I looked at my watch worriedly as 8:00 A.M stared back at my beautiful African face. I couldn't afford to be late again for the third time in a week, especially on this important day when the company I interned at was expecting the newly appointed C.E.O. I thanked the Lord as the bus I had waited for half an hour finally arrived, and I rushed in, hoping to find a seat quickly. However, as I stepped into the bus, all eyes focused on me as if a celebrity had just walked in.
Perhaps it was because I was wearing 'Baby Love', my favorite perfume, or maybe it was because of my brown skin. If it was the latter, well, I was used to the attention since it was my fifth year in South Korea.
P. S: If you are brown-skinned like me and are new in Korea or preparing to be, get ready to be stared at into oblivion.
I ignored the onlookers trying to bore holes into my soul as I hurried to find an empty â and hopefully comfortable â seat. Sitting down, I noticed a kid beside me in his shining school uniform, which I recognized as Victory High, a school well-known in the area. For some reason, unknown to me, this kid seemed happy with my presence.
"Could I take a picture with you, Noona?" he eagerly asked, not even bothered to add the 'heuk' word that always kills my enthusiasm, and I was more than ready to oblige.
"Of course," I smiled and watched as the kid positioned his phone, with a smile that got me thinking 'OK, he's cute.'
"Hana, dul, set, (click) hana, dul, set, (click)." I could see on his face that he had more requests to ask, but perhaps, not wanting to seem too pushy to the other passengers, he let me be after thanking me and half-mindedly returning to his game. I adjusted in my seat as I hummed and lip-synced to the boy band VAV's debut song 'Rosita' playing on the radio as the bus continued after everyone had boarded.
As we neared my freedom from the continuous obnoxious stares from the native passengers, I pushed the button in front of me to alert the driver of my intention to alight at the next bus stop, which thankfully was opposite my internship company, 'Timeless Fashion.' I waved the kid goodbye, and he returned it with a happier countenance before I stepped out of the bus in a hurry towards the main door that led inside the company.
Pushing through the door and scurrying in edgily, I walked past the reception, smiling at Soo Young, the company's receptionist, and she gave me a thumbs up with a bright smile that probably contributed to her hiring, as I ran towards the elevator and pressed the upward button before my legs came to a standstill. I began tapping the tip of my favorite red-bottom heels while waiting for the doors to slide open.
As I entered quickly, I pressed the button '16' absentmindedly while checking the time again, which read 8:30 am. The feeling of déjà vu washed over me, and the memory wasn't vague because it had happened the previous day and the day before. Making me worry even more since this particular day wasn't supposed to be one of those days, but who was I kidding?
Mental peace was what I needed at this moment, so I chose to quiet the raging volcano about to erupt in my head with a mantra I had learned to use in times like this. "Breathe, girl, breathe..." I would mutter to keep my cool and stop myself from having any panic attack on mornings like this. The elevator opened with a 'ding,' giving me the cue to step out, which I did in a hurry towards my desk close to the window, my divinely granted getaway.
Whenever the team leaders decided to bury me with work (the reason the company employed them all in the first place), that view somehow gave me an unexplainable peace of mind. As I settled down quietly and noiselessly, I began to give thanks that my presence hadn't been noticed yet by my very own 'walking on stilettos CCTVs,' but, as they say, speak of the devils, and in this case, they shall appear.
My partners in crime, Kim Hana and Kim Haneul, didn't even let me say amen before they sneaked up to my desk and interrupted my thanksgiving.
"Hey..." I whispered to the monitoring drones as they gathered around me like sugar ants. "What's up? You are late, AGAIN." Hana said, looking worried like the mom she was, only that she was two days older than I. "The bus took so long to get here, and taxi drivers were trying to exploit me, me!" I said wearily as I was getting ready for another day as an intern, more like avoiding the penetrating gaze of Haneul, who was watching me as if I had hidden her favorite panties in my closet. "You really need a car, Vivian. Is it like you're living in the North?" Haneul asked with sarcasm, which was getting me off guard.
As we laughed, the Manager walked in, and somehow, Haneul required a document while Hana wanted a documental explanation of something that wasn't her departmental work. Catching up to their sudden change of action, I played along. "So here's how you should... (Flipping the cover) is he still looking?" I whispered to Haneul, who stood facing the Manager.
"NO." They both chorused as they quickly dropped my things and returned to their desks. "Phew⊠later girls," I sighed, turning to face the Manager, who stood in front of everyone in the room. "Okay," they whispered, but Haneul pointed at me, "You're renting a car this weekend, and that's no longer an advice, Ms. Vivian," squinting her eyes at me.
Yes! She could do that, as my department's Team Leader, but yo! When you do that, it drains me trying not to roll my eyes!
"Okay, listen up!" Manager Choi started, and at once, all heads turned in his direction. But mine almost snapped just because I wanted to watch this chocolate fountain address us all. "We've just received word that the C.E.O's arrival will be delayed till Monday. So, you all can relax and stop pretending to be doing something we both know you are not."
Why was he looking at me with a raised eyebrow? I wondered as I bent down to pick up my imaginary pen that had fallen from my skirt's invisible pocket. I observed the Manager as he spoke, noting in my head that his Korean accent got better over time, maybe because of the business trips he took to Daegu every time. "...I need every team leader in the meeting room, including Ms. Vivian, ASAP." he concluded, with authority oozing from him.
Choi David was his name, born to a Korean father and a Nigerian mother, which was quite the combo causing him to have a striking appearance. Being biracial made him a definite treat to the eyes, but the company's '101' policy restricted employees from dating, leaving me as a secret admirer and a fan girl in the open. Yes, he was that attractive, but the real treat was that his office, like a chocolate fountain of an angel, was directly opposite my desk, and having it in sight motivated me to go to work by at least 50% each morning.
Gathering what I needed for the meeting, I headed with my red bottoms to the extreme room on my right, and lest I forget, I interned at the department directly under the C.E.O.
As I reached the door, my hand reaching for the knob was halted because Bae Da Na, Hana's team leader, held the knob before me and looked at me with a condescending expression that always appeared whenever I was around. I stepped back and waited in respect as she opened the door, entered, and then shut it in my face. Her attitude was wearing me out, and at this moment, I just wanted to drag her back and give her a piece of my mind for her bullying behavior.
Haneul had confronted her twice about her attitude, but it seemed like she was unwilling to let live. Other team leaders and colleagues turned a blind eye, probably because her father's best friend knew a member of the board. As I proceeded to hold the knob, she suddenly popped in front of me with a smile that we both knew was as shallow as her personality.
"Hmm, could you perhaps get us coffee before the meeting commences? I have already ordered it, and it's at the lobbyâŠ" I knew what she was trying to do, and I was fully aware of how both the Manager and my actual team leader, Kim Haneul, would feel if I arrived late for this meeting. However, I also knew that a team leader was also a senior colleague.
Despite every cell in me opposing this request, I smiled in accordance and began a hate-filled journey down the building, spewing every curse word I had learned incidentally and coincidentally. Somehow, it gave me strength and quickened my steps. In no time, I arrived at Soo Young, our beautiful receptionist, who gave me a puzzled look.
"Ms. Vivian, how come you are downstairs, and the General Manager is upstairsâŠ" I smiled with disinterest because I knew she was joking. We all knew that position as the Chairman's lackey; the General Manager only came to the office when the Chairman was around, and he wasn't there at the moment.
I asked for the purchased coffee that the empty space beside Soo Young was for, and I got the most unwanted shocking revelation of my life. That ogre Da Na â never â purchased â any â damn â coffee! She had only called Soo Young to tell me to be generous by making my way to the coffee shop that was a thirty-minute round trip. I looked at Soo Young with the realization of what Ms. Shrek was up to. Immediately, I retraced my steps back to the elevator, which turned out to be unavailable, meaning that I had to make the painful but brave decision of using the stairs to the 10th floor where I could catch the elevator. Damn!