Clash of Colors

Who will You think Of

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"Son!" his mother called out when he arrived through the door. Arms outstretched to hug him. Patting his back, "Look at you." Withdrawing but still holding onto him she observed his face, "You must be so hungry. Come, I've prepared dinner."

"Let me put my stuff upstairs first," he said.

"Come down when you're ready," his mother nodded.

Hefting his suitcase, he headed up the wooden staircase. Down the brimming hallway toward his room. So wide that the guest room at sanctuary could have been a closet. Putting the suitcase down he walked over to the window. Covered by a dark blackout curtain. Pushing the heavy material outside he put the potted flower onto his window sill.

It was nighttime. The sky so bleary and dark here. Pure black like a heavy blanket. A view of the backyard stretched into the beyond outside his window. Decorated with his mother's pretty flowers and picnic table. All the décor a signature of hers. Marking this territory as their home.

Tomorrow he would unpack. First, he wanted to eat. Then he'd shower and rest.

Unlike Namjoo's tiny home where every room was within ten steps of each other, his home seemed like its own kingdom. Broad, wide, large. Each extending room plush and full. Filled to the brim with smart books, pictures to mark important dates, with hints of sweet scents from his mother's air fresheners.

Passing a glass cabinet of Nobel prizes from his parents' peace work he entered the dining room. A long room with rows of French paned windows. During the day sunlight streaked in. Each sharp ray landing on the wooden floor in a patterned manner. His mother loved it. How the rays made the home so bright.

"You're home? Sit down." His father was already at the table.

Sehun sat down opposite his mother. A woman with a slender frame, but he knew with all her work she was tough and trim. Her hair was pinned back tonight exposing her sharp jawline. She had washed off her makeup revealing her fine lines and enlarged pores. Just a mother she was tonight. He wondered what kind of role his father would play to his mother's good cop.

"Yes." He replied picking up his spoon.

"How did you like the farm?" Oh Minjoon inquired.

"It was all right." Sehun replied taking a bite of the food.

"Did you find anything that interested you there?"

"I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?" his father interrogated. "Isn't there anything you'd like to do?"

"Honey, he's eating," his mother said. "Let him relax. It was a long way home."

His old man sighed. "I hope you were able to clear your thoughts while you were away. You need to start thinking about your future. Eat up then. We can talk some other time."

He sighed when he returned to his bedroom. Sinking into every bit of comfort possible. His bed. The familiarity of his surroundings. Closing his eyes when his head hit his fluffy pillow.

Finally, he was home.

That morning he awoke in the pre-dawn hours. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

The entire room was dark. In his mind he imagined a thin blue light streaking in from the window, which was ironically beside his bed like back at the sanctuary. Except...no rooster crowing.

Total silence engulfed the atmosphere. Sehun stared at the blank ceiling. Wide awake. Flipping onto his side he curled up waiting for sleep. It didn't come no matter how long he waited. No matter how much he kept his eyes shut.