The House in the Meadow

Chapter 4 Lamps and Wishes part 1

   After two weeks of warm days and sunshine, the cousins developed a habit of spending most of their days outside. They were practicing a new dance routine in the yard when the wind picked up. The wind chimes in the apricot trees twirled and swayed. They chimed loudly. Thunder boomed in the distance followed by a bolt of lightning. Black clouds followed the wind. They rolled in over the treetops, and the first sprinkles of rain started to fall.

Feeldog frowned, "This doesn't look good."

After the second bolt, he sent everyone indoors. A few seconds later, Hojung stuck his head through the bathroom door. "Power is out."

"You all know what to do," Feeldog ordered.

They all ran to grab the supplies and get everything set up for when the sun went down. There was still enough light coming in through the windows for them to see. The bathroom with its one tiny, square window that they had to crank open was the exception.

Hansol and Jun began shutting windows on the first floor except for those facing the porch. Daewon scrambled up the ladder to close the windows in the loft. Chan's job was to get the camping lanterns out of a trunk in the owner's bedroom. They weren't allowed to play or use the owner's things unless they had a need. They didn't know who the owner was but, as Euijin said, "they were borrowing the house for a while, so they needed to take care of it."

Momentarily confused, Chan searched the wrong chest, and underneath strange masks, he found an old brass oil lamp. He didn't know what the object was at first except that it tickled something at the back of his memory. He felt he should know what it was. He was sitting there on the ground gazing at the lamp when Jun found him.

"What are you doing?" Jun asked. "You know we're not supposed to go through that trunk."

Chan set the lamp down, shut the lid, and opened the twin trunk that sat right next to it. The lanterns lay on top, tightly packed in with other camping supplies.

"You need to put that thing back before Euijin, or one of the older cousins find out." Jun reprimanded him.

Chan remained defiant, "Are you going to tell on me? Because then I'll tell them how you're the one that broke the blue bowl. I saw you sweeping it up."

"Fine." Jun gave in. He'd felt guilty ever since he broke the bowl and hadn't fessed up to it. "What are you going to do with that weird old thing anyway?"

Chan shrugged. "Will you take these to Hojung?" (Hojung's job was to count and organize all the supplies.)

Jun scowled as he took the lanterns and left.

Chan smuggled his find upstairs to the loft where he hid it, whatever it was, in his clean clothes.

Kijung, who was scared of lightning and thunder, had his face pressed against the window. "Do you really think Angels are bowling up there in Heaven?" At the recycling center, Daewon had found him a puppy pajama onesie with floppy ears and a tail. He wore the onesie over his regular clothes almost every day. Hansol had found a tiger pajama onesie to fit Chan, but he wouldn't wear it. He wasn't a baby like Kijoong.

"Who told you that?" Chan half laughed. At seven, he was too old to believe in those types of stories.

"Marco," Kijung answered.

Chan frowned, not sure what the right answer was. "Maybe." He looked at Daewon who was listening to their conversation but trying to pretend he wasn't.

Feeldog followed by Jun climbed up into the loft. Feeldog checked both windows they were completely closed and locked.

"I know how to do my job." Daewon sputtered.