There was a small and anxious welcoming party gathered at the gate of the Kim Mansion. A matronly woman and a courteous, liveried middle aged man jumped to attention as Choi Young Do’s car pulled up in front of the gate. The man held an oversized umbrella over Choi Young Do’s head as the woman solicitously led the way into the house. Choi Young Do was escorted directly to the library/home office that was Kim Won’s domain, per his request to Cha Eun Sang. He needed to be close to a printer/scanner/fax machine. Though he doubted that he was going to get any substantial work done, he felt uneasy about traipsing upstairs, among the private quarters of the family members, all by himself. Sunny was still clinging to him and he figured that he would feel a little assured on his home turf and calm down enough to detach himself from Choi Young Do’s person. Choi Young Do set him down on the sofa and proceeded to take off his winter coat, while he quietly instructed the housekeeper to fetch comfortable clothes for Sunny. His school uniform was splattered with dried blood stains and rumpled. He watched silently as Choi Young Do draped his coat over a chair and exercised his arms and his neck, trying to work out the tensed muscles.

He caught the boy’s eyes and asked with a smile, “Are you feeling better now? You are home.” Sunny nodded but if Choi Young Do had expected any effusiveness, then there was none on display.

Sunny looked almost ashamed and a little deflated after getting his way. The one person who made that huge house home for him was still far away. Stubbornly, he insisted on changing his clothes in the privacy of the en-suite bathroom, without any adult supervision. Choi Young Do weighed in on Sunny’s side despite the housekeeper’s objections, on the condition that he was to leave the door unlocked. The housekeeper was sent off after Choi Young Do dismissed her offer of a cooked-to-order lunch, which in turn was an instruction to her from Cha Eun Sang. She was told to be on the lookout for David’s return instead. In the meanwhile, Choi Young Do picked up Sunny’s medical folder and the few drugs that were prescribed, to study the whole lot minutely. It was pretty simple except that he had to be watched closely for any signs of concussion. So far, the pajama clad boy that had exited the bathroom looked tired and depressed but showing no sign of physical discomfort.

Choi Young Do opened the conversation casually, “Sunny, after lunch, I have to do some work. I will be right here and I would prefer if you stayed here, in my sight too. Do you think you can take a nap here?”

Sunny looked wistfully at the big wooden desk at the far end of the room and said, “Kun-abeoji sleeps here too. He has gone abroad for work. I don’t think he would mind if I slept here.” Sunny made himself comfortable on the oversized sofa.

Choi Young Do digested the fact that Kim Won regularly slept here, in his home office, with a twinge of pain. President Kim, the lord of the manor, signer of thousands of paychecks, slept on a sofa in his palatial house, either too busy or too lonely to seek the comfort of a bed. Choi Young Do wondered for a moment if he was destined to live the rest of his life in hotel suite too. It seemed that the older man and he, owners of countless premium properties, both lacked a home to come to. Perhaps, that is why they added more properties to their possessions, in search of the one that they missed so badly.

Choi Young Do casually looked through his emails and Sunny, true to his words, kept quiet as he sat dejectedly and watched Choi Young Do work. But when Choi Young Do had a minute to look up, he saw that the boy was already sleepy. Concerned for a second, he snapped his fingers and called out Sunny’s name, startling the boy. Choi Young Do sighed in relief when he saw that he was not lethargic but merely tired. He regretted his snap judgement immediately and sought to make amends.

“You can sleep after lunch. David will be here any moment now. You wanted pizza so don’t let it go to waste.” He smiled reassuringly.

Sunny nodded disinterestedly and Choi Young Do knew that he was most likely exhausted and was about to nod off. He sighed internally and abandoned his work. He pulled up a movie app on his phone and called out to Sunny.

“Let’s watch a movie together till our lunch arrives. Which is your favorite?” He asked and noted that Sunny looked alert and willing to engage.

“I like Cars. I have seen it so many times.” Sunny answered almost immediately.

Choi Young Do made a quick decision and went with his gut feeling as he replied, “Let’s watch a classic one instead. You like dogs, right? You would like this one then.” He quickly searched and selected Lady and the Tramp. A childhood favorite of his that he had not seen in a very long time. He didn’t even have to ask as Sunny came over to Choi Young Do’s side, a little more alive at the mention of dogs. He gently leaned against Choi Young Do’s side, trying to get a better view of his phone screen. The titles were already playing so, Choi Young Do picked him up and set him in his lap so that they could both watch the movie with ease. Both did not notice how easily they adjusted to a comfortable position within a very limited personal space. For the next 50 minutes, the man and the child watched a very old movie together, lost in the magic of a love story until David was escorted into the library by the housekeeper, which caused Choi Young Do to pause the movie but Sunny insisted on finishing the movie before digging into his favorite junk food. Choi Young Do guessed that it was probably a good thing since, it would be easier to for him to fall asleep immediately after eating. So they finished the movie and spent the next fifteen minutes eating directly from the pizza box as Choi Young Do let Sunny prattle on about his favorite scenes from the movie that they had just finished watching. But not surprisingly, Sunny could barely finish 2 slices. Choi Young Do finished his third slice and gently asked if he was done eating.

Sunny looked a little embarrassed as he answered softly, “Mom says that it is bad manners to waste food. I don’t want to waste food.” Choi Young Do was amused but felt awfully proud and happy that Cha Eun Sang was teaching her son such lofty ideals. He proposed thoughtfully, “How about we save the rest for your mom?” Sunny looked up with relieved eyes and an easy heart. He nodded with enthusiasm and carefully packaged up the leftovers as Choi Young Do looked on amazed how matured the little boy could be at times.

Choi Young Do actively encouraged, though it was hardly required, the sleepy little boy to finally rest his head on a fluffy cushion and take a nap. Choi Young Do watched him sleep for 5 minutes before he carefully noted the time and set an alarm. He went back to checking his emails and reviewing documents on his tablet that David had brought with the lunch. Soon he was lost in his virtual office and settled back in the chair comfortably. Sunny was sleeping on his side, facing him so he didn’t even need to glance up for more than a second at a time to ensure that he was OK.

He was deep in the middle of a proposal document which involved a partnership offer on a property, which was being offered by the owners of a princely mansion in India, when something akin to a free hanging whitish-grey curtain, invaded his peripheral vision. He looked up to see a shuffling figure head for Sunny. Choi Young Do sharply looked behind to see the door of the library stood ajar and he cursed himself for being so engrossed in his work that he had not heard it open at all. He looked at the back of the gaunt figure and spoke up a little sternly but in a low voice, “Who are you? You should had knocked.”

Choi Young Do quickly ascertained that whoever it was, it was an old woman, dressed in a loose, ill-fitting smock, with more-salt than pepper hair that looked thoroughly through. The figure turned slowly to face Choi Young Do and he involuntarily gasped as he jumped to his feet. He could not believe his eyes, for the apparition standing in front of him looked nothing like the few times he had encountered Madame Han but just a faint shadow in the form of a living ghost. She had always looked perfectly put together, with fashionable designer clothes, impeccable in trend makeup and hair style. Now, there were deep shadows around her eyes, her face was wrinkled and her body looked close to emaciation. She was dressed in a shapeless dress that was clearly a few sizes too big for her. She seemed to take in Choi Young Do’s appearance with as much scrutiny as he did. While Choi Young Do struggled to school his expression to hide his shock and dismay, she seemed to hungrily take in the strapping young man that stood before her like a weary traveler, who sees a mirage in a desert. Before Choi Young Do could think of an appropriate way to greet her, she spoke first, shakily, in a voice that was barely audible.

“Choi Young Do, why am I so useless? I can’t even pull myself together when my grandson needs my help. Cha Eun Sang had to call you.” Tears rolled down her face and she started shaking as she bowed her head and hunched over in a half bow, which appalled Choi Young Do.

He strode over to her and bowed deeply. She looked up at the young man as he straightened to his full height, quite a bit taller than she. A shaking arm reached out and touched his left shoulder gently. Choi Young Do stiffened but held still.

Choi Young Do tried to explain quickly in order to lighten her guilt, “The pre-school is near my office. Cha Eun Sang knew that I could get there in the shortest time. I am sure that she would have called you if I were not in the city today. And it was a very small matter. It’s a very minor injury. The doctor was already there and all I did….was to bring him home. That’s all.” But he noticed that Madame Han was preoccupied and only half listened to what he had to say. She looked over every feature in his handsome face and almost whispered, “Tell me, Choi Young Do, have you grown taller since the last time I saw you?”

Slightly caught off- guard, Choi Young Do smiled in spite of his unease with the awkward situation and answered a little cheekily, “No, just older.”

Madame Han looked up into his eyes and said earnestly, “You are blessed, Choi Young Do! Your parents are blessed! You get to grow older every year and they get to watch you grow older. Don’t ever take that for granted.” New tears ran down her face and she started audibly sobbing, though she clapped a hand over immediately.

Choi Young Do felt a well of sympathy for the once beautiful woman and a mountain of guilt as well. He had once behaved reprehensibly towards Madame Han, in his bid to belittle Kim Tan. Now that Kim Tan was gone, looking back he wondered for a fraction of a second, if the life and death significance that he had assigned to his rivalry with Kim Tan amounted to anything in the greater scheme of things. A mother losing her child, a child losing his father and a family losing their happiness forever, was beyond what a disaffected teenager could ever grasp as a tragedy. He gently laid his arm around Madame Han and led her towards the massive mahogany desk on the other side of the room. He pulled out a visitor’s chair and Madame Han kind of collapsed into it. Choi Young Do pulled the other visitor’s chair and sat down facing Madame Han. She was still sobbing so he hesitantly laid a palm over her clenched fist that laid in her lap. This was way too familiar a gesture but neither was concerned about that. Theirs was a human connection over a dead man….she grieved for him because she had loved him and he felt guilty because he had hated him.

Eventually her sobs quietened and Choi Young Do withdrew his hand. He finally found the words to express his feelings, “Omoni, I am……sorry.” He didn’t want to elaborate, for he knew that it was a long list that he had to apologize for……sorry that she had lost her son, sorry that he had insulted her and hurt her, sorry that he had hated her beloved son and sorry that her grandson would grow up without a father.

Madame Han shook her head, brushing off his words and spoke passionately, “Not your fault child, not your fault. It is mine. My fault. Entirely my fault. It is a curse.” Her eyes glistened with more than just the tears that were left behind. There was a touch of madness that Choi Young Do had seen in the truly zealous opposition as he had faced on many instances. He waited to see if his fears were true.

She spoke monotonously, like a mourner too exhausted to even shed tears anymore, “My greed! That was my undoing and my son’s undoing! I come from a very epoor family. I fell in love with the Chairman…..Kim Tan’s father…. because he was rich and powerful and…….so manly. I was so happy to be by his side that I did not care whether he legitimized our relationship or not. And Kim Tan paid the price for my greed. He hated being the illegitimate son! He wanted his father’s love, he wanted his brother’s acceptance and he wanted to acknowledge me as his mother to the world. He suffered because he was my son, a mistress’ son!”

Choi Young Do flushed as he remembered how he had held that fact over Kim Tan’s head to intimidate him. Presently, he bowed his head and felt a darkness settle on his heart. But Madame Han continued her confessions.

“Then later on, when things got better, I was so proud and happy that he was part of the business. He was working alongside Kim Won and I felt that he was taking his rightful place as a son of the Chairman. He didn’t care much for the business….not like his father or brother did. But he did it anyways. He did what was expected of him, demanded of him and what was his duty. I always told him to do more, to take on more, to make his mark and not just be Kim Won’s lackey. He told me that he worked hard because he loved his family while Kim Won worked hard because he loved the business and he would never trade places with him. And yet he died because of it. I think I died that day with him. My life stopped and now, I hate the business! The business went on, the whole world carried on but his family…….we changed forever! How is that fair, Choi Young Do?” She choked as she looked into Choi Young Do’s eyes, not really expecting an answer.

Choi Young Do struggled not to shrink away from her accusing stare and meant every word as he said, “It is not. But you should not blame yourself. You just wanted the best for him. Every parent wants to see their child succeed.”

Madame Han leaned in and grasped his knees and shook her head, “Parents can be wrong. As much as I loved him, I was wrong to push him. I should had let him do whatever he wanted to do. Choi Young Do, respect your parents but do what your heart tells you to do. Find your happiness and fight for it. Don’t give in because of your parents’ expectations. Don’t be dutiful even if it makes you miserable. I am telling you as a mother, a parent would rather see a happy child than a miserable child doing their bidding. Promise me that you will do whatever it takes to be happy.”

Choi Young Do was taken aback by the intensity of her words. It sounded like a command rather than an advice but he didn’t take offense. If anything, he felt oddly beholden to her. He slipped his fingers underneath her palms that were on his knees and looked into the anxious eyes that seemed frantic with concern. He lightly squeezed her palms reassuringly and nodded his head, “Don’t worry, Omoni. I will try my best.”

At that very moment, there was a sound of rustling from the sofa and Choi Young Do immediately got up and quickly walked over to see why Sunny was fussing in his sleep. Though he had fallen asleep again, he had curled up on his side as if he was cold despite the room being heated. Choi Young Do picked up his discarded coat and threw it over him, not really caring to summon the housekeeper to get a blanket. He tucked the child in securely before he returned to sit next to Madame Han, who had watched the entire episode with wistful and longing eyes. As soon as Choi Young Do sat himself down, he was rattled by her question, “He looks so much like Kim Tan, doesn’t he?”

Choi Young Do didn’t even have to look again in the direction of the child as she did. He was just a little spooked by the fact that the issue was broached twice on the same day, in one way or another. He merely nodded, noting that having had himself express the thought to Sunny earlier, it was not so difficult to agree with Madame Han’s observation. Madame Han turned to look at Choi Young Do and resumed her confession.

“That is why I just can’t bear to look at him. Each time I see him, I dissolve into tears and the poor child feels distraught. He probably thinks that he is somehow the reason for upsetting me. Now, he merely peeps into my room once in a while and runs away when I look at him. I am his grandmother and he is my only grandchild. I am supposed to raise him, nurture him and spoil him and yet I can’t even bring myself to embrace him. My life is so pointless that I often wonder why I am alive at all. If there was a way I could trade place with Kim Tan, I would do so in a heartbeat. No mother should have to bury her only child. It is a life of punishment.” The tears resumed as she looked at the small figure sleeping wrapped in an oversized coat.

Choi Young Do sat watching her for about half a minute, wracking his brain for an appropriate answer. But there was none. But following her eyes, he looked at Sunny and immediately found the answer. He spoke softly because he was on unfamiliar grounds.

“Omoni, your life is important. You have a purpose” Madame Han looked skeptical but Choi Young Do continued, refusing to hurry, “You are the keeper of Kim Tan’s memory on this earth” He looked towards Sunny and recounted truthfully, “Today, Sunny asked me a lot of questions about his father. I answered as much as I could. But as he grows up, he will have more questions. A lot more questions than any one of us can answer…..apart from you.” Madame Han listened a little more attentively now.

“I knew him only for a few years, hyung got to know him only……after he came back from America, Cha Eun Sang knew him from high school onwards. But you had known him, and everything about him, ever since he was born. You are the only true witness to his life. You knew him like no other for you knew him even before he was born. So only you can pass on his life’s story to his son. I hope, you will answer all his questions, see him grow up to resemble or not resemble his father. I hope that you will take solace in the similarities and find joy in the dissimilarities. He is a very sweet and bright child” he smiled amusedly, “He is tenacious like his father. And he can be very charming when he wants to be, especially if he wants something.”  Madame Han smiled and nodded as Choi Young Do, feeling a little confident, continued in a lighter vein, “I have a feeling that he is going to grow up to be a good looking chap like his father. So, you better watch out for all those girls, who would try to entice him.” Choi Young Do leaned in to stage whisper, waggling his eyebrows in mock warning.

Madame Han looked suitably scandalized at the suggestion and lightly slapped his shoulder as she chided, “Aishhh! He is just a child!”

Choi Young Do shrugged his shoulders and sagely opined, “Oh! They grow up quickly…..faster than weeds these days” he met her gaze and asked sincerely, “Do you want to miss out on that? Let him miss out on a grandmother’s love in the bargain…….is that fair?”

Madame Han held his gaze but now her eyes held a note of shrewd observation as she tried to make sense of Choi Young Do. She was never book smart but she was street smart and she knew a thing or two about reading people. A sliver of a smile hugged her lips as she spoke.

“Choi Young Do, you are a very clever young man. I hear that you are successful too. You are obviously an attractive man and you are gifted when it comes to words. Tell me, how is it fair to the womankind that you have not chosen a wife yet?”

Choi Young Do considered giving her a stock answer but he knew that broken as she was, she was not a fool. He gave an ambiguous but somewhat truthful answer, “I am waiting…….for her to choose me.” He smirked but faltered under the unyielding gaze of a mother figure, who had definitely seen more of life than he had. He turned his head towards Sunny and tried to change the subject.

“You can stay here if you wish. I was working….or at least trying to work, while keeping an eye on him.” Choi Young Do almost pined to throw himself into the stress of a normal work day. This unusual day was more stressful than a hectic work day for him. Confronting the past, being forced to question his past behavior were not his immediate agenda. He had places to go, things to do and battles to win.

Madame Han shook her head slowly and shakily came to her feet and so did Choi Young Do, ready to steady her if she were to stumble. She sighed deeply and surprised Choi Young Do with her answer, “Sunny has had a rough day. He needs to have people that he considers his rock to be around him. His mother…..and it seems….in some strange twist of fate, you” Madame Han looked pointedly at Choi Young Do, who felt immediately uncomfortable under her incisive gaze. Madame Han shuffled forward, making for the door as she continued “Today is not the day to reveal a brand new side of a grandmother he is mostly wary of. He needs to rest and recuperate. I hope you don’t find it too uncomfortable here while you wait for his mother to come back. Tell the housekeeper if you need anything” she stopped and added sadly, “Trust me Choi Young Do, she is likely to be more of a help than I would be.”

Madame Han reached the door but Choi Young Do grabbed the heavy handle to open the door and hold it for her. She, for a second, behaved like the beautiful lady of long ago, who was used to being accorded every courtesy by men, as she gracefully nodded in acknowledgement at his gesture but spoke like a mother as she stepped outside, “Eat properly, Choi Young Do. Live well and be happy.”

Choi Young Do watched as she slowly navigated the empty corridor and kept his eyes on her till the housekeeper materialized next to her from somewhere and escorted her out of his sight. He stepped inside the door and shut it behind him. Only then did he realize that if he was tired before, he was exhausted now. He leaned back against the heavy wooden door and closed his eyes. But his moment of peace was rend by the chirping of his alarm. He looked over at the sleeping child and braced himself. He was going to do something that was unpleasant but necessary.

He forced himself to walk over to the sofa where Sunny slept. He watched the sleeping child with an envious heart for only children could sleep so peacefully. He knelt next to the sofa and softly shook him awake. Sunny woke up visibly annoyed, with a frown on his forehead and eyes squinted. Choi Young Do leaned in and caressed his forehead to atone for his trespass as he asked, “Hey sleepyhead! I was bored and thought I would talk to you for a while. Are you feeling alright? Do you feel uncomfortable in any way? Can you tell me what day is it today?”

Sunny looked annoyed and sulky. But he was a very well behaved child and he merely blinked to clear the sleep from his eyes as Choi Young Do waited anxiously for the answer. He gently reiterated his question, “Sunny, what day is it today?” Sunny looked confused but eventually answered, “Thursday” Choi Young Do exhaled in relief and posed the next question, “What day was it yesterday?” Sunny looked more confused but something in the way Choi Young Do was looking at him told him that he was not teasing him so he answered, even if unwillingly, “Wednesday.” Choi Young Do smiled to reassure the child that he was not pulling his leg, “Thank you. For one minute, I was totally confused there. I had to ask a smart person.”

Sunny did not look very impressed with his answer and the frown remained on his forehead. Choi Young Do tucked the coat around him and patted his arm as he said, “Go back to sleep. I think the next time you open your eyes, your will see your mom.” That finally eased the lines from the child’s face and like an obedient child he closed his eyes. Choi Young Do unmindfully patted his arm till the child was lulled back to sleep. Only then he got up and picked up the tablet. Towards the evening the housekeeper brought tea and snacks. Choi Young Do took just the tea and told her turn on just one light around Kim Won’s desk and the table lamp that sat next to his chair, not really minding the half-light because he did not want to disturb Sunny. He glanced over to make sure that Sunny was still sleeping and got back to his work. His concentration broke when he heard a groan from the direction of the sofa. Before he could investigate what the matter was, he heard the whiny beginnings of a meltdown. He leaned down to see Sunny’s contorted face as he held the left side of his head. Choi Young Do guessed and asked in a no-nonsense voice, “Did you try to turn on your left side?”

Sunny graoned and whimpered but Choi Young Do refused to cosset him since he had a feeling that it would lead to a full-fledged meltdown and stated matter of factly, “Well, you can’t do that. Not till the injury heals. You know better than that.” Though his words were shorn of any sympathy, his fingers told another story as he pried Sunny’s hand off the side of his head and softly caressed the injured side, careful not to touch the bandage. While he couldn’t tell if the child took umbrage at his dry words, he did quieten down after fussing for a while. Choi Young Do pushed him towards the back of the sofa so that there was no space behind him, making it impossible for him to turn on his left side unless he scooted forward to make more room first. The only way to prevent that……..he looked at the tablet that cast an eerie glow from where it sat on the coffee table and sighed…..was to block the rest of the sofa, basically hemming Sunny in. He cast one last longing look towards the tablet before lying down next to Sunny, pinning him against the back of the sofa. Already asleep, Sunny only seemed to instinctively nuzzle against the source of warmth next to him. Choi Young Do felt his little palm come to rest on his upper arm as the child sighed contentedly. After a minute of staring at the shadowy ceiling, Choi Young Do too felt his eyelids getting heavier. The grey, half-lit room did the rest and soon he was lost to the world.

It was a dreamless sleep, brought on by nervous exhaustion. But towards th