Love Me Once Again

Thirty

The day I left for Canada, Jong Woon was in Peru.

Most of my team, colleagues had said goodbye on my last day of work yesterday, including the directors and Dr Seo and Mason because he would be on Saturday duty.

I had visited Grandma the weekend before. I told her I would call her again before I fly. She also encouraged me to go. So did Mom when I had a call with her and I said I might not be able to go to Myanmar for the next two years. She told me she might be moving to Cambodia instead as they need help with setting up a new orphanage. It was time for her to move on.

Mandy and Kevin came to the airport to send me off even though I told them they didn't have to.

Mandy hugged me. Then Kevin hugged me too. At first he was hesitating if he should but I could see he wanted to, so I offered first.

The flight from Seoul to Toronto was a straight thirteen hours, slightly shorter than to London.

When I arrived, the weather was nice and cool. It was well into their Spring, just like in Seoul.

I was surprised to see my name on a placard held by a guy. When I saw him, I thought he looked somewhat familiar.

"Hey Dr Lee!" he greeted me when I walked up to him.

I gave him a blank look but with a polite smile.

"Do you remember me?"

No I don't. He looked half chinese half canadian and maybe hispanic too? A very exotic strikingly good looking man.

"I'm Nicholas Chen. We met at the conference in London," he explained.

"Oh.. OH!" I finally recalled. No wonder he looked familiar. Yes, he was that good looking Canadian doctor I picked out from the crowd because of his looks. Ah..

He chuckled. "Come, this way. Can I help you with that?" he offered to take my trolley. I told him it was okay but he insisted so I gave in. In some cultures, I believe, it is rude to turn down a kind gesture.

I followed him to his car. It was a Mercedes SUV.

He loaded my bags while I climbed up into his car.

"How was your flight?" he asked, probably to keep some conversation as he drives. I wonder how long it would take.. to wherever we were heading to.

"It was okay. Now waiting for the jet lag to kick in," I chuckled.

He chuckled too. "Fortunately you have the weekend to recover."

"That's why I came today instead." It was Saturday morning, a bright and sunny day, already showing it's a good day.

He chuckled again.

A moment later, he said, "Your apartment is just a few blocks to the hospital."

"That's good," I said. I was hoping for that. I had left it to their discretion to help me find accommodation. I would love it even more if it was a dormitory on campus.

"Do you have long hours back in Seoul?" he asked.

"It's still okay. Do you have long hours here?"

He shook his head. "Not really. And even not so for you as a research doctor. It will be almost like office hours, nine to five."

"Oh?"

"It's the ER doctors who get it bad. They have shifts."

"We work shifts too."

"Really?" he seemed surprised to hear that. "Here, specialists have fixed work schedule."

"Oh.." I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not..