“Five hundred dollars?”

Troy said, “The vacuum sells for $1,550 to $1,800 depending on the upgrades you choose. But wait, I have a lot more to show you.”

The two men stood over the couch and Troy used the upholstery attachment on the cushions. Troy said, “You’ll never believe the kind of filth you’ve been rollin’ around in.” He pulled out a black filter this time. It created a sharp contrast with the white debris he sucked out, what he declared to be “dust mite poop and dead skin.” “Ugh,” he said, and made a face like he was going to retch.

Viet knew he wanted it when Troy said he might be able to lower the price to $1200 as a special offer today only. When Troy asked to use the house phone to call his boss and see if he could get an even better price, Viet tried to look calm on the outside, but inside, he was excitedly holding his breath. After Troy hung up, he announced that he could sell the vacuum for just “$995, payable on a five-year payment plan.”

Viet looked over at the pile of dust filters stacked with soot and soil in the corner of the room. The sight of it sickened him. After everything he had sacrificed to come to this country, he couldn’t have his family living in this kind of filth. He decided, “Ok, it’s a deal.”

Viet filled out the paper work. He asked Troy to leave the soiled filters out. He wanted to show Huong the power of this machine. He knew it was expensive, but he had a good feeling about the most recent accounting interview. Besides, Huong was always complaining what a shame it was that they had to leave behind all the items of value they used to own in Vietnam. This he determined would be a true quality purchase and an item they could use for the rest of their lives.

The demonstration had taken up over an hour of his afternoon. After Troy left, Viet rushed back to the tub. He wanted to finish the bathroom with enough time to foam clean both bedroom carpets with the new Kirby before Huong returned.

When the girls came home from school, the apartment was spotless. For the finishing touches Viet had watered the plants, misted Huong’s indoor herb box, and even dusted. He had debated whether he should leave the Kirby out on display or put it away to later pull out for the sake of showmanship and surprise. He opted for the latter.

He was giddy with excitement and expected the girls to comment on the polish of the apartment, but they didn’t.

Michelle said, “I’m hungry, Dad,” as she plopped down at the kitchen table with her backpack still on her back. Her long hair was caught in the straps of her bag.

Viet said, “One thing at a time,” and swept her hair out from beneath the backpack while unharnessing her.