Response from Readers to The Story of Keiko and Michael

Keiko and Michael was a new experiment for me. I would call it my first mid-sized love story, for lack of a cuter description. It was going to run for 10 weeks. After the 3rd week, Audrey of Canada and CT of USA gently suggested that I should give the reader a little more on a weekly basis. Based on that suggestion, I had it delivered in 8 weeks. Eric of Singapore wrote and congratulated me for picking up writing as a hobby. Francis of Hong Kong found the story “emotional.” Mel and Nammy of USA, and Cathy of Canada asked me if there would be a happy ending. Nammy even asked me if I was writing about myself. Anthony of China also wrote. He suggested that Michael & Keiko_Responsesperhaps I should write something about successful Chinese Americans once in a while.

One time I told a friend that part of writing is showing off what the writer has, which can only be confirmed or condemned by the readers. Two friends recently asked me to take them off the mailing list. That hurt a little but I totally understood and I respected their honesty and I still consider them friends. By and large people wrote to me with words of encouragement. One of them was a dear English teacher from my high school – thank you Miss Ho for checking up on my homework every now and then!

Now my response to your response. First off, I wasn’t writing about myself. Michael (not his real name) and I were college friends in Portland, Oregon in the 1970’s. The first half of the story was based on what Michael told me in very small pieces over many years. After Keiko left him and he flunked out of school, he did a lot of odd jobs before working at a company of computer parts. He did build a good career there until retirement a few years ago.

I’ve never met Keiko (not her real name either). That’s why I didn’t have much to write about her when she was in America.

The second half of the story was pure fantasy; it was all made up. Although it’s true that Michael was never married, he and Keiko never saw each other again. I gave them a high-tech reunion in the end because that was my secret wish for them, plus the fact that I wanted to write happy stories if I could help it.

The character Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte’s novel was my inspiration for Keiko Hirokawa. Keiko may not be as strong and independent as Jane in the eye of an English person, but I thought this young Japanese woman was awfully rebellious in naming her child after a forbidden love. I wanted to bring Keiko and Michael back together, so I made their obstacles go away – her parents and husband all died at the end. That was too convenient.

Life is sometimes a little harder than that.

*** The End ***

  (The dissemination of this writing is for non-commercial enjoyment only. The author reserves the copyright for himself)

 

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