See The Light

Kat’s POV

I hear the doorbell ring waking me up. I look over seeing it was only 3:00 am. I roll over to go back to sleep not wanting to get out of bed to find out who it was.

I then got a strange feeling. I groaned as I got out of bed to check the door. I throw the door open to see someone sitting on my stoop.

“Maranda?” I asked rubbing my eyes. She turns around seeing me then standing up. “What the hell are you doing? It’s 3:00 in the morning. And you know you’re in Korea right?” I ask her. I then see the bundle in her arms. “Is that a child?” I then notice the dark black eye she had.

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have bothered you this early.” She said putting her head down.
“Why didn’t you just come in?” I asked realizing she didn’t make herself at home like she normally would.

“It’s not my house. I shouldn’t go inside without permission.” She had the most emotionless voice I ever heard her use.

“Since when do you need an invitation?” I ask getting more confused and shocked by the second. She didn’t say anything she just continued looking at the ground. “Get in here.” I finally say realizing she wasn’t going to move from that spot.

She walked into the house carrying the sleeping child in her arms. She didn’t move passed the door though.

“Well go make tea like you normally do.” I say to her showing her the kitchen. I sit down at the table while she got out a cup filling it with water then putting it in the microwave. She still hadn’t taken him out of her arms.

“What kind do you want?” She asked me turning around.

I got even more confused. “What?” I say bluntly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know what kind you wanted me to make you.” She gets a scared look on her face.

“I don’t drink tea.” I remind her shocked. What the hell is going on here? I have to be dreaming.

“You drink tea. The tea is for you.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She says looking down.

“Ok forget the tea.” I say waving my hand in the air making her flinch. I pierce my lips together in a line then slowly put my hands down on the table. “Ok sit down. Tell me what’s going on.”

She sits down in the chair across from me. “I left David. He doesn’t know we are here.”

“So this is why you haven’t talked to me in four years? He finally snapped.” I say understanding the situation.

“I didn’t know where else to go.” She says. I see a tear start to fall from her unbruised eye. “I don’t talk to my parents or anyone anymore. And I wanted to get as far away as I could.”

“Well I still have the bedroom down the hall for you. You both can sleep in there. We’ll figure out something better for him tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shown up like this.”

“Don’t be sorry.” I say standing up which makes her flinch again. “I’m going back to bed. You two go sleep in the room down the hall.”

She then stands up going into the bedroom. I go back to my room falling asleep quickly.
I wake up to my alarm at 7:00 to get ready for work. I was Jin Young of JYP’s assistant. I had been working for him for close to 4 years now. I had just gotten the job when Maranda and I stopped talking.

I then remembered everything that happened last night. I walk into the kitchen opening the microwave seeing the cup still sitting there. I take it out putting it in the sink. It was real.

I get my Dr. Pepper out of the fridge not ready to deal with this. I sit down sipping on it while trying to wake up. I then here the kid from the bedroom followed by Maranda trying to quiet him down. I pick up my Dr. Pepper bringing it with me to her room.

I open the door walking in to see a very nervous Maranda and then a nervous child run into her arms. “I’m sorry.” She said quickly. “Did he wake you up?”

“Since when do you care if I get woken up?” I ask. She didn’t say anything so I just came in sitting on the floor with them. “So what’s your name?” I ask him.

“Landon.” He says sheepishly.

“I should have known that.” I say laughing. Maranda had been in love with that name since Jr. High. “Do you know who I am?”

“Aunt Kat.” He says with a smile that time.

“Right! Don’t forget the crazy part though.” He then laughs at my joke. Good to know he wasn’t as affected as Maranda was. He also had her weird laugh. I then notice that they are both wearing the same close as last night. Then remember Maranda didn’t have any bags with her.

“Why don’t you guys go and get something to eat from the kitchen. You both have to be hungry.” I say getting up.

Maranda stands up quickly picking him up to take him with her. She definitely didn’t like him getting too far from her. Probably with good reason where she came from.

I go into my bedroom calling Jin Young. “Hello Kat.” He quickly answered.

“Hey JY. So I am going to be late today.”

“That’s fine. I’m just sitting in the office. There isn’t anything happening here. What’s going on with you?”

“Well my friend Maranda showed up on my door step last night.”

“The one from America you always talk about?”

“Yeah sort of. She isn’t exactly herself right now.” I try to explain. “She got here at 3:00 am unexpectedly. Which that part is normal. But she rang the doorbell once and then waited outside for me to let her in! She didn’t just walk in making herself at home or nothing! And she has a 3 year old son.”

“When was the last time you talked to her?”

“About 4 years ago. Her husband became really abusive with her. She has a pretty good shiner right now. But she showed up without anything so I need to go to get her some stuff and him. So I’m not sure what time I will be there. And I’m bringing her in with me.”

“Take your time. Like I said nothing is happening here right now. Just call me when you are on your way.”

“Thanks. Will do.” I then hang up the phone getting dressed. Landon was sitting at the table eating cereal when I walked back in. “Ok. I am going to go to the store for a few things.” I tell her. “Make yourself at home. Watch TV.” I then walk over to a drawer pulling out a tablet. “He can play with this. There’s games and other stuff on it. I won’t be gone long.” I tell her before leaving the house.

I get into my Mazda driving to the closest shopping mall. I started with make-up. We were going to need a lot to cover that eye of hers in even the slightest. I then went to get clothes for both of them. I could guess Landon’s sizes pretty easily. Maranda was another story. She looked like she had lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw her. And back then she ranged between a medium and small. I decided to just get her some clothes to wear around the house and I would just put her in my clothes to go to the studio.

I got some toys for Landon too. He was going to need something other than the tablet. I got back to the house seeing Maranda sitting in a chair watching TV with Landon at her feet playing on the tablet. I walk over giving Landon the bag with the toys.

He peaks in then looks back at me. “Are these for me?” He asked surprised.

“Yeah!” I said smiling down at him. “They’re all for you.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to do that.” Maranda says shocked.

“He is three he needs toys.” I say handing her the other bags. “And these are for you. You have a job interview at the studio I work at so let’s go get you ready.”

She didn’t argue that one. She just stood up with the bags. “Landon. Stay here and play ok?”

She says to him before I take her to my room to get ready.

“Ok Mommy.” He says pulling more things out of his bag.

“Put this on.” I tell her handing her a black skirt, purple tank top, and short sleeved suit jacket. I then see the bruises she has on her arms. “Ok maybe not this jacket.” I say going back through my clothes. “Ah! Try this one.” I hand her a jacket that had quarter sleeves this time. I turn around seeing the bruises all over her body in different sizes and shapes. I controlled my anger knowing that it would only make her feel worse about it. “Looks good!” I told her once she was dressed. You could still see one of the bruises on her left arm that looked like a hand print. “We’ll just have to put make-up on this one.” I say looking at her arm.

I pull out all the make-up I had gotten her the get to work on covering as much as I could. Her arm was easy from how much it was already faded. Her eye was another story. I did the best I could but you could still see where it was swollen and the color didn’t completely match even with the concealer on her whole face.

I finished her make up then got into another bag. “Ok go get Landon dressed.” I say handing her the bag.

She takes the bag from me then goes to get him. After a few minutes she walks into the living room carrying him. “Alright let’s head out.” I say to her picking up my keys. Maranda buckles Landon into the seat that I had bought for him then sits down next to him in the back seat. “Do you want to sit back there?” I ask her.

“Umm.” She says nervous. “I’ll sit wherever you want me to.”

“Well I don’t care where you sit. I just didn’t think you would want to sit in the back seat.”

She doesn’t say anything else and just continues to look and act nervous. I decide not to press the issue. I head to work thinking to myself. It’s not Maranda. Don’t kill anything. You’re just going to make it worse. She will be ok. We just have to snap her out of it. And she will be back.
Other than the conversation with myself the car ride was quiet. I then get out my IPod turning on Fxxk It by Big Bang. They were her favorite and she loved that song. That should help a little. She didn’t do anything. She just looked out the window.

We get to the Studio and I park the car explaining to her we are going to talk to my boss. She gets Landon out carrying him with her inside. I swipe my card letting us in. I hear a few greetings from different people as we walk through to his office.

I open the door then see Maranda is not behind me anymore. I turn to see her standing against the wall. “Are you coming?” I ask her confused.

She looks at me shocked. “Is it alright with him if I come in?” She asks me.

I breathe out at her. “Ok. I will tell him you are here first.” I say walking in shutting the door. I see JY sitting at his desk flipping through some papers while eating lunch. I check my watch seeing it was already after noon.

“Ah! Kat.” He says looking up to see me walk in.

“Sorry I was late today and didn’t call to let you know I was on my way.” I say sitting in my chair at my desk.

“It’s alright. The most I had to do so far was order my own food.” He says laughing.

“Glad you can at least do that on your own.” I say joking.

“So how is Maranda? I thought you were bringing her with you?”

“I’m about to lose my mind. She is not Maranda! It’s a shell! She is timid and shy and she keeps saying sorry! She is right outside the door. She was worried you wouldn’t want her to come in.”

“Well bring her in.”

I go over opening the door. “He said you can come in.” I say to her. She walks in sitting down with Landon.

“So Maranda. It’s good to meet you. Why are you here today?” Maranda then looks over at me nervous.

“She is here for a job. I thought I told you that part.” I tell him.

“Oh! Alright.” He then picks up a book flipping through the pages. “Ok Kat you know my life better than I do.” He says handing it to me. “Where do we need her?”

“Ali Lee needs a new assistant.” I say not even looking at the book.

“Sounds good! Go take her to her.”

“K. Oh and don’t forget about your 2:00 with your wife and mother in law.” I remind him standing up.

“What!” He says grabbing his coat to run out the door. “Don’t tell her I ate that!” He runs out slamming the door.

“And 3, 2, 1.” I say counting down.

He then comes back in. “It’s only 12:45.” He says sitting back down eating the rest of his takeout food.

“Thought you weren’t supposed to eat that.”

“I got time before 2:00.”

I then take Maranda to Ali’s office. I knock on the door waiting for an answer.

“Open!” She shouts.

I walk in with Maranda close behind. “Ali this is Maranda. Maranda this is Ali. Maranda is your new assistant.”

“Maranda? Oh! You are Kat’s friend from the states!” She says in her bubbly voice. “It’s good to meet you.”

“You too Ma’am.” Maranda says to her.

Ali then looks over at me very confused. I then get out my phone texting her. “I’ll explain all of it in detail later. But husband was very abusive and beat her. She is a shell. Kat’s losing it.”

She reads the message then looks over at Maranda smiling. “Well today I’ll just have you follow me around and meet a few people. Then you can go home for the day and actually start tomorrow.” She explains.

“Yes Ma’am.” Maranda says to her.

Notes