1992, California: After graduating from high school, Bobbie ended up moving in with her older step brother (Ron) and his Korean wife (Onie). Since Bobbie was accepted to the University of California, Riverside, her dad wanted her to stay with them. Well, there were some last minute changes, like Bobbie’s dad disappearing for a while, so Bobbie had to withdraw from college. She got a secretary job (due to having experience while working summer jobs) with a family business to start making a living. Bobbie walked to work, which was close by until she saved enough money to buy a used car. The only things Bobbie didn’t like about walking to work are when a) it rained b) it was awkward while walking along the main streets where there were no sidewalks and c) a group of hispanic guys playing basketball would shout at her to get her attention…and when she didn’t respond to their obnoxious gestures, they would call her “Buta”, one of the Spanish words that Bobbie quickly learned. Other than that, Bobbie didn’t mind walking to work. It was about 30 minutes away, and the exercise was satisfying. Ron and Onie grew on Bobbie…they helped her a lot, and she would never forget it. They became another truly disfunctional, yet happy family. Onie was initially a bit snotty, but she later became like a big sister to Bobbie. Whe Bobbie was finally ready to buy a car, they all went car shopping at used car lots. Bobbie saw one red car that she fell in love with. Bobbie could tell that Ron was excited for her too, and that he wanted to get it for her; however, Onie mentioned that the other car that they were looking at was $300 or so cheaper. Ron and Onie argued for a bit and then they ended up buying it. Ron paid it in full, and Bobbie ended up paying Ron on a monthly basis, which worked out nicely. Although Bobbie didn’t get her first dream car, her brother’s heart was even priceless, and Bobbie would always cherish that precious moment. Even though the car was the ugliest car that Bobbie had ever seen–a 1982 Honda Prelude that used to be silver, but ended up a rusty gray–Bobbie used to wax her car often and learned to love it.
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