Lets Not Fall in love.

I hadn’t wanted to get up, but my brain had other ideas. It was telling me to wake up so I could smell the eggs and French bread downstairs. I still frowned. I cursed myself for loving food too much.

I frowned even more when I saw that my brother was no longer next to me. He was always so warm. My frown quickly disappeared when I heard excited chatter downstairs. I could hear my brother’s voice. Then a voice I knew I had to run to.

I hurried down the hall, hoping I wouldn’t get turned around as fast. I was halfway down the stairs when my eyes focused on a medium height with a tan and thinning dark hair.
‘’Uncle Ken!’’ I yelled happily, causing him to look up with milky eyes. I threw myself off the stairs and into his strong arms. ‘’Look at her!’’ he cooed into my hair before picking me up and spinning me around.

‘’So beautiful!’’ he praised and carassed my face in his wide palms. He laughed when I did. ‘’All that hair. You and your brother both look like little lions.’’ Juniper laughed behind us. He had stuffed his face with a croissant and I could smell the mango butter. ‘’I’m the Lion, uncle.’’ He said with a wolfish smile. ‘’Amy is more like a mouse.’’
‘’And you’re a rat!’’ I hissed.

My uncle looked between us. ‘’I’m happy you guys are here. And for more than two weeks this time.’’ I leaned into my uncle. I could smell the smoke of a grape cigar and expensive cologne on him. It was comforting. Like my dad’s cologne. ‘’Your mother had said that you wanted to go looking for Job’s Amy.’’ My uncle brought up.

‘’Now, your mom and Hansol are both working, I mean she left her address and a list of placed that might hire you. I put in a word for some. I can’t stay long. Busy man. But this weekend, Juniper. You and me.’’ He said handing me the list. I grabbed a rice ball donut from the table and popped it into my mouth as I read over the list.

‘’I’ll get started right away.’’ I said. I was eager to work this summer. I didn’t like to stay inside doing nothing, even if I was introverted and awkward at times. I wanted to work. To have my own money. To shop on my own free will. I was surprised my mom had agreed. It was summer. So I had a while of unpacking to do. I didn’t like to do it all in one night anyways.

I knew that Juniper would take this time to unpack. Hansol had put the majority of our boxes in the garage, and some in our room before we got there. My uncle left the house after breakfast, promising to see us later on that night.

‘’Come see me first.’’ My mother had said over the phone. I had last been to Gwanju in the winter, so a few months ago during my Christmas break. During most of the time, My brother, my cousins and I had rode around downtown on all the buses . So I think I knew my was around pretty much.

I turned to Juniper, who was flipping through the Tv as if he was going to find something interesting to watch. I asked him if he wanted to come. And he gave me a look of obvious disdain. My brother was usually an extrovert, but I’ll give him the couch potato pass for this week. I responded to his unkind facial expression by looping my pinky into one of his gauges and kissing him on the nose.

It didn’t take long at all to get to the school my mom taught at. She was teaching a few summer classes at an elementary school for a while. It still paid the same amount as it would when she would resume teaching when school actually started back up again for the middle and high schoolers like myself.

My brother was tired, but I couldn’t stop bouncing on the bus, I was happy and energetic. My smile did however fade when I looked out of the window as we passed the shops. Most of the names of stores completely in hangul.. so, I was really here. Permanently was I? I guess I would have to get used to that.

Sliding open the classroom door to my mother’s elementary class, I felt my cheeks turn red as small faces turned in unison to stare at me. My mother quickly introduced me to her students as her daughter and put them on a coloring break. And excited chatter soon filled the room.
I didn’t really have a curfew back in California. I was always with someone and everything was usually so close by. I didn’t have to stray too far to have a good time to do anything. So I wasn’t surprised when Mom handed me more money and acted nonchalant about me staying out job hunting.

‘’Cell phone charger?’’ she asked.
‘’yes.’’

‘’Cell phone?’’

‘’Of course?’’

‘’Hansol or your uncle’s number?’’ I looked up at her.
‘’Mom, Me, Juniper, Su-mi and Baek were downtown by ourselves until about two in the morning. I can handle myself.’’ She gave me a knowing look. ‘’I’m just making sure.’’ She told me. Then she reminded me. ‘’These Korean men will eat you up.’’ I blushed at that. I was looking for a job, not a hook-up. Bidding her goodbye because I didn’t want to disturb her work any further. I kissed her thrice on the nose, and both cheeks for good luck. Then I walked out to catch the first bus downtown.

Something in the back of my mind told me to go back home. There was something telling me not to go to that side of town. And I didn’t know why.

Notes