The Girl of an Old Mansion

18. The Lantern Festival

The preparation of the Lantern festival was in full swing. The market was full of hustle-bustle, brimming with the colourful and beautiful lanterns to allure the visitors. Vendors had decorated their shops to attract customers. Kids could be seen indulging themselves in gruelling arguments with their parents and crying stubbornly to buy them their favourite toys and lanterns. Other throngs of people were busy buying new clothes for their family.

There was also one ordinary shop among the crowd of wacky shops, but surprisingly it was full of customers. The lanterns were inconceivably designed with different textures. That ordinary shop was of Min-ho and he was surrounded by a huge crowd. Min-ho didn't know that unknowingly he was also grabbing the attention of girls with his lanterns. Min-ho was not that tall but he was handsome. He seemed extremely busy entertaining his customers.

"Did you make these beautiful lanterns with your own hands?" said a girl while shyly glancing at him.

Min-ho nodded his head, "Yes."

Lots of girls were admiring Min-ho but he couldn't help but feel nervous at the attention he was receiving.

Other shopkeepers were envious of Min-ho for the amount of customers he was getting.

Drops of sweat emerged on his forehead. "Not even in my worst nightmares have I ever thought of girls as such dangerous creatures. It is such a crime to have a handsome face. Oh God! Save me from these beauties," Min-ho sighed.

Just then, Ji-ho and his notorious friends reckoned in the market. With their filthy behaviour they all make fun of people for their ordinary or shabby attire. It is their favourite pastime to mock and torment the people of the town. Nobody could utter a single word against them, as their fathers were top officials of the kingdom who served the King.

As they moved forward, a poor kid bumped into Ji-ho as he was frolicking around and fell on the ground. The moment he was about to get up, Ji-ho and his wicked friends surrounded the poor child. "You poor filthy creature, how dare you touch me?" said Ji-ho with a disgusted look.

"It was just a mistake I am sorry for this," said the crying child.

"I shall teach you a lesson today so that you won't repeat this mistake ever," said Ji-ho, flaunting his evil smile.

Looking at his shoes Ji-ho said, "Clean it with your clothes."

The poor child could not escape himself from this fateful encounter with these lousy people. With a gloomy face, the innocent child crimped his shirt and started to polish Ji-ho's shoes.

After he was done cleaning shoes, Ji-ho pushed him and said, "You did well kid, it seems you poor people know beforehand that your place is under our feet."

Ji-ho suddenly saw Min-ho selling lanterns. He was fuming with jealousy on seeing all the girls admiring him. Then he recalled how his mom scolded him on losing the bet to an ordinary man. Therefore, he decided to take revenge on him.

He walked to the stall with his friends. They all started demeaning and mocking at him for being a womaniser after noticing girls around him. All the girls started to leave Min-ho's stall as Ji-ho's friends started abusing him while staring at them in a lewd way.

"My dear friend, this measly work doesn't suit you. Come with me, I'll show you how to have fun," Ji-ho forced Min-ho to come.

"No, I don't want to go, I have some work." But all his words fell on deaf ears. Ji-ho forcibly takes him and signals his other friends to destroy his stall and lanterns.

Ji-ho took him to the pothouse and kept on coercing Min-ho to drink wine.

"I do not want to drink this, Ji-ho. You enjoy it here, I have to go." Min-ho politely refused his offer.

"You filthy dirty pig, how you dare deny my offer. You are in no position to refuse me." Ji-ho grabbed Min-ho by his collar and ruthlessly started to force wine into his mouth. Min-ho choked and it became severely difficult for him to breathe. Amidst all these scuffling, Min-ho managed to kick him hard in the crotch.

Ji-ho jolted with the sharp pangs that a piercing and shrill groan escaped his mouth. He lay down in pain by placing his hands between his legs and cursing Min-ho.

"You bastard, you will pay for this." Ji-ho shouted.

Before he could shoot more cuss words, Min-ho rushed towards him and banged his head on the table so hard that he fell unconscious.

"With a little act of giving agony to this rogue guy, I am finally feeling liberated," mumbled Min-ho and moved towards his stall.

When he reached his stall, there was no stall left on the spot but only a heap of trash could be seen. Ji-ho's friends had vandalised everything. Poor Min-ho sat on the ground and gently picked up the stuff with a deep grief in his eyes. All he could do was manage to think about Si-ri. He recalled the hard work and happiness of Si-ri while making these stuff for him and now they all became a mere pile of trash.

"It was the first time in my life that someone had done something for me, after years of suffering of being alone and tormented by these alleged high class slayers, this was the first time I sensed a little ray of happiness blooming inside me. I started to believe that for people like me, someone can do something too. Now, I think it was nothing but a mere illusion."

Suddenly Ji-ho's voice echoed in his mind.

"Poor people have no God. Even God takes the side of the rich."

"It's a pain not being in a good condition and tormented by people, but what you have said is false. No matter what condition we are in, we always have the power to heal our lives. Even if you lack all the grandeur and prosperity of life, even if you are penniless you still have the power of your mind and courage that indeed helps you avoid humiliations, scars, that feeling of helplessness, as well as those moments when even warriors questions the existence of God and empowers us to survive despite walking through hell." Min-ho pondered about the miseries of life and walked towards his home after collecting leftover stuff.

He reached home and looked at the last lantern with relief that he still had one for Si-ri. He then gets back to bed to take a short nap. Min-ho could have made more money today, but he is still calm and satisfied with his little earned money. He may be looking tranquil but somewhere he is messed up.

The sea may seem calm on the surface, but you never know how scary the currents at the bottom can be.

Today's incident has marked a grave impact on Min-ho's conscience.

When it was getting dark outside Min-ho prepared himself to go to Si-ri.

"Even if she can't see the festival still she can be a part of the festival," said Min-ho in thoughts.

Avoiding the eyes of the people Min-ho proceeded towards the forest.