeezing Tien’s hand affectionately. “And don’t make a liar out of me!”

What is Tien and Hong’s relationship like?

Think about it …

If you were Tien how would you react to the mean comments about your job and education?

Have you ever been in a similar situation?

Why do you think Auntie Chau tells Hong about an art show? Do you think Tien’s dream will eventually come true?

Chapter 3

During the drive home, Auntie Chau discussed her plan. “You must listen to me, Tien,” she said. “It’s time to get back to your real artwork. Unfortunately, that will never happen if you’re stuck in the nail salon all day. And you’d better get busy,” she added. “You have a big art show to get ready for in about…seven or eight months. You don’t want to disappoint Hong and the rest of the family, do you?” Auntie Chau laughed and slapped her knee with delight.

“But Auntie,” said Tien seriously, her eyes focused on the road. “We know that’s not really going to happen. I absolutely have to earn money. I have debts – and you and I both need to eat.”

“I’ve thought about all of that,” said Auntie Chau. “But I have quite a bit of money in my retirement fund. I suppose I could use it if I wanted to retire – but I don’t. I still like my work. I know that’s hard for you to imagine, but I really do,” she said.

Portrait of a Nail Salon

Contents

Abbreviations

Before you start

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3