Chapter 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dara whatever happens, please know that I love you very very much.” Appa told me.

 

 

“I know appa, me too.” I told him with a grin.

 

 

Appa looked at me seriously.

 

 

“Dara-yah, appa is very sorry for leaving you like this.” Appa’s voice sounded different.

 

 

“Wh-what? What are you talking about appa?? You’re not going anywhere right?” I stuttered.

 

 

I saw appa smiling at me and I realized we weren’t at the hospital. We were at our old house. Appa looks so peaceful right now. He looked like he was never sick. No IV drips inside his body. He wasn’t lying down on the hospital bed. His face no longer pale and white. He look as healthy as a horse, his face full of life. My superman. He looks at me, eyes full of love but there was sadness too, he continued to talk.

 

 

“I know you’ve been so strong since you were little and appa feels sad that you had to be like that. Baby, it’s okay for you to be sad, it’s okay for you to cry. You didn’t need to hide it from me. I know you didn’t want me to see you sad but that’s what I’m here for. I’m your superman remember. My tokki I’m sorry for getting sick and I’m sorry that you had to take care of me when it was suppose to be my job. It breaks my heart to see you work so hard when your appa can’t do anything. I know you’ve been working to save up money and I know you didn’t want me to know but I’m your appa. Of course I know. I couldn’t say anything because I know how stubborn you are and you wouldn’t listen to me. You got that stubbornness from me after all.” Appa chuckled softly.

 

 

“Most of all, I’m sorry I couldn’t fight longer. It’s time for me to meet your omma, Dara-yah. I’m so sorry baby. I’m more sorry for asking this of you but Dara, can you promise me this? Please don’t give up on life. Please continue to move forward. Please continue to smile like you always do. I know this will be hard but you’re my daughter santokki, you can do this. Your omma and me will be watching over you, always. I’m so proud to have you as my daughter. I love you Dara.”

 

 

Appa slowly started to fade from my sight, I quickly tried to grab his hands but I couldn’t.

 

 

“Appa no, please please. Don’t leave me here take me with you. I want to be with you and omma please.” I saw appa’s sad eyes but he just shook his head.

 

 

“NO APPA PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiyong’s POV

 

 

 

 

“APPAAA APPPAAAA NOOOOOOOOOOO” Dara screamed

 

 

“DARAA DARAA WAKE UP PLEASE.” I tried to wake her up but she was shaking terribly.

 

 

“NOOO PLEASEEEE.” She screamed louder.

 

 

I hugged her tightly and tried to calm her down. After a while she stopped shaking. I looked at her and I saw that tears were falling from her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at me.

 

 

“Ji, appa? Where’s my appa?” Her voice sounded so broken.

 

 

Her appa hadn’t woken up yet. The doctor gave him a strong sedative to keep him asleep. Bom called me when Dara fainted and I immediately rushed here. I was so worried. Bom told me that her appa isn’t doing good. Bom told to me to stay by Dara’s side, of course that was a given. There was no way I’m going to leave her side. Bom stayed by Appa’s side.

 

 

“Appa’s in the next room Dara.” I told her softly.

 

 

Immediately she bolted up from the bed and ran out. I followed her. She went inside the room.

 

 

“Dara-yah, are you okay?” Bom asked her.

 

 

“Bommie, how’s appa? He’s fine right?” Dara’s voice was trembling so hard. Dara went straight to her appa and started to hug him.

 

 

“Appa please please don’t leave. You promised me, don’t leave me alone.” Dara started sobbing. I felt like my heart broke into a million pieces.

 

 

‘God, please don’t take her appa away from her. Please.’ I prayed silently while looking at her.

 

 

Bom didn’t say anything, she just stared at the ground quietly.

 

 

“Bommie please.” Dara begged her.

 

 

I saw Bom slowly went to Dara’s side and softly grabbed Dara’s hand and pulled her to sit at the couch at the corner of the room. She looked at me and gestured for me to come sit with them. I went and sat next to Dara.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bom’s POV

 

 

 

FLASHBACK

 

 

“Doctor I demand you make appa better.” I said in a stern voice.

 

 

I called Jiyong to come and when he arrived I asked him to stay with Dara while I go and talk to the doctor

 

 

“Bom-shi I’m sorry but there’s nothing more I can do for him. We’ve tried every possible way to cure him but we couldn’t. The only thing we could do was to give him more time.” The doctor calmly explained to me.

 

 

“N-no.” I shook my head, I didn’t want to believe him.

 

 

“Mr.Park had known about the tumour since before he came here. I’m sorry Bom-shi.” The doctor continued.

 

 

“I DON’T CARE!!! YOU NEED TO MAKE HIM BETTER!!” I shouted.

 

 

“PLEASE, HIS DAUGHTER STILL NEEDS HIM.” I continued. Tears started to fall from my eyes.

 

 

Nurse Kim came and tried to calm me down. She hugged me and tried to soothe me.

 

 

“Mianhe Bom-ah.”

 

 

“Please doc, I can pay. Please just do anything to save him. Don’t give up on him.” I tried some more. Appa cant leave us.

 

 

“Bom-ah, we’ve done everything that we could. I’m so sorry.” Nurse Kim talked softly to me.

 

 

“No please, what about Dara…how can she handle this…she lost her omma she cant loose her appa too. Noo santokki.” I sobbed at Nurse Kim’s shoulder.

 

 

 

 

END OF FLASHBACK

 

 

 

Jiyong's POv

 

 

 

 

“Dara, appa has been strong for a very long time.” Bom said quietly.

 

 

“He’s sick and he was trying his best not to show it to you.” Bom put her hand over Dara’s shoulder and rubbed it slowly.

 

 

“No, why did he have to hide it from me? I could’ve searched for Doctors that could make him better Bom. Why did he have to keep it a secret?” Dara stuttered. Suddenly she turned to me with eyes begging for something.

 

 

“Jiyong please, help appa. Please, make him better.” Her voice laced with so much sadness.

 

 

I could just stare at her, I couldn’t do anything and that fact made me feel horrible.

 

 

'I’ve tried Dara, I’ve tried.'

 

 

Bom made Dara look at her. “Dara, listen to me. Appa hid it from you because he doesn’t want you to feel this way. He knows nothing can be done for him anymore and he didn’t want to burden you.”

 

 

“But we’re supposed to take care of each other. I promised omma Bommie. I promised omma I would take care of appa.”

 

 

I saw Dara’s hand trembling so much, I slowly grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

 

 

“You have Dara, you have taken care of appa so much. Appa is so proud of having you as his daughter. He always tells me that.” Bom smiled at Dara, her eyes full of tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dara” We whipped our head at the sound of Dara’s appa’s voice.

 

 

 

“APPA APPA.” Dara instantly rushed to her appa’s side.

 

 

I ran out calling the doctor.

 

 

 

 

Author’s POV

 

Park Chung Hee was having trouble breathing, his chest rose up and down and his breathing heavy.

 

 

“Dara.” His voice croaked, it was too painful to say anything but he wanted to call his daughter.

 

“APPA APPA.” Dara ran to his side.

 

“PLEASE APPA, DON’T LEAVE ME. YOU PROMISED.” Dara cried out loud.

 

Dara looked at her appa with pleading eyes, tears falling furiously. Bom stepped back, wanting to give space to the father and daughter.