Chapter 14

Kim Jongin

Background song: http://youtu.be/qi39H0Jdjfg

Music Box Song (just for the curious): http://youtu.be/hOA-2hl1Vbc

"Are you ready?" he asked. She looked so radiant in her lacy white dress, yet so sad.

She shook her head.

I'm Terrified she wrote. It's been so long, what if nothing is in it after all?

"I doubt that." he said softly. He came closer to her and saw the key dangling just underneath the new pearls. He reached behind her and unhooked the necklace. He saw her swallow hard. He slipped the key off the necklace and gently put the chain on her nightstand.

"Where's the box?" he asked. She made her way to what looked like a dresser with a mirror attached to the top. Her hands pulled out a small silver music box from underneath the folded clothes.

"Here." she whispered, sitting at the foot of the bed. Kai handed her the key and sat next to her. Her hands shook as she put the key in and turned. He heard a small *click*. Tiny chimes of bells began to play, and it sounded very old...

He saw tears escape her eyes as she closed them and took in the song.

"This was...Umma's song..." she whispered. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew that her Umma was her whole world for 14 years of her life. It was certainly very hard for her to dig up the past. Suddenly he recognized the tune.

"Pachebel's Canon..." he said. Aisha nodded, her hair getting in her face. He pushed some of it away. He looked inside the music box. "Oh wow..."

There was another pearl necklace inside, but it looked very old. A letter was sitting on top of it.

"Umma's necklace..." Aisha mouthed. She picked it up gingerly, feeling the gems, and then picked up the letter. Her name was written on the envelope in English. It was her mother's handwriting. With trembling fingers she opened the envelope and inside was the letter and two official looking forms. She slowly opened the letter and gasped in recognization of the handwriting. She began to read.

"What does it say?" Kai asked. Aisha was shaking, but she began to write what it said.

My Black Pearl,

I can only imagine the reason why you're reading this is probably because I'm gone. Terrible thought really, but here I go.
In case if I never get to say I love you to you again, I love you. There, now it's written down so you'll never forget it. I love you so much, Aisha. I'm sorry we're always talking to you in two different languages, why you're always traveling from Korea to America and back again. But during those times of confusion, I saw you. Your wonderful way of catching onto things to easily, and how you enchant people with your happiness.

I miss your lovely singing. If I could give you back your voice, I would in a heartbeat. But at the same time, you discovered dance. I hope one day you can do something with that. You could change the world, tiny dancer.

I know I know, I'm babying you. I can't imagine when you'd read this, so I'm going to assume you're in your late teens or early twenties. But I'm still your mother, and you're still my precious baby that I carried for so long.

Now for a brief professional moment. Enclosed are two documents containing options for something you're probably going to have anxitey over in those late teens-early twenties. I've been doing research for years, trust me, love. Unless you took care of it on your own, I can only ask if you look at them.

Now for the embarrassing mother moment. Have you gotten a boyfriend? Is he treating you right? Let him know I'll be watching from Heaven if I'm gone. And if I'm not, then well, I'll be watching him like a hawk. I was going to give you this heirloom and my necklace when you turned 21, and watch you open it.

Don't let anyone treat you like an inferior. Let your American side show through. Don't be ashamed of it, embrace it! As for your outward appearance, I hope you learn to love yourself like I had learned. It's hard, having a big 'ugly' red mark on your face, I know. And I feel like it's my fault you have it too. Please, Aisha, learn to love yourself. Learn that you can't please everyone and drop the people that tear you down and love the people that build yo