The Wangs vs. the World(70)

Saina tilted her head so that it rested against the rough pillow of Leo’s hair and closed her eyes to the sun. They were sitting back to back on a long bench out behind Graham’s restaurant, sharing the New York Times and mugs of tea, waiting for their friend to finish lunch service so that he could join them on an afternoon hike through the dells to an abandoned farmhouse that Saina had heard about.

“You know, this relationship has really been hard on poor Gabo,” said Leo, knocking his head against hers. “He ended up doing all of the basil yesterday.”

“Leo, why are you a farmer?”

“Why?”

“Yeah, I mean I know it was your job in high school, but did you just love growing things?”

He moved his head rhythmically against hers as he considered. “I do like growing things, but that’s not it. I’m interested in systems. Did you know that plants can recognize each other and will share resources with other plants in the same family? Plants are networked the way our brains are networked.” Saina smiled at his excitement. “And I liked the challenge of creating a system to work with that system, and to profit from it. And I like being outdoors.” She could feel his low tenor buzzing through her chest.

“Talk some more. I like the way it feels.”

“Like we’re sharing a voice box?”

She laughed. “Like you’re talking inside of me. Can you feel me? Or is my voice too high?”

“Talk again.”

“You’re so dreamy,” she squeaked. “Hee hee hee!”

He laughed a low, booming laugh that reverberated in her ribs and lungs, and made her crack up in response.

The restaurant door swung open. “Hey, gigglers!”

Saina wiped a tear from her eye and Leo beckoned Graham—still in his dirty chef’s whites—over. “Here, let’s see what happens with a threesome.”

“I thought you’d never ask!” He ran over, ginger beard bouncing, tripping a bit on his rubber shoes. “What game are we playing?”

Saina and Leo scooched sideways and made a space for Graham. “Okay,” she said, “lean against us and see if we can both feel you talking.”

“My ass is going to edge you guys off this thing,” he said, turning and sitting. As he did, they all felt a buzz. “I’m magic! Is it like static electricity?”

“Actually, that’s my phone.” Thinking it was Grace again, Saina moved to shut off the buzzing when she saw the number. “Sorry, guys.” She jumped up and answered as Graham called after her: “I thought we were a threesome! What’s so secret that you don’t want us to echo it?” In that split second, she also registered Leo’s worried turn towards her. He thought it was Grayson, of course. He thought that she was still susceptible. That would have to wait.

“Hello?”

“Can I speak to Saina, please?”

“This is.”

“Saina, it’s Bryan Leffert. I’m sorry it took us some time to get back to you.”

“That’s okay.”

A week ago, once it became clear that the bankruptcy wasn’t just some dramatic misinterpretation of her father’s, Saina had called her accountant and asked him about the situation. She’d thought of it as more of a precaution—the money was hers, she could give it to her family, everything would be fine.

“Look, I’m just going to get straight to it. We weren’t sure whether this was going to happen, so we didn’t want to worry you needlessly, but it looks like First Federal is attempting to place what is essentially a lien against your trust.”

Except that now it wasn’t.

“I don’t understand. I thought that once I passed twenty-five that was it. That it was just mine.”

“That’s not quite the case. Because of a little creative accounting, your father’s business was shielding the interest on your accounts from the IRS, which now leaves them susceptible to being treated like they’re part of his assets.”



Saina remembered, suddenly, the day Ama told her that her mother was dead. A cold, sunny February afternoon. Slamming the door of her friend Hilly’s mom’s car, looking up and seeing Ama in the driveway, and knowing that something was over.



“So what happens now?”

“It may be that nothing will change. We essentially have to wait and see. If, after all of your father’s assets are sold, nothing remains owing, you’ll be able to hold on to everything in your accounts.”



She’d stood there, close enough to Hilly’s mom’s car that she couldn’t drive off, and thought about getting back in. They had invited her out for dinner. They were going to get Hunan Palace, and she could pretend that she changed her mind and was in the mood for gloppy kung pao chicken after all, but in the end, she’d stepped away, Hilly’s mom had zoomed off, and Ama had reached out and picked her up, even though she was taller and no matter how hard Ama squeezed and lifted, Saina’s Keds still swept the driveway.



“So I can’t draw from it now?”

“I’m afraid not.”



Two minutes ago she was sitting on a bench with her boyfriend and his best friend, and nothing in the world was wrong. Nothing in her world, at least. She looked over at them. Leo was listening to Graham, who was doing an imitation of Sloppy-Joe Man, one of his favorite daily customers who ran a goat farm and never ate a vegetable.