"Fluently?"
"Oh god. I'm sorry I asked.
“Four fluently. I get by in German and Spanish too.”
I shake my head, amazed.
"Yes, but you said you speak Chinese."
“I wouldn't say I talk it as much as I kill it. I'm a bit deaf, and Mandarin is all about pitch."
"Let me listen."
I look at him Ni zhen shuai.
"Say something else."
"Wo xiang wen ni."
"Now I can listen". Head is covered. "Stop. I'm bleeding from my ears."
"Shut up or you will be." I intend to push it.
"What did you say?" he asks.
I give him a look. I'm not saying it in any way.
"You just made that up."
I shrug. "You will never know."
"What does it mean?"
I smile "You'll have to look it up."
"Can you write it too?" He pulls out his little black book and opens it to a blank page near the back. He rifles back into his b
