I'm so tired of being here, the place and the feeling, all of them are the same. I'm searching for something exciting, something different especially now that summer is coming. People who are working far from this village are returning home. They thought that summer was the best time to come home, reunion with friends and families.
Although my idea of having a boring summer changed all of a sudden because of her.
"Are you from here?"
A pretty lady asked me with a glimpse? I nodded and remained my eyes on the ground, ashamed of my appearance comparing myself to hers.
"Hmmm," she's nodding and nodding.
"Are you interested in joining us?"
She showed me her companions, and I glimpsed them. I returned my eyes back thinking I'm on a different level with them. I just then fakingly glimpsed and shook my head saying no. I thought not to be part of them because their world is different from mine.
"Why?"
That lady seemed confused but I was sure of it not to be with them. I'm a country boy, I'm just a poor man who is spending most of my time in our village. I haven't tried leaving here since there's a responsibility I need to do. I just left, walking fast, and never looked back. I don't deny that in my thoughts I'm hoping to experience lifestyles like them. Like I saw in the movies and I heard from friends of friends what they did.
"Hey, you're that guy from the other day?"
That lady said to me when she's on the shore seeing me coming riding on my boat. I glimpsed silently, of course, I'm shy again and that's the reason all I could answer was a glimpse.
"Did you catch a fish?"
I see her walking towards me and I'm so uncomfortable about what to do. I'm just a fisherman, my clothes are dirty and there are a lot of stains.
"Please don't come,'' I said to myself continuously.
It's not that I'm not proud of myself. I just think I shouldn't be friends with her even though I'm eager to know her name and introduce myself to her. I just don't so I won't embarrass myself more being friendly with her.
" Yes," in my thoughts, seeing her stopped, her friends called her.
I paddled the boat fast so I could arrive fast at the shore and leave.
"Wait," she said to her friends, walking fast towards me.
"Why are you afraid of me?"
I am stunned, speechless and I'm conscious of what to say or to answer her.
"N-n-n-o-ope", I said while looking away from her.
"Then", she smiled as if she's teasing me.
"My god she's so pretty and she became prettier when she smiled.". In my thoughts together with my melting heart.
"Why are you in a hurry?"
I'm still trembling, I feel colder and I have no idea what this feeling is.
"So sorry, I need to sell it to buy food to eat."
Actually, it's just my lies because I don't know how to answer her and I realized that was the best reason.
"I'm going to buy it then." She answered right away.
I'm busted. I have no more reasons to avoid her.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Tristan", I just told her my name right away even though I just felt like my mouth wouldn't open. I look down again to avoid her gazes that will pierce my heart.
"I'm Karyl", she said and handed me her hand to shake with me.
"Of course, I have known you for a long time. You didn't know how much I waited for the summer to come just to see you." I said to myself again, seeing her hand touch my hand.
"Let's be friends", she said with a smile.
I'm floating hearing what she just said. I'm dancing and singing in my imagination because of the happiness of being her friend. Even though I know for myself that we are friends already.
The mood is turning to be the best and all of a sudden.
"Tristan!" It's my brother Goryo.
"Hurry up, mother can't breathe."
I stood up immediately.
"Sorry," I left her.
This is the reason why I can't leave home. My mother is ill and I have a small brother who needs to be raised. I wanted to leave here and find a better job in the big cities which will offer a lot of opportunities. I couldn't and because I love them, I need to be with them.
"How are you, mom?"
Fortunately, I found my friend who is a doctor. He is on a vacation because of summer. I can see in my mother's face that she's better compared to when I arrived. She just smiled at me and I hugged her.
"Please don't be like that mom. What will happen to us without you?"
I cried because I was so afraid of what would happen to her.
"Nanny Jackie?"
I know that voice coming from my back.
"Is that you?"
Yes, I know whose voice it was. I tried to hide it because I didn't want her to pity us.
"Karyl," my mother slowly called her as she crawled to stand up.
"Why didn't you tell my parents about your situation? We should have helped you."
"Sorry", just like me my mother is a shy type of person as well.
Karyl's face is frowning, looking mad, stare at me tightly.
"So, you recognized me but she just pretended you were not?"
Karyl said to me and obviously, she's mad at me. It's my fault after all since I lied to her. My mother was Karyl's Nanny when she was just 10 years old. The reason she can't recognize me is that there was a bad accident. We were friends back then since her parents let me live together with my mother. There was one time we were playing in the park with her parents and my mother. One car suddenly hit her when she was sitting on the opposite side with me. The driver was drunk at that time and was lucky Karyl was saved. She suffered a head injury and had minor amnesia.
I have no idea what happened to her anymore because my mother stopped working. She was pregnant with my younger brother but she couldn't go back after it. Father died and she needed to raise us while taking care of my younger brother.
Karyl learned about it. She sympathizes with us but she's really mad at me because I didn't tell her I was her first childhood friend. She slapped me but hugged me immediately.
"That's why I feel comfortable talking with you. I kept on asking myself why and this is the reason."
I feel her tears wetting my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry for forgetting the both of you."
"No, no", I stopped her from crying.
"You did nothing wrong."
"But," she says and hugs my mother again.
With the kindness of Karyl, she called her mother about my mother's situation. Her mother came and brought my mother to go to a Doctor. While I was in the town waiting for my mother. I accompanied Karyl wherever she wanted to go. I feel lighter now because when my mother will feel better Karyl's parents will offer me a job in their office. I finished studying at college and they have a job for me.
End..
images are mine
mrnightmare