Friends
Dandelion
"Mommy..." Little Stephanie peeks through a half open door. A smile plastered on the face seeing her mother sitting on bed waving a hand telling her to get in to the room.
"Come in honey." Says the woman in her mid thirties. "Let's see what kind of flower my little girl brought for her mommy today." She continues, smiling.
The young lady walking in shyly, allowing a pink dahlia to be seen from her back.
"It's another pink one!!" The woman pretends to be surprised, knowing it will make her only daughter's smile wider.
"For you mommy." Says Stephanie. She notices something stuck on her mother's nose, a small oxygen tube connected to a tank behind the bed. For a seven years old, she doesn't know nor does she understand what it is used for, all she knows is that little thing didn't exist yesterday.
"Thank you. I want you to meet uncle Sooman, honey. Do you remember him?" Her mother points.
The girl turns around her little body, an ahjussi kneels down greeting her with a warming smile.
"Annyeonghaseyo." She bows.
"It's great to see you again Stephanie. You are so big now, the last time we met was about 2 years ago, you were only five. Do you remember me?" Says the ahjussi. He couldn't help but letting out a bitter smile seeing this little girl in front of him has facial features like her father mostly.
Of course Stephanie remembers him, the moment this ahjussi stepped in their house two years ago, was the moment of her father's death was confirmed. Who would have thought little Stephanie was actually in many ways more mature than kids her age, she didn't know the definition of death, but she knew she would never see her beloved father again, forever. Uncle Sooman brought the news about the plane crash with zero survivors which her mother didn't believe it at first from television. That was the day when everything had changed. How could she forget?
"Honey, come here." Her mother calls, looks serious all of a sudden. Stephanie could sense she is about to tell something important.
"Listen, honey. There's something I wanted to tell you. I know you're too young for this, but I hope you'll understand. I believe my only daughter will always be strong." The mother begins, doesn't bother to control a single tear to escape.
Stephanie just nods.
"One day... I mean... when you realize mommy is no longer by your side anymore..."
"Mommy, where are you going? Don't leave me mommy." Sometimes the little girl just know what will her mother is going to say next.
"Honey, be a good girl. Uncle Sooman here will take you to Korea and you'll meet your grandfather there."
"But I don't like grandfather. I don't want to go to Korea, mommy please.."
"I know honey, but you have to. Otherwise... I don't know what to do with you anymore."
"Then take me with you mommy." Stephanie wipes her tears with her arm.
"No, honey. You know mommy is sick right? There's no way for mommy to get better... One day soon, I will join your daddy. We will watch over you. Promise me that you'll always be happy honey."
Stephanie couldn't say anything, the only thing she could is crying her heart out following her mother's sobbing uncontrollably. Even uncle Sooman couldn't help but shedding tears at the touching moment.
"Remember Stephanie, wherever you are, mommy and daddy love you. Always remember that." Her mother continues.
What she said was true, her health condition got worse each day. She passed away three months later, leaving the little girl alone.
***
Tiffany is sitting on the bench, eyes longing for the afternoon sky, she hopes to see the stars to come out earlier. It has been her everyday routine sitting on the roof before and after school, taking care of the small garden she made all by herself, watering flowers and other stuff in tubs, controlling the grass and weeds from overgrown, and talking alone to the sky.
"Mom, Dad. I miss you two so much." She whispers.
She smiles at the loud cricking sound of a door opening, turns her head to see a beautiful brunette catching her breath. Tiffany gets up to walk closer and stops in the middle, leaving a few meters distance between them.
"I thought you wouldn't come." She begins.
Jessica tilts her head towards the latter before straightening her posture, her eyes carefully scanning the entire roof for a third person she doesn't wish to appear between them. She smiles inwardly when she is sure it is just the two of them.
"I actually have a family dinner to attend, I... came here to tell you that."
Jessica silently wishes to see a slight of disappointed in the other girl's reaction, but instead, Tiffany's smile wider in a more calming manner.
"That's not the reason why you looked so bothered in class earlier." Tiffany takes a step closer which does make Jessica flinch a little.
"I..." She suddenly finds herself lack of words, undoubtedly surprised how the eye smile girl could read her so easily. Her mind's wondering if Tiffany had been watching her every movement in class.
"Gyuri doesn't know about this place. If that's what you worried about." Tiffany says gently.
And Jessica wants to hide her face burning with embarrassment. Was she that obvious?
"She is a friend, the only one I had when nobody else liked to make one." Tiffany continues. "But I never plan to show her this place, you don't have to worry about it."
For some reasons, Jessica feels like Tiffany is trying to explain. She wonders why Tiffany is acting like that, they just met yesterday. On the other side, she is confused at herself as well. She doesn't like the thought of there's anybody else to find out about the place.
"You... you don't have to explain..."
"I wanted to."
"Why..."
For a moment, Tiffany couldn't answer. She recalls again yesterday's encounter and smiles at her silly self to the thought of Jessica was an angel sent from her parents above. The brunette was just insanely beautiful in her eyes.
"I don't know. This place is really special for me, I had never thought to see someone other than myself in here. You were the first, and you came on your own."
The brunette watches the other girl taking another two steps closer, and there it goes again, she feels her heart started to pound hard. The same feeling whenever the eye smile girl closing the gap between them.
"Is that the reason you were waiting for me this morning?" She tries to hold steady, hoping the other girl won't notice her heart begins to tighten.
"There's the other."
"What is the other one?"
"I wanted to be friends, and to know more of you."
It comes out almost a whisper, but loud enough for Jessica to hear. Tiffany is actually surprised of her unusual self, she was never the one who like to make friends first with anyone. This brunette happened to change her all of a sudden, and she likes the change.
"We're in the same class, we can hang out together with others."
Jessica watches Tiffany taking a few more steps until both of them could see each other's eyes more clearly, they're now just a foot away.
"What if I want it just you and me in here?" Tiffany breathes.
The brunette couldn't think of anything else but to admire Tiffany's beautiful eyes, deep and dark, appear mysteriousness, alluring.
"We see each other in class, do you wish us to pretend like strangers other than here?"
A simple and good question. Jessica still couldn't understand why Tiffany preferred not to associate much with other students, by all mean, she doesn't have much friends. The eye smile girl just had Gyuri.
"We are just classmates, I like to keep it that way when there's a third person around."
A word classmates means a lot. They could be friends to hang out with, to talk and laugh together, or they just sit and see each other in the same class and nothing more. What Tiffany meant definitely not the first one.
"Why.." Before Jessica could finish her sentence, a phone just rang interrupting, she feels a slight tickle comes from her pocket. It must be Nicole who's still waiting for her at the school gate. She is a bit of difficult to decide if she should answer or not. Picking up her cellphone means she has to bid goodbye to the other girl. She doesn't know why but she just likes the feeling when Tiffany is around.
"You don't want to be late for your family dinner." Tiffany smiles.
Tiffany just decided for her to make it easier and Jessica couldn't think of anything to say, but then she finally pick up her cellphone as it continues to ring and vibrate.
"Nicole?"
"Unnie, where are you?"
That day, the last thing she saw is Tiffany gave a nod at her and waved a hand motioning to just go ahead. Although it ended up she didn't spend much time to know Tiffany, but she's glad that they're now friends. And she likes the idea to keep their friendship a secret.
TBC
Hey there readers, I'm back. Here's an update from me, I know it's short but I hope you like it. And don't forget to comment. Thanks.
Ciaoooooooo!!
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