The Hongs Reunite

Special chapter : III

Narrator's POV

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Year : 2006

It was a warm December morning in L.A.

Just a day before the last day of 2006.

Joshua woke up yawning and rubbing his eyes tiredly, "morning baby..." he muttered as he let his foot dangle off by the edge of his bed, "did you sleep well?" He ask as his gaze flew to the bed next to his.

There laid a small white teddy bear with pink dress and a bow on its head.

He took the teddy bear in his hands and hug it, "it's oppa's birthday today, baby... aren't you going to say 'happy birthday' to me?" He asked softly as his lips press together firmly and on to the bear's forehead.

"Come on... mom's making breakfast I think... let's go downstairs..." he said sadly before opening the door and walking out.

His feet brought him to the dining room where his dad was reading newspaper and his mom making breakfast.

As soon as he came into view to both of his parents, his mom smiled and turn the stove off, "good morning, honey! Happy birthday!" She said while coming over to him and hug him tightly as well as placing a kiss on the boy's cheek, "I see your sister's also here..." his mom said with a small, sad smile on her face as she see the bear on her son's hands.

Even Mr. Hong felt the tension and aura.

Usually-and by usually I meant just yesterday, Joshua would beam at his mom when she called the doll his sister, he'll tell stories to her; his adventures with his 'sister' which actually did happen in the past.

Before his sister was taken away by a lunatic.

But now, when his mom called the teddy bear his sister, he only frowned and his lips jutted forward as a sign of unpleasantness.

"Yeah... sure..." he only muttered before sitting down on the dining table next to his dad.

Joshua poured himself a glass of milk once he sat down properly, "so, what do you plan on doing today?" His dad asked, Joshua only shrugged while staring at the freshly made pancake from his mom that had just been put in front of him.

"Mom, do you remember where you put that big unused cookie can that grandma bought for me last time she visited?" He asked as he began to cut onto the pancake and chomping at them slowly.

Mrs. Hong thought for a while before nodding at her son, "yes, I remember where I put it. It's... in the storage room I think? Why do you need it, honey?" She asked but Joshua only shook his head before continue eating.

Breakfast went on as per normal.

The Hongs would share their activity plan for the day and ask one another stuffs that relates to it and such.

Of course Joshua still responds to his parents.

But somehow there was something off about him.

Not just the occasional dazing.

Or the occasional stare he gave to the bear that he had put on the chair next to his.

No

Not that

But it was how his expression showed something that neither his parents had ever seen on his face.

After Joshua finished his food, he silently slipped out from the room with his 'sister' in his hand.

He heads to the storage room and he started rumanaging inside, looking for the rather large cookie tin that his grandma had given him the last time she had visited them.

When he saw what he was looking for, he pulled the item out, "this is the one" he muttered to himself before dashing off to his room.

The tin was later filled with all sorts of stuffs.

If one didn't know his intentions, they would say that he's just storing random stuffs.

But what he put inside the tin can shared a common connection.

All of the stuffs he put inside

Were all stuffs that had a realtion or related to his sister.

Yes, he was storing all things that reminded him of his sister, dolls, blanket, hair pin, even a pair of white shoes.

Well, all but the white teddy bear that he had cherished so much.

After sealing the tin tightly with lots of duct tapes, he gathered the tin in his arms and carefully brought it outside to the backyard.

Joshua proceed to sit in front of the tree by the backyard, the white teddy bear sat by his lap, leaning on his legs as he dug the dirt with his toy shovel.

He made a hole big enough to put the tin can inside safely.

"Baby, it's not that I don't want to remember you again or anything... but if I keep on holding onto you... I may not move on a-and I may not find my closure... you undertsand, right?" His lips quiver as he spoke, tears started brimming in his eyes and his nose became runny, "please don't be mad... I need to grow up, Jungah..." he cried as he put the tin can inside the hole he just made.

Joshua kept on crying as he bury the tin can and his mom had watched him unknowingly, she too was emotional as she knew how important a figure of a sister to him.

The tin was then burried in the ground, Joshua sat in front of the place where he burried his memories and keep on weeping.

"Please understand me... I'm not forgetting you... I'm simply letting go of you..." he sniffed, "we'll see each other again one day... someday..."