cinderella ticket

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.”

—— Oscar Wilde

“Do you think this is normal?” Jiyoung picked up a binocular from the floor. At least I think there’s a floor underneath the mess.

“This?” She pointed to the files In Na had given me. Jiyoung kept on pointing and looking around my room. I stayed quiet.

Jiyoung is great. She lets me stay at her place and eat her food for free. She gives me money and cleans my room. But I’m basically her kid and Jiyoung is not the kind of mother that spoils. She’s the type that thinks you have failed a class because you have a B. She’s always mad about something,always stressed about something and always blaming me about everything.

“Now that I think about it when was the last time you smiled?” I thought out loud and Jiyoung paused her rampage.

“What did you say?”

“I haven’t seen you smile in a while.” I reinstated.

“Do you think I have time to smile? Don’t you see how hard I’m working? Can’t you see? Are you blind?” With each word Jiyoung’s voice got louder and louder. “All you do is play around all day. Chincha.”

“Unnie I-”

“Out.”

“But.”

“I don’t want to see your face right now.Gguhjyu.”

I guess she was really mad. It’s not like I said anything…

“Leave.” Jiyoung said one last time before stepping over a pile of clothes on her way to the door. Which she did not slam, being the cool-headed lawyer that she is.

I looked around and found a pair of comfy boots, black skinny jeans, a cup of unfinished ramen noodles and the new top I’d bought at redopin. It was the middle of September, I would just go and enjoy the warm sunset and come back with Jiyoung’s favorite pizza and she would forgive me for whatever it was I did. I walked out of my bedroom in ninja mode but didn't see Jiyoung in the living room so I relaxed. I grabbed my phone and some money from Jiyoung’s purse that she always hanged on the doorknob.

I had meant to find the closest pizza hut, I really did but somehow ended up in cheongdamdong. It was an instinct really. A very expensive instinct.

I looked at the displays and felt the 35,000 won I’d borrowed from Jiyoung burning in my jean pocket. I really wanted to kick a wall while repeat stupid over and over again. This, my life, it shouldn’t be happening, not like this. My parents should have made a fortune before deciding to have a baby. They should have invested in something. They shouldn’t have-

“Pretend like I’m saying something really interesting.” Two arms grabbed my shoulders. The man was looking somewhere else, his eyes moved too fast to follow so I did what anyone would have done in my position. Stood there and gawked at him waiting for an explanation. Because if there’s something that I, Kang Sohee believe is that you should talk to strangers. You never know, you never do, especially in this part of town.

“Walk.” He ordered but I didn’t move.

“Yeah, right, sure. Who are you?”

“Just walk.” He sounded annoyed now. He was still looking around and then frowned. I guess he found whatever it was that he was looking for.

“I’ll pay you so just walk and pretend that you know me.” He said this real slow as if I couldn’t understand him and then linked his arm with mine.

“Who’s following you?” I asked and got a stare as an answer.

“What’s your name? Do you have one?” Again a stare.

“How much are you going to pay me?” A sigh this time.

“Do you have a lot of money?” I looked at him, really looked at him this time. “You look like you do.” He did. You should know the first thing I notice about a person is their clothes, and his looked expensive. Oh yeah, he had a nice face too but then again so did I. I don’t trust faces.

“Here.” He suddenly stopped. We stood in front of a fancy looking restaurant. Where fancy looking people were walking in and out of the fancy looking door. It was all very fancy. He broke our link and started walking to the door when an afterthought must have hit him. Because he turned around and with the same cyborg expression he’d had all along took out a leather wallet from his jacket. Motioned for me to open my hand. Which I did. He placed a paper bill in them, turned around and gracefully disappeared through the restaurant’s door.

“Ok.” I shrugged and looked at the paper.

“I can’t even buy gum with this. Geseki! He’s loaded but repays people like this? Aish people these days. Do they think that because I look nice I’m mother Theresa.”

I want to say I waited for him outside and got my revenge but that’s not what happened. Partly because the doorman was looking at me funny and partly because I hadn't eaten all day. So I went home, venting my anger at no one in particular and looking at the ugly sunset.

The apartment building looked so out of place between the other buildings that were fighting to stand and the unkempt parks surrounding it. It was milk white with most of the balconies decorated. Although most of the people who lived here wouldn't say it was a nice building. Inside it smells like rotten...everything. It was painted in the ugliest shade of yellow, everyone hates yellow. However the worst part had to be the fact that there was no elevator. Good thing my apartment was on the second floor.

I tried the combination over and over again but the door wouldn’t open. So I tried knocking, and Jiyoung answered.

“Annyeong.” I waved and stepped in. Well I tried. Jiyoung was blocking the way with her arm.

“I told you to leave.”

“But..It’s been an hour...so.” Smiling I tried to move her arm away.

“I’m serious this time.” She didn’t budge.

“Jiyoung-ah.”

“I sent all your things to your parent’s house. So go over there and apologize to them. How long has it been since you saw them? No matter how I look at it i can’t keep helping you forever. You’re 22 Sohee-ah not 12.” She said without stopping to catch her breath or listen to my complaints. When she was done talking she sighed and closed the door.

For a long time I just stood there looking at nothing and remembering the sound of the door being locked. Then I got back to my senses and walked out of the building.

“Nice friend you are!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Feeling satisfied I started walking towards nowhere. I took out my phone and skimmed through my contacts.

“Let’s see. Who will have the privilege of living with me?”