Minji's Voice - Bbangsaz

Chapter 27

Minji's POV

-Seven years, May-

"Minji!" my mom called me. Her voice sounded a little scared. "Honey, where are you?"

I was sitting under the dining room table, the heavy tablecloth hiding me as I knelt on the floor with my toys.

I hesitated, but when my mom called me again, sounding more worried this time, I crawled out from under the table and approached her. I didn't like hearing my mom scared, but I also knew something was happening and I was scared too.

My mom had been whispering into the phone all morning and for the last half hour, she had been upstairs packing clothes and other things into suitcases.

That's when I hid under the table and waited to see what would happen next.

I knew whatever was happening was happening because my dad had come home last night, again smelling like another lady's perfume, and had slapped my mom when she said her dinner was already cold.

I had the feeling that my mom had finally had enough. And if I had to guess who she was talking to on the phone, I would say it was Uncle Soo-hyun.

My mom turned the corner into the dining room just as I came out from under the table and let out a loud sigh. "Minji, honey," she said, putting her hands on my cheeks and leaning down so that her eyes were right in front of mine. "You worried me."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Her face softened, she smiled at me and brushed my hair away from my forehead. "Okay, but I need you to do something for me and it's really important. Do you think you can listen and do what I say and not ask questions right now?"

I nodded.

"Okay that's good." She smiled, but then her smile disappeared, and the look of concern returned to her eyes. "Let's go, Minji, you, me, and your... Uncle Soo-hyun. I know it's probably confusing you right now, and I'm sure you have questions about your dad, but..."

"I want to go," I said, standing up. "I don't want to live with him anymore."

My mom just looked at my face for a couple of seconds, her lips pressed together. She exhaled and ran her hand through my hair again. Tears came to her eyes. "I haven't been a good mom," she said and shook her head from side to side.

"You're a good mom!" said. "You are the best mom in the world. But I want to live with Uncle Soo-hyun. I don't want my dad to hit you anymore or make you cry."

She sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek and then nodded her head at me. "We're going to be happy, Minji, do you hear me? You and me, we're going to be happy."

"Okay," I said, keeping my eyes on her pretty face.

"It's okay," she said, finally smiling.

That's when the front door opened and Uncle Soo-hyun rushed in. His face looked tense.

"Are you ready?" she asked, looking at my mom.

She nodded.

"The suitcases are right there," she nodded toward the four pieces of luggage at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you OK?" Uncle Soo-hyun asked, his eyes moving over my mom as if he was watching to make sure she was okay.

"I will be. Take us away from here," she whispered.

Uncle Soo-hyun's face looked like someone was hurting him for a couple of seconds, but then he smiled and looked at me. "Ready, girl?"

I nodded and followed him and my mom out the front door. They both looked around as Uncle Soo-hyun put our suitcases into the trunk of the car. However, there was no one outside and when they both got into the car, they seemed relieved.