The Model Father

Chapter 7

Jun woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and wondered what woke him. Nothing unusual it seemed, until he heard a faint sound coming from down the hall. Jun got up, and rushed to Kevin’s room. The little boy was mumbling something incoherent in his sleep, rocking back and forth. Jun rushed to his side and shook him awake.

“Uncle Jun,” Kevin cried when he opened his eyes. He clung to Jun’s neck and sobbed. Jun hugged him and rocked him still.

“It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “It’s just a nightmare. Shh..” Jun rubbed his back.

“It was scary,” Kevin said between sobs. “It was about mom and she left me out in the rain and lightning and thunder was everywhere. Then dad suddenly showed up, but he got taken away by some policemen and I couldn’t do anything.” He wrapped his arms tighter.

“Shh.. Uncle Jun’s here,” Jun said again. “No need to be scared.”

Kevin continued to sob until Jun couldn’t hear his cries. Kevin had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and Jun laid him back in bed and covered him with the blanket. Jun paused, pondering if he should stay with him for the rest of the night or go back to his own room. Jun took out an extra blanket and laid it on the floor next to Kevin’s bed and slept.

In the morning, Jun was reading a book and enjoying his coffee, waiting until it was time for him to leave for work. Earlier, Kevin had left for school, and neither mentioned the nightmare. In fact, Kevin left for school cheerfully. The doorbell buzzed, taking Jun out of his imaginative world to answer.

“Good morning,” Mao greeted as Jun opened the door. “I just came by to check on Kevin.”

“Hey, Mao, come in,” Jun replied and stepped aside to let her in. “Kevin already left for school, though. Why’d you come around when Kev’s gone?”

Mao inwardly sighed at him calling her by her first name, but chose to ignore it. “I also came by to give you this,” she said as she rummaged through her bag and crossed the threshold. “Coffee?” He called out as he made his way to the kitchen and poured her a cup, not bothering to wait for her reply.

“Ah, here you are,” Mao finally said as she pulled out her wallet and handed Jun a business card. “It’s my friend’s mother’s business. She can help with babysitting if you need it. She also cleans the homes where she babysit, with little to no extra cost. She’s really good with kids.” She tried again to convince Jun, who looked wary of the idea. “She’s great with her grandchildren and their friends. C’mon, you need her.”

Jun passed the cup of coffee to her as he nodded slowly. “If you say so,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll give her a call, then. I prefer that you watch Kevin, though.”

“Trust me, sweetie, you can’t afford me,” Mao mumbled above the rim of the cup.

“‘Sweetie’?” Jun raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. Mao froze at her slip-up. She usually used that endearment only with her closest friends, people that she was comfortable with.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” she retorted. “I say sweetie to my hairstylist, manicurist, pedicurist, health spa workers…” She shrugged as if it were no big deal. Looking for a way to change the subject, she picked up the book that Jun was reading earlier from off the dining table. “Of Mice and Men,” she read the title. “John Steinbeck. I didn’t know you could read.”

“Ha-ha,” came the reply from the kitchen. Jun was wiping the countertops dry and washed the dishes Kevin most likely had left behind. Mao walked over to the sink and after having washed her empty cup, set it to dry on the wooden dish drainer by the sink.