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Part 27:  Almost 

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“A glass of cold water would be nice.” He mumbled as he untangled the covers from his legs. He had to stop for a while and let his eyes adjust to the bright mid morning light that greeted him once he opened the sliding doors of his room. Why is it still too bright?! I’m awake right? He asked himself as he gradually made his way to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and got a pitcher of cold water before sitting on the counter and pouring some for himself.

“Halmoni?” he heard her voice somewhere outside, maybe she’s in the garden, as she bid goodbye to some. Then it was followed by a car driving off and their gates being closed. He took another gulp and had finished the glass of water when his grandmother arrived.

“Ah, you’re up, Kibummie.” She placed two large paper bags of groceries on the counter where Kibum was sitting. “I wanted to have you with me to the market but you were sleeping peacefully when I checked on you.” being the good grandson that he was, he help his grandma unpack the groceries.

“You should have just waken me up, Halmoni.” She placed the vegetables in a big bowl and brought them to the sink while Kibum pulled the fruits and other contents out of the bags.  “I’d love to shop groceries with you.” she then turned the knob and tap water begun to fill the bowl.

“I know, I know.” His grandmother waved a hand at him as he worked on sorting some fruits, putting the oranges in the S-shaped cylindrical rack. “But since you got in here two weeks ago,” she let the water overflow as she washed the vegetables, “I noticed that you were somehow distracted.” Kibum stiffened, but was glad that she had her back on him, or her suspicion might increase. “What’s wrong, hunny?”

“Nothing, Halmoni.” He tried to fake a smile to reassure her because he knew he couldn’t manage a real one when he felt those eyes that had seen years pass by were staring through his very soul. Of course it didn’t work.

She just hummed and turned back on the sink, busying herself with transferring the washed veggies to a large strainer. Kibum bit his lip and decided to just put the eggs in the refrigerator.

“By the way, Halmoni, who were you talking to when you arrived? Is it someone I know?” he asked, trying to change the atmosphere.

“Oh. I forgot to tell you. Yes, yes.” she dried her hands on the green washcloth before continuing. “You don’t know him. I didn’t too. Since, well, he lives in Seoul and just came here to look for his special someone.” She chuckled, obviously giddy with the lovey-dovey story of ‘young love’, and took a seat on one of the stools. “I met him when I was on my way home from the local temple. Then he offered to drop me here.”

Kibum’s eyebrows rose and disappeared behind his over grown bangs. “You said you didn’t know him. Then how come you agreed to let him take you home? He could have been a serial killer for all we know!” the teen stopped his task to glare at his grandmother.

“Hush little one.” She waved her hand again, looking annoyed. “I saw in his eyes that he was sincere to help an old lady who was all alone in the temple with two bags of groceries with her. Plus, he’s a really handsome boy... about your age, actually.”

“Halmoni, I’m sorry I was not able to accompany you. I told you, you should have woken me up.” Kibum whined as he sat beside her. “What happened in the temple by the way? It’s just a few blocks away, right?” his brows knitted in confusion. “Don’t tell me your blood pressure rose again?”

She scoffed and moved to stand up. However, Kibum was faster to make her sit down again. “Halmoni.” His tone was sharper than usual and his grandma couldn’t help but just sigh at him.

“Aish this kid! Okay. I just got a little dizzy because there were a lot of people in going to the temple and it was somewhat hot in there.” She explained briefly.

“WHAT?!” Kibum looked at her pointedly as he stood up from his chair. “Something worse could have happened to you!”

“But I’m here alright? And I told you that young man helped me right?”

Kibum heaved a sigh and ran his hand thought his already messy hair. “You could have at least invited him over for lunch or something.” he sat back, feeling tired all of a sudden. Maybe he just discovered where he inherited his stubbornness from.

“I did, Kibummie. Believe me.” she finally stood up and went back to the sink to make their lunch. “But I told you he’s looking for the love of his life. So he said he’ll just come back when he found that person already.” The elder proceeded on chopping some carrots which earned a gagging sound from the teen. “Oh no young man, you better eat veggies or no food at all.”

He just mumbled something incoherent under his breath and walked back to his room to get into “suitable” clothes.

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“You should go, Halmoni.” Kibum repeated for the fifth time that night. “I don’t want to be the reason for you not to join that trip to Jeju Island.”  He moved closer to the old lady and back hugged her. “I’ll be fine here. I promise I won’t burn the house down!”

“That is not what I am worried about.” She faced her grandson and caressed his cheek. “You, Kibummie. I don’t want you to be alone because you really look like you need someone to talk to.”

The statement caught Kibum off guard and he didn’t know what to do but to force a laugh. Although it just made him feel worse.

“I’m fine, Halmoni. I just need a breath of fresh air to clear my mind.”

“My child, whatever is bothering you in here,” she placed her palm gently over the left side of Kibum’s chest, she could feel the beats increase gradually, “Halmoni is ready to listen, araseo?”

Kibum smiled softly and hugged her again. This time tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He didn’t let go of her until he was sure that no tear would give him away.

“Promise halmoni that Kibummie would tell what bothers him when I get back okay?” Kibum nodded, “Then help me pack some clothes.”

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“Take care, Halmoni.” Kibum said as he help her load her luggage in the trunk of her friend’s car. “Bring some goodies for me okay?” he closed the trunk and bowed at the elders. “Enjoy your trip.”

“Take care of yourself too, araseo?” they hugged for a brief moment before she went in the car. She rolled the window down and waved at Kibum as the car drove away. Kibum waved at her until he couldn’t see the car anymore.

He walked back into the house and sighed. “Now I’m all alone.” He looked over the living room which had everything in order, then at the kitchen which was spotless. His next stop was the laundry area, but then he remembered that the laundry was already picked up that morning. “And I don’t have anything to do.”

He proceeded to his room, laid on his bed and curled into a ball under the covers. He just laid there and slowly drifted off to dreamland.

The shrill ringing of the telephone broke the peaceful silence in the house. Kibum jerked awake and was disoriented for a few more seconds before he realized that the phone was ringing. He searched for the wireless phone on his nightstand blindly and when his hand grasped the device, he immediately pressed the answer button to stop the ringing.

“Ne?”

“Aigoo, Kibummie. Get up and eat some dinner.” The caller scolded. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you home alone.”

“Halmoni, calm down okay? I’m up. I’m on my way to the kitchen now.” And he was indeed. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out some kimchi and some left over beef. “How is your trip going by the way?”

They talked while Kibum cooked some kimchi fried rice, “Because I’m too lazy to make a proper meal.”

Kibum turned the TV on to a news channel after talking to his grandma for about half an hour. The anchor was talking about a low pressure area that was forming nearby and people should be updated with the weather reports that would follow.

“I hope it won’t be a storm.” Kibum said to himself as the commercials rolled in.

It started raining heavily that night. It came with howling winds and occasional streaks of lightning and claps of thunder. Kibum went back to his room for refuge since the lights went dead near midnight. He fell asleep soon after he went back to bed, hoping for a better weather when he wakes up.

He dreamed of children walking about in a mall, then of two boys sitting side by side—asleep, then of sweet stolen kisses, then of lazy afternoons, then of hot chocolates and broken glass.

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