Chapter 11

JISOO

Life is strange. It’s really strange sometimes how things happen. And sometimes you like and sometimes you don’t. This change in my life right now it was something I didn’t expect but I like. Having Ella and Jennie here it’s new. My empty cold house seems full. All because of those two girls..

Jennie remains a big mystery to me.. Who she is.. Where she came from.. What holds her behind.. What is it that she doesn’t want me to know.. She shared something though.. That was something eh? She lost her parents.. I don’t know the feeling.. I don’t know what she felt when that happened.. And why she needed the getaway.. I wouldn’t pressure.. At least not yet..

Ella from the other hand is an amazing four year old.. But don’t let her hear me.. She will say that she is three and a half.. You would think that she is older than that because of the way she talks.. Jennie raised her really well.. She is a very polite kid, with manners, and I can’t explain how they found themselves living in that sit hole. It just makes me wonder..

And from the other hand I have Suho. Suho who is really an asshole. That I already knew but now it seems clearer to me who he is. When I saw him treating Jennie with his sarcastic nature I just wanted to hit him. But I am a lady and I wouldn’t do that. What I did though was to decline his calls. I really didn’t want to listen to his voice.. I just wanted to spent some time with Jennie and Ella since Monday I would be back to work..

Yesterday at the park it was so beautiful. I wish I could show Jennie how to skate.. Maybe I will when she takes the cast off.. But what is going to happen later on? In a few days Mr. Yanni will come back and she will go with him.. Will we be friends after that? And will I see her only at the bakery when I will order the muffins that I don’t like? I don’t get why I was still ordering them though. I guess they reminded me of her.. Don’t ask why.. I can’t explain it..

And here we are today.. Relaxing in the living room watching ‘Finding Nemo’. I don’t know how Ella never seen the movie. Every kid and every adult had seen that movie.

“Mommy did you see? Dory talks to much.. Isn’t she?”

“Yes, it reminds me of a little fish that I know.”

“Are you saying that I talk to much?”

“Hmm.. let me think.. Yeah you do.”

“Mommy, I don’t. You are lying.”

“Nope.”

I watched them interact from the kitchen. I was making pop corn for the second time because Jennie ate the first ball by herself.. I could see how much she loved Ella.. Her whole face was lighting when she was talking about her..

“Jisoo, do I talk too much as mommy says?” I sat right next to her and smiled at Jennie..

“Hmm.. I would say that mommy is the talker and not you Ella.”

“See mommy? I am not like Dory. At least I make sense. She doesn’t.”

Jennie wasn’t a talker. I wish she was. That way she could open up and tell me more things about her and Ella. She never started a conversation. Usually I would be the one to start one. She didn’t know but sometimes I could see her zoning out, having a look that meant she was in deep thinking. All I know about her is that her name is Jennie Kwon and that she lost her parents. But why Jennie Kwon doesn’t fit? It’s just doesn’t fit.

“Okay, now that everyone is happy and Nemo found his dad what are we going to watch?”

“I want to see the green monster we saw at the dvd club Jisoo.”

“Shrek?”

“Yes, him. I want to see Shrek. Can we?”

I bought two animation movies for Ella and two dvd for me and Jennie when we would put Ella back to her bed..

Jennie looked at me and she just smiled.. She could do anything for that child. I could see it in her eyes..

“We will and once the movie finish you are going back to your bed baby girl. Tomorrow you have school.”

“Okay. I like school. I missed it actually.”

“I think you missed Eddy more.” and I saw Ella blush for the first time.. She was cute.. And who was Eddy?”

“Mommy.. ssshhh.. No I don’t want to go to school for Eddy”

“Aha.. Don’t lie to your mom princess.”

“I think that we should watch Shrek Jisoo. What do you think?”

“Changing the subject Ella? Come on.. You can tell everything to mommy.”

“Mommy, stop.” she said and put two of her fingers to shut her mommy from embarrassing her. It was so cute..

“Okay Jisoo, put Shreky..”

I had to make another ball of pop corns because Jennie ate that too.. She was the pop corn monster.. No one was touching her pop corn.

At 8pm Ella was half asleep on Jennie’s lap and I had to take her in my arms and put her back to bed.. Jennie of course right behind me because she was always kissing her goodnight..

“Okay.. Now that the little one is sleeping should we watch the other dvd I bought?”

“Why don’t we lay here for a while? Nothing against animations, and those were really nice, but I still hear Dory’s voice in my head..”

“You love her very much eh?”

“Who? Dory? I don’t think so. She is a fish. I could never love a fish that talks all the time and I can’t understand what she says” I nudged her and hit her arm.. Not harsh though.. I liked her when she was like that.. Openly friendly..

“Ouch.. You hit a sick woman. I will report you to the.. to the.. how you call the place where you report domestic violence?”

“Police station?”

“That.”

“Do you have proofs that I hit you? Did you have a witness?”

“Shit. I forgot you are a lawyer. Please, Ms lawyer don’t put me in jail.”

“You are an idiot”

“And verbal abuse. I should have my phone with me to record you. Then I could prove my sayings”

“So you didn’t answer me. You love her very much. I mean Ella.”

“She is my world. It is her and me. She is my family.” her voice became lower and she wasn’t looking at me anymore.. I knew that she was thinking.. But what?

“How old you were when you had her? You seem very young.” and up until now I didn’t know her age and I never asked..

“I.. I think we should watch the dvd. What do you think?”

“Jennie it’s okay. You can talk to me. I am not going to judge or anything.”

“Jisoo, please. Can we please watch the dvd you bought?” I let a sigh and did what she said. I didn’t want to push her.. But that didn’t mean that I would stop..

“I have The Notebook and one with Angelina Jolie. Lara Croft. Which one you would like to see? I didn’t know what you like so I took one romantic and one action movie.”

“What about drama, thriller or comedy?”

“Ehm, nice thought.. I don’t like drama. I had a lot in my life.. Thrillers, I am afraid of them and comedy.. Well I didn’t think that you would like comedies”

“You thought wrong. I love them. They just make me forget and laugh”

“That’s good to know. Next time I will buy a comedy”

“Ok. Now put The Notebook in. I like this movie”

“Me too”

We sat there, next to each other.. Every now and then our fingers would touch when we would reach for the pop corn and she would smile at me.. After that she would turn her head back to the movie and continue watching it..

Without knowing it was already 10pm and I had to go to bed. I would wake up at 5am tomorrow. I do that every day. I would start my day at 5am, be at the office at 8.30am and I would come back home at 10pm if it was a good day. But now I had a different program. I had to take Ella at her school at 8.30 and then go to work. That meant I would be late. And I was never late before. Something new again..

“It was a lovely movie. Don’t you think Jennie?”

“It’s one of my favorites. I don’t know if a love like theirs exists. And if it does whoever has that kind of love they are the luckiest people on earth”

“For you to have a love like that you should let your heart open. Did you ever love someone Jennie?”

“I loved my parents and my sister.” I didn’t know she had a sister. And why she said loved?

“That’s good. But it’s a different love the one we have for our parents. What I meant is did you ever fall in love with someone that deep?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Did you? Did you ever fall in love with someone that deep Jisoo? Are you in love with that asshole you have for a boyfriend?”

“Why are we talking about my love life? And how Suho got in the middle?”

“Why you are asking about mine then? I know what you are doing Jisoo. You are just trying to find things about me. It’s ok. But don’t think I am stupid. You may be a lawyer and educated but I saw things the last couple of years that your rich perfect life will never see. I understand the need to know who you have inside your house. I understand completely but you should let me be the one to tell you these things when I will be ready. I am sorry but I need to rest. Thank you for tonight. It was very kind of you. Goodnight Jisoo.”

What the fuck just happened? Where all this came from? We were sitting here talking and in a second Jennie gets upset. And what is it that she doesn’t want me to know? Why she closes herself that much? I really can’t explain it.. I let her go though without trying to stop her.. She needed her space and I was willing to give that to her..

I tried to sleep but it wasn’t easy at first. Suho called me again but I declined his call. I really didn’t want to talk with him. It was 2am when I looked at the watch for the last time and I woke up at 5am as every day. Three hours of sleep. That wasn’t good. But surprisingly I didn’t feel tired. I woke up, took my shower, sat at my kitchen and drunk my coffee while reading my newspaper. At 6.30 I heard Jennie’s door opening and I looked at her. She was wearing her shorts and a tshirt, her hair was messy and without her make up she was still beautiful.

“Morning.”

“Goodmorning to you too. I made coffee. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please.”

I put her her coffee and I sat back to my seat, reading my newspaper. I wanted to ask, to say something but after what happened yesterday I decided against it..

“Jisoo, about yesterday, I am sorry for my outburst. You didn’t deserve it.”

“It’s okay. I understand”

“No. I mean it. It’s just that I’ve been alone for a long time now. Never had one to really care for us except Mr. Yanni and his wife and that I still feel kind unease. I don’t want to be the charity of someone and it’s hard for me to trust people.”

“You can trust me Jennie. And I am sorry for pressuring you. It was out of call. So I am sorry too.”

“It’s okay. I am going to wake up Ella in fifteen minutes. It’s kind of difficult to wake her up. She needs at least 15 minutes to open her one eye”

“That I already know. Are you going to come with us at her school?”

“Well, I would like that but I don’t want to make you change your way two times. Because you have to bring me back here after that and you are going to be late. If I remember correct you are at the bakery every day at 8am.”

“It’s okay. I am going to call and tell them I am going to be late a couple of minutes.”

“Is that ok though? Will they say anything?”

“Nah, they won’t. I am the best there and they know it.”

“Modesty.”

“One of my best virtues”

“Okay then. So I am going to come with you. We have to leave from here at 7.45 considering where you live and where her school is.”

“Fine by me. I’ll go and get ready. Go wake up Ella.”

My life sure starts to get interesting..