“I care about East End,” he continued when I was silent, and then gave me a look that might have been a warning except I didn’t know what he was cautioning me about.
“I’m sure you do,” I said.
“I should go.” He rapped his knuckles on the doorframe. “I’ll check tomorrow to be sure my word is good. What do you say? Seven o’clock for dinner?”
“We have plans tomorrow, I’m sorry,” I said.
“That’s a lie,” he said bitterly.
I was startled but regained my composure. The genius of his accusation caused me to want to give him evidence to the contrary. “I’m not, actually—” I stopped myself from offering any more information. My plan was to be on the road with Harabeoji headed back home, but I didn’t want to tell him in case our presence in the house actually was deterring him from coming in whenever he wanted. Let him think we’d be around a while longer, I told myself.
“Iwillsee you all tomorrow,” he said.
“Okay then,” I said just to be agreeable, so he’d leave. I felt like closing the door in his face, but I knew he’d construe that action as aggressive. The message I’d received from both American and Korean culture was to never be forceful when faced with a threatening man. Cajole him, placate him, play dead. Be careful as if I were confronting a lean tiger.
He nodded. “The boys have to go to day camp tomorrow. It’s not good that they missed so many days last week.”
“Oh, you heard about that, too,” I said. “I promise you they’ll be at camp tomorrow.” I couldn’t help myself; I began to close the door.
“East End is where I’m going to raise my children with Channing,” he said.
What gave him the right to impose his imagination on me and my cousin? “You know Channing can’t have children?” I meant to say she didn’t want to have children, but I realized I’d gone just a little further. A clear fib. I hoped it would change his mind.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “What does that mean?”
I opened the door wider and leaned against the frame. “It’s not my place to tell you the details, just know that she can’t get pregnant.”
He sniffed. “There’s always IVF or even surrogacy.”
“Maybe, but I think it’s her eggs. I mean, why put her through that kind of hell?” There was more I found myself wanting to add, about her not wanting to be a parent, the future being catastrophic on our planet for human life in the imminent future. It was everything I had begun to believe. I wanted to convince him she didn’t have a choice so he’d leave her alone. I stood there watching his face contort as he grappled with this new information.
Chapter 16
I thought my strategy had worked. But maybe it’s all about timing. The obsession ran deeper than we knew. I called Harabeoji after Kent left and told him about my conversation.
“Lying is never a good thing,” he replied, but now that I’d said it, he agreed we should stick to it. We decided to leave late on Monday or possibly even Tuesday if Kent continued to harass Channing. Harabeoji planned to attend the early morning meeting at Mrs. Ku’s bakery with Mr. Yun the next day. It was where the community met for coffee every Monday, he said. He’d be sure to tell all of them that Channing was not romantically interested in Kent.
“The group is mostly old friends. They influence what happens in the Korean community. They’ll know what to do,” he assured me.
Maybe these old men and women might dissuade Kent given enough time. Or maybe I didn’t know how obsessions worked. What happened next was a series of events that tumbled into each other. We should have had a better plan. I fell asleep before Channing returned from her outing with Minjae.
The next day Channing had cramps. Her period exacted more pain from her body than mine did. That had always been the case, but I felt guiltyfor having lied about her health to Kent now and didn’t tell her about it. If the fates enjoyed irony, I silently begged them not to play with it now.
I offered to take the boys to day camp in her stead. She thanked me with clear instructions on where to go and what to pack for them. Edison and Austin were helpful in directing me. Along with signs for camp drop-off everywhere, it was easy. When I returned to the house, I was surprised to see Channing and Minjae talking in the kitchen as if it was still the weekend. It was Monday and not a holiday Monday either; just a regular old Monday in mid-August, and didn’t he have a job? And what about Channing’s cramps? She actually didn’t look all that well, but she had tea in front of her on the table.
“Minjae helped me take the garbage to the curb just in time for the truck,” Channing said to me.
I thanked him. I’d forgotten to roll the bins out last night, not that it was my job to remember, but I was surprised how completely I’d forgotten about it. Minjae smiled at me and said, “Not a problem.”
Channing continued, “So we were talking about how the Asian market used to be in town, but it moved. Minjae’s been to the new location.”
“The only Asian businesses now are Mrs. Ku’s bakery and a couple of restaurants,” Minjae said.
“Look.” Channing spread small packets of ginseng tea that had been in a pile. “He brought these from his own supply for me for my cramps.”
“My mother says it keeps you from getting colds,” he said.
Channing smiled at him and then said, “Thank you for giving me yours. Shouldn’t you hold on to some for yourself?”
