The time is 3 a.m. two days after I left Australia. At last... I reached New York City...the smell of the city...the fresh breeze...thoughts began flooding my head as I stepped out of the airport. Starting today, no more running. I became worried because of how my father would react to me leaving all of a sudden...I could not let him find out that I know now that I have memory loss. I kept on thinking when this could have been. However, my brain is being difficult, I reasoned that if you have memory loss it's because something dramatic happened or If you have been in an accident. I can not remember being in an accident. As I get onto a Uber, I head to my friend's apartment because he said he found me somewhere to live and it is on Wall Street. What am I going to do when Father finds out I am not in Australia anymore? At least from here, I can still do one part of the deal we made, right? I was almost at TJ's apartment, I never met him in real life, we met through Instagram. It is time for the story.
Two years ago...
All of this escaping over and over again has me tired. I arrived in Shanghai, China. One of China's top cities. I am at an Internet cafe right now. I am testing out my hacking and coding skills. I develop my skills since I can not use my name on anything or my father will find me. Today, I developed my new skill for coding. I have to show it to my people on Instagram, all 11 million of them. It is funny because I made this for my hacking and coding skills for others to learn too but just one time, just one I tell you, I took a picture of myself because I love the lighting and I was at a Korean Cafe, back when I was not being hunted down like a predator and its prey. I posted the picture just one time with the caption 'Soon to be CEO but for now, I am chilling with my coffee, How do you like your coffee?' and then millions of likes, follows, comments from all over the world. I felt like most of them were gold-diggers. Before I started to escape, I deleted it. My father doesn't have time for social media neither does he have time for it but he does have time to find his son.
Many of my followers have the same hobby as me. I would post new codes and then one day someone DMs me and asks if I could teach them how I did that and if I did then they will pay me. I do not need their money but I am willing to teach them. We facetime that same day, I did not hide my face, precautions. I screen shared though so he can learn and see how I do it. We take turns screen sharing so I could see if he was doing it right. Before we started with anything, I quickly hacked his computer without him knowing to know if he is hiding anything. In general, I am an open person. It was the people with who I said certain thoughts and feelings is who I need to be careful. I finished checking his computer; He wasn't hiding anything. He thanked me after the session. Before we knew it...
"Hey Park, How do you do that?" TJ says through the microphone.
"You have to add the numbers and this code that I will send you into the computer then you will be good," I say as we are hacking different codes going against each other to see how much he has learned, to test the skills I taught him.
"We are friends now right?" He asked me.
"I thought we already were," I laughed and he beat me for the first time. Well done, TJ. This is the beginning of a friendship that will last a lifetime. From the day I met him until now he helped me with everything. He is the one who helped me use his passport, his card, and his car to help escape my dad. Tj has made the last two years easier than the other three that I was being chased. I never met him in real life. This is going to be the first time. I arrived at a neighborhood in Gramercy Park. I read a text he sent me and he said he will be waiting outside of the apartment complex he lived at. I looked around to see if I saw anyone. There he is.
"Aye Park, over here," TJ yelled my name. He is the only person who calls me the name 'Park.' I wave and run to where he is looking both ways before crossing. "Wassup" He dapped me up, or in other words, we did 'the handshake.'
"Just getting a feel of New York man," I say to him. He is the one who taught me more English and since he spoke in slang, it rubbed off on me.
"Let me show you where my place is," He says as he leads the way. As we enter the apartment, it is perfect for one person. I am glad he is a clean person.
"Your place is nice and clean"
"I know man, a lot of guys are not clean but I am," I walked around looking at the picture frames of him and his family when he suddenly asks, "Why did you never show your face like you a good looking Asian you do not have to hide that face because if I had your face, shoot, I never turn my face away from anyone. I would be like "Yeah you, you right there, you see this here, yeah that is my face, take a while to admire it, because I am leaving in 2 seconds. I would do something like that...but I mean I know you have been running from your dad. I just do not understand why? If my dad was as rich as yours, I would never run from that house, no sir" He finally asked this question.
"It is just my mom died years ago...I know my dad is involved and not too long ago I found out secretly that my stepmom is involved too," I said. I wasn't sure. "I am kind of in a mess so that is why I came to New York in two days and not a week," I say leaving out more of the details.
"Yeah, I was going to ask you that. What did you find out though"
"You always the one to know everything TJ" I joke with him.
"Yeah you know, I have them questions so can you slide me their answers," TJ says laughing.
"I was just hanging with my twin sister, that I have not seen in years and we were going back inside the house and I overheard the conversation that my father was having with my stepmom because she was having mood swings. She probably still has them. I walked to talk to my dad about our deal that I told you about so that I can come here..."
"Right I remember that deal"
"I overhear him say that I have memory loss of a time in my life when I was little and I can't seem to remember any bad things from my childhood only the good things"
"For real? Dang. I can't say anything because I have never been in that situation before but I hope you figure out what you are looking for. For now, Let's go to see your loft at Wall Street before we end up talking for hours"
"I already called us an Uber, you just have to give them the address." We walk to the Uber and TJ gives the driver the address. 15 minutes later, we arrive at the apartments on Wall Street. The place seems nice or from what I can see on the exterior. We head up to the elevator. TJ has the key and opens the door. We walk in and wow I am amazed by how spacious the loft is, this place already feels like home.
"This place is empty, are you going to buy some furniture, or are you going to bring your own and get them delivered here?" TJ asks as he walks around the house.
"Well, I am the only nice one that is an adult in the family house in Australia that only cares about them so I already called the maids and butlers to deliver my furniture from the guest room from the house" We explore the place. There are two bathrooms, 1 bedroom, and a balcony.
"Oh yeah let's check out the balcony," TJ says excitedly as I look towards the balcony. The balcony is a medium/large size perfect for me and to put the grill out here.
"This is nice"
"Yeah and since you do not have a lot of friends, I have to introduce you to mine, I am sure they would be cool with you"
"Nah I am fi-" I start to say and TJ cuts me off.
"Nah for real man because you can not live like a hermit, you need to have some interactions with people, not just with me, work somewhere...wait I am getting a call," TJ says as he answers the phone. As he is having the conversation, he looks at me and says "Yup, he is here."
"Why did you say my name? Who are you bragging about me? huh?" I say looking at him funny.
"I got you a job at a cafe," He shrugs his shoulders.
"Already?" He nods his head yes. "Thank you, what is it?"
"It is called 'Alejandro's coffee shop," I smile thinking I am going to work at a place with my name "My uncle Joe works there. Do not worry about paying me"
"But-"
"Nope. He is family, it was no trouble he helped me hook you up with this job"
"Fine, When do I go?"
"Let me see the time, 5:30 a.m. right now so in 30 minutes to get there but if I were you I would go early. You can get situated and get your uniform, meet the staff and get comfortable around the other staff"
"Seems like a good idea, where is it?"
"It is down the street not too far, you can walk there"
"Ok so just go like this" I look down at my outfit, light brown dress pants with a white shirt and black converse.
"Yeah just go, I already told you that you have to wear an outfit anyways, come on, are you still out of it because of what happened with your dad?" I look at him with sharp eyes," Also Uncle Joe knows what you look like so he will walk up to you"
"Sounds good, I am going to go walk there now so you want to stay here or head back to your place... hold that thought, the butler from Australia is calling" I pick up the phone. The manager butler called, Kouta Hashimoto, he is the only Japanese person in the household but his Korean is perfect. I do not want to learn Japanese but at least I can say hello, see, look, Sayonara. I tell him that TJ will be here when the furniture comes in. He agrees and the call ends.
"I guess your bum self is going to stay here either way"
"What you mean, dawg? TJ says. I never heard this expression 'dawg' before. Did he just say I am a dog?
"I am not a 'dog' I am a normal human being, thank you so much, sir"
"Nah Nah Nah I mean dawg as in I am cool with you and my close friend. It is slang." I raise my eyebrow still confused why you would call your friends a dog? But okay. I dab him up and head to the coffee shop down the street. I end up running to the cafe. I rush inside, the door only opens for employees. I walk in. Joe, TJ's uncle, walks up to me first and thanks me for being a good association and a good friend to his nephew. Everyone else, introduce themselves. The manager introduces himself, mentions we have the same name, and we laugh. He hands me my uniform with my name tag on it. I head to the bathroom to change.
-
It is 5 pm, the time the cafe closes. I say goodbye to everyone and go on my way to my apartment. TJ is not here anymore. I look across the street and find myself looking at a penthouse that seemed to be lit up. Suddenly, a tear drops out of my eye as I think of my sisters' faces when I left. I let my tears fall silently. I would cry in front of other people except for my family. I wanted to show people I was strong and not weak but sometimes my emotions get the best of me. I saw lights, so bright but small that looked like diamonds floating all over the penthouse across the street. What drew my attention was the girl in the yellow dress that touched the floor. She looked beautiful even if I couldn't see her face. She turned on all the lights, making her glow. After a while of her decorating the loft. A couple came through the door with a guy friend. The Yellow Dress girl prepared a whole dinner for the two. She brings a cake that from here looks like "Congrats on the mint" oh wait... "Congrats on the Engagement" missed that part. They hug, smile, talk, blah blah. I was looking forward to the lights. All of a sudden, the lights go off and the cake on the table sparks with tiny fireworks. Plus the whole penthouse is lit up with stars everywhere, on the ceiling on the floor. The couple jumps back with huge smiles on their faces. The stairs were like you were in the sky and just laying down on a cloud admiring the view. There are also some words or letters lit up and say "Congrats Rosa and Ross". I see a spotlight on the couple while they dance to a song that involves a slow dance. This woman in the green dress knows how to plan a surprise. I blushed a little bit from the thought of it.
After hours of being entertained by the penthouse series, It's midnight now, all the lights turn on but are dimmed this time. I see her close the tall curtains because the whole penthouse was made of windows or the two sides that point outside that is. The city is so bright my face is lit up so close to the window I am. I wonder if she sees me, she stops moving. She waved at me and I waved back which made her smile.
-
I arrive to work late. I put on my uniform quickly and go to the cashier. Two women walk into the cafe. One of them looks especially familiar. She's...she is the one that was wearing I take her order and that of her friend.
"I see you met our newbie," Stacy says to one of the women with long dark brown curly hair.
"Huh?"
"He is handsome, isn't he? He is Korean and Bolivian," Stacy smirks. I feel my face heat. Instead of answering she walks away embarrassingly. Well, she isn't the only one who feels embarrassed.
-
After work, I head to the nearby market to shop for food. As I walk through the isles. I notice her.