SUNDAY

     Today is Sunday in my part of the world. It's fun to think that someone reads me in a completely different time zone or even another hemisphere! Isn't it? Why are my thoughts and events so important that people would tune in every day (that tells you how old I am, to still talk in terms of tuning in!)? I don't know. I felt that if I don't put them (thoughts and events) to paper (Huh, paper! Remind yourself, Dina, you are typing on a laptop!)... I mean, I felt that if I didn't express some of the things on my mind, I would've blown my top. In other words, the time came for me to tell others what I am and where I came from. And so I do.
     Today is Sunday. My husband, who goes to church once a month, declared that today everyone will have to go. I let him win small victories so I agreed. Just kidding. I dragged Sonny out of bed, got myself together (it took some effort!) and we went. Taka, usually, wants to escape right after the sermon, otherwise, God forbid, he might have to talk to someone! So he took a separate car. That's his understanding of a Sunday Service. Whatever, he is entitled to his preferences! Park and Roberta left for church earlier than us, but their car wasn't at it's usual disabled parking spot. When I asked Roberta where it was, she replied that Park forgot his bag at home. He promised that he will teach a Korean language class today, and the bag had all his teaching materials. He went back home for it, but the home was locked; all of us were at the church, remember?  Halfway through the service he popped up at my elbow and asked for a key to the house door. I was amused by his mishap, so great is my resentment toward that man! It is really not in my nature to delight in someone's problems.
     All through the sermon I was occupied trying to keep Sonny awake. After the end, he bought himself some sushi in cafeteria from the Japanese ladies who were raising funds for some purpose, and went to wait for me in the car. Park came to the cafeteria, had some lunch, looking at me with loafing because I already managed to buy Roberta food. He wants to be first in everything, but - no one can do it, so he sulks. After the meal he took his bag and sauntered to the room where his future pupils were supposedly waiting for him.
     An acquaintance's husband stopped by at a table where I chatted with a couple of friends. He told me that his wife, a church bookkeeper, would like to see me in her office. Since Park was going to teach a class, I had to drive Roberta home. On the way to the bookkeeping office, though, I met him. He was on the way out. I couldn't make out the reason why the class didn't happen. The bumbler took Roberta and went home.
     I was already loaded with some frozen fish and a lunch for Taka that I also bought from the fundraisers. Huffing and puffing, I made my way to a remote part of the church. There I had to find the lady's office! I knocked on quite a few doors before I heard her muffled reply.
     She is a Russian woman who is married to a Japanese man. They seem to live well together. Recently they suddenly lost a child to an immunal disease. Most of the time, she tries to keep a busy and brave front, but today it was definitely slipping. She called me to show me a new diet that she found. We talked about it for a long time. I could feel her pain, like there was a black hole in the room that sucked away air. I try to be as gentle and undemanding of her attention as possible. We parted ways after I gave her some of the salmon that I bought earlier (she likes it).
     That is how my day went. At home Taka, who still says that he can't have usual food, demanded that I make him something soft to eat, even though he already ate the food that I brought for him from the church.  It took a while. All the time that I was cooking, he kept coming to the kitchen and munch on everything that he could find. As a result, he was not hungry for his dinner. I mentally spat in his direction and fed Roberta instead. Taka, of course, came right after I retired, gratefully, to my laptop to say that he changed his mind and will eat now. I wonder if he does these things on purpose or if he is just custom made to drive me crazy!