The Secret of Min's Castle

Chapitre 3

Dear readers,

Just when I thought I'd reached the end of my tether, I found myself stuck outside. It was impossible to get through the huge black gate that stood before my eyes. I was so frustrated, I tried with all my might to open it. But in vain. It was as if fate was mocking me: after all my efforts to get here, I came face to face with a refractory portal.

In a rage, I shouted, "Don't you think my day hasn't been long enough? I'm tired and hungry and you dare not open! Haha portal of misfortune I'll show you what I'm made of"...

I was about to make a last attempt, when I was interrupted by a laugh. I was petrified, unable to move in the face of potential danger. Whose laughter was it, what did it want from me? I was beginning to imagine the worst, when a voice from his past appeared:

"So it's true, the rumor was that you'd be back, and here you are after all these years, Ji eun.

When the man lowered his lamp, there was no doubt: it was him, the Kim Seok Jin of my childhood.

 We'd spent our first thirteen years growing up alongside each other. We were born on the same day, and almost grew up in the same house. Without my mother, it was hers that gave me her tenderness. She treated me with such respect that I sometimes thought of myself as her daughter.

If Jin's voice took me back to our youth, I could see the young man he had become. He was handsome, with pink lips and long black hair that fell over his eyes. He'd grown taller, and so had his shoulders. He had all the build of a grown man, but his eyes still carried the innocence of the boy he had been. He wore the uniform with confidence. Later, he explained that he'd enlisted to work with his father to protect the town.

When I came to my senses, I took him in my arms and said:

"Ho, Ahigo,( Korean interjection expressing surprise) it's you, but what are you doing here? How did you know I'd be home? I have so many questions, but before you do, let me just say that I missed you.

He looked at me with that unique tenderness found in our family's eyes: "You've become a true American, you even wear pants. You're even more beautiful than I remembered. Once we'd calmed down, he finally explained why he was here.

"I'm here thanks to your father. A few months ago, he got back in touch with mine. I heard about his illness and I'm sorry for his passing.

He asked us to take care of you when you return to Korea. In his last letter, he explained that you'll probably be back home in the winter. He mentioned the mission, and the fact that you'd have to go to the Min' castle . But the thought of you there alone, after all that had happened, was unbearable. So for the last three months, I've been coming here, hoping to find the woman who had meant so much to me". 

I sensed a lot of concern in his voice. And yes, he had changed. We were no longer children, we were a man and a woman with a shared past. I don't know if it was the cold, fatigue or simply emotion, but at that very moment, he was all I needed.

For three months, grief had plunged me into a solitude I couldn't get used to. For three months, I hadn't spoken to anyone, distrusting all strangers. It was good to feel I had someone to myself again.

Then he insisted on taking me home, telling me it was too late and that the manor would remain impenetrable until the next sunrise. So I agreed. What would you have done in my place? Turn your back on a hot bath and home-cooked meals? No, you see, you're just like me. Besides, it would have been rude to disturb the Min in the middle of the night.

 So I enjoyed the warmth of the Kim family home. I found the familiar faces that had marked my childhood. Time had dyed the hair of Jin's father, Mr. Kim Seok Hyoek, white. His mother remained beautiful, in her forties, but her eyes retained the sparkle of youth.

Exhausted, a room was prepared for me next to Jin. I don't remember much. All I know is that he stayed close to me. When a tear rolled down my cheek, he didn't ask me why. He stroked my cheek with his thumb and wiped the tear away. "I'm here, you're not alone, I've waited ten years for you. So don't cry, don't ever cry again."