Postcards From Africa

20

Suzy kept glancing at the red-eyed Tae and the older man beside her who had his arms around her, trying to calm the silently crying woman down.

They all sat on the cold metal chairs in the corridor, waiting to hear from the doctors as the cold hospital bustled with staff and patients.

Jang was restless, wanting to approach Tae to ask what happened to his brother but Suzy kept hushedly reprimanding him, forcing him to stay in his seat until Tae calmed down enough to tell them what happened.

A doctor came out in his scrubs and walked over. "Choi Hyun's family?" he asked, looking at Suzy and her family.

They scrambled up to him while Tae and her father simply stood in the background, keeping their distance but listening intently.

"Choi is fine.  He scraped his face and is badly bruised and swollen right now and he strained his leg and arm muscles but he'll be alright with proper care and physio. It's a wonder he didn't break anything. Anyone know what happened to him?"

Suzy beckoned Tae over and slowly, she dragged her feet over to the family.

In Korean, she told the doctor what happened, deliberately leaving out the part where her father told Choi that she was getting married, the very reason he got into the accident. To the doctor and Choi's family, Choi simply received some bad news and wasn't concentrating when he walked into the road hence a car almost running him over.

"Well, you may go and see him now but he's still under anaesthesia and might still be asleep. If he's awake, his face is too swollen and he won't be able to speak until the swelling goes down."

Suzy gently took Tae's hand and smiled at her, rubbing her shoulder. "I may not approve of you as a potential daughter-in-law but I am sure that your face will be the first thing Choi would love to see when he wakes up. The poor boy is in love with you even if he won't tell you."

Tae suddenly faltered in her steps. "I am so sorry Suzy..." she cried, pulling her hand out of Suzy's. "Please tell Choi I'm sorry. I can't see him." She sobbed as she walked back to her father and left the hospital.

Jang frowned. "What just happened, Eomma (mom)?"

Suzy shrugged. "Quick. Call your father. I forgot to call him because I was so worried about Choi. Tell him to come immediately."

Jang nodded and while he made the call, Suzy walked into Choi's room.

Choi was hooked to a machine but he was breathing on his own, his entire face blue and purple and swollen in the areas where it wasn't bandaged. His arm and leg were suspended, wrapped in bandages and parts of his upper body had gauzes and bandages.

Suzy walked over to him, holding in her tears as she kissed his face gently. "My baby," she whispered. "Eomma (mom) is here. Wake up, my boy."

Choi groaned as he popped his eyes open. His eyes landed on his mother and then darted around the room, searching.

"She is not here," Suzy sadly said, knowing that he was looking for Tae. "She said she was sorry. I think she's too scared to see you like this, my baby."

When she looked at Choi, a tear was running down the side of his face and she wiped it away.

.

Ever since Tae got to her house with her father, she had immediately asked to be left alone and her father took the car to drive around in order to give her space.

She immediately started packing her clothes, not even shedding any more tears, just vigorously stuffing everything of hers into her suitcase, intent on even sleeping at the airport so that she wouldn't be where she was for longer than she wanted to be.

As soon as she finished, she lugged her suitcase through the lounge to the front door and then went to sit in the kitchen to wait for her father who arrive fifteen minutes later.

He stared first at the suitcase at the door and then at his worn looking daughter in her white stained dress and her bloodshot eyes. Without a word, he walked over to her and hugged her gently.

"You should have let me tell him myself," she whispered, placing her hand on his arm.

"I know you, Taera. You weren't going to tell him. What you were doing to him was horrible and I decided to do what you weren't going to do. I told him the truth. I am sorry that this ended in tragedy but he had the right to know. I was not courteous in how I approached the situation and for that, I am sorry."

Tae looked at him. "Suzy says he's in love with me."

Her father looked at her. "I know."

She frowned. "What do you mean you know?"

"I heard it in the way he spoke about you and the expressions he wore whenever he looked at you. I know a man in love when I see one, Taera. But you know that even if you are my daughter, you cannot have a fling with anyone we work with or are about to work with. Company policy applies to you too."

"The last thing he'll remember about me is me getting married."

"Which you are. I thought we had already discussed this before you came to Korea. Or is the feeling mutual between you and Choi?"

Tae kept quiet.

Her father chuckled. "Ah! There it is. And I thought the two of you were just having fun."

"We were...but then...I know that I promised you, tata (father) but...I mean..."

"Oh, Taera. You are your mother. You cannot make up your minds about what exactly you want. I thought Luka was the man for you. That boy would go to the ends of the earth for you and he can afford to do it with you too. But now...now here you are, wanting Choi Hyun."

"Luka would go to the ends of the earth for me but you and I both know that I wouldn't go to the ends of the earth for him. But I would go for Choi Hyun."

Tae started crying.

"I would do anything for Choi Hyun but after what I did, I doubt he would want to even see my face-"

The phone rang and Tae answered.

Her hysteric mother was on the other end. "TAERA! YOU AND YOUR FATHER BETTER GET BACK HOME NOW!"

"What's going on?"

"LUKA HAS GONE MAD AND HE DECIDED THAT HE WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU ANYMORE!! HE IS MARRYING SOMEONE ELSE!! I HAVE GATE CRASHED HIS WEDDING!!"

Tae sighed. "Mom, just leave him be. It's fine."

"FINE?!! FINE?!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S FINE??"

"Luka...let him marry someone else-"

"But your wedding is in a couple of weeks."

"I don't love Luka and you know it. I was doing this because he liked me and for once in my life...I just wanted to get married before...before...you know?"

"Oh, Taera, my little girl."

"I wanted to make you and tata (father) proud. Give you grandchildren before everything goes to shit, mom."

"Language, Taera! Fine. I am leaving Luka alone but I have already done some damage. His bride is crying and everyone is yelling. I should get out of here. Talk to you later. I love you and tell your father that if he does not get his ass back here he will find me newly married too."

Tae laughed slightly. "He can hear you."

Tae's father guiltily smiled at her. "Go talk to Choi before you regret leaving without sorting things out. And remember, be honest about everything. He might or might not reject you. Keep room for disappointment."