Cheska tapped the pillow. “You’re serious about your profession, aren’t you? Do you really think those gangsters’ sons will pass the exam?”
“I used to be like them once. When I found out that umma would not come back to us because she already had another family, I became a problematic child. I always get into fights with my classmates who tease me. My grades started to fail. I even started to talk back to my father. I hated the world then. Then my English teacher gave me an assignment. He said I wrote down all that I’ve been going through in a notebook, everything that I feel. He said he would pass me if I completed that. When he read my story, he asked me what my dream was. And all I wanted then was a family. A whole family. He said I might not be able to take it back, but I can still be happy if I fix my life.”
"So, you decided to be a better person and eventually forgive your mother," she added.
“It is not easy to forgive Omma. But I love her still. She made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. Shin Gun and his group probably were not that different from me back then. They have a messed-up world. They are in the family of gangsters. But that doesn't mean I won't give them hope nor help them. Their parents sent them to school because they wanted to change. Did you see how Park Gung and his teammates begged us earlier? No matter how bad a person they were, they are still a father. For a proud and violent person to humble themselves like what Park Gung’s group did, it was obvious how much they wanted their children to have a future. A different path away from their lives now. Do you understand me?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes."
She had a limited view of the world. Sometimes, she saw people in black and white. If a person is good, he is good. If the person is bad, he is bad. Nothing in between. She failed to realize that some were products of their past experiences. That she couldn’t just judge people based on what she was seeing on them and from the limited knowledge she had because people have different facets of their personalities. Carter had his own dark past. He never wanted his parents to be separated. He just did what his young mind needed to do to cope up with such an overwhelming problem. Like Shin Gun, he also did not choose to be the son of a gangster. Maybe even Park Gung has his own story.
“I will call my friend later. He’s a tour guide himself. I’ll let him take you to Boseong Tea Farm. You can spend the night there. I also have a contact there at the hotel and I will talk to him about your accommodation. I'm sorry if I can't be with you starting tomorrow. It would be better for you if you stay there in case something comes up again here,” he said. "I'm sorry if your vacation is always a mess."
"I'm not going there," she protested.
"Where do you want to go then?”
“I’ll stay here. I’ll help you teach those kids.”
His lips pursed. “Cheska, this is not your problem. This is our family’s concern. I mean, I appreciate the help but I cannot let you have you ruin your vacation.”
“Carter, you need help. You said English is your forte and you have difficulty with Math. I saw Eun Young’s reviewer. I think I can help the kids with that.”
"You have done so much for us already.”
“I'm not just doing this for you. I’m doing this for the kids as well as for myself. I want to do something good. I want to make a difference.”
“Cheska…”
“I can say that I have been lucky with my life. My parents have a good life. We are not rich but I have never experienced being poor or hungry. You can say that I had it easy. Probably the biggest problem I had was Doc Darryl's death. And with my first experience with a big problem like that, I imprisoned myself in the world. I was trapped in my own pain. Coming to Korea was an eye-opener for me. And I want my stay here to be more meaningful. I will be happier if I can help be of help here instead of spending my vacation on my own. Do you understand me?"
There was still a look of concern in his eyes. "Are you sure about this?"
“Yes. It doesn't matter where I am, right? What’s important is that I’m happy.”