11.  YODA PUPPY

Next week, Imo had arranged an interview for me with the daycare director. I was nervous but when I was with the little children, I couldn't help but get on the floor and play with them. I was approved to join immediately.

That night when the puppy messaged me, we had a first time serious texting conversation. Sort of.

Toki what r u doing?

Texting u puppy

How was ur day?

Met daycare director. Joining tomorrow

That’s great. Knew u wud get it. Nervous?

A little.

Don’t worry u wil do well. Who can resist a soft toki like u.

I wil cuddle them to death. Nibble maybe?

U can practice on me if u want.

Nice puppy, sweet puppy.

Yes b like that. The kids wil turn 2 jelly 2

I will get diabetes. Bah 2 sugary 4 me. how is ur day?

Caught 1 burglar. Usual drunken brawls at nite

Good wil keep u from being bored

Coffee tmrrw?

No. wil b busy

Been many days

Can’t help it

Hows Minki? Miss me? I miss her

Wil hav her call u soon

Icecream with her tmrrw?

Patience puppy

: (

Gud nite need 2 sleep

Gud luck 4 tmrrw

: )

My joining the same place was easier for imo and the girls. They went to school with me and returned home with me as well. There were ten children in the daycare, including Minki, ranging in ages from six months to near Minki's age. There was an assistant to help manage the babies. On my first day itself the previous lady went on leave after explaining everything in the initial one hour.

As the older ones who were attached to her began crying for her, I was kept busy devising ways to settle them down. Finally, I put the small babies on the mat on the floor and set about teaching the older ones how to count toes from one to ten. This kept not only the older ones busy but the babies were fascinated too. I made up a random song with each child's name and counting at the same time. Everything we did that day included counting. By the end of the school day, Minki and another child could count till 7, and others at least till 5. I smiled at my success.

Imo was curious about my day. Minki explained everything to her and proudly counted her fingers till 7. Imo looked at me in surprise.

"What imo? Did I do something wrong? Am I supposed to just play with them? I promise we played all the time."

"You amaze me. I had not thought you will be so successful."

I beamed at her. Her praise meant a lot to me.

"Imo, do I have to do everything the way it was done before or can I make changes in the way the children spend their time?"

"As long as you don’t change their eating and sleeping times, there should be no problem with what you do to keep them happy."

“Ok. I will see to it tomorrow. Imo do you have any book on nursery rhymes?”

She dug out a book for me and I took all of Minki’s books that I had purchased to keep her little mind busy.

Uncle was happy to know that I liked my new job. It was a big change from an office worker to a caretaker of little children.

When everyone had fallen asleep, I called umma to tell her about my day. Umma told me that appa was making fun of me. Kibum was happy that I was having a lower job than him. According to umma, he tried to hide his smiles but was not always successful. I told her to ignore them. Jongin was doing well and was naughty as ever. He was not suffering from any aftereffects of the last week’s showdown. I didn’t ask about Tae. I had not asked about Kibum either, but umma had related the info on her own. Since Minki was to sleep with me, she also spoke with umma while we cuddled.

Minki wanted to talk to Jonghyun too. Her roses had wilted very quickly because she kept taking them out of the vase to smell them. She wanted more roses. I told her I will get them for her tomorrow. But she wanted from him only. I asked her why? Her response was a curt diva-ish “my wish”. But she wouldn’t meet my eyes. Something was cooking in the little minx’s brain.

I closed the bedroom door before dialing his number and after a brief greeting gave the phone to her.

“Hello, ajeossi?”

“I want more roses.”

She looked at me frown at her lack of respect and immediately tacked on a “Please.”

“I tan tount to seven. Get me seven roses. Please.”

She was beaming. He must have praised her.

“Tan I go on your bite to get my roses?”

I shook my head in no.

“Ummappa says no.”

I extended my hand for the phone. She turned her head away. I put my ear to the phone.

“I will not take you on the bike till your ummappa agrees. I have never had a child ride with me before. I don’t know how. You will fall down and hurt yourself.”

“Please ajeossi. Tan you ast ummappa?”

“Okay. Give the phone to him.”

She handed the phone to me and put her ear to it just the way I had. I frowned at her. She beamed at me. I gave up. She was going to be one spoilt brat.

“Jonghyun no. She has never been on any other vehicle except a car. She will fall down.”

“You can come with us. She can sit between us and be safe. I will also find out from my friends here who have a bike and children how they manage.”

“This is not right. She is bypassing my authority. It will set a bad example for her. The little minx is too intelligent for her own good.”

She pouted at me. I kissed her head. She ed my night shirt and began playing with my . I tried to shrug her hand away. But she was too quick for me. She began ling on my . Dang this girl! When will she outgrow this habit? She still sometimes insisted on touching my or ling it when she slept alone with me in the room. I wondered if women had the same problem with babies they had fed.

“Onew think of it from her point of view. Usually children have two parents to grant their wishes. But she has only you. Who will she appeal to when you say no?”

“Hmmm.” Minki’s eyes were beginning to close in sleep. I her hair with my free hand to help her go to sleep. Maybe her habit was more of a sleeping method for her. After all she had slept this way for nearly two years, long after I had stopped producing milk.

“Are you falling asleep?”

“Nah, she is.” I whispered to him.

He wisely kept silent for a few minutes. When relaxed on my , I was sure she had fallen asleep. I put her head on a pillow and tucked my pillow next to her before leaving the bed.

Buttoning up, I walked past sleeping uncle and into the balcony. I closed the door behind me.

“Jjong are you there?”

“Yes Onew. Has she slept?”

“Yes I am in the balcony. I can’t talk for long. I have to sleep too.”

“I will find a way to keep her safe on the bike. Let her go on a ride with me. She is making an excuse of the flowers only for a ride.”

“I know you are right. But what if she gets hurt? I won’t be able to bear it.”

“You also come along. She can sit between us and you can hold on to her to keep her safe.”

“I am still married to Minho. Lot of people know my family, both imo’s and father’s. I cannot go out with you. Please understand.”

“I am asking you out as a friend. Not a date.”

“I know. But I can’t. Not even as a friend. I am married to a man. I have never had friends, not even in school, forget college. If I am seen with you, people will assume we are lovers. Minho might get ammunition to take Minki away from me. I cannot let any finger point towards my character.”

“Can Minho do that? Take Minki away from you?”

“I don’t think he will want to. It might just mean extra expense to him. But to hurt me or to get money out of me, he might. Sorry, I don’t have a very high opinion of him. He might not do any of this. He has not even spoken with Minki for over three months. But I cannot risk it.”

“Does that mean we can never go out together? Not even as friends?”

“Not even as friends. At least not for some time.”

“Don’t feel sad toki.”

“Why should I feel sad puppy? You stop pouting.”

“How did you know? Do you have a spycam in your phone?”

“You pouted so much in the two meetings we had that I know it’s your usual reaction when things don’t go your way.”

“Know-it-all. How do I meet you or Minki?”

“You can always come over for lunch, dinner or coffee here at imo’s.”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

“I want to take her for her seven roses tomorrow on my bike. Can I?”

“Come over tomorrow evening that will give plenty of time before your shift. I will ask uncle also if he knows how she can be safe on the bike with you. My brother and I had moved around a lot with him on his bike before he and imo married. But we were much older than Minki. Even appa had a bike for a long time. But I don’t have any memories of myself or Taemin this young. I don’t want to ask my parents. But I can definitely ask uncle.”

“Will he mind?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not as if I am having a secret affair with you.”

“Alright, I will be there tomorrow evening. How was your first day?”

“It was good and tiring as well. I am a man. How did I end up with this job?

“When women can enter traditional men’s work fields, why can’t you do a woman’s job?

“Where did you get all this wisdom from? What happened to my puppy?”

“I am wise. You are the one who keeps calling me a puppy.”

“Ok wise old man. In your Yoda wisdom please grant me permission to sleep.”

“Talk with me for some more time please. I like hearing your voice.”

“Are you flirting with me again puppy?”

“Why are you living with imo?”

“Long story. Tell you another time.”

“Why ummappa?”

“Because I am her mother and father both.”

“Why not just appa?”

“Long story.”

He said “I will tell you another time” in a sing song manner with me. We both laughed.

“Let me go and sleep Jonghyun. I have another day filled with hyperactive kids tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to. But alright. Sleep well toki.”

“Good night to you too puppy. Have a good shift.”

Minki had rolled into the pillow when I returned to bed. I lay down next to her and pulled her into my arms. I softly kissed her hair and slept off right away.