“Tracy, your father and I have something important to discuss with you,” Mother hollered from the living room.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” I replied as I quickly changed into my baggy sweat pants and rather clingy wife beater.   I just loved dressing up like a tomboy. And my mom, being the girly girl that she is, doesn’t approve of it at all (which makes it all the better to dress up like this!) 

Oh! Where are my manners?!! My name is Tracy Park.  I’m 19 years old and I live in New York! Yeah…the Big Apple is where I call home! I’m part Korean and part African American.  My father being Korean and my mother the latter, which explains my voluptuous frame for a body that made girls envy, that I got from my momma, and beautiful crescent shaped eyes that are sometimes covered by my long black wavy hair, which made guys sweat, all inherited from my daddy! Okay now that you can picture me in your mind let’s continue with the story… shall we?!

I can only imagine what they want to talk about.  It was probably something stupid like the importance of ending my relationship with my boyfriend, Darnelle, of 2 years. Oh how they hated him! No, actually it was Mother who hated him.  Daddy just agrees with whatever Mother feels.  She says “jump” and he says “how high”. Daddy has no backbone whatsoever when it comes to Mother.  It’s not like Darnelle is a bad example for me or anything! He is set to be the future chairman of a great company that his father owns.  He was valedictorian for his high school graduating class and NYU’s school of business.  But for some inexplicable reason, they still did not approve of him. Mother says it’s because he was keeping me from getting good grades in school. I’m an A student for crying out loud! Yeah I skip a lot of classes, but who cares if you have the grades to support your absentees!  But I don’t care the least bit because I really like him!

When I finally arrive to where my parents were waiting for me I sensed my father’s uneasiness, but I was greeted by my mother’s delighted and what seem seemed to be a conniving smile.  But I dismissed it to be just my curiosity and anxiety about this abrupt family meeting.  But then again, she always had a fake smile plastered on her face when she had to drop some bad news on me.

“Tracy, please sit,” she paused while waiting for me to take my place.  Oh boy what is it this time? Another move? Please God, don’t do this to me when I’ve finally found somewhere to call home. Not when I’ve finally found someone to call my own, I prayed as I took my seat.  The life as an ambassador’s kid is quite difficult.  I can never get too comfortable in one part of the world because we were always relocated to some different country after daddy’s assignment was completed in another. Yes, I can say that I’ve been to London, Paris, and Madrid.  But, unlike my peers, I have never been able to keep my friends for too long.  Honestly, I would trade this life as the only child of the South Korean ambassador to be the child of a regular middle class kid born and raised in the concrete jungle of the Eastern coast of the U.S.

“We,” Mother paused looking at my nervous father, “your father and I, have decided to send you to Korea to finish your education.  Your father is taking on a new assignment in Africa and I will be accompanying him! We don’t really like the idea of you finishing your schooling over there, so we thought that it would be best for you to become acquainted with your father’s side of the family and your betrothed”.

I stood there with a blank stare. I couldn’t believe what was coming out of this woman’s mouth. “W…What did you just say?” I whispered in disbelief. “Are you telling me that you are taking me from my home…AGAIN?  AND you throw in my face that I am betrothed?  Please humor me by telling me who this man is and what is the purpose of this planned union,” now bellowing with vibrato in an alto.

“Please do yourself a favor and lower your voice.  The neighbors might hear you.  You’re going to ruin our repu…”

“All you care about is your friggin reputation,” I interrupted. “It’s always about you, you don’t ever think about what’s best for anyone, but you!”  I turn to my silent father sitting quietly beside his wife, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with what she has to say.  “And you… Daddy… how could you let her make that choice for me? I thought you said that coming to New York will be the last assignment that you will take until I go to college.  What happened to that promise, huh?” My tears threatened to escape my angry red eyes.  My daddy, my hero… he sold me out.  I would have expected this from Mother because she loves to travel and she refuses to take the backseat and play her role as a mother, even for a little while.  But, Daddy… no… I would have never thought he would cast me away into a marriage that I have no say in and a living situation that I have no desire to be a part of.

Daddy fixed his tie as if to make his breathing easier and said, “Baby girl, you know it’s not like that at all.  We just thought that it wouldn’t be safe for you to be in Congo because of its past civil uproars.  We’re only doing this for your safety.”

“How about this arranged marriage? Was it for my safety too?” I continued to egg on being anything but the doting daughter. 

He cleared his throat and looked at my mother as if pleading for her to help him answer my questions.  When she gave him no response he returned his anxiety filled eyes back to me and began to stutter,” W-well, Darling… w-we…” “You know what,” I interjected cutting off his babbling, “I think I’ll be better off in Iraq or any other place than be anywhere with you!” I roared as I stormed out of our 3 story brownstone building fighting back hot tears that threatened to announce to the world that my life is now swirling in a toilet.  I had no clue to where I was going, but I knew that I had to get out before I went to jail for two counts of 1^st degree murder! 

The sun was beginning to set and lord knows that it’s not wise for a girl to walk the streets of New York in the night.  Don’t get me wrong… I own at least a dozen I <3 NY shirts and wear them with pride, but even grown men get kidnapped in the middle of the day. Could you imagine what would happen to little ol’ me?  All I knew was that I wouldn’t mind going anywhere, but there was no way I was going to head back home tonight!  Thank goodness my cell phone was in my pocket though! The only person I could think of calling was my knight in shining armor.

“Talk to me,” he said answering the phone with his y New York accent.

“Hey babe, we should have dinner together tonight.  You should come pick me up and we’ll hang out… it’ll be my treat,” I said trying to hold back my tears to no avail, but still trying to be as enthusiastic as my voice would allow me to be.

“T… I really can’t right now.  I’m trying to prepare for this board meeting that I’m attending in a couple of days. Can we take a rain check?” he said disappointedly.

“No…not really. But, it’s okay. I… I just r…really needed someone to talk to. It’s kinda sorta important, but no worries….” I sniffled, “I’ll call one of my girlfriends”. 

“Are you crying?” he asked in disbelief.

“No, no I –I have a …umm.. a…cold and I have the sniffles,” I lied.

Knowing that I’m not the best fibber out there my boyfriend persisted in trying to figure out what made me so melancholy. “Babe… you know… you’re the worst liar in the world right? And what did I tell you about lying to me?”

“Not to do it…” I answered like child being scolded by her parent.  I guess that what happens when your boyfriend is four years your senior.

I heard him heave a sigh on the other end and some papers being shuffled about as he paused pensively. “Where are you?” he asks giving in to my plea.  A small smile crept onto my face while giving him the address to my whereabouts.  This is why I keep you around, I thought to myself jokingly and snickered victoriously as my boyfriend and I bid each other adieu until his arrival.

So what do you guys think?? Please let me know!!! Thanks for reading!