Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business

by Lyla Lee

  Even before he spoke, I knew that our principal was gonna be really mean and scary, and not just because his name is Dr. Mortimer. He is really skinny and tall, and behind his square glasses, he has big, bulging eyes like a bat. Only, bats are pretty cute once you get over the fact that they look like little aliens. Dr. Mortimer isn’t cute at all.

  He looked up from his computer when I came in. I really wished the secretary had let me come in with Sally or even with Brandon—that was how much I didn’t want to be in Dr. Mortimer’s office alone. I’d figured we would all be getting in trouble together. But no such luck. She’d said the principal would see us one by one.

  “Min-jung Kim?” he asked, peering down at me over his narrow glasses. His voice was all gravelly, like it belonged to a monster in a scary movie. I’m not supposed to watch scary movies, but once, I snuck downstairs to watch one while Dad was asleep. Afterward, I was so scared that I had to sleep with my night-light on for two whole months.

  “That’s me,” I said, sitting in front of his desk. “But I go by Mindy.”

  “Mindy… ,” he said. But unlike Mrs. Potts, Dr. Mortimer didn’t seem happy with my nickname. “So, Mrs. Potts told me that you were selling snacks on school property. Is that true?”

  Dad always said it was good to be honest, so I replied, “Yes, but I didn’t know it was against the school rules. I just moved here this week!”

  “I see.” Dr. Mortimer frowned. He looked at his computer screen again. “And what is this about… seaweed?”

  He sounded really confused.

  “My dad always packs me seaweed snacks from the Korean market. Everyone really liked them, so I traded with everybody for their snacks before I started asking for money.”

  “Seaweed snacks?” He wrinkled his nose.

  “They’re yummy! I have some if you want to try—”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Dr. Mortimer said, cutting me off.

  He looked at me like my grandma looks at flies while trying to catch them with a swatter. “Selling snacks is strictly forbidden on school grounds. I will let you off with a warning this time because you are new, but please familiarize yourself with the school rules during the weekend before returning to school on Monday. They’re online, so you can get your parents to show them to you. Please return to class, Miss Kim. I will e-mail your teacher to let her know my decision.”

  I didn’t even get the chance to tell Dr. Mortimer that I only have one parent, not two. He turned back toward his computer right away. The conversation was over. And so was my seaweed business.

  Chapter 12

  For the rest of the day, Sally ignored me. She didn’t look at me one bit, even though our seats were right next to each other.

  Mrs. Potts called all our parents, and I heard someone say that Sally cried in the bathroom while Mrs. Potts called her mom. Mrs. Potts also tried calling my dad, but she had to leave a message. I hoped Dad would forget to call her back.

  Even though Sally had been the one to tell me that I could sell my seaweed snacks, I still felt kind of bad about getting her into trouble too. She was the first and only friend I’d made here at Wishbone Elementary, but I wasn’t sure if we were friends anymore. I’d have no one to play with on the playground again.

  * * *

  Back at home, Dad asked, “How was school today?”

  Eunice-unni’s mom had given us kimchi dumplings when Dad picked me up, and he was heating them in a pan on the stove as he talked to me. Even though I like dumplings, I wasn’t sure if Dad was cooking them right. There was too much hot oil splattering loudly everywhere, the drops all dancing in the pan a little too fast.

  “It was… okay,” I said.

  “Just okay?”

  Dad’s voice sounded weird, a little higher than usual. I hoped against hope that he hadn’t heard Mrs. Potts’s message.

  CRACKLE-CRACKLE-POP! Suddenly, some of the oil splattered out of the pan and onto Dad.

  “Ouch!” He jumped back.

  “Appa!” I yelled. “Are you okay?”

  When Dad turned to look at me, there were tears in his eyes, but he was still smiling. He does that a lot. I think it’s because he doesn’t want me to worry.

  “I’m fine, sweetie. Nothing that good ol’ cold water won’t fix.”

  He turned off the stove and turned on the kitchen sink so he could stick his hand into the water.

  Then, Dad cleared his throat and asked, “So, what’s this about the principal’s office? I got a call from Mrs. Potts earlier, but I was waiting for you to bring it up first.”

  There it was. I sighed.

  “I was trading snacks with the other kids,” I began. The more I talked, the more my words came tumbling out in a rush. “But then my friend Sally and I got the idea to sell the snacks for money. I didn’t know selling snacks was against the rules, but it is, and someone told on us. So we got sent to the principal’s office.”

  “Selling snacks? What snacks?” Dad looked really confused.

  “Seaweed snacks,” I said.

  “Oh. So that’s why you needed to pack so many seaweed snacks. You know, you can always ask me if you need something, Mindy. I don’t understand why you felt the need to sell snacks to raise money. I hope you returned all the money you got from the kids. What did you even need the money for?”

  “Mrs. Potts and the other teachers returned the money to everyone,” I said. “And… I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  Dad frowned. “A surprise?”

  I nodded sadly. “I know you’re still sad because Mom died, so I wanted to cheer you up by buying you a puppy. Because puppies make me happy, and I want you to be happy too.”

  Suddenly, Dad looked like he was about to cry again. “Oh, Mindy. You didn’t have to do that.”

  He pulled me into a big hug.

  There were some sniffly sounds, but when Dad finally pulled away, he quickly wiped away his tears. He looked really embarrassed.

  “You don’t have to be embarrassed, Dad. You can cry. Everyone gets sad sometimes.”

  Mom used to always tell me that when I cried. Dad must have recognized the words, because his eyes started watering again.

  “I know, Mindy. But I can’t help but think that this wouldn’t have happened if I were a little better at being a dad. I’m so sorry, Mindy.”

  “No!” I yelled. “You are the best dad. You do everything you can to make me happy. You’re just really busy, that’s all.”

  Dad sighed. “I know. I have to fix that.”

  After he finished making the dumplings, Dad asked, “So… why did you feel the need to trade snacks in the first place? Mindy, if you’re not happy with the snacks I pack you, you can always tell me.”

  I shook my head. “It wasn’t because of the snacks. Well, okay. At first, it was because everyone else had really cool snacks. But then, I did it to make friends. Everyone liked me when I gave them seaweed snacks. They talked to me too.”

  “Aw, you don’t need snacks to make people like you, Mindy! I’m sure people will love you just the way you are, like they did in California.”

  I shook my head again. “No, they won’t. It’s not the same. I’m the only Asian girl in the entire school! Everyone made fun of me on the first day. Now, some kids still look at me kind of funny, but they all talked to me when we traded snacks.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie. The snack thing was a good idea, but try to find another way to make friends, okay? One that won’t get you into trouble. I know it’s hard, but I have complete faith in you, Mindy. You’re a smart girl, and I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

  I sighed.

  “Okay,” I said, even though I had no idea how I was gonna make new friends. “I’ll try.”

  Chapter 13

  On Monday morning, I didn’t want to go to school. I didn’t even want to get out of bed!

  I pulled my blanket over my head. Maybe if I hid well enough, Dad would forget I was here and leave the house without me.

/>   I’d promised Dad that I would try to make new friends again, but I was still scared. Without my snack-trading business, no one would want to talk to me. Sally was still mad at me. And I didn’t want to be alone.

  Soft footsteps came from the staircase. Then, Dad was there, sitting on the edge of my bed. He gently pulled the covers down, and I gave him my best sad-puppy-dog face.

  “Appa, do I have to go to school?”

  He smiled. “Yup, it’s a Monday. That means school for you and work for me. Mindy, why don’t you ask a friend if she wants to come over during the weekend? That way you’ll have something to look forward to and the week will fly right by.”

  I sighed. “But I don’t have anyone to play with.”

  Dad frowned. “Didn’t you say you had a friend from school? Her name was Sally, right?”

  I picked at my blanket. “Sally isn’t my friend anymore. We had a fight because she was the one who said I should sell seaweed snacks in the first place.”

  Dad frowned. “Oh, Mindy. I’m sure she only meant to help. Why don’t you apologize and invite her over to our house?”

  I pulled the covers over my head again. “What if she says no?”

  Instead of answering, Dad slowly placed his hands on my sides and started wiggling his fingers up and down. He was tickling me!

  “Ah!” I yelled, bursting out of my blankets. “That tickles!”

  Dad let go, and I leaped out of bed.

  “Always works like a charm.” Dad chuckled. “Come on, Mindy. You’re going to be late for school, and I’m going to be late for work.”

  I didn’t care about being late for school. But I didn’t want Dad to be late for work.

  “Okay,” I said sadly.

  To make myself feel better, I dragged myself out of bed and went to my closet. I picked out a corgi T-shirt and bright pink pants. Cute clothes always make me feel a tiny bit better, even on days I feel gloomy.

  Dad smiled when he saw my outfit.

  “Very cute! Let’s go.”

  I put on my pink Crocs and got into the car.

  Chapter 14

  Mrs. Potts announced that the whole class was banned from trading snacks. “Banned,” she explained, meant that we weren’t allowed to do something. Trading snacks technically wasn’t against school rules, but she didn’t want us to get any other ideas.

  Everyone looked disappointed, but no one looked as disappointed as I was.

  Now that we weren’t allowed to trade snacks anymore, no one even glanced my way. Sally was still ignoring me. It was like I was a ghost.

  I was kind of mad at Sally. If it weren’t for her, I’d have been able to keep my snack trading ring and would still have friends. Why was she still mad at me for something she did?

  But then I thought about what Dad had said about Sally just trying to help. That was probably true. She was trying to be helpful.

  When it was time for lunch, Sally left the classroom without me, so I ate alone. It made me so sad that I made up my mind. I was going to say sorry to Sally during recess. Or try to, anyway.

  When the bell rang for recess, I slowly walked outside. There was no point in running to the playground like everyone else. I had no one to play with. It was really sunny, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I could hear seagulls crying above my head.

  I stared up at the seagulls. If only the birds could be my friends.

  When I got to the swings, I saw Sally playing with a few other girls. The girls waved at me, but Sally turned her head and pretended not to see me.

  I looked down at my Crocs. They’re pink and have little Shiba Inu puppy pins on them. The Crocs are my favorite pair of shoes, since they’re the last shoes Mom bought for me.

  Mom always said I should try my best to be nice to other kids. And so did Dad.

  I decided I needed to try my best right then and there. I scrunched up my hands into fists and said in a loud voice, “Sally, I’m sorry!”

  Everyone went quiet. I looked up to see that everyone around us was staring at Sally and me. But I didn’t care. I was here on a mission.

  Sally still had her back turned toward me. Her shoulders were tensed up, so I knew she wasn’t ready to forgive me yet. But at least she was listening.

  I continued, “I know you were just trying to help when you said I should sell my seaweed snacks. You’re right. I didn’t have to follow your suggestion. I’m sorry I got you into trouble too. Can we still be friends?”

  Sally slowly turned around. She didn’t look like she completely forgave me, but it was a start.

  “Thanks for saying sorry. My mom was mad at me, and I got yelled at a lot.”

  I felt bad. I wished there were a way to make it up to Sally.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said. “Do you want me to push you on the swings? I’ll push you if you push me next.”

  She shrugged. “Okay.”

  I ran to the swings. Sally sat down, and I pushed her so she went flying into the air.

  “WHEE!” she yelled.

  She looked happy, and I was happy that she was happy. Her ponytail bounced up and down as she rode the swings.

  Then, it was my turn. Sally got off, and I sat down. The seat was warm from Sally’s butt.

  Sally pushed me so I went up, up into the sky. From way up high, I could see the ocean! The water was blue and super pretty, and so was the white sand on the beach next to our school. I wished we were allowed to go there during recess.

  Too soon, we had to go back to class. And for the first time, I was sad to leave the playground.

  Chapter 15

  During our class visit to the school library, I was reading a book about sleepovers when I remembered what Dad had said about inviting Sally over. Hopefully, a sleepover could help patch things up between Sally and me for good.

  “Hey,” I whispered to Sally. “Wanna sleep over at my house on Friday? We have lots of good snacks, not just seaweed! You can have all the snacks you want.”

  I was afraid she’d say no, but Sally said, “Sounds fun! I’ll ask my mom, and she’ll call your mom. What’s your number?”

  I froze, like I always do when someone mentions Mom.

  Sally looked worried. “What’s wrong?”

  I didn’t want Sally to know I didn’t have a mom. Not yet. Back in my old school, kids always looked at me funny after they found out what happened to my mom.

  “I live with my dad,” I finally said. “She can call him!”

  Sally shrugged. “Okay!”

  And I was pretty happy for the rest of the day. Even though I didn’t have my seaweed business, maybe my plan had worked a little after all. I actually felt like I had a new friend. Maybe this school wouldn’t be as bad as I thought.

  After school, Eunice-unni and I drove back to my house. Dad said he was working late today again, so we were prepared with a whole list of games.

  But when we got home, I saw Dad’s car parked in the driveway.

  “That’s weird,” said Eunice-unni. “Did I miss a text from him or something? I could have sworn he said he was gonna be late today.”

  She walked me to the door and rang the bell. Dad opened the door, grinning wide.

  “Hi, Eunice. Sorry I didn’t give you the heads-up. I was able to reschedule some things today, so I decided to come home early to spend more time with Mindy. Thanks for dropping her off!”

  Eunice-unni smiled. She looked happy that I could spend more time with Dad.

  “No problem,” she said. “Have fun, Mindy!”

  Dad and I waved as she left.

  “Okay, Mindy. I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and take my hand.”

  It was a weird thing for Dad to ask, but I closed my eyes and grabbed his hand anyway. I trusted him!

  Gently, Dad pulled me forward. As we moved, I tried to picture where we were in the house. And I wondered what was going on.

  “Okay, open your eyes,” Dad said at last.

  At first, I was confused. Even though I ha
d opened my eyes, everything was still dark!

  But then I saw them. Five small candles. And below the candles was…

  “A MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM CAKE!” I shrieked. “But it’s not even my birthday!”

  Dad turned the lights back on. He stood there by the table with a grin on his face.

  “I know,” he said. “But I wanted to congratulate you on making it through your first week at your new school! I was actually planning something for last Friday, but the timing was bad since that’s when you got in trouble. So we’re celebrating today!”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I gave him a big hug. “Does this mean I can get a puppy for my birthday?”

  Dad looked confused. “Huh?”

  “Well, you can’t do the surprise candles and ice cream cake again since you already did it now. Doing the same thing twice is boring. The only way to make things even better for my birthday is to get me a puppy!”

  Dad laughed. “You are a tough customer, Mindy. Let’s settle in a little longer, and we’ll see. We can save up some money for one.”

  It wasn’t a yes, but it was better than a no. I still had a chance at the puppy!

  Dad cut the ice cream cake into slices and put them onto plates. Two big ones for him and two little ones for me. I ate my ice cream cake so quickly that I almost got a brain freeze.

  “Careful!” Dad laughed, his mouth full of ice cream cake. But then he winced. “Ow, brain freeze.”

  I giggled. “You’re so silly, Appa!”

  He laughed with me, and soon we were both laughing really loudly.

  Maybe things would be okay after all.

  Acknowledgments

  This book wouldn’t have been possible without my life experiences and the many different people I encountered. I moved around a lot as a kid, and at one point, like Mindy, I even moved from California to Florida. I was always “the new kid” and probably wouldn’t have made it this far without all the friends I met along the way.