Chapter 18 Never Let You go Pt. 1

 

Hold on tight, because there shall be bigger waves to come. Never shall let go, for a greater wall is up ahead and never give up for it is only true love that can pass all the rocky roads waiting to be walked on. Hand-in-hand, intertwined hands and connected hearts with genuine feelings are all that’s needed to crawl on this world with two differentiating classes.

 

Physically, mentally and emotionally drained, that’s what Krystal on her slow drive to the apartment is feeling at the moment. She never got a single second to rest, she never stopped from focusing on her dark night way back to the city and her anxiety of whatever this morning may bring them isn’t getting any better at all. If only she’s not doing all of these sacrifices of this special someone sleeping on her passenger’s seat right now, she would have probably gave up on it already.

 

“Sulli, we’re here…” Krystal’s stiffening figure parked her car in front of the apartment where their worried friends are waiting.

 

Unfortunately, Sulli is still sleeping tight and didn’t hear any of Krystal’s low calls. The sound of her snores, head that freely fell on the windows and her eyes that are shut closed Krystal can clearly see it all. She can clearly see how peaceful she sleeps comfortably on that passenger’s seat and can see how tired she was from thinking alone and so she let her be.

 

“Poor Sulli. She must have been thinking a lot while we’re on the way. No doubt she wasn’t talking too much.” Krystal smiled at her sleeping figure as she pinned those falling hairs to her ears for her to have a perfect view the white pearl skin of her puffy face.

 

Amber opened the car doors and with her help, she carried the sleeping Sulli on a piggyback ride and asks her best friend, “Are you alright Krys?”

 

“Wow, you look half-dead.” Victoria snorted when she saw this student of hers with those darkening eye bags under her sharp eyes that popped out due to her overnight drive.

 

The worn out and half-awaked Krystal weakly answered, “Yeah. I’m fine. Just worry about Sulli first. Please don’t stress her out too much yet when she wakes up. Refrain from asking her anything about her father or anything just yet. Just wait for her to open up about her plans herself. I don’t want to see her all so worked up when she wakes up so don’t push her. Give her some enough time, please.”

 

“Seriously…” Victoria proudly smiled at this exhausted student as she observed, “I can’t believe this. She’s obviously dead tired too yet she’s worrying about Sulli first before herself. Look how fast she matured since she met Sulli.”

 

“She’s in love that’s why…” Luna whispered as they both giggle.

 

Upon making another attempt of stepping towards her worried friends, Krystal’s wobbling legs finally gave up, her stamina drained to zero and let her fatigued body be catch by her tutor with the help of Luna. Around her friends’ arms, there she dozed off and soon went into deep sleep just like this special friend of hers. And now, both are down and both in their own dreamlands.

 

“Geez, now we got two to take care of…” Amber whined but later whined at the view of these two snoring young people around their arms.

 

“What should we do with them now?” Luna asked.

 

Victoria then thought of a plan and excitedly proposed, “How about we let them sleep in the room while we go out and have some fun? We can’t possibly watch them sleeping until they both wake up right? Let’s reward ourselves too for helping them out in solving this problem. They dragged us along with their silly mess so we deserve some break too.”

 

“We agreed and let ourselves to be dragged though…” Amber again laughed.

 

“Oh good idea unnie! I’ll let Krystal use my bed then I can just lock the door and get the spare key with me.” Luna agreed and all got excited for this great plan.

 

It’s a bright Sunday; therefore it’s also a break day for the villagers from their hazardous work of almost every day of their lives. Breaks rarely happen but whenever the harvests are good during the weekdays, these happy carefree people will also reward themselves with their much needed break. If some are spending time wondering around the market and if some are blessed enough to visit the city, there’s Tiffany’s happy family opening gifts and presents sent by Jessica. Together in their small living room, everyone gathered around there, including their grandmother who’s now recovering well from the severe sickness.

 

“Fany mommy! Are all of these ours?” The amazed happy kid asked.

 

“Oh my… you finally called me mommy!” Tiffany almost teared up hearing this hard headed kid calling her and acknowledging her as a mother. “Yes dear, your Sica-noona delivered it for you all. Everything’s from the city so please handle it with care too, since I believe most are expensive.” She then checked the tagged prices and almost felt dizzy reading all those zero and commas printed.

 

The happy kids gathered around the boxes opening one toy to another and how lovely the sight is that Tiffany can only watch them lovingly while sitting relaxed beside her grandmother. Although Jessica isn’t physically present, Tiffany can feel the genuine love and care of Jessica for the kids through these gifts and personal letters attached for each of them too.

 

“Jessi is so perfect. I think I’m the luckiest woman in the world now.” Tiffany giggled to herself as she’s spacing out at the thought of Jessica with her kids while opening gifts like the ideal family she’s been always dreaming of.

 

“Fany mommy…” The little girl carrying her new doll approached as she called her mother so she was carried to sit on her lap. “I miss Sica mama. When will she come back again?”

 

“Yeah mommy!” Another one demanded, “Tell Sica-mama to visit us again and bring a lot of toys again then cook us some omelet rice again!”

 

“Sica m-m-mama?” Tiffany barely talked of her kids’ sudden aggressiveness and demands then later she bursts out laughing, “Jessi will definitely freak out if you call her like that! She’s not prepared to be a mama of all you guys yet. And besides, your Sica-mama is busy working in the city so don’t demand from her too much. You don’t want to disturb her and get mad at you, right?”

 

The concerned grandmother perceived how Tiffany smiles whenever she talks of Jessica and observes how happy the kids are whenever they think of Jessica. She has never seen this whole family as merry as this. They have always been happy but ever since Jessica happened to their lives, their once small life began seeing things into larger perspective and Jessica unknowingly made this small family of Tiffany so colorful that no one had thought would happen.

 

The grandmother butted in and comments while she cackles, “I think she is ready to become a parent like what these kids are saying.”

 

“Eh? W-what are you talking about grandma?” Tiffany stuttered as she furiously blushed.

 

“Just look how much she’s thinking of them like her own sons and daughters. She even sent them these gifts even if it’s not their birthday or even Christmas. She’s like a parent who’s far from her kids. Don’t you think so Fany?” The grandmother closely stared at Tiffany’s unsteady eyes.

 

Tiffany blushed harder that her blood heated, getting all thrilled and excited because of her grandmother’s comment that’s full of tease. “Oh c’mon grandma, you’re making me embarrassed. Now I’m starting to imagine it.”

 

“Stop imagining and make it come true.” The grandmother retorted and Tiffany stared at her uncertainly. “What I’m trying to say is, you should go and surprise her and go to the city. Besides, I’m back to my strength now and I don’t need your help anymore. I’d rather see you in there with Jessica than to see you here missing her so much.”

 

“But grandma…” Tiffany frowned.

 

“Go.” The grandmother insisted. Then she suggests, “And while you’re there, you can’t just sit there and wait for Jessica to finish her works, right?”

 

“What are you trying to say grandma?” Tiffany closely asks as she leans closer.

 

Her grandmother grabbed the left out nursing book which Tiffany forgot to fix last night and placed it on Tiffany’s free hand. It’s a book that she’s been reading recently where the grandmother always see her reading this in the garden every late night whenever she can’t fall asleep, perhaps thinking deep of it.

 

“Your passion is still alive, isn’t it?” Her grandmother smiled softly then goes on saying, “Start working again and earn some until you’re capable of supporting yourself again and continue on with your studies. You’re about to graduate, don’t waste it. I’m sure, not only us and your parents in heaven will be proud of you if you do but also Jessica. I know she will support you with this.”

 

Tiffany can’t deny it, her heart and passion is still with the college course she left for it has been her dream that she often talked about back in the days, far from when she first met Jessica. It was always the talk of , on how she wants to help cure sick people and

 

“Grandma, suddenly asking me to go back to college is kind of hard to decide right now. If all I’ll do there is to visit Jessi then there’s no problem with it but to live there again while pursuing college is a different story.” Tiffany still whined but holding on to her grandmother’s wrinkling yet strong arms for this strength she needs the most at the moment.

 

“But it’s your dream, right?” The grandmother asks and Tiffany nods. “Then don’t waste any more time and go. You won’t be alone there anymore. Your Sulli has gotten stronger too and of course Jessica will surely look after you. I know because I’ve seen how she truly loves you.”

 

“Can you give me some time to think about this grandma?” Tiffany appealed with her puppy eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to see Jessi. Of course I do but let me think of going back to college again. I still need to consider a lot of things grandma, like the kids, on how they’ll going to live without me and you too, on how you’ll handle all things while I’m out.

 

“How about a week?” The grandmother smiled. “Can you decide for a week?”

 

Tiffany pauses for a while and unsurely replied, “Maybe… I hope so…”

 

Indeed, it’s Sunday and most businesses consider this as their vacation day also but not for the ever busy Jessica Jung who’s always on standby in her office together with Yoona who’s supposed to be on her break too but chose to accompany her superior. The whole company building is silent but not her busy office that’s full of paper works and some overseas call from all over the globe.

 

“Yuri-unnie sent us some foods!” Yoona came back to the office from fetching boxes of pizza from a deliveryman at the ground floor. The excited her hurriedly opened the boxes and munches on that big slice while blabbering with full, “She said she wanted to come and personally help here but she’s in Japan right now, taking care of her their businesses too. She also said she’ll visit as soon as she comes back here.”

 

Jessica looked up from encoding on her laptop at her office table and saw the pizza’s note placed on the box from afar, ‘For Yoona. Get some fats and help Sica!’ She then shifted her amused gazes to her big eater secretary comfortably sitting on the couch and provoked, “I think she only intended to deliver it for you though. And I noticed you guys are getting along pretty well these past few days. One of my bodyguards even saw you together in a night bar.”

 

Yoona almost choked from chomping hard and fast because of her superior’s unexpected tease which earned a loud laugh from her. And as her superior continues on with suspicious glares at her, her quick excuses came jabbering out of her big full mouth, “No unnie! Of course she addressed it to me because she knows you have Tiffany-unnie and maybe she doesn’t want to cause the two of you troubles. Well, you know Yuri-unnie is very considerate when it comes to you, right? It’s not like we’re dating or something and it’s not that she likes me or anything at all. Of course she only has her eyes on you unnie. Please don’t think the wrong way about us! We’re just friends!”

 

“Excuse me Yoona but I never said something about her liking you or the other way around. I only said you guys are getting closer. I never said something about dating too.” Jessica chuckled at her secretary’s flustered expression that she even has to stand up from the couch for a defense.

 

“B-because… y-you’re looking at me as if y-you’re saying that w-we’re dating…” Yoona faltered in her mumbles. Then to make a comeback to her teasing superior humming to her answers, she also mentioned, “Then how about you unnie? I can see you’re smiling at your phone again and you’re writing something so secretive again. Are you cheating on Tiffany-unnie?”

 

“Idiot! Why should I cheat on Tiff? I’d never do that to her!” Jessica roared and the successful Yoona laughed triumphant. She opened her phone and directly shows it to her clearing herself, “It’s from Victoria, Krystal’s tutor! She said Krystal just arrived and sleeping at Sulli’s place right now and that Krystal wasn’t able to send me message anymore because she’s tired. I’m smiling because my sister is back safe!”

 

“Oh, it seems like your little baby is going through hard times too, huh?” Yoona commented as she saw the photo of sleeping Krystal attached to the message.

 

The proud sister beamed, “I know and that’s why I’m so proud of her! Until now, I can’t believe she has gotten so dependable and so matured. Sometimes I think that she can be way better than me only if we’re on the same business. Mom will surely be proud of her.”

 

Jessica then showed next to Yoona the contents of what she’s secretly jotting down in her notebook the whole time where it’s written eligibly:

 

Dear Mom,

 

I’ll always keep on apologizing to you since I always fail to write every day and skip some days but you do understand me, right mom?

 

I’ve been so busy fixing the company’s financial problems lately and building trusts from investors again. It’s hard, really hard and the schedules are all tight but thanks to Krystal, your baby I can go on without feeling much of the stresses and fatigues. Your baby Krystal is growing up so fast that I can’t help but to get amazed each day I see her. If only you can look at her now, you might not even believe that she’s that crying baby in your arms before.

 

And oh mom, I’ll tell you something that you’ll get proud of me too. This cold daughter of yours finally got a lover! You might not believe it but I really do! This daughter that you always tease back in the days got a lover and of course, an incredible lover! Amazing, right? I hope I can meet you soon and introduce her to you. You’ll love her, I know and so sure of it! I know dad might not accept her still, but I always remember you telling me how to fight for my own when the right time comes so here I am fighting for her even if dad is so scary giving me those glares. Yet, he’s getting weirder each day at the same time and I don’t know why.

 

It’s unfortunate that Krystal doesn’t have a lover yet just like me. I know you would love to meet hers too, right? But don’t you worry mom, I think this right person for Krystal is just around the corner now. Our Krystal is just too shy to admit her feeling to this special friend of hers that’s why she’s taking too long to realize things. Well, she’s just like dad back in the days I believe. I remember him always getting so cautious and conscious whenever he’s with you and so does Krystal, she never gets her words right whenever she’s with that special friend!

 

Okay whatever. I think I said too much now. I’ll try to write again next time and I’ll tell you more. You’d love that, right?

 

I love you mom.

 

With Love,

Your deeply and madly in love first born Jessica

 

Yoona read all of it, and didn’t leave a single word unnoticed. The letter sounds so cheesy, at least for Yoona’s perspective that she can’t believe it herself that it’s her moody superior who wrote something so meaningful towards her mother. “It seems like you’re a mommy’s girl after all, unnie. I didn’t know you’re this talkative when you talk to your mom. Compared to when you’re talking to your dad, your words are so limited.” She then grinned at her relaxed superior.

 

“I promised mom that I’ll look after Krystal before she left and promised her that I’d write this diary about our daily lives so that if ever we’ll meet again, hopefully, I can give this to her. With this, she would know how our lives are going even she wasn’t with us throughout the years.” Jessica warmly smiled as she put back the diary to her bag for safekeeping.

 

 “Do you think you’ll still meet her unnie?” Yoona carefully asked.

 

Jessica looked up to her from across her table and said openly from her office chair, “I don’t know but there’s no daughter who wouldn’t want to see her mother again.”

 

The day goes by until the early night came, but the time remains bland and flat for the older sister but not to the younger sister. There’s the older sister working her out on a Sunday evening meeting some investors on different places but then there’s also the younger sister waking up from her long peaceful and undisturbed sleep.

 

“Dammit… my back hurts…” Krystal only felt muscle pain as she tried to move from the unfamiliar bed she’s laying on and in the end, she loudly groans into the darkness of this unlighted narrow room.

 

It didn’t take long when Krystal realized that she’s not in their mansion but at Sulli and Luna’s shared apartment. It was also then that she noticed Sulli is also there, sitting on her bedside while ogling so near to her face. Though unintentional, Sulli startled and frightened the half-awake Krystal who is now fully awakened because of her white face and her long hair that’s dangling in her front through this darkness. She got like electrified on the bed as she frantically jolted up and hit her head directly on the walls behind her.

 

“I’m sorry, did I scare you?” Sulli quickly attended to Krystal’s freshly bumped head and gave it a light massage.

 

Krystal, creaking louder complains, “At least turn on the lights! It’s so dark that I thought it’s a white lady staring so close to me! I almost didn’t recognize you. Geez, don’t scare me like that.”

 

“Oh, okay. I just woke up too and forgot to op