A Silent Lover

6. TaekWoon

          
When I get to the river there are people everywhere playing games, running, picnicking families and couples going on dates. It's a beautiful day, and it seems as though everyone is taking advantage of the first truly warm day of spring. As I walk past them, I get even more excited, wondering if, like those couples, that will be me once I find Imani. I'm not paying close attention to where I'm going, wandering along the paths and past each small park, getting more nervous as I go along.

I came to a picnic area that was much quieter than the others with only a few families and couples around.
And that's when I see her sitting down on a blanket, her back turned towards me. My heart skips a beat and I step off the path, taking long strides to where she is. From here I can see that she's laughing but I don't know what's so funny until I see a little Korean boy run up to her. She holds out her arms and he throws himself into them. They hug and she's speaking to him, but she doesn't let go and he ends up sitting in her lap.

I'm confused as I watch them; who is the little boy and why are they so close? Is it a friend's child that she's watching? And what about our date? I don't know if I should leave or stay and indecision keeps me locked in place while I stare at them.

The two of them don't seem to notice, but they have attracted the stares of the people around them. I suppose that seeing an African American woman with a Korean child is something they've never experienced and they are watching out of curiosity.
Others look uncomfortable and keep their own families far away from them, as if what they are doing is somehow wrong. I can feel myself start to get angry because of their ignorance and distrust at seeing something out of the norm. Soon my anger has me moving towards them with determination; I won't be like the others.

As I get closer, the little boy gets up from Imani's lap and starts looking behind her. He sees me coming towards them and turns to her, whispering something in her ear. She looks around in urgent confusion, but calms when she sees that it's me.

I stop walking when I'm right behind her, and she stands up to face me. This is the first time I'm standing right beside her and she only just comes up to my chin. I feel pleased by our height difference; I like being able to see all of her rather than being directly face to face. It also made it easier to not be so nervous.

"Anneyonghaesyo," I said, giving a small bow to both Imani and the little boy.

She smiled at me and then said in Korean to the little boy, "This samchon is Jung TaekWoon. Insahae, JaeHyun."

"Anneyonghaesyo. JaeHyun Taylor imnida," the boy said in a cute voice and bowed low to me. I immediately I felt a smile come to my lips, and I was reaching out to pat his head before I even realized what I was doing. He was just so small and adorable and I could understand why Imani had been so lovable to him.

"Annyeong JaeHyun-ah. Pangawayo." I was still half petting him when he turned to Imani, my hand falling to my side as it slipped from his head.

"Eomma, can I go play by the water?"

At his words, I felt all the breath in my lungs get knocked out of me and I missed her response to him. He ran away quickly though, so I guessed she had told him it was ok.  I sat down on the blanket hard while Imani looked down at me. I didn't know if it was from a lack of oxygen or from the way the sun illuminated her from behind, but she looked like an angel; an angel with a baby.

Eomma? I had to have heard him wrong. Or maybe it was a nickname for her? My thoughts were going around in a whirlwind and I couldn't do anything but stare. I knew my face showed my usual look of indifference and for once I was glad about it. I didn't know what to think and Imani wasn't giving me any hints that said this scene was a joke. I felt the wind pick up around me, and even though the sun was beating down on my neck, that breeze chilled me through. I hugged my arms to myself as Imani turned her attention away from the boy and onto me.