Motorcycle Nights ✓

10 | bereave

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10

bereave

(to deprive through death)

27th October, 2021

LEE SI WOO was more than glad to see  the stable atmosphere of the house. She saw her mother rocking on the armchair, in the verandah with closed eyes and creased forehead. Without a word, she decided to go and be in her room. She couldn't dare to try persuading her for forgiveness. She seemed unbothered about whether she was wet from head to toe.

Yeseul came running as soon as she stepped in.

"I was really worried about you. I will make you something to eat. You didn't have lunch, right? Where were you?"

"Yes, I didn't. That would be great." Si Woo was thankful. On such days, Yeseul was always someone she could count on. She might be a little devil shaped like a human but she was not heartless.

She went straight to her room and stripped off her damp clothes to slide into a fresh set of pyajamas. Wrapping herself in a blanket on the bed, she felt much better. Her hair was wrapped in a towel to soak the water that had accumulated in the roots. Si Woo hoped that she wouldn't end up with a cold. Having a cold was the worst. Blocked and runny nose was detestable. Being even slightly sick made her weak in the knees. 

Yeseul had managed to make some ramen for her in the meantime. She made her way towards her with a tray of the steaming bowl and a pair of chopsticks. Somehow, she had not gotten over how noodles tasted after all these years of growing up in a shop. Everytime, something felt different about those orange strings floating on the soup. They were a symbol of her home. A part of her identity. 

The warm bowl of noodles was a scrumptious treat to her grumbling stomach. The ramen bowl seemed like an artist's palette, the vibrant colours of mustard yellow, crimson, jet and green complementing each other. Yeseul had mastered the art of this delicacy pretty quick.

She put the poached egg in her mouth, closing her eyes in delight.

"Eat slowly. You will burn your tongue. It's too hot." Yeseul laughed seeing how desperately she was slurping the noodles.

"I know but I can't stop. I am just too hungry. I have eaten only two hotteoks and noodles in the last twenty four hours." she managed to say, shoving a mouthful from the ceramic bowl with the wooden chopsticks.

"I pity you. Eomma was too harsh on you. It could have been talked out calmly." drawled Yeseul like a mature woman of thirty ."You are at fault too. You keep breaking your promise. I can't exactly blame her."

"I just couldn't help it. We might have had lost the baby if it weren't for my powers. Would you be able to watch two lives perish just like that?"

"She's really mad. When you left, she scolded me for not doing my homework on time. She didn't even eat her lunch. I was so scared when there was lightning.  Did you take shelter somewhere? I was wondering whether you had a roof on your head."

"I did. There was this stationary shop. I met that mechanic on the way too. The one who saved you the other day. He gave me his umbrella."

"Oh, that handsome guy. I hope his wound is alright now. He's pretty nice excluding his sour tongue."

"Oops, I forgot to ask about it. Come on, I healed it. It will be alright. That man definitely can do better if he communicated more. He seems like an outcast. I have never seen any acquaintance of his lurking around him. Very strange."