The Doctor and his Nursing Student

Uncle Hang Ups

I got home around 6 in the evening. It was a little traffic on the way home. I feel exhausted not just because of this dreaded traffic but also for what Jonathan made me go through. But I still had to tutor the next door kid. They pay me to teach the neighbor's son English and Math. They're immigrants from Korea. But they want the best for their son. And so they hired me to further help him learn with the subjects.

I plan to take a quick shower and grab the materials I'll be needing for tonight's lesson. As I was about to leave the house, saw my Uncle Neo at the veranda. Smoking as usual. "Oh, you still teach that next door kid. Why do they hire someone like you? What do you know? You're not a doctor like me. You're barely a student yourself. Do they know that?" I don't know why my uncle hates me. Every since I could remember, he keeps tormenting me and bullying me. Not physically though. More like psychologically and emotionally. But since he is my uncle, I simply said, "They know. That's why they hired me. I charge cheap." But before he could say more, I passed him and quickly went out and straight to our neighbor.

I tutor at least 3 children of the Choi family. Ages 7, 9 and 12 years old. Mrs Choi makes me my dinner as I teach her kids. She always prepare some kimchi pancakes for me. Which are my favorite. She uses different protein. But the one I always love to eat is the one with crab and shrimp meat on it. And of course she prepares me a pomegranate shake with it. Since I'm only allowed to teach each kid an hour, I eat my dinner while teaching the eldest kid.

As I was munching on my dinner, and checking my student's grammar, I received a message from my uncle's wife, Fiona. "Hey San, if you're not busy, could you please help me access your uncle's email. I'm trying to use his for my documents. And you know I'm not a techy person. So I don't have my own email address. Please assist me as soon as you can." I simply replied, "Sure, give me his email address and what you think his password is." She sends me the details. Took me a couple of minutes to figure out my uncle's password which is not so unique. It's his birthday. I should ask him to change that when I see him. And so I messaged her back, "His password is his birthday. Good luck in the email universe. I'm a bit busy now. Remember, tutoring?" Saying it sarcastically in the text. Hoping she gets what I mean. She only replied, "Thanks."

After my shift is done, I went home around 8:30 in the evening. As I approached the main doors to the house, saw my uncle's wife Fiona, crying at the veranda, with my grandma giving her comfort. My mom coming out of the kitchen bringing some water. We live in a very big property composed of different houses inside. More like a compound type living space. All the house are connected to a huge main veranda and the car garage.

As I got near to them, I was confused what's going on since all I Kno everything was fine. I just talked to her a couple of hours ago. I'm in a little panic hoping nothing serious happened, she's pregnant with their third child. As I approached, "Fiona, what happened? Are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?" As I said that, she lifted her head up, looking at me with tear streaked face. She said, "Your uncle is cheating on me." Of course that did not register immediately in my head. I was still reeling from the worry I felt for her baby. "What? What you mean he cheated?" I inquired to clarify if I heard her right. She composed her self and drinks water from the glass my mom handed to her. She breathe deeply to stop her sobs, while whipping her face with the tissue, "When I opened your uncle's email to check the files sent to me, I saw a woman's email address I do not recognize. I assumed it was that email I was waiting for. When I opened it, it's a reply to the previous and long conversation they had for months now."

I did not expect such a bombshell to drop at my feet this late in the evening. I'm exhausted and drained. I don't know what else to say. And so I tried to reassure her, "Maybe she didn't mean to send it to him. Maybe she typed the wrong email address. Let's not jump into conclusion immediately." But Fiona seems to be resolved on what she uncovered, "It was not a wrong send email. I've seen their conversations. I even saw pictures of them together. They're also planning to get married when she goes to the States with him. He even lent her money to use with her migrating papers. He used our money the one we will use when I give birth." Damn this is too much. What in the world has gotten in to my uncle. Fiona and Neo have been together since college. And they have soon to have 3 kids. Their eldest is 9 years old. But they never thought of getting married. I never asked them why. This news, him talking about marriage to another woman, is something else. I don't know what else to tell her, and so I said, "How about we go inside so you could rest. Then tomorrow when he comes back from work, maybe you can talk about it." At first she tries to refuse, but my grandma held her and convinced her.

By morning, got woken up by my mom, "Alessandra wake up. Help us bring your Aunt Fiona to the hospital. They had a fight and your uncle accidentally pushed her. Now she's bleeding. Call your friends at the hospital. See who's on duty to assist us." I quickly got up. Put on some pants and almost forgot to wear my bra in my panicked state. As I was going out to the garage, I had a hold of my friends who are on duty and are on standby at the hospital to assist us.