I wave goodbye to Gwen and walk inside my building with TJ. I receive a text from Ci-Xi. I throw the keys to TJ for him to go before me.
"I'm sorry about my parents, I don't know why they were so against you and I'm sorry I fell into their trap. Please forgive me."
"What are is their company called?"
"It's called Yu-Nan Corp. It's one of the richest companies in China. All I know is that they used to work for your dad. I think they were fired though with some other guy that I don't remember"
"Ok well, thanks! I'll talk to you soon" I reach the apartment and see TJ on the floor sleeping. I leave him there and go to my office and sit at my desk. I turn on my computer and look up 'Park Group and Yu Nan Corp.' The first news that pops up is what I'm looking for, 'Yu Nan gets kicked out of Park Group along with his father, Alejandro Park for trading in secrets for money.' Grandpa was involved too? 21 years ago? Is that why Grandpa disappeared? I have never seen him since that day. I know Grandpa would never accept bribes. I don't get it. I try to look up more information about where grandpa is instead of worrying about what else my father did so that I would become kidnapped. I can't find any information. All these years of calling and texting, he has never responded. On my own, I still can't find him. I get an incoming call from the construction company I work with to build houses for the homeless.
"Hello, Mr. Park. I'm calling because we wanted to know when we start building or when you will have the house plan ready?"
"Yes, Mr. Javier, I already made it. I will send you that and the furniture plus landscape I want," I send the house plan as I am on the phone. "Did you receive the email?"
"Yes, Mr. Park"
"Find a place deep in the country to build"
"Yes, Sir"
"Have a good night"
"You too, Sir"
I walk out to my patio. I look over to Gwen's penthouse. I only see tiny stars lit up on the roof. I see Rosa on the couch sleeping but no Gwen. I already miss Gwen should I go see her for just a little? I'll go later. Hmm, what time is it now? 11 p. m. Hmm, She is probably still awake too. I put on a big black coat to guard myself against the coldness. When I reach Gwen's door, I knock. Rosaline opens the door.
"Hi, Alejandro," She yawns, "Is something wrong?"
"I wanted to see Gwen"
"She left me a note that she is going to Seoul, South Korea to interview some guy for her company or whatever"
"Can I send her a text then?"
"Sure" She walks to the couch to grab her phone and gives it to me. I text Gwen 'Have a nice trip' with a blue heart emoji because I'm sad she's gone. I hand Rosa her phone back and run back home. I sleep for a little until I receive a call from my father. What does he want now? More work for me to do?
"Hello"
"Hello, Son," I notice his voice is raspy and I hear sniffles through the phone as if he has been crying.
"You're crying?" This is so unlike him. He never has feelings of any sort.
"Grandma Ahn-Jeong died. My mother. Grandpa called me," Father talked to Grandpa? "They are at the Seoul Hospital. Grandma is going to be cremated and the ceremony is at 6 p.m so get on the plane as soon as possible," I hang up and rush to Rosaline again at 2:30 a. m.
"Rosa, Rosa," I yell from behind the door, knocking on the door with my fists, "Wake up. My grandma died," I try not to cry even if I want to cry an ocean. "Let me text Gwen again. She needs to go to my grandpa to take care of him. He's alone," Rosa swings the door open with tears in her eyes and hands me her phone. I call Gwen. She answers right away as if she was waiting for my call.
"Hello," She says.
"Gwen...my grandma died"
"What happened?"
"I don't know but Rosa said you are in Seoul. Please take care of my grandpa"
"Where is he now?"
"At the Seoul Hospital"
"I will go there now"
"Thank you. I will be there as soon as I can like right now" I say holding in my tears. I head back to my apartment. I have to look for plane tickets to South Korea. A few minutes later, I found them. I wake up and tell TJ to take care of my place until I come back. I grab a taxi to the airport and get on the plane right on time. I move to my seat, close my eyes, and fall asleep
I walk down the stairs of my old house in Seoul. I hear someone crying. I fix my eyes on the playground.
"Gwen? What are you doing here?" I say out loud and she cries. The setting changes. I see a flash of a robot, a bear, and a plane. An eery ring rings through my ears. I see the swing that I had in my playground when I was younger. My arm starts to hurt where I have a scar that I never knew where it came from. I hold my scar.
I wake up, my heart beating at a million miles per hour. That dream didn't make sense. I must miss her a lot. I close my eyes again hoping to regain the sleep I lost.
-
I storm out of the plane and have nothing in mind but to reach the Seoul Hospital. I ask the receptionist if she knows where Ahn-Jeong Park's funeral room is. She tells me the highest floor, room 5. That's exactly what I do. I see a room with many flowers and a picture of my grandma. I see Gwen standing out the door. She is in a traditional Korean funeral outfit. I ignore her and run inside. She grabs me by my arm and hands me clothes.
"You are the son of the son of the person whose wife just died. Be respectful and change," I head to the bathroom a few doors down and change. I look in the mirror and my eyes are completely red. I must be drained or sad. I head back to the funeral door. "Much better," She nods her head. I finally walk inside and Gwen pulls me by my arm once more.
"Nuna, please," She leans in closer like she did when we were at her place. She licks her hand a little.
"Your hair is a little bit too messy" She slides all my hair back and steps back, "Koreans do look so different with a different hairstyle," I walk inside to see my father and my grandpa standing next to the coffin. My father is crying. I don't what has been happening with him lately but he is changing. I start to cry seeing my grandpa for the first time in years but only find him, not grandma, greeting me. I rush into Grandpa's arms as if he is my dad.
"Grandpa," I cry. He cries more. We fall to the ground on our knees.
"My grandson," He pets my hair and lets go of me. "I'm so sorry for not responding to you these years." My father looks away wiping his tears. "Grandma and I went to NYC to surprise you but it didn't work out the way I wanted"
"Really?"
"Yes, I am so sorry"
"No, no, don't," I hug grandpa again. I see Gwen look at us. I help grandpa get up and we stand up as people greet us and give us their condolences. The room drowns in sadness not only because of us but of all those who knew my wonderful grandma.
A little later
I leave the hospital for a bit to get some fresh air. I find Gwen already sitting on the sidewalk next to the stairs. I hear sobbing.
"Boo," I scare Gwen remembering she did that to me when she first came to my place.
"Hmm, you got me," She sniffles, wiping her nose and smiles. She takes a sip of water from the bottle in her hand and hands me a cold mocha coffee. "How...did you know?"
"I noticed one day you were walking to work and had this coffee in your hand," I stare at her as she shows that pretty smile of hers.
"Stop staring," She says turning her head to me and I quickly look away to drink the coffee. When was the last time I had my favorite coffee?
"Thank you, I really needed this." Silence fills the air.
"Alejandro, you remember when I said I had to protect you?"
"I do...why?"
"Well I am sorry I did that"
"What do you mean? I am confused"
"It's just...," She hesitates, "I can't be close to you"
"What is this? All of a sudden, Gwen?"
"I just need to go far away, Bo-A, how your grandma-" My grandma?
"None of this has to do with my grandma, what are you talking about?"
"I can't do this anymore. I have to go," She tries to go away but I grab her by her hand and sit her back down.
"Don't feel like that. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I was the reason your grandma died," Gwen starts to cry a lot causing me to tear up, "I caused it, I tell you"
"No, stop making things up"
"I am the reason," Gwen grabs me by my shirt furiously. She finally escapes and I couldn't catch her. I yell her name. Why is she leaving me at this time, when I need her the most? I stand up just looking at her as she disappears. I finish my mocha. I look at the glass bottle. Tears fall down my face. I become overwhelmed and furious causing me to break the bottle in my hands. I wipe my hand inside my jacket so no one notices the blood. I have to stop. I need to be strong for Grandpa. I wipe my tears and head back inside. Everyone is already wrapping up since it's been hours.
"Hey, son we are going to be going to a place to eat pork belly and have some adult time with the adults. Want to join us?" My father asks me.
"I'm okay, I'm not feeling well. I'll see you some other time. It's nice to see you, Grandpa," I hug my grandpa. My father heads out but grandpa doesn't leave yet.
"Alejandro..."
"Yeah, Grandpa"
"Where's that woman that came here?"
"Why?"
"Just wondering because she came in such a rush, she seems like she cares about you a lot" I wish I could believe that. "Keep an eye on that one" That one? He catches up to my father. Last second, I decide to join them.
"Wait up," I call out to my grandpa. We get into my grandpa's Cadillac truck. He still has that car after all these years.
"Wanted to join us huh?" My father says as he sits in the front passenger seat.
"I have to make sure grandpa doesn't disappear," My father looks away. We reach a BBQ restaurant. "There is no one here"
"I rented the place out" Of course he did. We sit down and servers bring us pork belly and Soju with lettuce and Kimchi. "Dad, I want to invite you and take you back to the company," Father says as he starts grilling the pork belly.
"Why would you want to do that when you kicked him out without a reason?"
"We have Alejandro on board," Grandpa looks at me astounded.
"Really? Alejandro, you joined Park Group?" Grandpa asks me.
"I did not have much of a choice"
"Son but if you have me back at the company what are you going to do about Yu-Nan Corp?"
"I am so confused..." I adjust my jacket exposing the blood inside my jacket and my hand as I take it out of my jacket pocket. The cut is bad. The blood isn't stopping.
"This is what happened-" Grandpa stutters as he sees the blood. He continues without asking, "Your great-grandpa died giving me the company then your father took over because of his greediness," Father nods his head in agreement, "But what your great-grandpa and I never noticed is that our top shareholder, Yu-Nan Corp from China, was stealing money and everything. Until Jeong-Jin stepped in. I would have never given him the company in the first place"
"Oh, and you didn't want to put the company in a bad light so you framed Grandpa?" Grandpa stares at Father.
"My son..."
"Ok enough of this, let's change the subject" Grandpa laughs at Father. I begin feeling dizzy and excuse myself to the bathroom. Right when I leave, I hear my mom's name come out of my father's mouth, 'Selina.' My father makes eye contact with me but I walk to the bathroom instead of caring. I check my phone and I get a text from an unknown number. It's Gwen, I can tell by the way she is talking.
Alejandro,
Please don't try to look for me after you read this. The thing is I thought I could be close to you but I can't. I'm hurting you in more ways than one. I hope you stay safe and live well. I don't know when I will be able to see you again. If you try to text me back, I won't be able to see it. By then, this phone will be discarded. If I made you cry, I'm sorry. I truly am.
My eyes water. I throw my phone against the wall, cutting my hand more. How could she do this to me? I don't understand half of what this text says. I grab toilet paper and wrap it around my hand, sticking it back in my pocket. The deep cut stings. The blood is bleeding through the paper more than before when I didn't have a bandage. My eyes start to roll back. I fall hitting my head on the sink and crash to the ground. I see someone walk in front of me. I roll on my back to stretch out my hand for whoever is there to help me. My eyes adjust to see who it is.
"Gwen?..."
-
I wake up and I look around me. I am at the hospital. Sunflowers are on the table next to me. My grandpa and father are in chairs next to my bed. My father with his hands wrapped around one of mine. I groan and my father wakes up instantly.
"Son...you are awake?" Does he not see my eyes wide open? "Dad...Alejandro is awake," My father yells breaking my ears. My grandpa wakes up with his eyes all red. He's overreacting. I was awake a few hours ago. I also saw Gwen...no...I was hallucinating...that was not her. A nurse comes in with breakfast, I sit up.
"Can we leave now?" I say feeling moody.
"Alejandro you have been in the hospital for a little over a year," My grandpa tells me.
"What? Over a year?"