Escape From The Sun

Chapter 12: Heralding Danger

It was odd, to be in a train without my father and his wife, for once. The private train of the Kims had been sent to pick us up from the station. My small bag was carried into the cargo section of the train, as I bowed in a show of subservience to Commander Jang, as he got on the train. My specific instructions were to ensure that Commander Jang was met with every comfort he required on his 2 hour train ride to Pyongyang, and as such, no one found it odd when I followed him into the carriage, sliding the door close behind us. Only after the doors clicked shut, did Jong Hyun finally turn and grab my hand, scowling as he yanked at me to sit down next to him.

"I hate it when you have to bow your head to me." he muttered. I laughed, shaking my head. Propping my legs up on the bench, I just shrugged.

"It's just how things are, Jong Hyun-sshi." I tried to placate. "They would get suspicious if I were to look at you in the eye."

"And you tell me, you've been like this for years?" he asked.

When I had finally told him I was Kim Jong Un's daughter that evening on Paektu Mountains, Jong Hyun had laughed, assuming I was jesting. Only after thorough explanation, did he accept my story, and even then I had to tell him many, many issues that only someone who had stayed their whole life in Ryongsong Residence would know. From that day on, he had asked me many questions, curiosity getting the better of him. We had returned to the camp by dinner time, and kept up the facade that I was only there under the command of Leader Kim to care for and escort Commander Jang Jong Hyun to the Residence once he was able to travel. The truth was, every night after the camp had bunked down, Jong Hyun would steal to my room, where we would spend hours talking, as he asked everything I had to live with in the Residence. In return, he answered all of my questions of his life before he became a Commander, and gave me a deeper understanding of just how much the people lived in fear of what their Great Leader can do to them.

Not that it helped much in preparing him for his journey to what we knew now was to make him one of the Admitted. The 'Admitted' are a group of select, trusted people who received extra rations and political protection. From what I knew, not more than ten were part of this elite group, but it was considered the greatest honor to be bestowed upon anyone within our so-called Chosun. We were scheduled to arrive in Ryongsong just the day before the Day of the Sun, a national holiday otherwise known as the birthday of Kim Il-Sung, my great-grandfather. Why the sun? My great-grandfather's name was derived from the meaning 'become the Sun', and a poem had once likened him to the sun shining bestowing his greatness upon all of our country, and he had then since been called as the Sun of our nation. His was the only birthday we celebrated in the whole country, and no one else had the concept of celebrating their own birthdays. No one, but my mother, who insisted on cooking something for me every year till the day she died.

Till this day, I find it absurd that my countrymen actually believed that the Kims were so huge, the weather revolved around them. When I had discussed that with Jong Hyun the night before we departed Hoeryong, I was surprised to find that he had scoffed in agreement with me.

The train ride of 2 hours was largely spent sleeping on my end, for we had to wake up at 5AM again to make the ride. My father had apparently instructed the train driver to get us there before lunch time, so Jong Hyun could presumably attend the special luncheon before they all launched into preparations for the Day of the Sun. When we arrived, a barrage of armed and serious looking soldiers stood at attention, and immediately swarmed us when we got on the platform. My eyes had widened when they stood between me and Jong Hyun, for by then his touch had become familiar, almost dear to me. No words of affection were exchanged between us yet, but when he gave a perplexed and dismayed look that reflected mine, one could see that he too, felt similar to me from our weeks of banter and camaraderie.