American Dream��..A Fiction �One more beer, just one more�. Dipesh was trying to convince Emily while she was impatient to leave the bar. Finally they are driving to her apartment. �Why do you drink so much?� Emily quips. �it�s Friday� Dipesh answers casually. �How about why do you drink everyday then?� �I just love drinking I guess�, Dipesh shots back half smiling. �Honestly, Dipesh its not just you, almost all the guys I know from Nepal studying at our college are heavy drinker. Do you ever wonder why?� � I guess we all Nepalese have beer loving genes� Dipesh replies jokingly. Driving to work the next day Dipesh couldn�t help but think about what Emily had asked. He knew for sure that he loved drinking but couldn�t answer honestly why he drank so much. It was a slow day at work so he had ample time to reassess his life. He sure missed Nepal. It was his third year at the community college. Working at the gas station was no ball but it wasn�t that hard either. He is saving money to go to a four year college and was also sending money to Nepal time to time. He met Emily about 6 months ago and she was nothing but supportive of him. Still he could feel but couldn�t tell what he was really missing. Slowly but surely his thoughts moved to Nepal. He remembered his family. Little sister is getting married next month and he is sure he isn�t going to be able to go. He remembered how his mom cried when he was leaving and then he thought of Pooja. His girlfriend since class 8 till he left for the US. He remembered how scared and excited at the same time when he first made love to her during their class trip to chitwan during their 12 grade. He remembered all the promises he made to her. He remembered how he used to tease her about what her name was going to be after they married. PEE�PEE as in Pooja Paudel. He also remembered how Pooja discouraged him about coming to the US. He remembered how badly she had wanted to get married to him and remain in Nepal. He remembered all those stories Pooja used to tell about her uncle who got stuck in US for 7 years and still had nothing to show for beside his fat white wife and a green card. Then he remembered how truly she loved him and how he hadn�t called back in 3 years. May be it was Pooja that was missing from his life after all. He couldn�t know for sure. When he got home that night all his roommates were already busy drinking and playing call break. �Hijo gori ko mai sutis ki kya ho, ghar nai aainas ni?� Ashok asked loudly. Dipesh didn�t answer just smiled. � aaija beer kha� � Bhayo aaja khanna , Nepal phone garnu chha� dispesh answers as he closes his door behind. He takes out his old diary with all the numbers he got from Nepal promising them that he will call once he made into US but never got time to call. He dials Poojha�s house as her mom picks up the phone. � Aunty ma Dipesh boleko, Pooja chha hola,� �la babu Pooja ta Australia gayeko ek barsa huna lagi sakyo, dui teen mahina ma aauchhu bhandai thi� � K padna gayeko Australia,� Dipesh quizzes � Haina usko shreeman Australia mai citizen Hoi sinchha� Dipesh hangs up the phone. He opens his door and walks to the refrigerator and grabs himself a can of beer. �aaja khanna bhaneko haina ta,� Ashok asks �Ka joke po gareko ta,� dipesh answers smiling hesitantly.