24. NEW LIFE BEGINS

In the stress of all the earlier events, I had forgotten to prepare Minki for Jonghyun’s moving in with us. Now, her sleepy state brought it back to me. I looked at imo and uncle for permission and at their nods, I took Minki to our bedroom to put her to sleep. Jonghyun and uncle helped imo to clean up. Imo and uncle wanted to talk privately, and they sent puppy away. I gave him a pair of track pants and tee to change into in the bathroom while I changed in the bedroom.

“Minki what do you think about Jonghyun ajeossi staying with us?”

“For tonight ummappa?”

“For always?”

“Can he ummappa? I don’t like it when he goes away every day after dinner. Will he sleep with us tonight?”

I nodded. “Are you okay with it?”

She nodded her eyes shining bright. “Thank you ummappa. Now I get more time to play with him.”

“Love you baby.”

“Love you too ummappa. Can I ask him to read to me tonight?

I nodded.

It was as simple as that. She picked up her book of fairy tales that she had received on her birthday and climbed to the middle of the bed. I lay on my side of the bed, nearer to the door. I had begun sleeping there out of necessity. With my back to the door no one from outside could see Minki ling me at night.

Jonghyun entered the room with a nervous look. I smiled at him and Minki practically beamed at him. He breathed out audibly and smiled back. Remembering his words to uncle he closed the door just enough to afford us a modicum of privacy and left it about a foot open at the same time for the sake of decency.

I motioned him to the other side of the bed with Minki between us. She began bouncing in excitement. She made him sit and climbed into his lap to wrap her arms around him while he softly read out a fairy tale that she pointed out from the book. I lay on my side watching them. It was amazing to see the trust Minki had in Jonghyun and his love for her.

Her excitement kept her awake through the first story but she began yawning during the next one. She closed the book half way through the story and crawled to me. We held a hushed conversation in whispers.

“Ummappa open your shirt.”

“Baby what will ajeossi think? You are a big girl now.”

“He knows. You told him yourself some time ago. Remember? And, I am still little. Ajeossi tell ummappa I am still little.”

Jonghyun turned his puppy eyes to me. I blushed and shook my head. He got up and switched off the lights. The only light now was through the partially open door. He lay on his side watching us. As I began opening my buttons, his eyes followed my hands. Minki quickly pushed aside one side of my shirt and put to my . She must have been very sleepy because her eyes closed as soon as she began ling.

I blushed deeper as his eyes opened wider. I heard uncle moving around outside. He closed our bedroom door with a soft click. I was surprised at uncle’s actions but thankful also as the room became dark as the night outside. But my relief was short lived.

Puppy opened his phone and turned it towards me, its faint screen light shining like spot light on me in the dark room. I closed my eyes in embarrassment.

“Open your eyes yeobo. Please.”

I looked into his eyes.

“I was right. You look like Madonna. I want to capture this forever in a camera. Tomorrow.”

I shook my head. His faint whispers making me blush more.

“Yeobo don’t be embarrassed. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. To me, right now you epitomize Mother Earth nurturing new life. I am truly honored to witness such a beautiful sight.”

“Hush. Don’t embarrass me more.”

He thankfully went silent and just watched us. When Minki’s mouth relaxed around my , I moved her head a little away and began buttoning up. Puppy moved closer to us and helped me button up.

“Yeobo can you sleep in between? I want to hold you, if possible.”

He looked so uncertain about his request. I nodded and shifted all of us ninety degrees. I put Minki near the headboard and laid down myself in the center with puppy on my other side.

He opened his arms for me. I put my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him too. I felt myself relax for the first time that day. He my hair comforting me. I had not realized I needed comfort.

“Sleepy yeobo?”

“No.”

He began massaging my back and neck. “Relax yeobo, you are way too tense. Your muscles are all knotted up.”

“Not intentionally, I woke like this in the morning.”

“Why?”

“Don’t know why I kept having this bad feeling all day long.”

“Is that why you called me and were worried all the time?”

I nodded. He kissed my hair.

“How are you feeling now?”

“After the showdown with appa, it was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Whatever had been making me feel awful all day long was suddenly gone. But I felt awful in another way by then. I will try not to depend on you too much Jonghyun. If I ever become a burden please let me know. I will mend my ways immediately.”

“Oh yeobo. Don’t say that please. You are my life. How can you ever be a burden? I want you to depend on me. We cannot be a family without depending on each other completely. I depend on you too. When you do not consider me a burden, how can that thought ever cross my mind? You know yeobo, you have some really crap people in your life. So, it happens. I have crap people in my family too. We live with it. You know you love me right?”

“Yes I do. I cannot describe it in words. And three words are not enough to express the depth of it. I love you.”

“That’s all I need. With you by my side, I can fight any battle. I love you too.”

“Thank you for standing up for me.”

“Yeobo you need to thank me for loving you? For keeping my promise to never make you cry? To keep you smiling always? Then you will keep thanking me every moment of my life.”

“Ok I will stop. But I am sorry for creating a rift between you and your family.”

“Don’t worry yeobo. It was going to happen anyway. You know I do not see eye to eye with my mother and brother. We are at loggerheads all the time. Appa sometimes understands. I was anyway thinking of moving out. The situation at home was becoming intolerable for me.”

“Your brother still taking advantage of you?”

“Yeah. You know it’s the same old story daily. Since umma always favors him, let her live with him now and let him take care of her. They deserve each other.”

“She is still your mother. Can’t you talk to her when she is won over by your brother’s lies? Maybe your father can help you out by explaining things to her.”

“No yeobo. She is too stubborn and too in love with her first born. He is the gilded son in her eyes and I the useless one. You know I have not eaten anything at home for over three months.”

“I know. I guessed most of it, that’s why I insisted on your having dinner with us. And before that I would fill your stomach with heavy snacks. Silly puppy, so full of pride.”

“You do understand why I stopped eating at home.”

“Yes I do. I think I’d have done the same. But next time don’t make me guess and piece together situations from our conversations. If we are one, then treat me so. If you want to share my problems, you need to share yours too with me. I will be hurt if you keep them to yourself next time. It makes me feel that I don’t love you enough.”

“Shhh yeobo, you see me like no one else does. You know me even better than I do myself. You don’t speak aloud often about your love, but it’s like the warm sunshine in my life, like the soothing rays of the moonlight. Whenever I am upset, I think of your smile. It makes me smile too.”

“And you are my life too.”

“Sing you a song?”

“Do you mind if I turn towards Minki. I don’t want to sleep with my back to her.”

“Oh sweet yeobo. Go ahead. I can hug you from the back too, you know.”

I turned and put my back against his chest and head on his right arm, then moved Minki to put her head on my right arm, the way she usually slept with me. She ended up with her head on both our arms. We wrapped them around her body. He wrapped his left arm over my body to cover Minki’s back as well and twined his fingers with my right hand. I covered his arm with mine.

I don’t know what way it was that we devised to sleep that night. But it felt good. It was our little family sleeping together, Minki wrapped in both our arms. And I wrapped in the loving arms of my puppy and in between two people who were my world.

And he softly sang “Always My Love” for my ears alone, till I fell into a dreamless sleep.