So young…

 

Vivid memories raced within my mind, somewhat fuzzy, but still there.

There he was, flowers in his hand, the grandest grin on his face, and most importantly…

He was young.

But where was I?

“Hye Ri!” he exclaimed happily as his eyes caught sight of the one he was waiting for.

 A young girl wearing a flower printed dress and pink cardigan walked right past him.

“Hye Ri… Don’t be like that,” he teased as he followed her. “Look, I even bought you flowers,” he said in a sing-song voice, a bright smile plastered on his face.

The girl stopped and turned to face him. “Are you sure those aren’t for your other girlfriend?”

The man only chuckled. He held her hands in his and pulled her close. “Do you know what yellow tulips stand for?”

The girl shook her head.

He took one of the tulips and carefully tucked it behind her ear and wove it between a few locks of her hair. “They mean hopelessly in love.”

The girl let out a quiet scoff and stared into his eyes. “Then what about her,” she asked with an accusing glare.

“Hye Ri, I promise you that what you saw was a complete misunderstanding.” He planted a gentle kiss onto her forehead. “Please believe me... I don’t like it when you’re angry with me… I love you.”

 

 

He loves me…

 

 

He loved me…

 

 

I began to stir as I heard light footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Halmeoni… Wake up now…”

My eyes slowly opened and my blurry vision was met with my grandson Hanbyul holding a tray full of food.

“Good morning…” I greeted him with a faint smile as he helped me sit up and placed a small pillow behind my back.

“Did you have any nice dreams?” he asked me.

I smiled and nodded.

“What was it about?”

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the images of my dream, but for some reason, I couldn’t. Like when I tried to remember certain things about my past, they all rushed at me in a blur of color. And I was never able to form them into the pictures that they were.

“Ah… It’s okay if you don’t remember, halmeoni,” Hanbyul said with a comforting smile. “Do you know the date today?”

“Ah, of course. March 30.”

He nodded with and set a tray onto my lap and handed me a cup of tea.

“Did you make this?” I asked him as I looked down at the tray. He nodded.

“Why do you seem so surprised? I have been working at the café for three years now,” he said with a teasingly smug grin.

“Oh, you think you’re so good, now do you?” I . “Well, you’ll never be as good as me.”

“Oh you’ll see. There will be the day where the student surpasses the master,” he joked with a bright smile that seemed all to familiar to me.

I let out a soft laugh. “Go and open the café. Customers will be coming soon.”

“I will, I will.”

Then he left, his bright smile faced away from me as he went back down to the café. I watched as he disappeared from my sight and gently brought my hand to my forehead.

 

 

I love you.