Thursday was... wait, there's more that happened on Wednesday.
After dinner, my friends and I went to get some ice cream at Lotteria. We were taking pictures together when I spotted two of my kids from school. They had ice cream in hand as well. They saw me and asked me to come with them. I told them I was saying goodbye to my friends and asked them where they wanted to go. One of my friends speaks Korean, so he asked them for me. The oldest, a 6th grade boy I've written about already, told him about the hospital around the corner. I filled my friends in about something, so I'll tell you, too. This student and his family was involved in a car accident maybe a month ago. For awhile, the two kids hadn't been at school, but after they came back, I didn't get to see them in my English class very often. Still, the eldest had told me about the accident earlier, so I knew what he was talking about when he said to go to the hospital. I hadn't realized that someone in the family was still visiting the hospital though.
My friends and I left Lotteria and followed the kids to the hospital. Before going in, I had to part ways with my "foreigner" friends and say truly final goodbyes. After they others left, the boy looked at me curiously. Where were they going? Maybe he had misunderstood my explanation earlier. I explained again that they were leaving Korea and going home. He looked shocked and told me to go after them. I reassured him that I already said goodbye and that I could follow him now.
He and his sister (1st grade) took me up the stairs to the third floor, and I stopped in the hallway while they ran ahead to a room near the end of the hall. I heard them say mother in Korean. Oma. Was she the patient? Yes. They called me into the room and I met their mom. During this time, I was really confused about being there. I'm not sure if it's ok to spend time with kids and their family outside of school, but this situation seemed super-excusable. They (the mom and her children) shared so many things with me. A plum, a health drink, an origami camera. We talked a little bit. I spoke some Korean in front of them all. There was another lady in the room, the second patient in the room. I wasn't sure who she was, but she smiled to me and accepted my greeting. I only spent about 15 minutes with them (I had another appointment to go to that night. Not nearly as important, but still scheduled), but I'm really glad I did. I hope that when I am no longer the kids' teacher, I can keep in touch with them on a more friendly basis. As a friend, not as a distant but friendly teacher. I've been wondering if I should visit that room again, or if I should try to run into the kids again. Neither of them are in my summer program, so unless I meet them on the streets again, I probably wont get to see them until the fall school term begins.
...Ah, then Thursday came. You already know a bit about Thursday.
More later,
-Shirby
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