In life, people have dreams. Some dream big... some dream small.
I dream big.
But... the reality of it is that most people don't ever fulfill their dream.
Which is why I was sitting in my stool at the local grocery store waiting for the next customer to come to my cash register to pay for their groceries.
The only problem was that ever since the huge supermarket next door opened, nobody ever came into the Happy Mart grocery store anymore.
"Layla?" the manager, Bob, said to me.
"Yes?" I said.
"You can head home now," he said. "It's past 4."
I glanced at the clock. He was right.
It wasn't long before I got home, since everything in the neighborhood was within walking distance. But when I got home, a strange black luxury sedan was sitting outside my garage... and that definitely wasn't ours. We only had our old brown 4-door that we've had ever since i could remember...
"Mom?" I said when I got into the house. She was sitting in the living room with my father... and a woman I had never met before.
I bowed my head with respect as she stood up. "Hi," I said.
"You must be Layla," she said kindly. "How nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, but...what...what's going on?" I asked.
"Listen, sweetie," Mom said. "We can explain..."
But half an hour later, when I realized what it was all about... I made my decision.
"No," I said. "No way."
"Honey, you don't understand," Dad said. "I mean, you've always loved singing..."
"But not PROFESSIONALLY," I said indignantly. "I sing in the shower, for crying out loud!"
"But honey--"
"Oh, stop," I said. "You're just saying this because you want to sell me to some stranger and ship me to Korea for a year. I can't believe you would--"
"We're not selling you off!" my mom cried. "It's a good investment opportunity."
I looked at her. Was she kidding? Getting a million dollars right off the bat and shipping me to a foreign country wasn't considered selling me off? Really?
"Layla..." Dad began. But I wasn't buying it.
"I'm not doing it. Thank you for your time, Jenny," I said to the lady, who had been sitting there watching us. "But I'm not doing it."
I was just about to walk out of the room when Jenny stood up. "It's nonbinding," she said. "You can quit, any time you want. But once you quit, all the money the company gets from your products starting that day is no longer yours. If you keep up the whole year, you can take your percentage home with you, on top of the million you get right away."
"There has to be a catch," I said, turning around.
"There is a catch," Jenny said.
"I knew it."
"The catch is that you have to come with me to Korea to record this album," she said.
"But you guys haven't even heard me sing," I said.
"Actually... I sent them the recording you did for another audition," Dad said sheepishly.
"That was in my room!" I said. "Underneath all my books! In my CLOSET!" I couldn't believe it. The whole world was trying to go against me.
"But you're a great singer, honey," Mom said. "Jenny wouldn't be here right now, picking you of all people, if you weren't."
"How would we pay for everything? The flight? Living there?" I said. "I mean, we haven't even thought it through--"
"Yes, we have," Jenny said. She pulled out a folder. "The company pays for the flight and for living expenses. You'll be staying at a house in a subletted room."
"Wait, a sublet?" I said. "Who's the landlord then?"
"Well, she lives in the house as well," Jenny said. "But she lives on the other side and it's not going to be a problem at all."
"But--"
"Let me ask you a question," Dad said to me.
"What?"
"How many customers came into Happy Mart today?" he asked.
I blinked. Huh? "Dad... what does that have to do with anything?"
"How many?"
"....None."
"So how long do you think it's going to be before Bob can't afford to hire you?" Dad said.
I looked at him. "But Dad--"
"You know how much this is going to help us, sweetie," Mom said. "Just... think it through. Okay?"
"Think it through," I repeated. I stared at the three of them. My parents had officially lost it. And Jenny? Well, I wasn't sure what she was getting out of it but if I had any say in this, I would say NO WAY am I going to the other side of the world to record an album.
But... of course, the whole world was already plotting against me, and my parents were no exception.
Because no, it wasn't up to me.
I didn't have a say.
Because if I did, I wouldn't be in a taxi with Jenny on the way to the house I'd be staying in two weeks later in Korea, where I didn't know the slightest amount of Korean that might actually be of any help to me.
Maybe dreaming big was becoming a reality.
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