Page 19 of Rules for Rule Breaking
Kai clapped him on the back. “All right, Bae. Let’s go.”
Winter Park
7. WE WILL RESPECT THE ITINERARY
Winter wanted to spend some time with her grandmother before she and Bobby left, so she walked over to her place early in the morning. The sun had barely risen, so it was cool outside, though still very humid. She skipped along her empty neighborhood. She only saw one person—an overly ambitious jogger—on the way over. The senior center, on the other hand, was nearly full. Many of the seniors were enjoying their black coffee and cinnamon-raisin toast as they gossiped and read the paper.
Winter crossed the parking lot to her grandmother’s apartment. It was on the first floor in a building of four separate units. Halmeoni was sitting on her patio, drinking her customary cup of tea.
Winter’s Korean-language switch flicked on. “Halmeoni, jeo wasseoyo!”
“Don’t sit down,” Halmeoni responded in Korean. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Winter helped Halmeoni to her feet, and they started along the sidewalk that formed a circle around the entire complex. They passed Mr. Ahmad, who was strolling with his hands clasped pensively behind his back. He nodded as he walked by.
The two also passed by Nai Nai’s old apartment, but Winter didn’t say anything so as not to upset her grandmother. Halmeoni and Nai Nai had exercised together, gardened together, shopped together.They didn’t speak the same language, but they took the time to create their own unique form of communication. That was a best friend, unless Winter completely misunderstood the term. Winter wondered if her own best friend was inside. They hadn’t spoken since Emmy told her she wouldn’t be returning to the US after graduation. Every time Winter typed out a text, she ended up deleting it and doing something else instead. Winter hadn’t even told Emmy that today was the day she was leaving.
Halmeoni trudged along, refusing to look at the apartment.
“Can I ask you something?” Winter asked.
Halmeoni took a sandwich bag full of stale bread out of her purse. She took a piece of the bread, crumpled it, and threw it at the birds. “What is it, Soon-hee?”
“What did you think of Harabeoji when you first met him?” Winter watched the birds devour the little pieces of crust.
Halmeoni threw some more. “Where is this coming from?”
Winter idly kicked a few pebbles off the sidewalk and back into the street, frightening off some of the birds. “I don’t know. You never talk about him, and something Umma said got me thinking. I was curious.”
Halmeoni paused in front of the community garden. It was adorned with benches donated mostly by children of deceased former residents. They were arranged around a pergola, which looked like it was being swallowed whole by the bed of petunias in which it sat. Halmeoni bent down and touched the petals of the closest flower. “Your grandfather and I were introduced by our families,” she said. “We knew each other for five months before our wedding.”
“But what did you think of him?”
“He came from a good family, he worked hard, and he always took care of me. That’s all I needed to know.”
“Was it love at first sight?”
“Yes and no.” Halmeoni kept her attention on the petunias. “Being alone then was different than it is now. My parents worried about me. But I don’t worry about you, Soon-hee.”
Winter could tell her grandmother didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so she changed the subject. “So you’re not Team Bobby like Umma and Appa are?” she asked.
“It would bring me comfort knowing you have a friend in Boston. We don’t all have the luxury ofchoosingto be alone,” Halmeoni replied. “Could you at least try to be his friend for your parents’ and my sakes?”
Winter hated to imagine Halmeoni being alone. The two had only become close after Harabeoji died. Now that Nai Nai was gone and Winter would be going to college, Winter feared what effect it would have on Halmeoni’s health. She suddenly felt guilty for having only considered the consequences of her leaving on her own life. And truthfully, having someone in Boston whom she knew would be nice. Even though that friend was supposed to be Emmy.
Winter sighed. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now help me dig up some of these flowers.”
Winter thought her ears were broken. “What?”
“I need some flowers for my flower box. Help me.”
Winter looked all around. “What if we get caught?” she asked in disbelief.
“Then we get caught. If we don’t, then we have petunias.”
Winter stared at Halmeoni. She wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. But in all the years Winter had known her, she hadn’t been one to play pranks. Winter saw that her grandmother had fresh flowers in her flower box at all times and always wondered who took her to the nursery to buy them.
