Her, His, & Roses

HER - Chapter 2: Know How to Satisfy (1 of 2)

Sister Akira introduced Yuri Kwon to me, and because my child is already used to people talking to her, she’s not that shy to anyone.

I carried her into my arms and I reminisce the moments of carrying her when she’s only an infant but now she’s already four.

Her warm embrace felt so satisfying and the touch of her hands made the pain away that I’ve been suppressing inside me for the long time.

I missed her so much and I don’t care anymore if I’m crying my heart out at the moment, I want to call her in the name I gave her.

But I have to keep her safe from the truth that could hurt her.

“Hey pull yourself together, Hera.” Ryan patting my back as we walk away from the church. “You can see her anytime, day or night, anytime that you like. You got to stop crying now.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it.” sniffing as I wipe my tears on my face.

“If you don’t stop crying, I’m going to marry you and get that child out from the orphanage to be our child.” he said hastily.

“Really?” looking at his wavering eyes. “Do you really mean what you said just now? I don’t mind marrying you if that’s what it takes for me to be with my baby again.”

“But you have to wait until I become a doctor, you know that I’m still spending my parents fortune, right? Give me 5 or 6 years to marry you, that time my parents won’t have anything to say on my decision.”

“I appreciate the thought but I know you don’t mean it.” smiling at him. “I don’t want you to settle with me just because of our friendship, if you’re going to marry someone do it with somebody you truly love.”

“Well I loved you before we became best of friends, maybe I can love you again as time goes by, it’s not that hard.” shrugging his shoulders.

“Fine.” chuckles. “If you’re still not in love with someone else after 5 years then I’ll start to learn how to love you more than a friend and let’s get married after a year of working out our relationship.”

“It’s like we’re just getting together to make do with each other.” chuckles. “But I absolutely agree with your plan, let’s do that. I rather marry someone I know for almost 10 years that time than getting engaged to a stranger through matchmaking process.”

“I can’t believe we’re having this kind of agreement.” walking towards his car. “You better tell me beforehand if you found somebody else.”

“How could that be possible? I’m not that friendly like you and I’m to busy with my studies to find a woman.” getting in to his car. “By the way, I can’t promise to visit you every weekends or holidays but I’ll try to make some time to check on you even once in a month.”

“Yeah, I know, you’re on your 5th year now so you must focus more on your studies than before.” putting on my seatbelt. “Don’t worry, I’ll write you a letter once a week so that you won’t miss me that much.”

“I guess we got no other choice but to back to basic since you don’t have a telephone in your place and we can’t talk for long using the hospital’s phone.” glancing at me before he steps on the gas.

Since that day, Ryan visited me every first weekend of the month and we attended the mass on Sundays like I used to do before.

He never missed even once though I know how busy he might be in school which made me think that maybe we can really be together.

It’s been 8 months since I started working at the Goyang hospital but I’ve been putting up with the doctors for too long.

Nurses are not doctor’s assistants.

We are independently caring for their patients or assisting other nurses, we assist doctors in the emergency room or in trauma care when help is needed, and not with their personal needs.

Aside from the occupational burnout and emotional exhaustion, I already had enough of violence from patients and their families and abuse from other hospital personnel.

So, before I completely lose my sanity, I decided to resigned by the end of November like what everybody does in the hospital.

I thought I was stronger than the other nurses who quitted after 6 months and I could survive for a year but 9 months was all I got.

Because I’m no longer a hospital staff I had to moved out from the residence and stayed in the church instead of paying for an accommodation that would only cost me money per day.

Though I wanted to stay with my 5-year-old daughter in the church, I need to find a new job that is way much better than my previous.

“Father Erik, thank you for letting me stay here for five days. I’ll make sure to repay the church on Christmas.” bowing my head to the priest.

“You don’t have to pay for anything child, the church is open for everyone.” Father Erik said with a kind smile on his face.

“Still Father Erik, I insist, we should make a party for the children this Christmas, and it’s all on me.” watching the children playing on the ground and Yuri sitting on the bench.

“That’s right, Father.” Ryan supported my suggestion. “Christmas is only once in a year so it’s not that too much of lavish for a party.”

“Then don’t overdo it with the party you’re planning to have, what’s important is that everyone is having fun, it doesn’t have to be costly.”

“Don’t worry Father, I’m sure that’s what in Hera’s mind right now.” Ryan replied to Father Erik.

“Ahaha, then we’re going now.” grabbing Ryan’s arm. “I don’t want the children to see me leave, will you tell them on my behalf that I’m going back for Christmas?”

“Sure, I’ll tell them to look forward on your comeback.” Father Erik laughing kindly as he walks me and Ryan off.

“Have a great day ahead, Father Erik.” getting in at Ryan’s car.

“Have a safe trip, you two. God bless you!” Father Erik waving his hand.

“I think he also knows that you’re broke so he told you not to repay their kindness for letting you stay in the church for 5 days.” Ryan said.

“Quiet now, I’m not broke I just don’t want to spend my money for my own sake and besides I stayed with my child even just for a few days so it’s really worth coming to church instead of somewhere else.”

“So where are we going? Are you going back to the palace princess?” he steps on the gas as we hit the road. “Where are we heading, Hera?”

“There’s only one hospital here and I just resigned without a backup plan where to work next.” staring on the road. “I guess I have no other choice but to work in the capital, that’s where I should be from the start anyway. I also need more money for Hebe’s education.”

“Ah right, she’ll be on the 1st grade next, next year, right?” he said.

“Yup, I want give her a quality education, I want to enroll her on the same school I used to attend before.” looking around.

“You mean the Foreign School in Seoul, where you studied from elementary and graduated in high school?” glancing at me.

“Yes, that’s where I want her to be. I want to give her all the best thing that I had so I have to work harder and earn more for her.”

“You really have to work in the capital if you want that to happen.”

“I know, I should’ve thought of it before … but it’s never too late to make things right, right?” glancing at him.

“Yeah, of course, you’re a YU graduate anyway so I don’t think it’ll be hard for you to look for a job in the capital. But first thing first, where are you going to stay if you’re not going back home in Gangnam?”

“Are you going to let me sleep in the streets, my best friend?” pleading on him to take me with him.

“So, you decided to live with me now huh?” chuckles. “I’m still a man you know, and you’re a woman, us living together under one roof without marriage, aren’t you afraid of what everyone will think of us?”

“People always have something to say with someone else’s life even though they’re not even taking part of it. I don’t have anywhere else to go in and you’re my only true friend that I can go to. Please only for a month or two, I’ll moved out immediately when I found a job. I’m not done with my 2 years residency, remember?”

“I’m staying at the boy’s dormitory so I don’t think you’re allowed to stay in there.” making up his excuse.

“Liar, you’ve been staying in a suite since 1st year and you’re living alone for almost 5 years now, so cut the bullsh*t.” smirking at him.

“It’s not that I don’t want to take you in, but Hera, I’m a man, even if we’re best of friends, I might do something improper with you when I get drunk and I don’t want to f*ck up our relationship.” he uttered.

“Wow, that’s new. I never thought that you’re the type of man who get horny when drunk. That’s quite alarming for my safety, nevertheless, you’ve been spending a night with me every first Saturday and nothing ever happened between us even if we drink alcohol sometimes.”

“That’s because I know my limit, you’ve never seen me drunk because I never get myself drunk when I’m with you. But I’m guilty, I admit that I’m a p*****t when I’m under the influence of alcohol.” he said.

“It doesn’t matter, I know martial arts so I can defend myself when I needed to. Also, I’m a nurse, and I’ve got almost 9 months of job experience with patients. I know exactly how to put someone into sleep even without using any drugs at all.” smiling at him.

“Right, I almost forgot. All the Nevaeh knows martial arts so I’m the one who should be worry about myself when I lose control.” glancing at me. “Fine, you can stay me with as long as you want, you’ll do the same thing for me anyway when I’m the one who’s in need.”

“Of course, so if you need any help, I will help you as long as I can give or do it for you.” patting his head.

“You’re the only one who can touch my hair that I’m not getting angry, you know that?” staring on the road as he drives.

“That’s because you can’t hurt me.” taking my hand off from his hair. “I’ve seen you slapping people hands before and dodging others that you can’t be rude, so I know that I’m the only one who can tame you.”

“It’s because I used to have a crush on you that’s why it’s alright when you touch me and I’m already used to it.” patting my head.

“Yeah right, we’re both used to each other’s touch, but it’s still not enough for me to love you.” taking his hand off from my head and holding it instead. “I don’t get it why I never feel anything for you.”

“Because you always regard me as your friend and nothing more. We may be holding hands like this, hugging each other sometimes and kissing cheeks as a greeting but it’s all casual for us.” holding my hand back and giving it a slight squeeze.

“It’s too intimate here for friends in Korea but you made it normal for me since you’ve influenced me with your American culture.” glancing at him. “Maybe I also had a bit of crush for you because you’re one of the good-looking men in the university and you’re studying medicine.”

“Oh, stop it!” released my hand and drive with both of his hands again.

“And you’re blushing right now, ahahaha!” teasing him.

“You and you’re ahjumma personality. You’re a strange old woman when you laugh, you know that?!” getting back at me.

“So, what?! This is how the way I laugh since I’ve been hanging around with my late grandmother most of the time when she was alive.”

We arrived at Seoul in the evening and to his suite just in time for dinner, so I had my meal first before I unpacked my stuffs.

His suite got two bedrooms so I occupied his spare room as my own space while I’m living off with him.

The next day, since it’s a Monday and he’s a student, he went off to the university in the morning while I was left alone in his place.

Because it’s already the 2nd week of December and his suite doesn’t have any Christmas decoration at all, I went to the market to buy everything I need to get his place in sync with the occasion.

“Oh my!” Ryan reaction when he saw the stuffs, I gathered at the corner of his living room. “What are those?!”

“I’m going to decorate your home tomorrow, I’m too tired to do it today so I’ll do it tomorrow since I’ve got nothing else to do here anyway.”

“You didn’t spend money for yourself but you’re too generous of spending your fortune just to decorate someone else’s home.” he said.

“Well I bought everything from one store who sells Christmas decors including the 5-foot tree that I’m going to assemble tomorrow. I never thought there’s a store like that in here and I only spent a US$ 1,000 in everything so it’s not that much, plus they have 3 years warranty.”

“Here.” handing me a US$ 1,000 from his wallet. “You shouldn’t spend your money with such things, I don’t need to decorate my home just to feel that it’s Christmas.”

“Keep it.” resisting his money. “I’m not that broke, I’ve got money to spend and I really insist on doing this to your place. Besides I’m staying here too until January so if you’re worried about the decorations when it’s no longer Christmas, I’m the one who’s going to clean it up before I moved out since I’m the one who initiated it.” assuring him.

“Fine, do whatever you want to do.” walking towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water from his fridge. “By the way, I heard that Jong Hyun Medical Center will be hiring personnel on the last week this month.”

“Really??! It’s the hospital with three branches in U.S., right? If I didn’t work for a hospital before that have a branch in Goyang I would’ve applied in JHMC since it’s an international hospital.”

“Yes, and that’s where I want to work after I graduated from college. I could be deployed to Macklemore Hospital in Washington who attended to mostly politicians or in Duke Sanitorium in California where the patients are mostly celebrities, though the Goobler Clinic in Vermont isn’t that bad too since they have VIPs too.” he stated after drinking his bottled water.

“That’s because you’re an American citizen so it’ll be easy for you to go to U.S., you could study medicine in one of the universities there but you chose to be here just to get away from your parents.”

“Also, YU is known in the US even if it’s here in Korea because the founder is an American protestant missionary. So, it’s not entirely because I want to get away, I chose one of the prestigious universities in the country.” he replied on his defense.

“Yeah right, why would Korea reject someone like you who’s good in memorization? Though everyone said that you are way too perfect to choose YU and you should be in Washington University.”

“The admission here are extremely competitive and the chance of getting accepted isn’t even 20% for international student like me. You know that I like this kind of challenge, right?” smirking at me.

“Yes, I know, you never want something easy because you always get tired of it sooner. Maybe that’s the reason you’ve been staying with me until now, you’ve been treating me as a challenge all this time.”

“Maybe, maybe not, you’re such a mystery to me that I can’t solve.” sitting beside me in the sofa as he put his arm behind me. “You’re short-sighted that’s why you need glasses to see and you have a bad memory but miraculously you’re a registered nurse.”

“Hey, it’s not that I have a bad memory it’s just that I could only remember for a short period of time so I always review a week before exams and after that my mind is all blank. The reason I worked immediately after graduation and didn’t go for a vacation like everyone else, I’m afraid I won’t remember anything I’ve learned.”

“Now, I’m worried about you. If you’re not going to work this month will you be able to do your job next month??!” looking at me.

“What do you take me for?!” punching his shoulder. “I’m not dopey, besides I’ve been in the emergency room and in trauma care for almost 9 months, you think I could easily forget everything I’ve done just because I’m taking a month break from work?!”

“Is it really necessary for you to hit me?!” rubbing his shoulder that I punched. “What did you have for dinner?”

“Ramyun, I had one of your instant food instead of eating out.” I said.

... To be continued ...