Magic Rich Boy // JHS

one: movement

One: Movement

-1998-

"I got a promotion," Leo said suddenly, watching Isabela sit on the couch and bottle feed his niece, whom they named Maria.

Isabela snapped her head up, eyes wide. She almost dropped the bottle on the baby. Matthew was next to her softly petting the newborn's head.

"Y-you got a what?" she stuttered as Maria fussed in her arms.

"A promotion," Leo repeated, this time with a smile.

Those words were the best news they have had in months. They were struggling and barely had anything to live on once all the bills were paid. Both Leo and Isabela had lost a lot of weight from both stress and skipping meals. Isabela, ever since Maria came into their home, had a lot less time to go job hunting and Leo could barely take any time off from fear of being laid-off. He was lucky enough to not be part of the hundred employees that lost their jobs two years ago from all the budget cuts. The company had been preparing to expand globally ever since then. He couldn't afford to lose this job since it was a miracle he even had it. Leo only had a high school education; once he ran away, he lost his opportunity of going to college and getting an actual degree. However, he was smart and a fast-learner which scored him an entry-level position two years after living on his own and working odd jobs both at the company and in retail.

"They're transferring me," he continued. "The company finally opened a new branch–"

"Wait, you're leaving?" Isabela interrupted causing Matthew to look at his mother.

"We're leaving," Leo corrected. "The new branch is in South Korea. I know it's far, but the company will give us an apartment, a bigger apartment until we get our own place."

"I don't know any Korean, Leo," she stated the obvious. "You don't know any Korean."

"My job is only to make sure everything is running smoothly. I've been promoted to facility manager."

"You aren't understanding what I'm saying. We don't know the language, the culture, nothing. Korea is half-way across the world. We'll really be by ourselves."

"But isn't that what we wanted," Leo said with an excited tone, crouching in front of her and placing his hands on her legs. "A life, a new one at that. Only ours. Korea is a lot safer and has an awesome education system. It'll be perfect for us and for them."

Isabela looked into her husband's eyes. She feared to leave because everything they ever knew was here. But she couldn't keep living like this. She barely ever saw her husband and couldn't sleep because of Maria. She looked at Maria in her arms, the baby had her eyes closed as she sucked on the bottle. Her soft short curly hair was thick for how young she was. She was so small, so much smaller than what Matthew was when he was born. Maria would never know her real mother, so it was up to Isabela and Leo to look after her and keep her safe. Then Isabela looked at Matthew, her beautiful baby boy. Isabela thought she would have at least two kids, but Matthew was a big baby and giving birth was very painful; she wasn't going to have any more kids after that. He is young, he would learn the language and Maria would also for sure. The better life wasn't here. They needed to leave.

Isabela nodded and looked at how her husband's eyes crinkled when he smiled. He was elated they were going. All they ever wanted was to leave far away, it's just that Isabela never imagined it being that far.

A month later, the Carmesi family was walking into their new apartment in the heart of Gangnam. They could barely believe their eyes as they took on the beauty of the view that came with living on the twentieth floor. It was sundown and the sky was painted with oranges, purples and pinks. It almost made Isabela cry. She could hear her husband set up their old foldable crib to put the sleeping Maria in it. Matthew was pulling on the white plastic cover that was over the living room couch.