A New Beginning

“Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.” ---Ralph Blum

A new home… a new life… a fresh start… I felt revitalized and ready to start a new life. As days past and weeks, too, (kkk~^o^) …let’s just say three months have past. I’ve been living my life working. I would wake up early in the morning to deliver newspapers and after that an eight hours work in a coffee shop and then another eight hours in Choi ahjussi’s convenient store. I’ve also doing some part time jobs even in my off days. Yes, I know… I’ve become a workaholic.

One morning…

I woke up stretching my arms with a nice smile on my lips, all set with invigorated strength and hoping for another great day.

“Good morning mom… dad!” I said as I looked at the frame picture placed in my side table. Amusingly, I don’t feel sad anymore every time I’m looking at their photo unlike before. It was four-thirty in the morning and it was still dark outside. I got up and out of the bed I went straight to the bathroom… had some breakfast and proceeded to my early work, delivering newspapers. As I went out of the house and about to go down the staircase, I saw a little boy crying, sitting in the stair holding a bag on his lap.

“Oh?! Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? What are you doing here?” I asked continuously to the boy as I sit beside him. But the kid just looked at me and cried louder. “Aigoo~ ssshhhh~ don’t cry… Noona here won’t hurt you.” I said again, hushing him to stop crying. “Who are you with?” I asked again trying to look around to see if there’s someone searching out there for the kid. My eyes caught a glance on a folded paper which is protruding on the pocket of the kid’s bag. I unfolded it and it was a letter saying:

Dear Miss,

            I’ve been following and observing you for a couple of days. I am very sorry for that. I know that you are living alone and you are a good person. You don’t know me at all but I hope you can find in your heart to keep my son and take good care of him which I couldn’t do because of some bad circumstances that I’m into. I hope you could treat him as your own brother. I will be forever indebt to you. I’m really sorry.

                                                                                                                                         His father

“Oh my God! …poor kid,” I said in disbelieved. “What should I do? Hey, kid what’s your name?”

“Ji-Ji Bin…” He answered sniffling.

“Ji Bin~ah, Noona have to go to work now, do you wanna come with me?” He stared at me for a couple seconds and then nodded. “Ok, let’s go.” And I tagged him along though I still don’t know what to do about him. Good thing it was my rest day in the coffee shop.

After my deliveries I saw a ramen shop nearby, “Yah, Kid! Are you hungry? Want some ramen?” I asked the boy, who stopped crying now, and pointed the shop.

“My name is Ji Bin” he said holding one of my hands and we walked through the shop. Upon entering, I ordered for the two of us.

“Noona, do you think my father loves me?” he suddenly asked. We were sitting face to face, eating our ramen.

“Huh?” I was surprised in his question and almost drop the spoon I’m holding. I don’t know what to answer.

“…I know you’re not my father’s friend like what he said to me. And I also know that his not coming back for me.” He said looking straight to my eyes and then continued eating his food. This kid is smart… I think he’s different from other ordinary kid at his age. But that look in his eyes was so familiar and that’s made me more worried for this kid.

After eating we went back straight at the house. I got an early shift at the convenient store and I still don’t know what to do about the kid. So I decided to call Choi ahjussi and asked him if I could take Ji Bin at work. He was confused on what I was saying and told him to I’ll explain e