Memoirs of a Young Love (Completed)

Chapter 9 - Truth

The Parent's Meeting was scheduled on a Monday at 3pm. I left a note for my mom the night before, and I just hope she could come over. On my way to soccer practice, I saw Mr. Son and greeted him.

'Hello, Mr. Son,' I said, and bowed to him. He smiled at me.

'Where's Yejin and where are you headed?' he asked. I told him that maybe she was in her classroom, as I haven't seen her since this morning when she gave the riceball she prepared for me, and then that I was on the way to soccer practice.

'You're an athlete?' 

'Yes, sir. Mr. Son, if you would excuse me. My coach is calling me already. I'll see you around, Sir,' and I bowed to him before I hurried to the field. There was something in him that made me want to talk to him. Since the last time I saw him, he was staring at me knowingly, and I didn't know why. I didn't want to think the unthinkable, like he was trying to see me if I meet his standard for his daughter. Then I remember he told me that I reminded him of someone. I felt the urge to talk to him soon.

Maybe when the right time comes, and I have decided to ask him the questions.

Yejin and I agreed that I meet her at her house after school, since she will go home with her dad after the meeting. I was in a hurry, taking a shower, changing my clothes and proceeded to my room to find my mother. When I got there, I saw my teacher, Mr. Kang. He asked me to come in.

'Mr. Kang, did my mother come over?' I asked him. He was shuffling the cards he had on his hands and got one that had my name in it.

'Bin, your mom did not come. But since I don't have any problem with you and your grades, I will give you your class card. Congratulations, you placed 1st in the class ranking,' he said, while smiling at me with his eyes that crinkled when he did so. He pat my back for a job well done.

I smiled and was quite surprised with what he said. But my mind ran off to where my mother was and why she did not come today. 'Maybe she's caught up with work,' I thought. I thanked Mr. Kang and went out to go to Yejin's house.

I came to her house and she let me in. Her father was in the garden and he motioned for us to come. He asked me to sit and said he wanted to talk to me, alone. Yejin then went inside, but before she did so, she looked at me and smiled.

'Sir, is there something wrong?' I asked.

He again looked at me, and if I am not mistaken, there was a sheen hint of a tear from his eyes, before he answered. 'Nothing is wrong, Bin. You really remind me of someone.'

I couldn't hold my curiosity any longer and I began to ask him. 'Sir, do you have any idea who my father is? I saw your expression the last time I was here.'

His face became sullen, and he was on the verge of tears before he stood up and embraced me. I did not understand why, but being encased in a hug like his was like a very foreign, but very welcoming feeling for me.

Could it be?

I ran home that day without even bidding Yejin goodbye. I could not understand how I felt and I wanted to talk to my mother right away. I wanted to know, no, I demanded to know who my father is, since it had been bothering me ever since I realized that I don't have one. I was panting when I reached our apartment and as soon as I opened the door, there I saw my mother, lying on the floor. With a bottle of sleeping pills, spilled over. I collected my thoughts, tears were gushing out of my eyes, a lot of questions were inside my head. I felt everything and nothing in one go, and I did the very first thing that came to my clouded mind.

'Hello, 119? There's an emergency at our house. It's my mother,' I said over sobs to the other line.

The ambulance came ten minutes after, and my mother was loaded in it. I rode in with her and I was hoping and praying that everything will be okay.

It had to be okay. I have a lot of things to know, and I needed my mother to answer it all. She had to be okay, for me, and for herself.

'Eomma. Why? Why did you do this again? You could have talked to me,' I said as tears were flowing nonstop from my eyes. We arrived at the hospital and the emergency team wheeled her in, and did not allow me to come with them. I stayed outside, waiting for what seemed to be the longest day of my life.

I sat down in one of the chairs, and I tried to ease my mind. I breathed in and out, the same way when I make a play to get the ball going in soccer. Then I remembered to call my coach and seek for help. As I asked an attending if I could use the phone, the vision of Yejin came into my mind out of nowhere. I remembered she gave me her phone number, and instead of calling Mr. So, I called her.

Three rings, before someone answered the other line. 'Hello?' I recognized her voice from my memory.

'Yej? My mom,' I said, before a fresh bout of tears flowed freely from my eyes.

I hung my head low while waiting for the doctors to come and tell me what happened to my mom. Just then, a familiar voice was calling my name. It was a voice that I wanted to hear everyday. It was her. It was Yejin, who came with her dad to the hospital. I stood up and embraced her in front her dad, as I cried and cried. She might not have known how to comfort me, but I felt her hand behind me and hushed me at the same time.

'Everything will be fine, Bin. She's here already,' she said as she caressed my hair. I bent down, my 6ft frame hovering over her small, petite body. 

I did not know how her dad reacted but when I realized he was there, I pulled away from Yejin and turned to him instead. I bowed to him and apologized. He asked me what happened and I relayed to him everything I saw the moment I came home.

'Sir, please help me. Please let my father know about this,' I pleaded him. It was what my young mind could ever think of.

---
'Come, let's sit and talk over there,' Fr. Kim asked us to go with him. We followed him, and I asked Yejin to go first. She did so, without even looking at me.

A lot of years has passed by since the last time I saw her. It's amazing how so many years had gone by, but the pain of losing someone sends a sting that forever will be there, albeit letting you feel it once in a while. And this right now, is part of the once in a while.

I was hurt, by what I did. I was hurt, by what I said. I was hurt, for leaving her. And I am still hurting, as I let her go for nothing.

I could have been happily married to her like I once dreamt of. I could have been fulfilling all our dreams together. I could have been the man who fought for her. I could have been the one.

Now, I am with her, and if I had known twenty years ago that this would be the scenario we would be at, I could have never let her go.

We settled down, with Fr. Kim, or hyung as I fondly call him, facing us both. I glanced at Yejin who was managing her breath, the very same way she did when she joined the competition, nervous. I smiled to myself, and hoped that everything will be alright after today.

Because I now understand what hyung wanted to happen. And this time around, I want to make it right.

'So, Yejin, Bin. How are you guys?' Hyung Hae-il asked us both.