“Chocolate Eonni, are you awake?”
I hear a tiny voice near my ear.
“Choco Eonni??”
The voice further demands as I squeeze my eyes shut and rub them before opening them.
“I brought you some seaweed soup.”
The tiny girl shows me a bowl of soup.
“Eomma made it. Today is my birthday.” She says it in Korean.
“Ahh. I see. Happy Birthday tiny princess,” I pat the little girl.
“Eonni could have hugged you, but eonni has not washed up yet. So eonni stinks,” I scrunch my nose as I make my excuse.
“Arasso. Eonni can hug me soon. Eomma also asked you to wash up and drink this and she left a pile of clothes near the washroom. They are old clothes of eomma, but I hope you are okay with it.”
“Ne. I am okay. Ireumi mwoyo?”
“Joneun Ji A imnida. sam sal-iyeyo.” So the tiny one is Ji A and she is still 3.
“Kamsahamnida Ji A baby. I will come back soon.”
She clung to my hand and directed me towards the washroom.
On the washroom mirror, I can just see myself. The dark circles are almost invading my cheeks now and my freckles are still present. In the black pools in my eyes, I can see that myself was distraught. The explosion at the lab, the fire .. and Donghan.
Tears begin to well up in my eyes. I just could not save him.
I wash myself without pondering anymore. After all, the things I lost cannot come back to life again and I had nothing to lose now. I have already lost myself.
So now I can start a new life as Kristene. I should find a place to stay and seek some employment.
Ji A’s mother’s clothes fitted me perfectly and I am touched by her kindness. As I drink her soup, it reminds me of family. But I don’t have any one I know now. Donghan is just gone too.
“Oh, here she is!” Seung Ho, the little boy shows up with a book.
“Nuna, do you know English?” He asks as he twists himself in shyness.
“De. Arayo,” I reply.
“Can you help me? I am bad at grammar.”
I have been teaching both Ji A and Seung Ho English Grammar when their mother arrives home in evening.
“You little mischief makers, did not you let Eonni rest?”
I jump to their defence. “Aniyo, I did not mind at all. I was glad that I could help them.”
“Nuna is the best English Teacher ever,” chants Seung Ho and Ji A joins.
“Hmm...” ruminates their mother. “I am Mrs. Jo. Their father passed away as their boat capsized in the sea. He was a fisherman.”
“I am extremely sorry to hear that.”
I can empathise with her. I feel so lost that I have no family too.
“I can look after you too Kristene. My Fish Mart is doing well. Would you like to be our cashier? Since you are good in English, you can do that easily and the balance is computed by the machine itself. You don’t have to worry much.”
I am delighted that I am offered a job!
“De. I don’t need any salary, just let me have bed and board.”
“Ani,” she smiled. “I will then give you pocket money if you say no to a salary. When I was in your age I had so many needs. Namchin ...”
“I don’t have anyone to worry about and I lost my namchin in an explosion two days ago.”
“Jinjjayo? Are you talking about the explosion at Hongdo? None really believed that there could be a lab over there.”
“Yes, that is the place.” I sniffle.
“Come here little baby.” She hugs me tight. “Call us family from now on. I am glad that both Seung Ho and Ji A got an elder sister too.”
I could feel that the two little ones are hugging the two of us too.
Finally, I belong somewhere now.
YOU ARE READING
Shepard Tones | ♡ Completed ♡
Fanfic"Since recently, I have been having all those dark memories flowing back in my head as if my dream world was engulfed in a monstrous replay of the days I wanted to forget. I had the notion that something was going to happen soon." But does Min Yoong...
