'Tell me about this girl Ji.’ I stared at my sister after she started talking to me like a weird mind reader.
The Day Before Everything Changes
1 Corinthians 13:13‘What girl are you talking about?’ I asked innocently. ‘I don’t remember telling you anything about a girl.’ She can sometimes be very unbelievable. I don’t know where she got that attitude.
‘Oh don’t act dumb now.’ She said while flapping her hands showing a sign that I can’t get away from her interrogation.
‘I really don’t know what you are talking about.’
‘Ji, I am older than you, though I look younger, and I know when you have a girl in mind or when you are having that weir gum ache.’ She said dismissing my filial attempt to avoid her question.
When we were young and every time I am having toothache I would always tell her that it was not my tooth aching but the nerves connected to it since teeth are supposed to be bones and bones don’t have feelings and those kind of stuff. I would tell her that I have gum aches which is weird I know. But she would always know. She would be there giving me some sort of pain reliever.
She is older than me, Bom is my only sibling. This might sound cheesy but she is my confidante, not until I started middle school and had the male ego bigger than the universe and thought that men should never tell any of their problems to females knowing that they would never understand. But Bom is different she always know when I am having a problem. Blame it to our years of closeness. She would always say that she can feel whatever I am feeling. Weird right? But you know what? She is actually correct half of the time.
When I first started dating she knew exactly that I would be the first one to break up with the girl since according to her I am not the type who would date a cheerio, well she is correct. However I didn’t tell her the exact reason why we broke up. After that she became the front row audience of my own reality show. She loves watching my life turn into a big fiasco because of my undying stubbornness and denying the help she would offer.
‘Now be a good boy and tell me who the girl is.’ She would really not give up.
‘Just a girl I met a few days ago.’ I looked at her side and saw that she is already sitting right next to me. Placing her feet on top of my legs leaning on the other side of the sofa, which only means that she would not leave until I tell her the whole story and she would not be contented with the statement earlier.
‘She is a pediatrician, owns a house just next to me, she has a cat named Dadung, she is really beautiful and has a very soft voice. I would not mind talking to her all day.’ I was lost. Talking about her seems to be something I can do all day. Then her image smiling and looking at me crept my thoughts, which made me stop.
I think my brother found his match. Bom thought. She had never seen his brother look that way, that look like he is so happy and contented by just talking to her.
‘So when shall we meet her? Oh wait you said she leaves just next door right? Shall I visit her then? Lemme introduce myself. I know she would not mind.’ Bom was about to stand up and head to the girl’s place when Jiyong stopped her by holding her feet.
‘No can do, my sister. You might scare her away just like what you always do.’ I said while standing up and looking intently her. ‘Please leave this one alone.’
‘Arraseo! Arraseo! Aigoo, I didn’t know I would leave this long to be able to see you look so love struck. I need to make a shrine to commemorate that love.’ Bom stood up and waived her hand to show that she is surrendering.
'I better get going. I need to visit mom and dad before they go berserk and say that I am already forgetting them because of a lot of shenanigans happening in the world today. I swear that we have the weirdest parents.’ Bom said while preparing to leave.
‘Tell me about it.’ I said with a shrug. ‘Don’t forget to be here on Saturday.’
‘Oh I would not. I have this feeling that I would meet that girl on Saturday.’ Then she ran off to her pick-up and sped off.
Now that she had mentioned it, I felt a lot more anxious. I wonder what will happen to our regular get together, because apart from that I also have to worry about how my friends would react to the fact that I am going to bring a new girl with me during the event. I haven’t been bring any girl with me for the longest time.
I entered my room and went to sleep with the thought of tomorrow’s event. The hope that everything will be okay, that everything will be just as it used to be with Dara in the picture instead of just us. And I hope that it would last, if possible I wish it would be forever.
--------------------------------
‘Oh. I understand. I was just thinking that I we could spend Sunday together. We haven’t been able to spend time together for a long time.’ I was on the phone with Il Woo. He is telling me that he would be attending a conference in Jejudo and it would be for a week.
‘I understand. I really want you to be with me, but I think that would be impossible since you’ve just started working in the hospital and I know that a week is too much to ask for vacation. I am really sorry, I cannot spend this Sunday with you.’ He sounded like he is very troubled with the idea of leaving me and being away with him for a week is something that rarely happens to us. We would always make sure to have at least one day in a week together and be able to spend in mindlessly. Just the two of us, but that would not happen this week.
‘It’s okay. I know, even if you ask me to tag along, I would not join you, I don’t want to ask for vacation at work and I don’t want to be a burden to you too. Plus I know that we won’t be able to spend much time together since you would be in the conference. What would I do alone then? Just take care there okay? Call me once you arrive.’ I said before hanging up.
I went to the kitchen to fix myself a glass of warm milk. On my way I saw a post it note reminding me about the weekend get together at Jiyong’s place.
I almost forgot about it. Good thing I was able to see the note. I wonder what kind of people he hangs around with. I wonder what we would be doing tomorrow. Well I guess this would be better than not doing anything tomorrow. I don’t have any other books to read and I don’t want to drive to town and buy a new one when I know that I would not be reading it until next week.
After finishing my milk I head to the bathroom to do my nightly rituals before going to sleep. While doing so I can’t help but think of what I should be wearing? Shall I wear a summer dress? Maybe a t-shirt and jeans, but I think wearing jeans is just too casual. But summer dress is a bit to feminine and too dressy. Omo! Otteoke?
I went to sleep that night feeling a lot more worse than what I felt when I learned that I won’t be able to spend Sunday with Il Woo. Then the weird feeling of being uncharacteristically excited about being with Jiyong and his friends made me wonder more. And I am sure whatever I am thinking about is more than just excitement and I know that it is not good.
Dismissing the thought, I tried my hardest to fall asleep and not worry about the following day’s event. It would just be the same. A gathering of friends and meeting new people, people that would be part of my life here in my new home, this should be good. There is nothing to worry about. There is nothing to worry about.
Or so I thought.
Or so I thought.
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