Page 16 of Perfect Happiness
But that couldn’t happen, not now.If it needed to happen, it needed to wait until after Monday.
Eun-ho chose the second solution.He called his mother and recited the speech he’d prepared.His Wife’s mother had been admitted to the hospital; Wife needed to stay by her side; he had something to do at school; it would be difficult for him to pick them up from Hanam today.
“What, doesn’t Yuna have a sister?”
Eun-ho’s mother’s voice was dry and hoarse.It wasn’t difficult for him to imagine his mother on the other end of the line, sitting up straight, contorting the corners of her mouth into a scowl.
“Her sister is out of the country on a business trip,” Eun-ho said.
“But why does that meanyoucan’t come?”
Eun-ho began desperately thinking of another excuse.
“I need to be somewhere tomorrow morning.I have a meeting with my advisor to talk about an issue with my master’s thesis.”
“Is that so?”Eun-ho’s mother’s voice dropped two octaves.“That professor of yours is really something.Meeting with pupils on a Sunday morning ...”
Shit.Eun-ho couldn’t believe he had forgotten that tomorrow was Sunday.Immediately, Eun-ho started making whatever excuse he could think of: how his professor called people to meet on the weekends because he was strict and had nothing better to do; how if he didn’t go when his professor called him, everything he had done up till now would be for nothing; how it was a long drive to his professor’s home in Anseong.
“I wouldn’t be able to get to Hanam until after five.”
“Five!”
Eun-ho’s mother was furious.She began giving Eun-ho a long diatribe.
“After five?What do you expect us to do after five on a Sunday night?Do you know how disappointed Noah was when he found out you weren’t coming today?Do you even care?Can’t you act like a father for just one weekend?How long do I have to raiseyourson?”
Eun-ho closed his eyes.His cheek felt wet, as though the spit of his incensed mother was being teleported through the receiver.
“Do you remember the promise you made to me the day you married Yuna?Didn’t you say you would take Noah in and raise him yourself?”
Eun-ho’s mother had opened her usual playbook of attacks.This would take at least an hour.
“Mom, just hold on for a second.”
Eun-ho quickly cut off his mother.
“Mom, Jinu is waiting for me.I told him I’d take him out for a bite.”This was the card Eun-ho always played to get out of difficult conversations with his mother.“I’ll call you back later.”And with that, he hung up the phone.
Eun-ho placed his cellphone on the desk.His ears were ringing.He was seeing two and three of the laptop sitting on his desk.
“What are you doing?I’ve been waiting.”
Startled, Eun-ho turned around to find Jinu with his butt perched on the side of the desk, glaring down at him.Eun-ho became red in the face.He hadn’t known someone was eavesdropping.
“Did I just hear you say you’re going to take me out for a bite?”
Jinu was tossing his car keys up and down as he snickered.Eun-ho was about to ask him what he was doing at school on the weekend, but instead just looked down at his cellphone.How much did Jinu hear?Did he hear me making elaborate excuses to my mother?The only way to know was to ask Jinu directly.
“How long have you been here?”
“Just long enough to hear you use me as an excuse.I dropped by to pick something up.”
Jinu waved a Nintendo Switch in the air to show Eun-ho.Jinu took it with him everywhere he went.Students gossiped about how Jinu, or “Mr.Kim,” as they called him, spent his nights and weekends at home alone, playingAnimal Crossing: New Horizons.They teased him for being the only male teacher at Cheongyeon High School who was single.
“So, what’s on the menu?”Jinu asked.
“Let’s get out of here first.”Eun-ho put his notebook in his bag as he answered.After thinking for three more seconds, he also put his cellphone in his jacket pocket.He would need it tomorrow.
