Unambiguous Love

Chapter 17: Due II

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

"Are we there yet? Let's play a game. Look at where we are. Won't you look with me, and tell me what you see? Driving in the car. What do you see?"

"An eagle."

"What do you see?"

"A deer."

Gukkie traversed the tunnel, humming and singing along to Jungkook. His mother's voice goes quieter as he paced farther away.

"What do you see? What do you see?"

"A rainbow."

"It's so much fun to drive so far. Let's look outside and enjoy the pretty ride. Driving in the car."

He was pointing the light ahead, on the ground he's walking on. Suddenly, a large black rat crossed him.

"MAMA!" He yelled, stopping in his tracks.

"WHY?"

"THERE'S A RAT!"

"IT'S OKAY. IT'S JUST A RAT."

He took a deep breath and loudly exhaled.

"Are we there yet?" He sang his fear away. "Not yet."

"Are we –-

He looked back. "Mama?"

There was only deafening silence.

Gukkie almost walked back but then he remembered that he promised his mama that he won't so he halted and waited instead.

"Are we there yet?" A faint voice resounded again.

"Not yet."

He continued on, concentrating on his steps.

"Let's play a game. Look where we are. Won't you look at me? Tell me what you see. Driving in the car."

He sang and recalled watching the music video of the song in his head. He sang and sang until it went unnoticed that Jungkook was not singing along with him anymore.

"Let's look outside and enjoy the pretty ride. Driving in the car."

His song ended and only then, he realized.

"MAMA!"

He can only hear the ricochet of his own voice. He stared at the darkness. Listening. Waiting. He sniffed.

"Gukkie will wait for mama at the end!"

He walked ahead. Faster. Almost running. Then he remembered that he should not run. His strides slowed a little but he went on and on, patiently along the dark and quiet tunnel. After a while, his eyes finally detected an arc of light far away.

"The end of the tunnel!" He pointed at it ecstatically.

The arc gets bigger and bigger until there's no need for the illumination given by the phone.

"Yey!"

He ran towards the last few feet and emerged in what seemed to be a forest. He swiftly remembered his task. He worked on the phone with his little hands, tapped and waited for only one word that starts with a letter d which meant that the message has gone through. He tried to read the other words.

"Jung-kook. Gukkie. Tae-taehyung."

The phone started ringing. He swiped on the screen with his tiny index finger.