Jeff

media type="custom" key="7575527"Cong My dad abandoned me. He was Korean, did not want a son, he didn’t want ANY children. I was 3 when it happened, when he decided that he couldn't hide me anymore. Right now, I’m 34. I can hardly remember him, not that I want to. He was haughty looking, black hair, deep set eyes, skin as yellow as parchment. But me, no way! I have light brown eyes, like my mom. I don't know what happened to her. All I remember of her was twinkling eyes, brown black hair, beautiful, always laughing. I think my dad did away with her for giving him a child. He stuffed me into an overly small cradle that he found in a dump, packing it with 3 days worth of food. Then he chucked me out to sea. I floated into California 2 weeks later. All I remember of that time was the hunger. My constant companion, the one that was faithful to me, always, never leaving. I wandered the streets, foraging food, though still hungry. By the time that The Man found me, I had gave in, and embraced hunger myself, letting it feed on my life source, slowly gnawing through me. Then The Man came. I thought that that was his name, The Man. After all these years, I now know it was Lee, not that that matters anymore. He worked under my dad, and recognized me. It was he that had saw me and it was he that made my father chuck me into the sea. I think that he felt that he owed me. I certainly thought he did. He made me go through this hardship, for heaves sake!!! That time, I was 5. He brought me to a school, though he knew he was risking his life. If my father found him helping me, he would kill The Man! Thats just how much dad hated me. But he did it anyway, giving me food, and clothes, and even letting me learn. I was learning English fast, thanks to him. I was happy up until 17. Then, dad came. He was just as I remembered him as. Proud, mighty, and haughty looking. He went to visit The Man. I was there when it happened. My dad found out the signs that I was there. Small things that The Man thought unneeded to hide. The plate of tea was set for 2, but there were 3 cups, one that was half empty, on the counter. That was my cup. Then he noticed a pair of shoes that was in the shoe cabinet, but was too small for The Man. He also knew that The Man didn't have any kids. He even noticed that the bed next to The Man's wasn't made, but The Man’s wasn't made either. He gathered that The Man has slept in his bed, but his other guest bed was also messy, meaning that there was somebody else. The shoes added to the affect, and so did the cup. He found all of this out when he asked The Man to show him around. Then he took out some weird machine he said he was here to show, and to sell to The Man. The Man agreed to see it. Dad set it on the table, and announced it was a thermal something Anne. He explained it could find heat sources. The Man didn't believe him. I was watching this from the relative safe distance in a closet. I think by that time dad knew I was there. He was a smart one. Then, he twiddled a dial and a screen lit up, with blue, purple, red, orange and white. The white, he explained, was the hottest heat sources. That represented humans. Then it moved back, white the hottest, then red, then orange, violet, blue, and, the coldest color, black. He found that there were 5 really hot heat sources shown as white. “One in the kitchen,” “The oven”, The Man said. It was cooking, what was it called, brownies? Yes, brownies. “One in the basement.” “The furnace” The Man said. “And one in this room.” “You” The Man said, he was tactful enough to say my father first, as a sign of respect. “Another one in this room.” “Me” The Man said. “And ONE IN THE CLOSET!!!” dad yelled at him, and flung back the closet door, to reveal a 17 year old boy huddled in the depth of a robe. Me. I shrank back but he grabbed me and chucked me unceremoniously into a room and locked the door. That night, I heard angry words outside. The Man’s house was right next to the lake, and I was right next to the room the 2 men were arguing. Then I heard my father yell REALLY loudly, something about bye-bye. Then a crash and, moments later, a splash. 1 day later, my dad, grinning wolfishly, came in with some food and gives it to me. Then while leaving the room he accidentally dropped a knife he was using to cut the bread and reached down to get it before I got it, and hurried out the door. Suprisingly,. Cautiously, I opened the door and peeked outside. The hallway was empty, and the front door was unlocked and open. I was too exited at the time to really notice that things were a bit too good. I walked down the stairs and noticed an iPod on the ground. I bent to pick it up. Later, I emerged into sunlight and was immediately caught by my dad and a cop. He pointed at me and said that I stole the iPod from him. I was totally caught by surprise. What was going on??! The police said that my dad was to keep me in a room until he got to the bottom of this. That night, I sneaked out the window and into the courtyard. In my hand was a $100 bill no doubt for the next days work of getting me framed for ‘stealing’ the money from dad. I lobbed over the gate and went to a 24 hour store and bought a bike with the hundred bill. Then I remembered the iPod that I still had and sold it for $249 at a nearby shop. With it, I bought a backpack for $25, a really hi-tech one that was lightweight yet very compact, with more than 10 pockets. I stuffed it with food and water, and a small tent for one that barely lifted 3 feet off the ground and then a small sleeping bag. All this cost me less than $100. I still had $136 left from my shopping experience. Then I got on my bike and pedaled next to the high-way, traveling at night and sleeping during the day. Two months past like this, and soon, I ran out of food. I decided to go to a local shop and get news. I was worried because I didn’t see any police after me. Maybe they anticipated the run and then posted posters of me every where??? But I had to go during the day because if I didn't, all the stores with cheap things would be closed. All the 24 hour store things wern't cheap. I took a risk and went during the day. I went into the shop, but before I got food, I asked about the news. Apparently, a kid who was framed for stealing a guy’s iPod was now free to come back to California and that they caught the real framer, who was named Yee. That was my dad!!! I had the choice to stay or go back. I chose to stay. To start over with a new life. I could find work here as a worker, or a babysitter, of course. I was 18 at the time, but I had probably made the most important decision of my life.

14 years later, I had graduated from Case Western Reserve University, got me a masters degree in medicine. One day, I was home (I bought it) and I saw a garden. There was a lot of people there. I tend to avoid people because of what my dad did to me. I was afraid of people. All his fault. But something drew me closer. I saw that the ground was an empty lot! I was interested, so I naturally moved closer. I noticed another Korean, about my age. She was a lady, though. I went to talk to her in a shy voice, and to my surprise, she replies in that same voice. That day, I get some seeds. Cucumber seeds. I always liked cucumbers. They reminded me of home. I made a garden next to hers, and all Sunday, we talked and talked, squatting over our plants. We chatted about family, and I told her my story, something that I had never done before. I was embarrassed. She said the she understood the hardships, and that I should be proud to come through this much. The next day we had to work, and I went to work in the dry-cleaning store that a Korean women wanted me to help her run. Then it hit me, the women I was talking to, she was the women that hired me. She was Sae Young! Now I knew her name, I told her mine and we started calling each other by them. I became more comfortable with people, thanks to her. Then, she recognized me too, and our bond became closer and stronger now that we knew each other and how good we are at different things. Now, we could talk at the garden and at work. We talked more and more. Then she invited me to her house. I wasn’t sure what to do. I thought about it all night. If I went, it would be the first time I entered somebody else’s house before. I still had bad memories of The Mans house. I decided against it, but at the last second, I really wanted to go. I put on my best clothes, combed my hair, walked to the address she said, and then rang the bell.