Just Enough For Her Little Dream: Book Two

In Joo

I think I'm getting the hang of English. Hwayoung unnie tells me that it just takes practice and confidence. She says I already have the practice, now I need the confidence.

I've tried talking in English with my sisters. Both of them understand me well. In-hye helps me correct a few things I say wrong and she explains them to us. We've decided to give In-kyung small lessons at the end of our days since she says she's going to start going to interviews now. I also have been anxious to look for a job, but the language is difficult to handle. If they don't speak English, they speak Mandarin or Cantonese. I have not seen very many Koreans here.

I rant about this with Hwayoung and let out a sigh. She does a small chuckle as she writes a few things on the green chalkboard. "It's always difficult to adapt to something new the first few months. Give it time. You'll end up loving it here, especially since you have your sisters with you."

"I admire them. They've adapted so quickly already. My sweet In-hye is working and she already made a friend at work. She's so excited to start school. And my other sister is already getting ready for interviews!"

"What will she work in?"

"She was a reporter back in Seoul. She wants to start slow here in the journalism field, but her dream is to study Economics."

"Oh really? How interesting. Why is that?"

"She said she's always been fascinated with the way money can be made and destroyed. So she wanted to know how some people are rich while others are poor. I suppose she wanted to understand how money works so she help the less fortunate like us."

"You three are quite the team, aren't you?"

I share a small chuckle with Hwayoung and nod. "I'm proud of both of them. Sometimes I feel so dim compared to them."

"From what it looks like, it seems like they are that way because you shaped them. They are the women they are today because of you. I wouldn't be so hard on myself if I were you."

I smile at her encouragement. Unnie just knows how I feel. It's clear that she's lived nearly the same life we had. She's just so understanding and she always knows exactly what to say.

As we start to practice the alphabet, she makes me trace a few letters on a small whiteboard. She seems tired today. I wonder who she is outside of this classroom.

"You said you were looking for a job? Are you desperate?"

I do a small chuckle at her words. "I mean...if you put it that way..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's because I may be able to help you find a job if the language is the problem."

"How? Barely anyone speaks Korean here."

"That's what you think. There are many Koreans here. You just don't go out and interact very much. If there's a job that will always be available for you and you don't even have to speak, it's house cleaning."

"House cleaning. Like literally just going to clean a house?"

"Yes. It's mostly for the very rich neighborhoods. That's how I started off here. There was one mansion I would go to every week. The family was Korean and very well known. They are practically the Korean royalty in LA." I laugh at her description and she nods with raised brows. "It's true! That family goes back ages with the States. They have international affairs and they may have buildings almost all over Korea."

"What family is it?" Not rich people again. I've had my share of getting tangled up with rich families. But the name she gives me sounds unfamiliar.

"The Lee family." I shrug. "Well, they are most popular in the States. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a royal bloodline."