[My grandmother, No Jeom Soon. She has three dreams. First, New York becomes a part of Korean culture. Second, I’m marrying a Korean guy and third, my mother died.]

“Halmoni, what is this?” MiYoon shows the three pictures of guys to her.

“Wow, the pictures from the Cyrano Dating Agency! Uh ho… look at three of them. they look so handsome.”

“Three? They look same to me.”

“No… No dear. They are different persons. Just look at them. You can choose 1, 2 or 3 that you want to be your future husband.”

“Halmoni, I’m not going to marry anyone. Not 1, not 2 or 3. I’m not interested to anyone of them.” MiHye is ready to leave the room before her grandma grabs her wrist.

“If you didn’t get marry, then; how you going to have kids?” Jeom Soon try to persuade her granddaughter. Who knows she will change her mind.

“I have my kids. I don’t need to get marry.” Soon then, she quickly out from the room and moves to her siblings room. It times to wake them up.

Once she steps into her siblings’ room, she catch her brother was watching basketball game on television. She shook her head and takes the remote controller.

[My brother, Kim Minho. He disabled. He can’t play the basketball like other kids but he still irritating like them.]

“Minho! Put the TV off. Every time I see it, it always basketball, basketball.” MiHye shut the TV down.

“Even though I can’t play basketball, doesn’t mean I can’t watch it~”

“Don’t try to act cute with me. Hurry up! Min Ha, help your oppa” MiHye neat the bed. She arranges the dolls and picks the dirty clothes into a basket that their mother provided near the toilet.

“Unni, did you see my dolls?” Min Ha still playing with her doll’s house and that make MiHye approach her little sister.

“This is mum, this is you, this oppa, and this is me and…” Before Min Ha could finish her words, all of them see their halmoni come and approach Minho.

“Oh, you woke up already. You look so handsome like Hari Poter.”

“Harry Potter, halmoni. Harry Potter.” Minho is correcting the pronunciation of his grandmother.

“Whatever. It sounds same to me after all.”

“Good morning, halmoni.” Min Ha greets halmoni with the smiles on her face but unfortunately halmoni act cold to her. 

[The love of halmoni to Minho is as odious to Min Ha. Min Ha is adopted and that why halmoni never acknowledge her as one of family members. But Min Ha, she always keep halmoni’s doll as one of her perfect family.]

 

************

 

“Why it so cold? Is there anyone switch on the heater?” Jeom Soon put the hot pack close to her.

“Is it you the one who always switch on the heater?” Bong Hyang ask her sarcastically while put the plate of bread on the table.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” And she walks into the kitchen again to prepare lunch bag for the kids. Minho look at her sister and try to make a bet. As usual.

“So?”

“Shut up.” MiHye continue read her book and didn’t pay attention to her brother.

“Bet.” Minho takes out his $1 and put on the table. ‘As usual, I will win this bet.’

“Don’t irritate me.” MiHye send her evil glare to Minho but he seem to not afraid of her glare.

“Chicken, it just $1.” He try to mocking his sister.

“What’s for breakfast?” Seom Joon asks.

“Fruits and cereals.” Bong Hyang replied and walks away.

“What??” She asks again. Maybe she didn’t heard clearly.

“Cereals, halmoni.” Minho tell his grandmother again.

“Oh, is it start already? The TV series of Mr. Housewife?”

“Not TV series, halmoni. CEREALS. The food we always eat every day.” Jeom Soon sigh.

“Hmm… what new? We ate the same food every day. Poor my daughter-in-law… she didn’t know how to cook Korean foods. My dear lovely daughter-in-law, Bong Hyang.” MiHye and Bong Hyang know Jeom Soon said that to make Bong Hyang feels hurt inside. MiHye shook her head and try to keep herself from being angry in front of the elders.

“Do you want to know something, MiHye ah? I had a beautiful dreamt last night. In the dreamt, I was eating Korean foods. Bibimbap, Namchae, Ddubokki with lots of kimchi. Oh… I miss Jejudo for real.”

“If you really miss Jejudo, you should go back there. What do you think, MiHye?” Minho smirks at his sister. He know soon or later, MiHye gonna to blow. ‘The victory is mine.’

“Yah! I’m not going anywhere. If I go, what going to happen to this kid? I will worry about him.” Jeom Soon hugs Minho tightly and never let it go even though Minho try to free himself. So suffocated.

“And I care about her ONLY.” Bong Hyang hugs Min Ha who from the start just being the listener to the fighting conversation. Jeom Soon send her evil glare to Min Ha and Bong Hyang.

“Yes. Why do you want to care about me? I am nothing to you after all. If only my son is still alive. He will not…”

“If only, right?”

“STOP IT!” MiHye can’t stand it anymore. She really can’t stand looking at her mother and grandmother fighting every day. MiHye take her $1 out and give it to Minho as he wins the bet.

“This is your $1. You’ve win. As usual. Are you happy now? And both of you…just forget it!” MiHye walk out with anger without looking back.

[Every day, my day will begin with the same way. Mum and halmoni will end up fights and I went out with anger…and then I had to listen to stupid gossip from my stupid neighbor, Hyun Hee.]

 

***************

 

MiHye and Hyun Hee promised to meet up at the coffee shop before the walk together to the subway.

“Oh, hi MiHye ah. Ah, one minute. Make 2 sugar donuts, 2 blueberry muffins and 2 chocolate cappuccino. And what will you have?” 

 

to be continue~