James

I love a good story.

For months we have been visiting James at our favorite fro-yo shop / second home.  He’s become less our boss and more our friend as we’ve gotten to know him over raspberries, mochi, and expensive store furniture.  He always calls when he’s working at “Forbes location,” never lets us leave without “trying to have some more,” and even lets us underline our favorite verses in his travel-size New Testament Bible that I’m not sure he can even read.  Tonight I called him on my way back to Pittsburgh to see about stopping in, and his first words were, “Jacob is here!”  I love this community.

In China, James is a history teacher.  He came to the United States to work at Razzy Fresh seven days a week, sometimes twelve hours a day.  At the end of his shifts, he goes home where he is the house cook for his roommates.  In the little down time he has, he Skypes with his wife and son who are still in China.

James rarely complains about his long work days and lack of personal time.  Tonight he told me that the reason he came to America is because in China, when a man wants to get married, he has to first buy a house for him and his future wife.  James’ son is engaged to his middle school sweetheart.  Her family is wealthy—James said they have six large houses.  The fiancé’s father offered for his daughter and James’ son to live in one of their houses after their married.  But James’ son does not want to break custom, so instead James will work so he can buy his son a house, and he can get married. 

James said he can make four times as much working in a yogurt shop in America than he can being a high school teacher in China.  He came here for the money—for his son—and “to have a new experience.”  He looks forward to talking about his time working in the United States as part of his story.  I am so thankful we can be a small part of that story.