He wished his son would come home, the house felt so lonely without him. It had been almost three years and he had received mementos and letters in the mail, but that was all the notice he got over whether his son was alive. Wanting to do something to lighten his mind, Haneul got up from bed and put on his shoes and trekked outside into the warm sunny weather. It was late in the evening, maybe 7 o'clock and the sky was starting to darken. He went to their spot, it was a path they had walked many times when he first started visiting her. He went to where he gave her the locket. It was on the beach and the most beautiful spot on the island. It was there that he sat down in the coarse sand and looked out over the water. Waves creating a dull background sound. The sun was about to set and he closed his eyes. It was as if Bora was once again sitting next to him. He held his hand out to the side of him and held her hand. He missed this. He didn't feel like himself anymore. Maybe she took half of him with her when she left.
Haneul sat in this position for a long time, remembering everything, because memories are all that he had left. He remembered the first time he saw her and every moment in between all the way up until her last breath as she held her baby boy. Tears stung his eyes and he wanted someone to hold. But at this moment, all he could do was wait. He had to wait for the pain of his loss to ease, he had to wait for his body to betray him, but most of all he had to wait for his son. Waiting because the only time that he could ever feel himself now was when Seong was standing beside him.
All Haneul wanted was to be complete again, and in time, it would come.
AUTHORS NOTE: I have butterflies now after publishing this :( this is the first piece that I have shown outside of school, family, and close friends. I love writing short stories but I never feel like my pieces are done. What do you guys think I should do with this story?
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Health for Life
Short StoryThis is a short story. Unpublished and very rough. It follows the memories of an old man reflecting on his heartfelt, painful life. Memories are sometimes all that we are left with and this man remembers everything vividly. Based in South Korea duri...