“I was going to call to you; took you a lot of time to wash your eyes. Is everything okay?” asked Mandy, looking at Ji Hoo in a concerned way.

“Oh yes, I was just looking at your room. It’s very different from the rest of your house.”

“I don’t have any use of the living room; it’s just a part of the house so I have to furnish it a little. Everything remains untouched. You are the first person in two months who sat on the couch in my living room and the dining room is still untouched. I only come out of my room when I need to use the kitchen or when I have to go out; otherwise I am always cooped up in my room.”

They settled down at the small coffee table in the kitchen and started with their meal.

“This is really good” Ji Hoo said as he took a sip of the dal.

“I know; and you are not supposed to eat it like that.” She said as she saw Ji Hoo trying to finish off the dal first. “You mix the dal with the rice, like gravy and then eat it.” When he did as he was told and then ate a spoonful, Mandy asked “Is it better now?” Ji Hoo simply nodded and hastily gobbled up the portion in his plate. He quickly finished his second helping and gave a little burp.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment” Mandy said chuckling as she started clearing the plates from the table and depositing them in the sink.

“Let me help with the dishes” Ji Hoo said “as a thank you for this wonderful meal.”

“There is no need” Mandy started saying but Ji Hoo insisted. Mandy gave him a pair of rubber gloves and washing tools and went to the other side of the kitchen and opened a shelf and took out something.

“Do you want some after-dinner coffee?”

“Sure” Ji Hoo simply replied and continued washing the dishes. Within the next five minutes he was done and he put back the gloves under the sink. Mandy was also done with preparing the coffee and they both settled on the couch with their cups. Mandy folded her legs sideways and sat on them on the couch.

“This is also really good; what did you add?” asked Ji Hoo

“Nothing, just instant coffee powder and sugar. But instead of adding water, I mixed it only in milk.” She replied

A silence settled between them as they sipped their coffees, but was broken by Mandy giggling lightly at no reason.

“What’s so funny?”

“The way papa was shouting at you today. He rarely loses his cool, but when he does, just run for your lives. But sorry you had to listen to that.”

“It’s good actually, proves that there is someone who cares for you”

“I am lucky that way, they care for me a lot” she said fondly.

“And you love them back equally” Ji Hoo said. “Those pictures in your room looked like a family tree. What is it?”

“You are correct. It is a family tree; my family tree.”

“You have quite a big family”

“Yes, those are all my aunts and uncles and first cousins and their spouses and kids. I have in total 25 first cousins, from my mother’s plus my father’s side and I’m the youngest of them all. When we all get together on occasions like weddings; it’s like a carnival themed week long party.”

“What about your immediate family?” Ji Hoo further asked

“My father is my grandparents’ fourth child and second son. They are four sisters and two brothers. He was not born into money; neither did he grow up in that background. He made a name for himself as his business grew and now he is the CEO of the top consulting firm in India. My relationship with him is good but not that close. We appreciate each other’s personal spaces and therefore leave each other alone. We try not to spend too much time together because then we would go insane; our personalities are that much identical.”

“And your mother?” asked Ji Hoo “what’s your relationship with her?”

“She is her parents’ 6^th child and 5^th daughter. They are 6 sisters and one brother. She also wasn’t born into money but she was born into a strict household. I’ve always heard stories about how strict my grandfather was with them, but that trait of his has fortunately not continued to our generation, well not for me anyways” she said with a grin.

“Probably because of your smile” Ji Hoo comeented

“Uh, no; probably because I was the youngest” Mandy said “My smile is not that great”

“No, but it’s warm”

“Warm?”

Ji Hoo simply nodded

“I’m gonna ask you to elaborate that some other time; now back to my mom. She runs an NGO for impoverished kids, that tries to provide them food and clothing and also has opened schools in remote places by sending volunteer teachers. They also organize medical camps with the help of volunteer doctors.”

“But how is she with you?”

“I really can’t say; sometimes we’re close, sometimes distant; it really depends on the situation, but it’s more on the distant side; probably because I had another mother figure growing up. That person is still more of a mother to me than the women who gave birth to me.”

“Who is it?”

“My sister”

“Care to explain?” Ji Hoo had an inkling as what she was about to say, but knew that she wanted to share more but would only talk if prodded.

“Did you know my sister is 9 years older than me? She is the one who has always been there for me. She pretty much brought me up single handedly. When she was getting married, people used to joke that she already has a full grown kid, so won’t need to try for one. She is my everything; my mother, my caretaker, my best friend, my teacher; everything.”

“You seemed to be afraid of her in the evening” said Ji Hoo

“You only care what the people closest to you think of you. I knew I was going to get a full hour lecture about the-cons-of-getting-too-friendly-with-a-guy-and-inviting-him-into-your-house-at-night; something I wasn’t really in mood of.”

“You and your brother-in-law looked like partners in crime, one saves the other” observed Ji Hoo

“More or less; he is like the elder brother I never had; a person you can plan pranks with, a person who spoils you and is protective of you at the same time.”

“But why were you calling him papa? If I am correct, isn’t that another word for father?” asked Ji Hoo

“There is a story behind it. Like I said, he is very protective of me and spoils me like a father would. My sis was already a mother figure to me; he also in an unspoken manner adopted the role of a father. When Miraya, my niece, was born, he became even more protective and doting. When I started calling him ‘papa’, is a fact I don’t know myself. But it fit him and therefore continued. If anyone asks I tell them that I have two sets of parents.” She said grinning from ear to ear.

“I would’ve been happy with one set” Ji Hoo said lightly. It was not meant for Mandy to hear it, but she did and felt sad for him. He only had a grandfather as family and here she was going on and on about her 25 cousins and two sets of parents.

Mandy finished her coffee and went to put the cups in the sink. Ji Hoo got up and too went with his empty cup to the kitchen. The cups were washed and kept aside. Mandy stretched her body and yawned.

“I’ll be going now” said Ji Hoo “it’s very late. Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”

“Well it was not really a full-fledged meal. It was just one dish that people usually eat when they are sick. One day I’ll treat you to a festive meal that will definitely blow you mind. But you have to remind me because I keep forgetting things.”

“I am looking forward to it; annyeonghi jumuseyo”

“Huh…… what?”

“Good night; you told me to teach you the language; classes start now but we have to discuss the tuition fees”

“What do you want?”

“Hmmn …… more dal!” he said excitedly like a child

“Ok, I’ll cook you more dal afterwards, just remind me”

“Ok then bye”

“Bye, see you tomorrow in class” she said as she waved him goodbye from her door as he was entering the elevator.