Dr Jew

with Ueda Sensei."
    "Wow, that guy really works you."
    "It's fun, you should come with us."
    On the street behind Vinny, Ueda Sensei pulled up on his ten-speed.
    "Hello, Swan," said Ueda Sensei. Then he noticed Vinny. "Hello, little one."
    Vinny gave Ueda Sensei a funny look.
    "So I was gonna take Swan bowling. Do you want to go with us?"
    "No, because we are going for a bike ride. Come, Swan."
    I looked from Ueda Sensei to Vinny and didn't know what to do.
    "Vinny – I told Ueda Sensei –"
    "Oh, I see how it is," said Vinny. "Well then, have a good day."
    "Vinny, come on," I said. "I already promised."
    "Sure, sure, kid. We can go bowling another time."
    Ueda Sensei watched Vinny go down the stairs toward his car.
    "He wishes to bowl? What about you, Swan? We could bowl today. It would be good exercise."
    "You don 't mind?"
    "No. I would like to understand this Vinny fellow."
    I called out to Vinny who was already in his car, and he poked his head out the window. We straightened things out and were on our way to the bowling alley. It was afternoon when we arrived and pretty empty. We got a pizza and Vinny bowled better than me. Ueda Sensei bowled better than both of us, and he even knew the man who worked there by name.
    "Not bad," said Vinny as we turned in our shoes.
    "Thank you. Not so bad yourself."
    "For a midget, you mean?"
    "I did not say that."
    "So what 's all this training you got Swan doing?"
    "I 'm a jiu-jitsu instructor. His uncle asked me to teach him. That is all."
    "But what 's it all for?" said Vinny.
    " For? What is music for? It's something you do."
    "Right. Well, I'm glad we had this chance to meet, Ueda."
    "My pleasure. Have a good day."
    "You don 't want a ride back?" said Vinny.
    "I would like the exercise. Swan, too. We'll walk."
    "Oh, I see," said Vinny.
    "Thank you. Good day."
    Vinny left and we stayed inside. Ueda Sensei gave me some quarters and told me to play video games. He didn't need to tell me twice – I love video games. While I played, I think he looked out into the parking lot at Vinny. When I was done with my game, destroyed, Ueda Sensei was at my side again.
    "Why don 't you like Vinny, Sensei?"
    "I don 't trust him."
    "But why?"
    "He is friendly."
    "What 's wrong with that?"
    "Too friendly. He wants something."
    I thought about it and couldn 't imagine what Vinny wanted. "Maybe he just wants friends," I said.
    "His kind never wants friends. They want things, and power. And they'll do whatever it takes to get them."

XIX.

    When Thanksgiving came around, Dave asked me over again. I didn't really want to go, but Swan wanted me to go and told me Ueda would be there too. That made me really not wanna go. But I didn't like the way that guy was working between me and Swan, and maybe between me and Dave. So I accepted.
    I took some more ice cream with me (for the kid) and a bottle of wine and got there early so I 'd beat Ueda. But he was already there. That guy gave me the creeps. His eyes looked right through me. I even considered taking him out, a plug from my car as he walked down the street one day. But it was getting too close to the job. Too much clutter.
    We sat in a circle, with Anne on my right and Swan on my left. The kid was focused on his food so he hardly said a thing. He ate like a bear. Anne was focused on everybody. The total crowd pleaser, not happy unless everyone was happy. She had so much energy boiling up in her, and I could see she always held it back. I don't think they were happy.
    "Ueda and I are really lucky to have you guys," I said. "Us bachelors would be sitting home alone watching Home Alone if we didn't have you."
    " Home Alone is a horrible film," said Ueda.
    "Thank you for missing the point entirely," I said.
    Ueda gave me a phony grin and drilled into my forehead with those eyes again. Damn, I hated that guy.
    "I 've never seen that movie," said Swan, and nobody cared.
    "I 'll show it to you sometime, kid," I said.
    "Don 't waste your time, Swan," said Ueda. "A piece of trash film. Sentimental."
    "Well, aren 't you the film master," I said. "And I thought you only taught fighting."
    "Alright, you guys, you can cut it out," said Dave. "We ain't here to fight."
    "Yeah, save it for the dojo, S ensei," I said.
    "I said drop it, Vinny," said Dave.
    "Alright." I shifted in my chair and my leg bumped into Anne's. I moved it away, but then slowly shifted it back, inch by inch until it was right next to her leg again. When she moved she inadvertently