seeing a dermatologist will help. Gam-sa-ham-nee-da, Gomo.”
Joyce felt pleased that her gift was a practical one.
Gomo leaned forward and studied Joyce’s face. “Yes, the san-gah-pu-rhee will change your entire face. Dr. Rie-ne-or will make your eyes much bigger.”
Joyce glanced around the table, but none of her family members would meet her gaze. “What does a dermatologist have to do with eyes?”
Gomo turned in her seat. “Where is our banchan? They could at least bring us some kimchee.” Gomo signaled the waitress.
“I don’t get it.” Joyce said. “I thought a dermatologist only looked at skin and stuff.”
Andy leaned over. “Dr. Reiner. You know.”
“Dr. Reiner?”
Andy curled his upper lip and whispered, “Dr. Reiner. Remember? Michael’s plastic surgeon.”
Joyce sat back in her seat. Her breath came in shallow pants. The plastic surgeon. Gomo’s plastic surgeon.
Gomo turned back to the table after the waitressleft. She stared at Joyce. “The double eyelid fold surgery is a very simple procedure. It was my first operation.” Gomo closed her eyes, pointed to her upper eyelids and then opened her eyes again. Twin crescent moon creases appeared above her piercing black hawk eyes. “These days, they do not even cut the skin with a knife. They use a laser and only sew a little here and there.”
Joyce picked up her tea and swigged it down, wishing for once it was shoju. A knife? Laser? Just the very thought made Joyce sweat.
Gomo wiggled her finger at Joyce from across the table. “I know you want to be beautiful like Helen. You will never be as pretty as your sister, but with my doctor’s help, you can look very nice.”
Joyce lowered her head and raised the napkin to her mouth, wishing she could wipe more than the corners of her lips. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and furiously blinked back the tears. If nothing else, you could always count on Michael to be brutally honest.
At the end of the night, everyone stood outside of the restaurant and took their turn again to thank Gomofor her generous gifts. Gomo reminded Uhmma that she would come by tomorrow to pick her up for the appointment. Uhmma said faintly, “Yes, I’ll be ready.”
They waved and bowed again and watched as Gomo drove away. Apa faced his family. “Now,” he said. “That was not too bad.” He turned around to step off the curb, and before anyone could catch him, he somehow misplaced his step and fell down onto the street, one shoe slipping off as his ankle twisted under his weight.
Uhmma rushed to his side. “Apa, are you all right?” She tried to help him stand. “What happened?”
Apa slowly stood up with Uhmma’s help, while Joyce retrieved his shoe.
As Joyce bent down to set the shoe in front of him, she noticed something odd about how it was made. She stared at his feet. At the way his one shoeless foot dangled so much farther from the ground than the foot that was planted firmly in his new wing-tip shoes. And then it all made sense.
“Apa,” Joyce said, “did Gomo give you shoes with lifts in them?”
Apa smiled sheepishly. “I look taller.”
Helen and Andy groaned.
“It’s like you’re wearing man heels.” Andy laughed.
“Hey, shark liver boy,” Helen said. “Look who’s talking.”
Uhmma sighed. “Your Gomo has her own ideas sometimes.”
Apa slipped his shoe on, but he still hobbled and could not put weight on the injured foot. Helen studied him trying to walk and said, “You sprained it, Apa. You’re going to have to ice it when you get home.”
Uhmma helped Apa walk to the car as Helen, Andy and Joyce followed behind.
“Michael strikes again,” Andy stated.
EIGHT
gina pushed open the door to the department store and waved Joyce in first. Joyce smiled at the chivalrous gesture and curtsied in response before entering. Soft jazz piano music filtered down from the escalator atrium. Joyce squinted for a second as her eyes adjusted to the bright light that
Joyce felt pleased that her gift was a practical one.
Gomo leaned forward and studied Joyce’s face. “Yes, the san-gah-pu-rhee will change your entire face. Dr. Rie-ne-or will make your eyes much bigger.”
Joyce glanced around the table, but none of her family members would meet her gaze. “What does a dermatologist have to do with eyes?”
Gomo turned in her seat. “Where is our banchan? They could at least bring us some kimchee.” Gomo signaled the waitress.
“I don’t get it.” Joyce said. “I thought a dermatologist only looked at skin and stuff.”
Andy leaned over. “Dr. Reiner. You know.”
“Dr. Reiner?”
Andy curled his upper lip and whispered, “Dr. Reiner. Remember? Michael’s plastic surgeon.”
Joyce sat back in her seat. Her breath came in shallow pants. The plastic surgeon. Gomo’s plastic surgeon.
Gomo turned back to the table after the waitressleft. She stared at Joyce. “The double eyelid fold surgery is a very simple procedure. It was my first operation.” Gomo closed her eyes, pointed to her upper eyelids and then opened her eyes again. Twin crescent moon creases appeared above her piercing black hawk eyes. “These days, they do not even cut the skin with a knife. They use a laser and only sew a little here and there.”
Joyce picked up her tea and swigged it down, wishing for once it was shoju. A knife? Laser? Just the very thought made Joyce sweat.
Gomo wiggled her finger at Joyce from across the table. “I know you want to be beautiful like Helen. You will never be as pretty as your sister, but with my doctor’s help, you can look very nice.”
Joyce lowered her head and raised the napkin to her mouth, wishing she could wipe more than the corners of her lips. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and furiously blinked back the tears. If nothing else, you could always count on Michael to be brutally honest.
At the end of the night, everyone stood outside of the restaurant and took their turn again to thank Gomofor her generous gifts. Gomo reminded Uhmma that she would come by tomorrow to pick her up for the appointment. Uhmma said faintly, “Yes, I’ll be ready.”
They waved and bowed again and watched as Gomo drove away. Apa faced his family. “Now,” he said. “That was not too bad.” He turned around to step off the curb, and before anyone could catch him, he somehow misplaced his step and fell down onto the street, one shoe slipping off as his ankle twisted under his weight.
Uhmma rushed to his side. “Apa, are you all right?” She tried to help him stand. “What happened?”
Apa slowly stood up with Uhmma’s help, while Joyce retrieved his shoe.
As Joyce bent down to set the shoe in front of him, she noticed something odd about how it was made. She stared at his feet. At the way his one shoeless foot dangled so much farther from the ground than the foot that was planted firmly in his new wing-tip shoes. And then it all made sense.
“Apa,” Joyce said, “did Gomo give you shoes with lifts in them?”
Apa smiled sheepishly. “I look taller.”
Helen and Andy groaned.
“It’s like you’re wearing man heels.” Andy laughed.
“Hey, shark liver boy,” Helen said. “Look who’s talking.”
Uhmma sighed. “Your Gomo has her own ideas sometimes.”
Apa slipped his shoe on, but he still hobbled and could not put weight on the injured foot. Helen studied him trying to walk and said, “You sprained it, Apa. You’re going to have to ice it when you get home.”
Uhmma helped Apa walk to the car as Helen, Andy and Joyce followed behind.
“Michael strikes again,” Andy stated.
EIGHT
gina pushed open the door to the department store and waved Joyce in first. Joyce smiled at the chivalrous gesture and curtsied in response before entering. Soft jazz piano music filtered down from the escalator atrium. Joyce squinted for a second as her eyes adjusted to the bright light that
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