The life of Nusi

Chapter 11: A Love of Nari

It's been a month or so since Nari came home. The whole village came out to welcome her back and see how see was doing. There was a huge welcome home celebration on the day she returned. It was one of the biggest parties the village had ever seen. There were flowers, cards and balloons. Once it was dark, there was a firework show that lasted for hours, and Nari was the center of attention. Everyone wanted to hug and kiss her and ask how she was feeling. They made her tell the story of her accident over and over. What it felt like, and what she saw while she was out. One child even asked if she had gotten superpowers since it happened. The love that poured out over Nari was incomparable to anything anyone could ever remember.

That was a few weeks back, and now it was the day Nari was returning to school for the first time. Nari was in a wheelchair and would be for some time. Nari's long black hair, that she always wore a ribbon to make her high ponytail, was gone. As a result of the accident, Nari's hair was now shoulder length cut into a bob. Nari was extremely nervous about going back to school. Nari's mother tried to get her to stay home and have a tutor, but Nari would have none of that.

"It was time to get back out there," Nari said to her mom. Mr. Lee pulled up in his van to take Nari to school. He offered and wouldn't take no for an answer. He was determined to take Nari to and from school until she was able to walk on her own. The horn was blowing, and Nari could hear Kwan and Nusi screaming for Nari to come on. You could also hear Mr. Lee yelling at Nusi to stop blowing the horn. Nari's mother and father brought Nari outside by means of their garage. They had their entire house modified for Nari's wheelchair. They pushed her right up to the side door of Mr. Lees van as he got out and walked over. Kwan and Nusi had their heads sticking out of the windows like two dogs, since Mr. Lee told them not to get out of the van.

"Why don't you let me have a lift installed on your van?" Nari's father said to Mr. Lee.

"No need." Mr. Lee said back. "She will be walking soon enough, and until then I can just lift her in and out" Mr. Lee said with a smile. He picked Nari up and placed her on the seat next to the middle door. Kwan and Nusi immediately sat next to her. Kwan was behind her, and Nusi on her side. Kwan held her things while Nusi held her hand tight.

"Just let me know if anyone gives you any grief at school," Nusi told Nari. Kwan looked at Nari and said,

"Yup, if anyone is mean, you let me know too and I will-"

With that Nari cut him off and said, "-and you will smile at them and apologize to them like you always do." She looked back at Kwan seeing he looked hurt and said, "Thank you, I know you will protect me to Kwan." Kwans eyes lit up as he stuck his chest out, while Nusi and Nari gave each other a little smile.

The ride to school was full of joking and laughing, even Mr. Lee told a joke, which was unheard of for him. Mr. Lee said, "What does a baby computer call his father? DATA!!!!" Mr. Lee roared with laughter, then the others followed. They were at school before they knew it and Mr. Lee had Nari out and in her chair in a jiff. "I'll be right here after school, so don't be late," he shouted to them as they walked away.

"OK! OK!" Nusi yelled back. Kwan took the chair and was trying his best to get it up the first step with no avail. Nusi pushed him aside and handed him all the backpacks as she pulled Nari up the steps with ease. As they made their way down the hall, most kids would stop and say hi, but there were the ones who were whispering and pointing at Nari. Nari was starting to think this was a mistake as she looked down at her legs. Nusi noticed right away and leaned down to Nari and said.

"Head up girl, we own this school." As she pushed Nari down the hall, making the kids move out of her way. Even Kwan got in on it, walking right beside Nari's wheelchair, forcing kids to press up against the wall as they passed. The day was going well, and Nari was feeling almost like her old self. Lunch came and went, and it was time for their next class. They had to get Nari up the steps and the mass of kids were just too much for Nusi and Kwan. Two girls came up behind Nari and reached over and slapped her backpack from her lap. The backpack was unzipped, and all its contents came out and went all over the floor. While Kwan was trying to pick up everything. The two girls started making fun of Nari's hair. Nari could feel the tears in her eyes start to well up. Nusi's face turned a mean shade of red as she got ready to give these two girls the thrashing of their lives. Nusi pulled up her sleeves, cracked her neck and then her fingers as she got ready to bounce on the two girls, when out of nowhere a loud commanding voice said.

"Kwan! STOP!" Kwan looked up and saw Hyun. Hyun was the tallest kid in the school. He was the best athlete, best student and the best fighter, except for Nusi, but they never had a rematch after the legendary fight in third grade which ended in a tie. Hyun looked down at the two girls and said in a low growl, "Pick up those books, now!" They did what he said without hesitation.

"We didn't know she was a friend of yours," one girl said as they both scrambled to get the books back in the backpack and on Nari's lap again.

"You two are new here, aren't you?" He said in that same low voice.

"Yes." The girls both said at the same time.

"I just saved both of you from the beating of your lives." Hyun said. "If I had gotten here two seconds later, you both would still be getting a smackdown and I'm not sure if I could have stopped it." The two girls looked down at Nari and one said with a smile,

"From her? Really!" The two girls didn't notice Nusi standing against the wall, face still red, arms shaking from the rage within her soul. Nusi's eyes were focused on the girls like a wild animal on its prey. Everyone in that hall knew that look except for the two new girls. Everyone had already backed away or tried to find a safe place to hide. It was well known that when Nusi started there could be a friendly fire hit at any time.

"No!" Hyun said as he pointed towards Nusi. "HER!" He said again. The two girls' eyes slowly followed Hyun's finger until they stopped at Nusi's rage filled face. There was sweat rolling down Nusi's bright red face by this point, and a low growl could be heard coming from her. Everyone looked at each other.

One kid said, "I haven't seen her this mad since that boy stole her cupcake in fourth grade." The boy next to him agreed and said,

"Didn't he spend three months in the hospital?"

"Yup," his friend said with a smile. Nusi looked up at the two boys talking, only for a split second, and they both tried to blend into the wall wishing they were invisible at that moment. The color drained from both girls' faces as they were frozen in fear. Nusi began to take a step towards the girls, when Hyun stepped in front of her.

"Get out of my way Hyun!" Nusi said in a growl.

"It's over!" Hyun said.

"It's not over until I say it's over, and I am far from saying its over!" Nusi said to Hyun. "Don't make me go through you to get to them!" She roared. Nusi balled up her fist and readied herself for the fight. Hyun did the same.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Hyun said to Nusi. Just as Nusi threw the first punch, Kwan stepped in front of Nusi's fist. It stopped less than an inch from his face.

"It's over My Nusi," he said. She looked at him, his eyes on hers. The look on his face and the way he didn't even have his hands up to protect his face, and she immediately stopped.

"Oh Kwan!" She yelled as she hugged him. Her face went back to a normal color, as Hyun sighed in relief.

"Thank You," Hyun said to Kwan, "I owe you."

"Anytime," Kwan said with a smile. The two new girls slowly backed away a bit, then ran down the hall as fast as they could. Rumor has it, they both peed themselves that day, and that is why those two always looked down the hall first before they used it. If they see Nusi they find a different way.

"Crap!" Nusi yelled,

"What's wrong now?" Kwan asked Nusi.

"We're going to be late now." Nusi said in a pissed off voice. "WHERE DID THOSE GIRLS GO?" Nusi yelled looking everywhere. With that, Hyun picked up Nari and ran her up the stairs, yelling back to Kwan and Nusi,

"Grab her stuff and bring it to the classroom!" As he ran, Nari looked into his deep dark eyes feeling something she had never felt before. Right here, right now, she was being carried to her classroom by this student she had known her whole life, yet never knew. He sat her down at her desk and said,

"From now on, I will carry you wherever you need to go in this school." Nari looked at him and, in her mind, she said, "OH YES! YES! YES! NEVER LET ME DOWN!" While on the outside she said,

"That's not necessary."

Hyun said with a smile, "I know it's not, but I want to, and that's that." Then he looked at her hair. Nari tried to pull it down to make it look longer. Hyun stopped her hand and said. "I love your new hairdo; it really brings out your eyes." Nari blushed and knew she had found the love of her life and Hyun felt the same way. It was true love at first sight.