“Well, this is the end of class. I want you to finish an essay about morality until next Monday.” Mrs. Choi, also my Language Art teacher announced as she pointed at the word “morality” in white chalk on the class chalkboard.

    “Yes.” Students replied carelessly, busy packing their books before the dismissal bell. As soon as the bell echoed through the small high school in Seoul exactly at four thirty, students filled the narrow hallway like busy ants.

    “Hurry up. I want to leave school soon as possible.” Haeyoung demanded as she tapped her fingers impatiently on my desk.

    “Sorry I’m so slow.” I rolled my eyes as I zipped my backpack and stood up.

    She led the me out to school and we were walking down the road. It was a nice day in mid- April with spring breeze and welcoming sunlight. A normal quiet day like any other days.

    “Do you want to go to Starbucks? They have Happy Hours this week!” Haeyoung, who was currently obsessed with caramel frapp suggested and I made a slight face,

    “Sorry, I need to visit my grandmother’s house today by six and it’s an hour drive. I need to get ready.”

    “Oh right, today is Friday. Okay then. Bye~” Haeyoung waved as she headed to the direction of Starbucks right across the street and I turned my body towards the opposite direction.

-

    Every twice a week on a Friday, our family consisting of Mom, Dad, and I visited our paternal grandmother who lived in the countryside. I love going to my grandmother’s house. I love her house that smells like deck of cards and old books (very nostalgic for me) and I love her large backyard with trees and flowers. It pretty much looked like a fairytale. Why would I not love it?

    One reason.

    Traffic.

    Stupid annoying traffic in the highway.

    Because of the traffic, I have to be stuck in a non moving car in the back seat, wasting my time. And listening to music doesn’t help at all because the honking from every direction distracts me anyway.

    Here I was stuck in my dad’s car in traffic while listening to my music and to my luck, a police car was passing by us very, very slowly with that annoying loud red siren which distracted the hell out of me.

    I glanced at my parents- who were the exact opposite of me. Mom was humming a tune that I didn’t recognize and Dad was tapping his fingers gently with the rhythm like he didn’t have a care in this world.

    The air was stuffy but I didn’t bother to slide down the window because I was too lazy to move my fingers. I glanced at the beautiful sky dipped in red-orange that seemed so close but so far away at the same time.

    The car started to move slowly (finally) and the sky was getting darker and darker every second till the stars were clearly visible meaning I was very close to the countryside. About thirty minutes later, our car stopped at the bumpy road in front of an old wooden mansion from the early 1900s.

    And in front of main entrance, my grandmother with a brown cloth around her protecting from the chilly wind was standing waving at us. The headlight turned off and I immediately swung the door feeling the chilly but fresh wind as I jumped off the car with my suitcase packed with things.

    “Grandma!” I greeted happily as I ran up to her. She smiled back as she gave me a light hug and I patted her fragile body carefully.

    “Mom! How are you?” Dad walked up to her beside my mom and my grandmother smiled again as she let me go,

    “Good. Good as yesterday. It must’ve been a long ride. Come quickly, I prepared dinner for you guys.”

    “That’s great!” My mother exclaimed as she clapped her hand happily. My grandfather came out with his wheelchair and I ran up to him,

    “Hey grandpa! How are you feeling?”

    He looked at me slowly and a wide grin spread across his wrinkly face,

    “Good as new. I’m glad you are back, Haneul. I cleaned up the backyard yesterday. No more poison ivy or dead branch. You can now freely spend your time there.”

    Yes, one of my favorite places in the world- the backyard of my grandparent’s house. Peaceful and quiet like nothing can interrupt the harmony between the nature and the birds. My favorite place to read books and listen to music.

I loved it.

The world was quiet there.

But I never knew I was going to start a big adventure.