Henry Lee was standing at the corner of bitter and sweet. He arrived early that morning when he heard the news. As the day progressed more and more people joined him in the wait. They mulled around whispering in excitement over a discovery soon to be revealed.
Henry stood facing the old Panama Hotel. The building loomed large in his childhood dreams where there were no broken windows or graffiti. He knew the company that bought it had their hands full, but he was thankful they saw potential and renovations were forthcoming.
As the breeze lifted Henry’s thinning hair, he thought back to the time when the hotel symbolized a large red stop sign. He was forbidden to walk past the hotel and into Japantown. His father, a Chinese Nationalist, would kill him if he ever set one foot in the enemy’s territory.

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