Mai went back to the Stardust at the end of November. She made arrangements for two of the aunties to babysit Đêm Nguyệt. They were experienced mothers themselves; Mai knew he would be in good hands. Because he was a boy, they would treat him like a prince. Still, her heart ached to leave him. She tried to put him to sleep before she left so he wouldn’t realize she was gone, but the aunties waved her off and told her not to worry. What she didn’t say was how jealous she was that they would have more time with him than she. What if he came to like them more?
Within a week of going back, she was exhausted. She worked at night when Đêm Nguyệt was, for the most part, asleep. But he slept much of the day too, so she learned to nap when he did. However, a series of naps did not compensate for a good night’s sleep. She wasn’t a cat. When she complained to the aunties, they had little compassion.
“You are young, dear Mai. And strong. You can do this. We did, and we survived.”
They had a point, she had to acknowledge. She’d turned sixteen only a few months earlier. Sixteen. Hardly more than a child herself. With a baby, a job, and a Vespa. Not the life she had imagined for herself. But the life she had. For Đêm Nguyệt’s sake, she would make it the best she could.
The Stardust seemed a little shabbier and more tattered than she remembered. She could ignore it when the lights were dim and the spray of iridescent stars and moon on the ceiling drew her attention. Or the candle votives on the tables flickered, lending the nightclub a classy, sophisticated air. But when the lights shone bright, she saw the tears in the upholstery of the booths and the chipped corners of the tables.
For the most part, a new crop of fresh-faced soldiers occupied the bar. But on her third night Freddy, the lean, lanky GI with greasy hair from Alabama who had introduced her to Sandy, showed up. He caught her up in a tight hug. “Mai, you’re still as pretty as a peach! Better. The whole damn orchard!”
She threw her arms around him. “Now I know I’m back.” She laughed.
“I heard you had a little boy.”
She nodded excitedly and drew him to a table. “First round is on the house,” she said. “You still drink bourbon?”
“Does a pig like mud?”
She came back with two bourbons, one for him and one for the GI he was with, a solid, muscled man named Joe.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Joe said. He was a nice-looking American, with steel blue eyes, a dark complexion, and lots of dark hair on his arms. He wasn’t tall, but he looked tough and strong.
Mai flashed him a smile, then turned back to Freddy, who told her he’d been promoted to sergeant. “I signed up for another tour of duty.”
“Why? You not want to go home to Alabama?” It was good to practice her English again. She’d neglected it during the pregnancy.
“To tell ya the truth, babe, I don’t have much to go back to. My pappy passed, and my ma and I never got along. When I do get stateside, I’ll probably take off for Florida.”
Florida sounded exotic and mysterious to Mai. They said the climate was as close to South Vietnam as you could get in the U.S. “Because of the climate?”
He laughed and swilled down his bourbon in one gulp. “No. I hear they got beautiful women down there.”
She laughed, then grew serious. “You used to be infantry. Are you still?”
“No, ma’am,” he said. “They moved me to quartermaster. Cigarettes and booze. My favorite things.” He laughed. “And safe as a june bug at Christmas.”
“Do you remember when you introduced me to Sandy?”
“Yeah.” He averted his gaze.
“Do you hear from him?”
He paused, then said, “Nope. You?”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, babe. That wasn’t good, him running out on you like that.”
“You’re right,” she said, her voice tight. “I still do not understand why. But.” She sniffed and shrugged and tried to smile. “I now have a beautiful son. And he has his father’s eyes.”
Joe listened to their conversation.
A crop of new girls worked the Stardust. Mai answered their questions, doled out advice, and quickly became their unofficial leader. She nudged them when a GI came in alone, paired off two or three girls with a small group, and monitored them to make sure there were no problems.
While she still longed to be home with Đêm Nguyệt, it was clear he had become used to the aunties. He babbled all the time now, and everyone pretended they knew what he was saying, which made him babble even more. When she came home or woke from a nap, they filled her in on all the feats he had mastered. “You must see him sit up, roll over, and bounce on his feet when you hold his arms,” they exclaimed. “Surely this child is destined to be an important man.”
Mai knew she would probably miss him say his first word, take his first step, ea his first sweet. Although the aunties would capture these milestones on their Brownie cameras, she would never see them as they happened. Those precious moments ought to be worth something, she thought.
The next day Mai went into work early and into the kitchen, where Madame Thạc was preparing snacks for the evening.
“Madame Thạc, how are you this evening?”
The woman looked up from the counter and smiled. “Good evening, Mai. We are happy you have come back to our little family. The crowds are almost what they used to be.”
“I am pleased. And honored.” Mai dipped her head. “I have a small matter to discuss with you.”
“Yes?”
“I think you know how hard it is for me to be away from Đêm Nguyệt. You have two sons. You know how a child changes one’s life. My son has captured my heart in a way I never thought possible. But, much as I want to spend every minute with him, I must work to feed and support him.”
Madame Thạc looked like she wanted to interrupt.
Mai went on. “Of course, I do not mind. The Stardust has been my home away from home, and you know how much I care about you and Chú Thạc. Did you know I have been informally training the girls and looking after them? I am making sure the girls are cleaner and more attractive. They are learning English. I do not mind the extra work, even though it is in addition to my own duties as a bar girl. I am glad to do it. However, because of this, my own orders at the bar have dropped. Under my guidance, the girls are making the money I would have brought in. As I said, I do not mind, and I want to continue to do both, but—”
“How much?” Madame cut in.
Without missing a beat Mai proposed a number. “Two hundred đồng per drink plus an hourly salary of 400 đồng.”
Madame laughed. “Impossible. I cannot afford that.”
Mai glanced at her side-eyed. “I see how Chú Thạc waters down the drinks. And there have been no empty tables in a week.”
Madame hesitated, pursed her lips, and countered. “One hundred and a 100 đồng fee.”
Mai considered it and split the difference. “One hundred fifty đồng and 200 hourly.”
Madame stared at Mai. Then she nodded. “You will continue to make sure the girls obey the rules.”
“Of course.” Mai bowed, suppressing a smile. “Thank you, Madame. I am honored.”