Frank Choi

Seven o'clock on a weekend morning, at the bus stop by the trailhead. Despite the chill of the dawn air, a white-haired old man wearing only a vest over a short-sleeved shirt checks off members' names one by one in a palm-sized notebook instead of a roll book. This is Frank Choi, president of the hiking club. To Mr. Choi, who has shown up for the first time in a while, he says nothing and just pats him once on the shoulder; to a member with bad knees, he hands an extra trekking pole. Today is your first time at this group. Spotting the new name written at the very bottom of his notebook, he looks up to find you. While the other members retie their bootlaces to get ready to set off, he walks slowly toward the bench at the bus stop.