My arrival in this county should have told me that life here was going to be a pain.
First our plane was late. So we spent four hours at the airport in Wales as if Wales was trying to keep me here, cautioning me from going, giving me another chance.
It was either certainty or uncertainty. My mom got a new job and that certainty flew away.
I don't know what possessed her to become a model out in Korea as their beauty standards were something...
The pale faced asian women in the pictures were a stark contrast to my yellow skinned black Carribean mother.
I am on the darker side however. A good cool coconut brown.
And yes I already complained.
-- But mom, they won't have my foundation color.
--You can get it shipped to us.
-- But mom, all my friends are here.
-- You can make new friends and stay connected with your old ones.
-- But mom, the kids there won't like me.
-- But Dylan Jasmine Black, you mother is going for this chance regardless, and she will be making more money than now.
And that was the end of it.
I sit on the plane for about thirteen hours and boondoggle at the people for another hour at the airport as we get our big suitcases from off the coveyor. I am pretty sure they are staring back.
When we reach the taxi terminal I am pretty sure the taxi driver we had overcharged us after failing to get a white couple into his taxi.
It was almost like he had to settle on us.
When we finally made it we went inside to where we would spend a good long time inside.
Entering the code the door stays locked...
Barring us from entering our new home.
"So now what do we do?" I ask my mother.
"Um, let me call the owners."
The owner says something in Korean then walks up to my mother with a smile.
"Hello, nice to meet you."
"Hello." My mother greets. "This is my daughter Dylan."
I give a respectful, but curt wave and then turn my head to focus on the rocks leading up to the gate and the driveway.
I don't even know how we are going to support this lifestyle.
The little old lady of an owner thanks us for buying the house and that no one has wanted to take it even if it was brand new and said she lives at the corner if we ever needed her.
"See there are nice people here." My mother says pinching my cheek.
"Fine." I groan. "But it is not like we understand the language."
"It's a change of course, but I already got you a tutor for your classes."
I groan, but don't protest further.
My mother and I finally make it inside.
"Oh my goodness. It's even more spacious than I imagined!" My mother exclaims.
That is when a black cat proceeds to make itself known.
The cat hisses and arches its back choosing its first victim it pounces on me and starts scratching and mewling angrily.
"Help me mama!"
The cat climbs on me and it takes my mother a finely placed hand to grip it by its scruff and throws it away from me.
It was too late though, I was cut up and bitten by its sharp claws and teeth.
"Get the broom from the kitchen." My mother says carefully.
I named that cat Satan. It's vibrant green eyes stare at my mother and it hisses even more.
I quickly get the broom and when I come back my mother is cuddling with the cat dubbed Satan.
"Dylan, don't worry she was only protecting her kitten."
A little all black kitten with a perfect white heart on her forehead and a fancy big tuft of white fur on her chest comes toddling out of the shadows.
I drop the broom as I walk up to the kitten.
It was love at first sight and the only good I will probably have in Korea.
The mother cat then hisses at me and climbs out of my mother's arms to bat at me with her paw.
I named the kitten Brocade, as she had a fine coat with a perfect design on her forehead.
"Obviously, Satan doesn't trust me." I state in an annoyed tone.
"She is just wary. Give her some time to warm up to you. Satan? I think the name Shade suits her better." My mother says prounouncing the name, Sha-dae.
I roll my eyes and pick the broom up. And little Brocade follows after me curiously.
Her mother, Satan mews calling her baby back. But the kitten doesn't listen and follows after me regardless of their mother's calls.
"You're going to follow me Brocade?" I ask the kitten.
The kitten mews such a treasured meow. And stumbles forwards towards me and starts climbing up my jeans and shirt until she perches on my chest. I guess the kitten found it cushion-y.
The white tufts of fur shined silver in the artificial light as I flick the lights on to the kitchen.
It is Saturday and almost the start of the school year.
As I an almost fifteen year old I would be sixteen in Korea, so I am a middle schooler again despite almost graduating middle school in Wales.
'Hello ninth grade.'
My tutor will come by tomorrow to drill the rest of my education into my brain.
Later in the day our packages come in of items from our old house in Wales.
The rest of the day is spent getting the things into the house as the movers are working hard.
She pays them with her card after they are done moving.
Most of the money she has came from when she was modelling in the states.
I pull out my phone.
Alun and Eilonwy.
Precious blue eyed and blonde haired Alun asked that bish out.
I roll my eyes and snap a picture of the street and type a caption on my Snapchat to Guinevere and Rowena.
• Guini, ina, this bish of a cat attacked me when I came in.
• I miss you guys.
Guinevere sends a text back as fast as I sent the message with a picture of her dog Arthur.
• arthur misses you. he has been looking at the door since you left two days ago.
I put a hand to my mouth and send a crying emoji.
•Don't worry I'll sneak back someday.
Rowena pops into the chat.
She hits us up with a voice chat and you can hear how tired she is. I can hear her snake Celys slithering in her enclosure.
• girl, my Celys is depressed too. i have been napping the day away, I am actually surprised though. I totally thought Alun was in love with you. Don't worry girly, you'll find someone cuter who likes you back.
Usually, Rowena stalks the chat along with Rhiannon, Morgan and Reese.
But today they all had bright things to say wishing me the best.
Morgie was jealous because she wanted a Korean boyfriend beacuse she is a Koreaboo. Whatever that is...
But here I am dumped in Korea with no friends close and stealing my friend's dream.
I get off of my recently made bed and start a call on our group chat in instagram that Rhiannon made for us when we were in third grade.
We have been friends for six years and I don't see that changing any time soon.
"Is Gwendolyn still being basic?" I ask.
"Correct, she and Eilonwy decided to sell cookies around the school. I am still surprised she ditched us to hang out with the populars." Said Morgan, annoyed.
I hear a cat meyowl from my room door.
"You know who is going to annoy me? This damned cat." I say flipping the camera to show them the cat.
I sit up and point my camera to Satan standing by the door with Brocade.
Reese or Riri then answers:
"Oh my gosh, so cute." She gushes.
"Well the older one is a demon, attacked me when I walked in. I named that one Satan and the small one with the heart on her forehead is Brocade."
"Satan? Now that is crazy." Rhiannon chuckles.
"My mom named the mother cat Shade. Actually she went out to buy food for us and the cats." I say putting a hand to my chin.
I flip the camera to myself and lay back onto my pillow.
Morgie then shares her screen and we watch some of her videos on K-pop idols... for the fouth time this week.
We love her, but this is a bit much.
I blow kisses and wave goodbye to my friends. As I have to go and eat.
I had downstairs and my mother is opening a can of tuna for the cat while the kitten gets milk from her mother.
I pull my house slippers from my suit case and put them on peeling off my socks.
The damn devil of a cat is enjoying her food lazily, on paw on the food bowl as she lays on her side.
She almost looks peaceful as if she didn't jump on me when she first saw me.
My mom is in the kitchen.
"Dylan! Come and help me with this." My mother yells for me.
"Coming Mami!" I shout back startling Satan and Brocade.
I whisper a silent sorry before heading ito the kitchen.
"This is Bokchoy." My mother explains. "Throw it into the soup the chicken is almost done setting in the broth." She says pulling seasonings from out of her seasonings box.
She loved her seasonings and she didn't go anywhere without her spices when we moved.
As I help my mother finish cleaning up the kitchen, I think about the places we lived before this.
We lived in Barbados where I was born for aoutr two years before my mother moved to Columbia for two years with me. Then she too me to the states for about four years before deciding it wasn't for her. We then stayed in Wales since third grade where I met my best friends for life. Now I am in Korea for what looks like the rest of my high school career.
When we are done cleaning up the kitchen My mother washes off some of our dishes and utensils to serve the soup.
Tomorrow's grocery shopping will have to wait.
The spicy curry bokchoy and chicken soup was good. A little too good because I nearly choked eating the bokchoy and I gagged.
"Are you alright?" My mother asks.
Her light brown eyes stare at me concerned.
"I am fine. The bokchoy tried to kill me."
Speaking about my mother's appearance she is a slender Caribbean woman with very pale, yellow skin, and wavy, light brown hair. She kind of looked like Rihanna, but with dark brown almond shaped eyes that some Africans have.
My father on the other hand was a very dark man with almond eyes and a kind smile. He and my mother parted ways back in Barbados when he wimped out because his mother didn't want him to marry my mother who was already six months pregnant. Such a shame.
I havedark brown almond eyes just like my parents with light red brown wavy hair and dark brown eyes and coconut brown skin which is a cool, red-brown skin tone.
After dinner I head back upstairs to my room.
I get my tooth brush and head to the bathroom.
I enter the bathroom and there is a neat little sign in English saying, [Please do not throw tissue in toilet.]
"Okay, great..."
I finish up in the bathroom washing my face and head back to my room putting away my tooth brush and starting to unpack my clothes. I have another long day tomorrow and the jet lag is going to be crazy.