CHAPTER VIII
Awakening of the garden.

shoutout to fishsoosoo for the beautiful drawing dedicated to this chapter.

All the pink left Kyungsoo’s cheeks. His heart began to thump and he felt himself changing into a stiff, plain silent child again. He did not even answer Anne, but turned and walked into his bedroom followed by Jina. He said nothing while he was changed into a white shirt with many ruffles and wide sleeves that sat like bells on his thin, bony wrists. Kyungsoo felt like the miserable children in the paintings around the house.

After an approving nod from Anne, he followed her down the corridors in silence. What was there to say? He was obliged to go and see Kim Jiwoo, and he would not like him. Kyungsoo knew what his uncle would think of him.

He was taken to a part of the house that he had not been into before. At last Anne knocked at a door and when someone said, “Come in,” they entered the room together. A man was sitting in an arm-chair before the fire, and Anne spoke to him.

“This is Master Kyungsoo, sir,” she said.

“You can go and leave him here. I will ring for you when I want you to take him away,” said Jiwoo.

When she went out and closed the door, Kyungsoo could only stand there waiting, a plain little thing, fumbling his nimble fingers together. He could see that the man in the chair had high, crooked shoulders and he had black hair streaked with white. He turned his head over his high shoulders and spoke.

“Come here!”

Kyungsoo trembled and stepped in closer to him hesitantly. He was not ugly. His face would have been handsome if it had not been so miserable. Jiwoo looked at his nephew as if he did not know what to do with him. He lifted his head up and made eye contact with the boy for several seconds before letting out a breath he did not know he was holding.

“Good lord, you look just like her.”

Kyungsoo did not know who Jiwoo thought he looked like, he wondered if perhaps he was affirming to his mother.

“Are you well?” Jiwoo asked.

“Yes.” answered Kyungsoo monotonically.

“Do they take good care of you?”

“Yes.”

He rubbed his forehead fretfully as he looked him over.

“You are very thin,” he said.

“I am getting fatter,” Kyungsoo answered, in what he knew was his stiffest way.

What an unhappy face his uncle had! His black eyes seemed as if they scarcely saw him, as if they were seeing something else, and he could hardly keep his thoughts upon the boy.

“I’ve forgotten about you,” he said. “How could I remember you? I intended to send you a governess or nurse or someone of that sort, but I forgot.”

“P-please.” began Kyungsoo. “Pleaseー” and then the lump in his throat choked him.

“What do you want to say?” Jiwoo inquired.

“I amーI am too big for a nurse,” said Kyungsoo. “And pleaseーplease don’t make me have a governess yet. I can read and write by myself.”

Jiwoo rubbed his forehead again and stared at him.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to play out of doors,” Kyungsoo answered, hoping that his voice did not tremble. “It makes me hungry here, I feel stronger when I play and the wind comes over the Moors.”

“Where do you play?” he asked next.

“Everywhere,” gasped Kyungsoo. “Jina’s mother sent me a skipping-rope. I skip and runー and I look about to see if things are beginning to stick up out of the earth. I don’t do any harm,” his voice wavered and his eyebrows rose in worry.

“Don’t look so frightened,” Jiwoo said in a soft voice. “You could do any harm, a child like you! You may do what you like.”

Kyungsoo put his hand up to his throat because he was afraid his uncle might see the lump which had formed there. “May I?” he said tremulously. His anxious little face seemed to worry Jiwoo more than ever.

“Of course you may!” he answered reassuringly. “I am your guardian, though a poor one for any child. I cannot give you time or attention, I am too ill, and wretched and distracted, but I wish you to be happy and comfortable,” his beady black eyes softened and a smile formed which made him seem much less intimidating.

“I don’t know anything about children, but Anne is to see that you have all you need.”

Jiwoo pondered for a little while, deep in thought. Kyungsoo had completely misjudged his uncle, though he was scared of him at first, giving him the impression of a nasty old man that didn’t care for him, Kyungsoo could see that Jiwoo was trying hard to make him comfortable.

“Play out of doors as much as you like. It’s a big place, and you may go where you like and amuse yourself as you like. Is there anything you want?” As if a sudden thought had struck him. “Do you want toys, books, dolls?”

“I have enough books in the library to keep me company for many years,” Kyungsoo said. “Might I,” he quavered, “might I have a bit of earth?”

In his eagerness he did not realise how queer the words would sound and that they were not the ones he had meant to say. Jiwoo looked quite startled.

“Earth,” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

“To plant seeds in─to make things growーto see them come alive,” Kyungsoo faltered.

Jiwoo gazed at his nephew for a moment and then passed his hand quickly over his eyes.

“Why do youーcare about gardens so much?” he said slowly.

“I didn’t have them in London,” said Kyungsoo. “I was always ill and tired, and every once in a while the nuns would place flowers in vases around the orphanage and I would sit and watch them wilter. I always wanted to watch them grow.”

Kim Jiwoo got up and began to walk slowly across the room.

“A bit of earth,” he said to himself and Kyungsoo thought that somehow he must have reminded the elder of something. When he stopped and spoke to him his dark eyes looked almost soft and kind.

“You can have as much earth as you want,” he said. “You remind me of someone else who loved the earth and things that grow. When you see a bit of earth you want,” with something like a smile, “take it, child, and make it come alive.”

“May I take it from anywhereーif it’s not wanted?”

“Anywhere,” Jiwoo answered. “You must go now, I am tired.” He touched the bell to call Anne. “I shall be away all summer.”

Anne came so quickly that Kyungsoo thought she must have been waiting in the corridor.

“Anne,” Jiwoo said to her, “now I have seen the child I understand. Give him simple, healthy food. Let him run wild in the gardens. Don’t look after him too much, he needs liberty and fresh air and romping about. Once he reaches the age of ten, he will have a governess.”

Anne looked pleased. She was relieved to hear she need not to look after Kyungsoo too much. She had seen as little of him as she dared and felt that he was a tiresome charge.

“Yes sir,” she said, smiling to herself.

“Take Master Kyungsoo away now and send Pitcher to me.” Jiwoo replied.

When Kyungsoo reached his room, he went straight to the window and watched the winter sun already setting. He didn’t realise he was gone so long with his uncle that it was now too late for him to go back outside.

He ate his dinner in his room with Jina by his side, she was keen to hear all about his appointment with Kim Jiwoo.

“I can have my own garden!” cried Kyungsoo, a mouthful of roast potatoes causing his cheeks to rise like a hamster’s. “I may have it wherever I want! I am not going to have a governess for a long time, he said a little boy like me could not do any harm and I may do whatever I like―anywhere!”

“Eh!” said Jina, delighted, “that was nice of him, wasn’t it?”

“He really is a nice man, only his face is so miserable and his forehead is all drawn together,” said Kyungsoo solemnly.

That night, he lay awake thinking about his own garden, filled with all the flowers he and Jongin planted. A warm smile crept upon his face when he thought of the elder.

In the morning when the sky was blue again, Kyungsoo awoke very early. The sun was pouring in slanting rays through the curtains and there was something so joyous in the sight of it that he jumped out of bed and ran to the window.

He drew the curtains and opened the window itself, and a great waft of fresh, scented air blew in upon him. The moor was blue and the whole world looked as if something magic had happened to it. There were tender little fluting sounds here and there, as if scores of birds were beginning to tune up for a concert. Kyungsoo put his hand out of the window and held it in the sun.

“It’s warmーwarm!” Kyungsoo beamed, seeing the sun for the first time in what felt like years put him in such a good mood. “The sun will make the bulbs and roots work and struggled with all their might under the earth.”

He kneeled down and leaned out of the window as far as he could, breathing big breaths and sniffing the air. It was very early, the clouds were pink with a promise of a beautiful day. A sudden thought made him scramble to his feet.

“I’m going to see the garden!”

He had dressed himself, rather messily, into a shirt with a peter pan collar and slacks with suspenders keeping them up. While digging around in his wardrobe, he came across an old straw hat made for adults. He put it on his head and looked at his reflection in the mirror, smiling to himself. It was a little big so he tied the two pieces of ribbon into a knot under his chin to keep it in place.

Too excited to wait for his breakfast and morning bath, Kyungsoo left his room after putting a jumper on and made his way downstairs to the hall and put on his shoes, unchained and unblocked the large door, and as soon as it was open he sprang across the step with one bound.

There he was standing on the grass, which seemed to have turned green, with the sun pouring down on him and warm, sweet wafts about him and the fluting and twittering and singing coming from every bush and tree. He clasped his hands out of pure joy and looked up at the sky, it was covered in concoctions of blue and pink, pearly and flooded with springtime light. It was spellbinding. Kyungsoo felt that he should flute and sing aloud himself, and ran around the shrubs and paths towards the secret garden.

“It is different already, as if a magic spell was cast over night,” he said. “The grass is greener and things are sticking up everywhere.”

The long warm rain overnight had done strange things to the herbaceous beds which bordered the walk by the lower wall. There were shoots sprouting and pushing out from the roots of clumps of plants and there glimpses of royal purple and yellow unfurling among the stems of crouses. Months ago Master Kyungsoo would not have seen how the world was waking up, but now he missed nothing.

When he had reached the door to the garden, he was startled by a curious loud sound. It was the caw of a crow and it came from the top of the wall, and when he looked up, there sat a big, glossy-plumaged black bird, looking down at him very wisely indeed. He had recognized the crow from the first time he met Jongin.

The crow spread his wings and flapped away across the garden, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He noticed the crow had alighted on a dwarf apple tree, and under the apple tree was lying a little reddish animal with a bushy tail, both of the animals were watching the stooping body and sun kissed skin of Jongin, who was kneeling on the grass working hard.

Kyungsoo ran across the grass to him.

“Jongin! Oh, Jongin!” he cried out. “How could you get here so early, the sun has only just got up!”

He got up himself, laughing and glowing.

“I was up long before the sun, the Moor went mad for joy when he arrived, as if he were feeding the sprouts breakfast.  I was in the midst of heather, and I ran like mad, shouting and singing. I came here, can you believe how much has grown since yesterday?”

Kyungsoo put his hands on his chest, panting, as if he had been running himself.

“Do you think there was a little bit of magic in the rain pour last night?” Kyungsoo said, “Oh, I’m so happy I can scarcely breathe! My uncle said I can have my garden, I can plant as much as I like!”

Seeing him talking to a stranger, the little bushy-tailed animal rose from its place under the tree and came to him, and the rook, cawing once, flew down from its branch and settled quietly on Jongin’s shoulder.

“This is the little fox cub I have mentioned,” he said, rubbing the little reddish animal’s head. “His name is Juniper, like the berry. You remember Soot, he flew across the moor with me.”

Kyungsoo reached out to let Juniper sniff his hand. He was still wary of animals especially ones with large claws and teeth, but neither of the creatures looked as if they were the least afraid of him. When Jongin began to walk about, Soot stayed on his shoulder and Juniper trotted quietly close to his side.

“Look here!” said Jongin. He threw himself upon his knees and Kyungsoo went down beside him. They had come upon a whole clump of crocuses burst into purple, orange and gold. Kyungsoo bent his face down and kissed them.

They ran from one part of the garden to another and found so many wonders that they were obligated to remind themselves that they must whisper or speak low, as they didn’t want anyone to find out their secret.

Jongin showed Kyungsoo swelling leaf-buds on rose branches which had seemed dead. He showed him ten thousand new green points pushing through the mould. They put their curious noses close to the earth and sniffed its warmed springtime breathing; they dug and pulled and laughed low with rapture until Kyungsoo’s hair was as tumbled as a nest.

Jongin had bought packets of seeds and showed Kyungsoo how to plant them, then planted bulbs and spread the soil over them in every nook and cranny.

There was every joy on earth in the Secret Garden that morning, and in the midst of them came a delight more delightful than all, because it was more wonderful. Swiftly, something flew across the wall and darted through the trees to a close-grown corner, a little flare of red-ed bird with something hanging from its beak. Jongin stood quite still and put his hand on Kyungsoo almost as if they had suddenly found themselves laughing in a church.

“We mustn't stir,” he whispered. “We mustn’t scarce breathe. I know he was looking for a mate when I saw him last. He’s building his nest, he’ll stay here if we don’t fright him off.”

They settled down softly upon the grass and sat there without moving.

“It’s part of springtime, nest building,” he said. “It’s been going on in the same way every year since the world was begun.”

A small breeze lightly brushed through Kyungsoo’s hair and Jongin stopped to watch the sun beaming down on his porcelain skin.

“Tell me, how was your meeting with Kim Jiwoo?”

“Oh! Well he’s not as scary as people make him out to be. He’s actually very nice. He said I don’t need a governess for a long time and that I can spend as much time outdoors as I wish,” Kyungsoo replied happily.

The fox was lying on the grass close by Jongin looking up to ask for a pat now and then, he bent down and rubbed his neck softly and thought a few minutes in silence. Presently he lifted his head and looked round the garden.

“When we first got in here,” he said, “it seemed like everything was grey.”

“The grey wall is changing. It is as if a green mist were creeping over it. It’s almost like a green gauze veil.” said Kyungsoo.

“It’ll be greener and greener until all they greys gone.” Jongin replied happily.

They spent the rest of the morning finding more and more flowers sprouting through the earth, Kyungsoo didn’t mind the dirt under his fingernails and he didn’t cry or run away when he dug up a nest of bugs. Jongin had taught him so much about the world and that everything was wonderful and beautiful. He never felt any safer than when he was with Jongin.

They found a great deal to do that morning, so much so that Kyungsoo was late in returning to the house and had missed breakfast. He was in a such a hurry to get back to his work that he almost forgot lunch, but Jina made him stay and eat something to keep his energy for the rest of the day. He told her all about the animals Jongin had showed off and that the Moors were beginning to bloom. Oh what a small rainpour could do!

The afternoon was even lovelier and busier than the morning had been. Already nearly all the weeds were cleared out of the garden and most of the roses and trees had been pruned or dug about. Jongin had brought a spade of his own, and had taught Kyungsoo to use all his tools, so that by this time it was plain that through the lovely wild place was not likely to become a “gardener’s garden” but a wilderness of growing things before the springtime was over.

“They’ll be apple-blossoms and cherry-blossoms overhead.” Jongin said, working away with all his might. “And there’ll be peach and plum trees bloom against the walls and the grass will be a carpet of flowers.”

“I want to stay here forever, I wish I could sleep on a bed of lavender under the moon and wake up to the songbird. I hope we can stay here forever.” Kyungsoo said dreamily.

The little fox and crow were as happy and busy as they were, the robin had found a mate and they were flying backwards and forwards like tiny streaks of lightning. Sometimes the crow flapped his black wings and soared away over the treetops in the park. Each time he came back and perched near Jongin and cawed several times as if he were relating his adventures, and Jongin talked to him just as he had talked to the robin.

When the sun was beginning to set and sending deep gold-coloured rays slanting under the trees they decided to part.

“It’ll be fine tomorrow,” said Jongin. “I’ll be at work by sunrise.”

“So will I. And I’ll bring a book so we can continue our reading, I want to make a diary of everything that blooms in here.” said Kyungsoo.

He ran back to the house as quickly as his feet would carry him. He wanted to talk all evening to Jina about his afternoon, he was sure that she would like to hear. So it was not very pleasant when he opened the door of his room to see Jina standing waiting for him with a doleful face.

“He’s been asking for you.”

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