Watch a horror special

“Let’s wander around Manhattan every Sunday like your friend Yeowangbong who lives in Seoul.” My husband said. 

On our first Manhattan trip, we took subway line 1 and got off at Franklin Street in downtown. We walked to the Hudson River and visited Pier 26 in the Tribeca Hudson River Park. Then we had a nice lunch at a Japanese restaurant — I had pork and my husband had shrimp donburi.

We strolled around Battery Park and walked all the way to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. We thought about taking the ferry to cool off a bit, but it didn’t arrive on time, so we just went home. It was a fun outing.

The second trip didn’t go as smoothly. We got off at 14th Street and visited Little Island at Pier 55 near the Hudson River. Then we walked along the High Line toward Hudson Yards. When we got to the Vessel, we saw that it was closed after the fourth person had jumped from it. We sat on beach chairs nearby and watched tennis and women’s soccer on a big screen.

We agreed to have lunch in Koreatown. We went into a Korean restaurant on 32nd Street and were seated next to the restroom. It smelled faintly of ammonia, and I lost my appetite. I politely asked the waitress if we could change seats. But then, something unexpected happened. She gave me a terrifying stare, like a ghost from a horror movie, with torn, white eyes. Her eyes seemed to say, “Just sit down and eat quietly.” I felt like if I said anything, she might run into the kitchen and come back with a knife.

I wondered, “Did I see that right?” It didn’t seem like a one-time thing — maybe she always acts that way. I looked at my husband. He looked frozen, also shocked. After a while, when we turned away and didn’t react, the horror-movie waitress disappeared into the kitchen and didn’t return. I was debating whether we should leave or not, quietly touching the corner of the table. Then, an older woman — maybe the owner — came over kindly and changed our seats.

I had no appetite. My husband quietly ate his food and then said,

“Did you see her eyes? I’ve never seen anyone look at me like that in my life.”

I said, “Just ignore her. If she wants to glare with those crazy eyes, let her. Maybe she hates working and takes it out on customers. But in the end, she’s just ruining her own life. There are a lot of bitter people in the world, ready to fight anyone. Why should we pay to get dragged into that? We changed seats. That’s enough.”

Before heading home, we stepped into a church with its door open. My husband always waits outside when I go in. I prayed:

“Lord, today we had a small conflict with someone who seemed like a horror movie character in the middle of this summer heat. But I thank you that we were still able to enjoy a walk through Manhattan together on our strong legs and return home safely.”