Aftermath

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This is English

This is Korean

I stared at Mother. I couldn't believe a single word that Raph told me. "Mom, is that true?" I asked. She hesitated for a moment and nodded. I could feel my face distorting, "Why?" I asked her, my voice was fierce and I knew even back then, it wasn't the way that you should say to your mother. "Tell me. Now." Mom looked at me, then Raph, then David. "I was asked to go to Korea. To work there, and I just can't leave you here. Not you. Just…. Not you. And it will be odd for professors to see me leaving my only child in law, without father in law." Tears flowed down her cheek as she finished her sentence. I stared at her. "Tell them I wanted to stay. I know that this is a good opportunity for you but I can't go."

She shook her head, "This is my only opportunity. There are giving me chance to go there. Live there. Like I hoped for my whole life." She said with dreamy eyes. Me? I wanted to go to Korea. I wanted to live there but not now. Not just now. I couldn't. "I am not going." I said and ran to my room. Was I selfish? Was I? But, why didn't she tell me?

I lied on my bed after locking the door. I stared up at the ceiling and found myself thinking about Korea. She had only been there once. And she told me that it was the most wonderful time she had except for the time she married Raph and gave birth to me and David. I rolled around the bed and thought about Mom. She loved me and she must have considered it a lot because I was sure that she didn't want to leave Raph and David. But this chance would never come. For both of us. I would hate to go, but at the same time, I really wanted to go.

There was a knocking on the door. I sighed, got up and opened the door. Mom was there. "Frida, can I speak with you?" she asked. I stepped aside so she can enter. I sat on the chair while Mom sat on the bed. She sighed, "Frida. I will follow your choice. If you want to go. Tell me. and I will do it. If you want to stay…. Well…. I will stay. I won't regret it. It was horrible for me not to ask your opinion on this important matter." I stayed silence. Great. Now she gave me all the pressure. She patted my head and walked out of the room. I stared at the door where she left and called Rubia to meet at her house.

I knocked, and Rubia opened the door. "You sounded so desperate I canceled the piano lesson." She said and led me in. "Well, I have a lot to tell you and a lot to discuss with you." I said and followed her to her room. "What is it?" she opened her bedroom door. "First, I apologized to Raph and other mutants." I said, sitting on the floor. Her face brightened. "You did? Sweetheart, you did so good! Did they accept it?" I nodded as she sat on her chair.

But she noticed my gloomy face and her bright face frowned a little. "Is there something wrong? Your face isn't so good." Her British accent became more clear when she said the last part. "Mom said that she got this opportunity to work in Korea. And I have to go as well. Because I have no lawful guardian in America." Rubia's face got darkened more. "Continue." She said. "She also said that I have to choose where to stay or leave. She said that it will depend on my choice. But why now? I just got friendly with them." I looked down, "I just can't leave." Rubia stared at me. Her face filled with sympathy. "I can't decide it for you but I would leave if I were you."

I looked up, puzzled. "Why? I thought you love America!" She nodded and shrugged. "I say it can be a big turnover for both you and your mom. If she goes, she will have chance to work where she always wanted. You, will have chance to live somewhere else than New York, or America. Nice experience and I thought you said that you always wanted to improve your Korean." True…. But that didn't really change my mind. "What about my family? I will lose chance for them as well." Rubia leaned into me. "That will come again. Besides, you can always call them on Skype or something like that. Trust me Frida, don't lose this chance." Even though she said it so confidently, she still had sadness in her eyes. She didn't want me to leave, just trying to give me some chance. "Rubia, you are such a good friend." I said, smiling. She smiled, sitting straight again. "Thank you." I whispered.

I walked back home, slowly. I stopped at a park and sat a bench at the park. I watched people walking around, some looked happy, some looked sad. Will I regret it if I leave? I asked myself. Rubia is right, I can still contact with my family if I want to. But not physically. That was saddening me. But strangely, I have already made up my mind inside. Deep inside, I wanted to…

I opened the lair's door and everyone turned their attention toward me. "Hi…" David said. "Hi." I said back. I went up to Mom, who looked ready to hear my choice. "Mom, you are not going to regret for letting me decide, right?" She nodded, her eyes were sad but excited at the same time. I turned toward my family, who were looking at me. "I…. I made up my mind." I said, bit small, unlike myself. Their looks, I could what they wanted me to say. I looked at Mom, who were different from the rest of them. "I want to go…."

I returned to my room. My heart was beating so fast. Raph looked shock that I made the choice. David as well. I closed my eyes. Someone knocked the door and someone came in. I opened my eyes to see Mom, and Raph. "You are not going to regret, right?" Mom asked, sitting on the edge of my bed. I sat up. "I won't." I smiled. Raph smiled sadly. He suddenly clicked his watch, turned to his human form. "I wish you good luck in Korea." He said and patted my head. "Thank you." I said. He hugged me tightly. "When are you going to leave?" he asked before he exited my room. "We are going to send some supplies to my friend's next week and leave a week after that." 2 weeks.

We spent the whole week packing. I didn't have to go to school for Mom told the school that we are going to leave and won't be able to go to school. We went to Korean embassy to get visa. It was pretty amazing there, I never thought I would experience such a thing. And when we came back home, I packed my belongings. Mom said she will send most of it to her friend, living in Seoul, she had agreed to keep it for a while. I told Mom that I was done packing my clothes. "You know we are going to take most of them except for the furniture. We will have to get new ones when we get there." I nodded. "Yeah." I said, continuing to pack the books and other belongings.

Mom went to a moving company and returned about 2 hours later. My room was empty. I sighed. I lived in this room for my whole life and now I have to leave to get used to somewhere else. The thought made me scared a bit. I held Mom's hand, who was standing next to me. "You are going to be fine, I promise sweetie." She said. I nodded. Raph entered the room, looking at the almost empty room. "Only thing left is bed and desk." He said. Shrugging, "I guess I will keep them for memory." He hugged me tight. "I will miss you." He said. I nodded, hugging back slightly. Then I hugged him close. After he released me, he hugged Mom. "I will miss you as much as I will miss her." he said. "I know. And I will too." She said, kissing his nose. I left the room to give them some space.

Rubia came to the lair. "Hello." She said and looked at David. "I guess when they leave Emily, April, and Casey will be the only human." She said, smiling a little. "Well, I am sure you will have to come down here often. Don't make them lonely too much." I said, glancing at David. She smiled, her face little bit red. "I won't. I will come here as often as possible to keep them a company." She said, looking at David, who was blushing slightly and Rubia looked happy as well, happiness mixed with sorrow.

It was the first time for me to go on a plane. I was excited, but sad at the same time. Rubia came, got special permission from her parents, she said. She was wearing her best formal attire. "Are you nervous? Excited?" She asked. "Yeah. Totally." I said, my voice cracked a little. Raph, Leo, Mikey, and Donnie were in their human forms. Aunt Emily came but David, Margaret and Splinter weren't there. I looked at the entrance. "How strange. I am actually going there." I said. Rubia smiled. She hugged me and wished me good luck. "You are going to need it. Don't forget to Skype me, okay?" I nodded.

"You know, you better listen to your Mom and study hard. Korea's that kind of place." Donnie said. "I'll try." I said and hugged him. "Send some photos, okay?" Mikey asked, tears forming in his eyes. "Yeah, I will." I replied, and hugged him. "Well, I have nothing to say like the others, but have fun, and stay alive." Leo said, shaking hands with me. "You too Uncle Leo." I said. He smiled. Finally, I turned to Raph. He hugged me without saying anything. "I will miss you." He said. "I will too." I said back. He hugged me hard, then released me. He hugged Mom once more and we headed off to the gate. I turned around, they were waving. I looked at them, smiled, "I will miss you Dad! I will miss you so much, Father!" Then he disappeared from my sight.

2 weeks later

I walked to school. A new one. It was located in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and well, it turned out better than I thought it would be. It's still cold. It's different that in Korea, the new school year starts at March 2nd*. So it is still cold, I need to get more used to all these people speaking Korean. Some envies me, I don't know why, honestly.

"Hwa Yeon, where are you going? Can I tag along?" My friend asked. People in Korea always go together even when they are going to bathroom. Strange, but I have to get used to it. But I don't know how long it took me though. "Yeah, okay." I smiled and stood up from my desk.

"I'm home!" I cried out. Only to realize that there were no one in Kelly's. Mom's friend allowed us to live with her, since she's single and has a room for me and Mom to share. Kelly is a barista working at a nearby café and Mom usually goes to National Forensic Service to get used to the work there. I don't know how in the world the autopsy from America is different from Korea's, but I don't really want to find it out.

When I came back from school, I would just sit and watch TV or do something I want for 2 hours then do some homework, study, since Mom checks them. I read and listen to Korean to gets used to them. At evening I Skype Rubia or my family. Mom isn't usually there because she comes back late but when she doesn't it always better.

At first it was hard but I got used to it, thank God. So in conclusion? I am having a good life of myself, and a loving family. I think it was good to come here, so I love and miss them even more.

Epilogue and Author's words will be posted next. Thank you so much everyone.