Fly Me To The Moon

...a little more than two years ago...

"Harold!"

Harold froze as he heard his name through the intercom. When the Vice President of the Executive Board used that tone, all hell was about to break loose!

He bolted out of his chair by his desk and rushed to the door of his shared office, another secretary, grabbing his grey jacket in the process. Straightening his tie, he turned his face side to side glancing at his reflection, in the fancy mirror that was occupying a tiny space on the wall next to the door. Seeing all was well with his attire, he clapped his hands loudly together as he walked through the door.

Secretary Park jumped at the sound of his officemate's hands and eyes wide he clasped his chest with one hand. As if to steady his heart.

'I really should retire,' he thought. If only his daughter's college were not so expensive. He was going to be the father of a future heart surgeon. It was worth it, he thinks as he smirks at the office door. He wondered how the meeting was.

"Vice President Seo-?" he started and broke off when he saw the room was empty.

Timothy stared at the file in front of him. Unbelievable is the word he would use at that moment. He was flabbergasted. Seo Timothy was never at a loss for words. Sure, he was very detailed, even to a point where he was irritated with himself but he had to be patient with this, he kept reminding himself. The CEO was not going to handle this well! But Timothy felt like he was drowning here under his father and uncle and he needed a change. A big one. And now he had it! It’s 2020 for God’s sake, not the 1900’s!

"Tim?"

He glanced up in surprise at Harold, suddenly remembering that he had called him in a few minutes back. Harold was the only person he trusted in this company, hell, even in his family! But still, he was cautious about the meeting, even though Harold knew about it. It had nothing to do with not trusting his best friend and everything to do with the ears and eyes that surround them.

He leaned back on his chair and loosened his tie looking up at Harold who was standing on the other side of his desk. He slowly pushed the file towards Harold tapping it a few times beneath his fingers, "They agreed Harold."

The twenty-eight-year-old, watched his secretary's face go from questioning, to surprise, to full-blown shock. His eyes bulged out of their sockets as his mouth grew slack.

A wide smile quickly spread its way across Timothy's face as he looked at his now rapidly blinking eyed friend.

"What? They did? You didn't mishear?" his secretary stuttered continuing, "Timothy! What would your father say? Your uncle? Oh...your mother. Forget her, your father will kill you!"

Still no response from Timothy he stuttered on, "You're- We're really doing this? How?"

Of course, Harold had asked him all these questions before and Timothy had answered all. No, his father might not approve as this company was in insurance, not designs. His mother always agreed with whatever decisions her husband and brother made. And yes, clearly, he was going to really do this.

Step one: the business idea in his head.

Step two: getting someone to agree to it. And he had his operation and one prospective company in mind. And they just agreed!

Step three: break it to his family that he was leaving the company!

Step three was going to be the most difficult.

___

Timothy had just signed up, not literally as yet, to design ships. Planes. A long-awaited deal was about to happen but the United States was still wondering if South Korea could afford aircraft carriers in the long term. It was an investment-worthy of their money. Other than the United States, France is the only other country that maintained the first-rate naval aviation compatibility since World War two and South Korea is somewhat smaller in size. After the deal was made, Timothy was the one they chose to do the design. Timothy really hopes that he would be able to bring South Korea to the top like Great Britain and India, which have maintained carrier forces with few interruptions. He hoped to not struggle like some countries that started great and were barely able to maintain capabilities, either during gaps overtime or having to suspend the program altogether, if and when things don't go as planned.

___

Timothy didn't believe in the action but still, he crossed his fingers under the table as his family sat down to dinner that night. His mother did not allow any business to be discussed at her table and so the family talked about everything else but. Like his uncle, Ha-Neul, the company's President.

He thought it was time he got married. Ha-Neul brought that to the attention of Na-ree, his sister who was also Timothy's mother. As she was his elder, it was recognized that she would be responsible for his future bride.

"Na-na, I'm getting old. I should get married now, what about your friend Suzy? Is she still single?"

Timothy almost choked on his wine. Suzy was his mother's long-ago friend who Timothy has always suspected held the affection of his uncle. He was very much doubtful that anyone knew how Ha-Neul felt. The problem was his uncle's age. He was five years older than Timothy and Suzy was his mother's age!

Na-ree smiled at her brother. Timothy was sure that his mother thought that he was only teasing.

"Ahaha. Ha-Neul, don't speak about your elders that way. It's disrespectful."

Ha-Neul pouted at her. When it came to business, his uncle was a mean shark but at home, Na-ree treated him like a baby. Timothy really felt like he had a brother in his uncle growing up but things changed over the years. Now he felt like he was the older one. Sometimes he felt embarrassed by his uncle's behavior when people were around.

Once Timothy had decided to approach him, obviously, he was drunk, about his childlike behavior and Ha-Neul asked him if he was jealous. Of course, he denied it but maybe he was a bit. That was when his uncle got serious about the company and became the President. That's when he really saw his uncle for the adult he really was. And the affectionate person he longed to be. Timothy realized too that his uncle was just lonely and it made him feel like a goof for his previous accusations. But he put it all behind him as a youth. And now he knew better.

"Ma. I know someone who would go out with uncle."

"A blind date? Really?" his mother cried, her face all bright as she wiped the corners of her mouth delicately with her napkin. His father looked across the table at him sternly. "I don't think so. He doesn't keep good company."

"Dad."

"I said-" his mother cut his father off with, "When?" and looked at Tim for his response. Times like this he wished he lived with his grandparents.

His father had caught him one time at his university, in a very compromising situation with another student and since then it's like Timothy only knew evil, dishonest and vile people.

"Yes. I want to go on this date. Timothy knows many beautiful women."

His uncle's eyes were now gleaming with excitement and so was his mother's. His father threw him a death glare. Ignoring him, he sent out a text.

'Hey, Jae-yi is still single?'

Exactly one minute later he got a reply.

'Oh. You want to date her?'

'Stop it. No. I want to set up my uncle with her.'

'Oh. She's on a blind date tonight.'

'What? She better not enjoy that date. What about tomorrow night?'

'Uh...let me text her.'

Thirty seconds later he got a message.

'She's bored, so yeah.'

"You have a date tomorrow night."

"Yessss. I love you bro," was his uncle's happy reply.

"You're gonna love her. She's pretty. You might as well make the wedding invitations now."

"Really! Is she pretty?" his beautiful mother questioned.

"Yes, ma."

"What do you know about pretty?" came his father's gruff and very rhetorical question.

Why rhetorical?

Because of the compromising situation that his father caught him in was with a guy. Sweet innocent Harry. And then he tried to stage another situation with a female and it disgusted his father. It even disgusted him. Looking at his father's appearance now, Timothy didn't think he wanted to answer him, let alone tell him he was giving a resignation notice.