Inside Out And Back Again

Hà learns that Miss Washington’s son Tom died fighting in Vietnam. She worries that Miss Washington harbors ill will toward her, but Miss Washington reassures Hà with a hug. Hà tells Miss Washington about Pink Boy’s “pancake face” insult. Miss Washington shows Hà a book of photographs Tom sent of lovely images of Vietnam. Hà sees a papaya tree, and Miss Washington learns that papaya is Hà’s favorite food. Hà learns that Vietnamese for papaya, đu đủ, sounds like the American slang doo doo, which makes them both laugh.

Miss Washington tells the cowboy about Pink Boy’s insult, and Hà goes to school with Miss Washington, the cowboy, Brother Quang, and Mother. In a meeting with the principal and Pink Boy’s mother, Pink Boy apologizes to Hà. She can tell, however, that it only makes him angrier. In class, after Hà says she recognizes Buddha in one of Miss Scott’s pictures of Vietnam, Pink Boy and others harass Hà, chasing her after school and shouting “Boo-Da” at her. She escapes them and runs to the rental house, but yells into the ground in her front yard, “I hate everyone!” (209). Miss Washington brings Hà into her home and calms her.

Hà confesses to Mother that she thinks these bad things are happening as a result of her own behaviors: Hà sneaked money for treats at the market back home, she pinched her seatmate Tram; she touched her toe to the floor on Tết though she knew that role should be reserved for a male. She tells Mother she wants to hit those at school who torture her. Mother counsels that fighting might be necessary, but “preferably not with your fists” (216). Hà sees Mother’s point when, in the grocery store, the butcher refuses to grind their pork for their Thanksgiving egg rolls. Mother insists in a determined flow of Vietnamese, punctuated by one American “NOW.” The butcher listens.

This time when Pink Boy and his friends chase Hà yelling “Boo-da,” she turns and shout “Gee-sus!” back at them. Pink Boy’s face goes so red that he reminds Hà of a papaya; she calls him “Ðu Ðủ Face”—which his friends hear as Doo-doo Face, making them roar with laughter. Hà soon hears a rumor that Pink Boy plans to have his much larger sixth grade cousin beat Hà up on Monday. Khôi plans with Hà how to avoid the fight: Pam and Hà will trade hooded coats and Pam will act as a decoy walking Hà’s usual path while Hà escapes from a new meeting place on Khôi’s bicycle.

Khôi does not arrive on time, however, and Pink Boy finds Hà. The boy intends to fight Hà himself. She readies herself in dúng tân position, quietly watching. When Pink Boy hurls forward, fist pulled back to throw, Hà moves to the side. Pink Boy’s own momentum hurls him into the sidewalk. Hà considers kicking him, but Brother Vũ arrives on his motorcycle. Brother Khôi arrives bearing his bike with a flat tire. Both Hà and Khôi climb on the motorcycle to go home. Hà’s schooldays change after that; she, Pam, and Steven receive invitations to seats in the cafeteria and get-togethers, and Pink Boy stays away from her.

On December 20th, the cowboy and Miss Washington bring gifts to the family. Brother Quang gets college money and a textbook, Brother Vũ gets beef jerky, Mother gets a real gong and incense, Brother Khôi gets a hamster. Hà gets a coat and dried papaya. At first the dried papaya is disappointing, and Hà throws it away. Mother reprimands her. Guilt sets in overnight and Hà goes to the trash can, but Mother has already placed the dried papaya to soak in hot water. Without its sticky, sugary coating and much plumper and softer, Hà thinks it is “Not the same, / but not bad / at all” (234).