when Sara met Maria sparks flew

Sara Morgan was a graduate student at NYU working on a comparative literature MFA degree.  She was juggling being a TA, taking classes, and working part-time at the University’s ESL program as a teacher.  She was also wrestling with dealing with the fact that she was a lesbian, although she had not been with women yet, having tried to fight off the temptation and had a couple of failed romances to show for it.   Her parents were conservative Christian fundamentalists from upstate NY and had opposed her going to “Godless NYC” which they called “Sodom” to study, so she had to finance it herself through loans, scholarships, and her TA duties and ESL teaching duties.  Still, she managed to get by.  She knew she had to do something about it but what? 

And she had to tell her parents, Edward Morgan who ran an auto repair shop, and her Mother who worked for a Christian school, and her two brothers, both of whom were also Trump supporters. She was dreading those conversations when she met the love of her life, Maria Lee.

Maria Lee was a graduate student in the international affairs department, but she had to take six months of ESL first before she would be fully admitted, but she was taking two courses plus ESL classes.  Her parents were Christian as well, her father was a Christian pastor who was involved in the ongoing battles against expanding LGBTQ rights in Korea.  She did not know what her mother felt as her mother always went along with her husband’s opinion.  Her younger brother was in the Korean military about to be discharged and would be joining her soon to study in the U.S.

But she had a secret too.  She realized that she was attracted to the woman although she had not yet told anyone about that and was also dreading coming out to her family, especially since Korean society, in general, was quite intolerant although lately, K Dramas were beginning to show LGBTQ characters. 65 percent opposed same-sex relations according to the latest polling but that was a bit of an improvement, it was 80 percent a few years ago.  She was secretly reading LGBTG chat rooms in Korean but was lurking for now.

When Sara walked into her new ESL class and saw Maria there she knew that she was the one, and as Koreans say, “sparks flew from heart to heart”.

As class broke up, she asked Maria to join her for coffee.  Maria and Sara went to a coffee shop.

Sara said,

“Maria, I don’t know quite what to say but I have a problem that perhaps you can help me with.”

“Okay”

“I am a lesbian but I have not yet been with a woman.  I just realized that a few months ago after another failed romance with a boy.  My parents are Trump supporters and would freak out if they knew, and my brothers would as well.  I know that I have to tell them but don’t know how. What would you advise?”

Maria smiled,

“Well, I understand.  I too have been wrestling with the same issue. My father is a pastor who is involved with efforts to stop the expansion of LGBTQ rights in Korea. I too have not yet been with a woman.  Perhaps if we spend the night together we can figure out what to do tomorrow?”

Sara said,

“okay, meet me at the main library at 8 pm we’ll have dinner and go to my place.”

That night was magical for both of them as they explored each other’s bodies and experienced lesbian sex in all of its complexities.

In the morning, they both knew that they had crossed a line and there was no going back.  Maria said,

“here’s the deal.  I cannot tell my parents about us until I graduate in two years because they would quit paying my bills and I would have to return home alone.  There are no same-sex marriages in Korea so you could not join me there either.  I will move in with you and tell my parents you are my roommate. Then once we graduate we can get married and tell them then.  Can we do that?”

“Sure, and why don’t we do the same with my parents?  Just live together as “roommates” until then but we need to be discrete about it – don’t want news of our affair to leak out to either Korea or my parents. “

A year later her brother joined Maria to study at NYU, and Sara and Maria enlisted his help in keeping their secret.  He was quite cool with that and they hung out together.

Two years later, they had to have those conversations.  Both set of parents were coming to  NYC for graduation.  They went to city hall and got married and met with an immigration attorney and filed the paperwork for a marriage visa.

They decided they would confront their parents at a dinner the day after graduation.

To Sara and Maria’s surprise, both sets of parents accepted their relationship.

Sara started,

‘Dad, the Mom, promise me you won’t freak out but I have something to tell you. Maria is more than my friend, and roommate we got married yesterday.  She is my lesbian lover.”

Ed stared at her and said,

“Sara, although I can’t approve of this relationship right now, give me time and I will get there.  The most important thing is you are happier than I have ever seen you.”

Pastor Kim looked at Maria, and said,

“Maria, if you had told us earlier, we would have cut off your funding and forced you to come back to Korea with us.  But, since you are now married, there is

nothing we can do about it.  But you are no longer welcome at home.”

He stood up to leave but Mrs. Kim, her husband told him

“Sit down. And listen to me.  If she loves her and is happy that is all that matters.  She is always welcome in our house and if you don’t like it, we can have a “graduation from marriage ceremony” or get divorced when we get back. What do you think about that, my husband?”

Lee Jae-myung, Maria’s brother interjected .

“Dad, don’t freak out.  I have know since I got here.  Sara is a wonderful person and they are so happy together. Isn’t that what matters?”

Pastor Lee, looked at Maria and his wife, and said,

“Well, if that is how you feel about it, I agree with Mr. Morgan.  It may take some time to get used to it but okay, I know when I am defeated.  Sara, welcome to our family.  As a graduation and marriage gift, we want to pay for your trip to Korea.  And I want to change my public statements and come out in favor of LGBTQ rights admitting that I was wrong and welcoming you to our family. “