Motorcycle Nights ✓

06 | tenebrose

____

06

tenebrose

( morally, culturally or mentally benighted; backward; uncivilized.)

26th October, 2020

SI WOO was almost delighted at the sight of an empty seat when she climbed up the stairs of the bus. A satisfactory grin tugged at her lips as she payed for her ride and marched towards it.

The bus whirred and began to roll on the road. A small sigh of pleasure came out of her mouth as her bottom made contact with the seat. She had been on her feet for a long time and really wanted an entire seat to herself. Window seats had a special place in her heart like almost any other person. To get the chance of loosing herself in the splatter of colours outside, she could pay a lot more than her usual fare.

Si Woo opened the window, letting the wind blow on her features gently. She stared at her lap blankly, the shadows and stripes of light created by the sun on her crimson skirt appearing interesting suddenly.

The din of the public bus was much less than usual. The travellers appeared tired, some resting their heads on the window panes and snoring softly. Most were contract workers who were going to the city to work for the week. Rural areas like Pyeonghwa had many temporary emigrants going to Seoul. The lucky ones had weekends as their only holidays.

Si Woo had been one of the many witnesses of the growth of Korea. It has slowly transformed itself into an ambitious country, its capital, Seoul emerging as a symbol of an ideal city. However, her hometown was still untouched, beautiful in its own way. Being a child of an undeveloped area like Pyeonghwa, she had been yearning to let the dazzling lights of Seoul touch her as soon as possible. She had watched the  telivision in wonder during her teenage years, thinking whether such a busy city really existed. It really did and it also tired her out.

The bus ride was pretty long taking almost two hours to reach Seoul. Meanwhile, Si Woo had unwrapped the packed dishes she had taken with her from her home. Eyeing the nearby people, she slowly pulled off her mask. She tried her best not to feel awkward while eating infront of the other passengers. No matter how much she tried to explain to herself that it was completely okay to do so, she never really felt comfortable enough. She slurped the warm noodles as quietly as she could to avoid glances.

Her mother surely was a gifted cook. When she was a toddler, she had her watched her mother struggle with how to cook. Her father was the expert one. Those vibrant memories of her parents chasing each other in the middle of parenting them was clear in her memories. They bonded so well and rarely had fights. A perfect family.

Her mother used to be so caring. She pampered her with the best things she could afford. She was the apple of her father's eyes. Being the first child, she was always the centre of the attention. Those sports day during kindergarten was something she always looked forward to. Her father filmed her from the crowd and it motivated her so much. She had found those memories in the attic and often went through them, making sure her mother was nowhere near her.

Whenever they would go out for shopping, her parents would always get her new clothes to wear. Later, she would have her own little fashion show at home, infront of her parents. Her father would say that whatever she got suited her the most. Nobody loved her like him. She was sure of it.

Honestly, she didn't want her mother to get reminded of her husband. She was being selfish, hiding the marks of his existence from his wife. She knew that her mother was better this way. She had to get out of her grief all by herself, making sure her daughter's didn't actually perish. There was sympathy somewhere hidden in Si Woo's heart. Maybe, she understood to some extent, why her mother's was always on the edge. It wasn't easy handling two growing daughters all by oneself.