The Fold by An Na Page A

having a hard time thinking about Gina going off to a different college. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to never talk to your best friend again.
    “Now that you are getting older, it’s time you started dating appropriate men,” Gomo announced.
    Uhmma pressed her lips together, making the skin around the edge of her mouth white. Helen had always been the obedient daughter and listened to whatever Uhmma and Apa said. If Gomo thought Helen wasready to date, then Uhmma and Apa didn’t have much choice about Helen embarking on a dating odyssey.
    Helen closed the book and said quietly, “Thank you, Gomo.”
    Joyce observed Uhmma and Apa sharing a look. Joyce wondered if they still thought Helen’s studies should come first, especially with all those years of medical school still looming ahead for her.
    Gomo reached down and pulled up the next shopping bag.
    “This one is for Andy.”
    Andy jumped up and ran over to receive the bag. He even planted a kiss on Gomo’s cheek. “Gam-sa-ham-nee-da, Gomo,” he said and ran back to his seat with the bag.
    Joyce started to get suspicious. “What’s in the bag, Andy?” she asked.
    Andy reached down into the bag and pulled out a large plastic container with hundreds of tiny capsules filled with a clear yellow liquid that looked like vegetable oil.
    “My magic growth capsules!” Andy said and shook the container, making the pills rattle.
    “What?” Joyce asked.
    Gomo leaned forward. “They are shark liver extractpills with a special Chinese root for growing taller. It was very hard to find, but I know this will make Andy happy.”
    Joyce turned to Andy. “Are you really going to take that?” she whispered.
    Andy looked at her like she was crazy. “I asked for it, Joyce. How else am I going to make the NBA?” He gazed lovingly at his bottle of capsules. “This stuff made Tom Koh grow five inches last year.”
    Gomo tapped her water glass again.
    “Tomorrow, I will take you to your present,” Gomo said to Uhmma.
    “Gomo, you did not have to do anything special for me,” Uhmma said.
    “This procedure will change your life,” Gomo said.
    Uhmma began to blink rapidly at the word
procedure.
    “What do you mean, Gomo? What procedure?”
    Gomo raised her pointer finger to her eyebrows and lightly traced the shape. “Permanent makeup tattoos. I will take you to my person. She is an artist. After you get your eyebrows and eyeliner done, you will not look so tired all the time at the restaurant.”
    Uhmma picked up her tea and swallowed all of it in two gulps. “Gomo, really, this is much too expensivea gift for me. Please. Save your money. I do not think—”
    Gomo held up her hand and stared ferociously at Uhmma until she stopped protesting.
    “I will pick you up at the restaurant at two o’clock tomorrow. Surely, Mrs. Lee can handle the kitchen until you get back.”
    “Well. Yes.” Uhmma signaled the waitress for more tea. “Yes, I believe so.”
    “Good.” Gomo lifted her teacup to her lips, but her hawk eyes peered over the rim at Joyce.
    Joyce felt her family’s eyes turning to her. She pinched her chubby knees to keep from laughing nervously. The thought of all those sale clothes sounded pretty enticing right then, compared to shark liver oil, a Korean dating service, and permanent makeup tattoos. The evening was turning into a strange Korean game show with even stranger prizes.
    “Joyce,” Gomo said, “I have made a doctor’s appointment for you. Next week, we will go and visit Dr. Rie-ne-or.”
    “Who?” Joyce said, still confused.
    Gomo set her teacup down. She patted the corners of her lips with her napkin. “My doctor,” she said. “He is Jewish. Very smart.” Gomo pointed to her temple.
    Joyce reached up to the zit on her temple. It had gone down a lot, but there was still a scar there from all the picking.
    “Oh, for my skin,” Joyce said. “It’s really not that bad. I should just stop eating chocolate, but maybe