Polaroids | Meanie

3

December 24, 2013

9:48 pm

There stood a happy boy on the kitchen island, grinning at the sight of his mom making delicious food for Christmas eve.

"You know sweetie, you still have time before Christmas comes, you can go out and take all the pictures that you want. Just make sure to come home before the clock strikes twelve"

"Really?!" The boy's eyes sparkled.

"Anything for my Gyu Bear" His mom pinched Mingyu's cheeks.

"Aish I told you to not call me that, it's embarrassing!" Mingyu covered his face.

"Alright big guy, now where's your polaroid camera?"

As if on cue, Mingyu dashed off upstairs to find his precious polaroid. It was early birthday present from his mom last year, and as soon as he got the small rectangular vintage colored item in his hands, he couldn't let go of it ever since. he took his DSLR just in case he wanted to post something on his social media. Mingyu exited the door after he kissed his mom goodbye and walked through the colorful streets.

Kim Mingyu was his name, and he wasn't currently living in this area, he is on his winter break and this was his mother's province where he would visit either every Summer or Winter breaks. He and his mom lived at the city far away from his mother's hometown with his step-dad, her mom remarried after Mingyu's biological father left them for another woman, Mingyu was just eight when he saw his father leaving their home with three luggage and a backpack.

"Daddy? Where are you going?" Asked an eight-year-old Mingyu who was making his way down the stairs with his eyes still fighting to flutter open.

"I-I'm j-just g-going to work b-big g-guy, I-I'll be b-back." His father stuttered

"But you don't have work until seven in the morning daddy- and why are you bringing your bags with you? Are you going on vacation without me and mommy?!" Mingyu panicked, not because his dad was leaving for good, but because he thought his dad was going on vacation without them, and Mingyu always likes going on vacation. He \was just eight for fuck's sake, he wasn't of what was happening in his surroundings, in their family.

"No big guy, just shushhh I'm gonna be back soon I promise, and I promise to bring you toys and-"

But just as Mingyu's dad was gonna finish his sentence, a palm came in contact with his face.

"Mommy! Why did you hurt daddy?!"

Mingyu's mom pulled him aside.

"Honey I-"

"Leave if you want to, just don't make the kid believe that you'll ever come back."

With just a swift movement, Mingyu's dad was already outside the door as Mingyu's mom shut the door close.

"Mommy why are shutting daddy out?! Don't you love him?!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, but your daddy doesn't love me the way I love him."

"B-But y-you love m-me... r-right mommy?"

"Mhhh yes sweetie, you and your brother so much."

"I-I have a b-brother? w-who i-is m-my brother, mommy?"

"You had an older brother Gyu, but I lost him when he was still little."

No, she didn't, she gave him away in an orphanage at her hometown. When Mingyu's mom and dad met, it was kinda like one night stand and she got pregnant with her first child, but because she doesn't have money to raise a child, after he was born she decided to leave him on the front yard of the orphanage. After many months, Mingyu's dad decided to find the woman he hooked up with and marry her, before he gets engaged to his parent's business partner's daughter. And luckily, he did find her.

After Mingyu's mom decided to leave the child there, she scribbled something on a paper, hoping that she could still find him in the future.

Hi, I'm Kim Taehyung, please take care of me.

Mingyu was more than happy to roam around the neighborhood without getting lost, because the first time he went here was a bit of a traumatic experience. He was lost during one summer break, Mingyu who was freezing cold, cried a couple of hours before he was found at the local park and his mother found him in an old shed where he was sleeping on a cold night. But Mingyu still hasn't given up 'till this day, he would sneak out at midnight just to walk around the neighborhood with a map of the town in his hands.

He was the type of boy who has talent in cooking and cleaning, and also a lil bit of rapping. But his main hobby was photography, hundreds of developed pictures, and Polaroids were displayed at his room in his hometown, back at the city. He gets complaints from his step-father because there were more enough pictures to put up his room, but he still wouldn't listen.

But one specific polaroid had been kept inside his pocket for a year now, and he never displayed it in his room, afraid that his friends who would constantly come inside his room would question that specific polaroid. Yes, he has friends, Mingyu was quite popular in his school, especially with the ladies. He dated and tried to kiss a girl named Eunha- Didn't end up well because when they were supposed to kiss, out of nervousness, he farted... She just laughed at Mingyu and said that it was fine, and that confessed that she didn't like dating boys, she was just testing if she really liked boys, turns out she wasn't comfortable either. Holding hands and saying sweet things to a boy isn't just right for her. Mingyu thanked Eunha because he felt the same way, he didn't like girls either...

He walked, skipped, dashed throughout the journey to his destination, I mean he still has a bit knowledge about the province itself, but he sure knew where his favorite place was. He smiled as the big Christmas tree came in sight, hundreds of people were here to see the fireworks. Weird because isit fireworks displays only intended for New Years? Well, I guess that's how this town works.

And there he was, giggling with excitement holding his polaroid camera and his DSLR hanging on his neck as he flashed a smile. He was almost there, to his favorite place in the entire town, where he spent biking and skateboarding, and eventually breaking a bone or two but it didn't matter, and it was Town Square.

Where he captured the most beautiful boy he has ever seen in his life.