Miracles on Miracles

Chapter 5

"Yeah, Ita, I'm having a good time," Carmen told her grandmother. "I'm in Costa Rica. So, it's la pura vida," she said, echoing that common Costa Rican phrase which roughly translated to "life at its best".

"Ah, pues, 'sta bien," her grandmother replied affirmatively. "Oye, tu ito isn't doing well," the older woman admitted. "He has bronchitis again, and he just sleeps all the time," she informed Carmen.

"Aw, that's not good," Carmen replied with concern. "Tell him to take care," she added.

"I told him not to take a shower because it's too cold out, but he doesn't listen to me," Ita groused.

"Ita, a hot shower isn't going to do him any harm," Carmen clarified, knowing all the while that she wouldn't change her stubborn grandmother's mind. To her, taking a hot shower in cold weather was the main cause of respiratory illnesses, never mind that her grandfather had COPD and was likely to get those illnesses no matter whether he took a shower or not. But Carmen knew that in situations like this, reason never won over experience. So, she ended her protests there.

"Keep me updated on Ito," Carmen said as she hung up the phone. Yunho was studying her intensely.

"I don't understand Spanish, but it seems like you're concerned," he said to Carmen as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's just my grandpa. He has breathing problems, and he has bronchitis again. So, it's a little worrisome, but he always bounces back. He's a 94-year-old badass," she told Yunho.

Yunho nodded. "Oh, by the way, I had an uncomfortable conversation with Ms. Choi, one of the underlings of KQ," he said breezily.

"What do you mean?" Carmen asked, her anxiety piqued.

"Nothing. It's her job to ride me about shit. It's no big deal. When it comes down to it, they need me too much to get themselves too bent out of shape about our relationship. I mean, yeah, I know that HR wouldn't approve of it, but we have a lot of life to live past my K-pop years. I'm not going to be unhappy now just to fulfill some arbitrary rules," he assured her.

"You say they need you, but they could easily get rid of me," Carmen reasoned.

"Nah," Yunho dismissed her concern. "They just want to come off as hard-assed, but in the end, these kinds of relationships happen all the time," he concluded.

"I guess," Carmen sighed. "Are you still up for the jungle wildlife tour?" she asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yeah, it will be neat," Yunho replied.

So, that afternoon, Yunho and Carmen set out with their guide, Rogelio, to see the untouched beauty of Costa Rica's protected nature reserves. Despite the development of resort areas and tourist traps, Costa Rica had managed to preserve some of its precious wildlife habitats due to government involvement.

"Let me tell you that we are so proud in Costa Rica to be one of the top 20 countries for biodiversity in the world," Rogelio bragged. "Our country is home to over 500,000 species," he continued. Suddenly, Rogelio stopped dead in his tracks, his head tilted, listening for something.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, causing a hush to fall over the tourists. He pointed to a branch not far away where two scarlet macaws sat close together.

Carmen squeezed Yunho's arm as she watched wide-eyed as the gorgeous birds seemed to strut and preen as if they knew they had an audience. Carmen breathed in the feeling of being very blessed. She had a job she loved alongside a man she was coming to love as well. Her loved ones were safe and well-fed. She couldn't think of a single thing that was going wrong in her life. In times like these, it was easy to say of herself that she was "blessed and highly favored" as her maternal grandfather always said.