Evensong

About the Book

The three elderly Asian men at their last leg in their journey in life meet at the Starbucks in Los Angeles every morning. Their topics for talks are limitless. Their free flowing views may be extreme at times, but what their daily conversation means to them is their lifesaving way, it is their body and soul. Their friendship grew from their mutual attraction and respect, resulting from their roots, the shared historical, geographical and cultural understanding and experiences in the midst of tangled relationships between three Far Eastern nations.

In the world of minds, there are no countries, boundaries, and limitations. Only intellectual curiosity triggers exploration of untapped territories of our minds, emotions, or thoughts. Friendships and love can develop between people of all variations in the world of minds. John, Tim, and Dan, three elderly Asian men, stepped into that world by chance. Still, even in the world of minds, there is death as well as the birth of new minds.

John Chen, a victim of Nanking Massacre where he lost his parents, found short-lived happiness with his wife and son, only to lose his son by communist thugs. He and his wife separate, and he comes to New York as chief editor of The Chinese United, a weekly newspaper. His wife moves to Taiwan to educate young people, but disappears in Shanghai. While working as chief editor, John meets Maria, a young ambitious woman from Guatemala and their spiritual courtship continues until his death. After his retirement, he moves to Los Angeles where he meets his friends, Dan, Korean born, and Tim, second generation Japanese American. Their friendship develops at a Starbucks coffee shop. In order to have a closure for the whereabouts of his wife and son, John accepts an invitation to visit Japan and travels to China. Sadly, he comes back without a young, brilliant, yet acerbic assistant who helped him throughout his trip. Reflecting on their lifetime of suffering and experience, Dan and Tim stand by John and offer a depth and a breath of life. They assist Maria to commemorate John and his family through scholarship foundation. Benito, an employee at the Starbucks, a beloved Mexican youngster by three friends, will become the first recipient of the scholarship from the foundation.

The world of three minds while appeared as a group of feeble elderly Asian men at a coffee shop was brought into life, and developed to become a benefactor for good, ambitious young people from all over the world. Divine Providence, indeed, their wisdom and knowledge gleaned from their lifetime of suffering will be passed down to younger generations. The connection, passing the torch, is told by the three men, and made possible by a woman who had undying spiritual love for one of them.

At the twilight of a human life span, the three men found an emotional bond with each other, and shared the beautiful song through their exchanges in preparation for the other world. They offered a song that is so wondrous, as if there may be the beam of a light that shines on the bridge to eternity of human race.

The City of Los Angeles is the place that provided them for their eternal rest. Behind the City’s notoriety and its façade, therein lies the truth. Despite all glitter, sin, greed, selfishness, and vicious struggle, there is love, peace, sacrifice, and true compassion for humanity. The unexpected source of optimism was found in the world of minds. People come to Los Angeles, a melting pot, to make a better life. Some say Los Angeles is a salad bowl, not a melting pot. Los Angeles may be a salad bowl in her appearance and in the short run, but rises as foothills of the greater world of minds. They found a place to free their minds, and found each other for mutual warmth and comfort. Succession of their generation continues, and often the next generations may travel to the Midwest, the South, and elsewhere, and melt away into becoming som

About the Author

Authors’ Cover Bio: Keun H. Rhee, Ph.D. in Law, taught at several universities including the Ohio State University, and George Washington University. He also served as a columnist for Korean newspapers, Chairman of The Korean Broadcasting Ethics Commission, executive delegate of The Korean National Commission for UNESCO. He was on the senate for the Republic of Korea. He published numerous books and more than hundred papers on legal and political topics. Dr. Anthony Rhee presently serves as Campus Dean of Sorrell College of Business, Troy University Montgomery Campus, Montgomery, Alabama. He is an author of many articles in professional journals and others.