Chapter 2: The Dreamers

Crossing Borders
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Chapter 2 The Dreamers

 

A dream consists of things that should be done with consistent hard work that comes with an phenomenal passion. Chasing a dream requires self-confidence with a strong and unwavering heart. Unfortunately, in this modernized realm with advanced technical knowledge, a lot of dreamers are getting downhearted especially for the unprivileged humankinds who don’t have wealth and wads of money like what affluent people have. Some of these people can only fantasize of their dreams for in this era, most mindsets believe that only people with wealth are capable of reaching their dreams. However, there are also dreamers who think differently and don’t follow the crowd. Although they don’t sail on the same boat with the rich people, their unbeatable enthusiasm in clutching their ambitions that never betrayed them.

 

“Good morning. Have a great day.” This gracious greeting comes every day from the early birds of the village.

 

Unknown to the urban modern field, there are people that don't reckon on technologies to sustain on living. They are the kinds of community that particularly live using their own arms for farming, legs for vending, patience for fishing and happy thoughts for every day enchantment. They are the rural communities to which most modernized urban people judge as the ignorant and nonexistent human beings, inferior and penniless. They don’t depend on money for happiness and they are called the happy villagers.

 

“Be careful on your way to school, okay? Be good kids and be active. Don't disappoint me.” A woman reminded a group of kids in front of the school gate.

 

“Yes noona!” The obedient grade school students saluted at their caretaker.

 

The concerned woman watched the merry kids running their way inside the old public school and would greet their fellow students they pass by their tiny campus. Every single villager knows each other and there are no higher ups or followers among them. All are equal and all are kind to each other in spite of a title thag was given to the village chief for supervision. There are no crimes as all are with angelic hearts. Though most are poor and only resides at their small home, they never failed to curve up their lips for a smile that eases everyone’s unnecessary anxieties. In this village, there is no room for violence, act of vices and tears of sadness as everyone work like a family blessed with love.

 

“Now for my next task…” The woman sniffed deep for tranquility as she closed her eyes.

 

The woman started to move and rides on her overused pink bicycle. While she drives with caution on the dusty and rocky road, she meets numerous villagers on their own duties and responsibilities. There are villagers carrying their own embroidered baskets with their items to be sold on it, there are villagers walking their way to the sea for fishing and the young ones sprinting their way to school. She inhales the morning breeze of the village, scented with the fragrance of the green healthy trees and the mountains. Until she pulled her breaks near a vast farm planted with corns, rice grains and various fruits, she hopped off her bicycle and parked it carefully at the field side then runs fast towards the cows that are in their cages waiting to be used for farming.

 

“Grandma! I'm back. Where are you?” The woman buzzed to no one as she randomly shouted over the area.

 

“Oh, Tiffany dear! I'm here!” The old woman under a tree waved at the searching woman and so she jogged towards her. “You're a bit early today. Did you send the kids to school safely?”

 

“I did grandma, like always.” The jolly and energetic villager Tiffany replied with an eye smile.

 

Together with the grandmother and other workers of the farm, they both replaced their flip flops with their plastic boots used for farming, grabbed a hooded jacket to cover themselves from the direct hit of sunrays, gloves as they use their hands for harvesting crops and their cows to help them with the heavy loads of work. Farming is being done from early to late morning and this routine repeats and loops every day.

 

“Hey Fany Fany Tiffany, should I help you?” Another woman on her bicycle arrived at the field side and asked Tiffany who is in the middle of the farm, harvesting then loading the baskets.

 

Without looking back to see who offered help, she could tell whose harmonious voice that was. And to respond her offer, Tiffany exclaimed into the clear blue sky, “Yah Taeyeon! Do you still need to ask that? Of course you have to! You're also a farmer so come here because you're totally late again.”

 

Taeyeon sighed but then she smiled at her reply and argued back, “You're right. Well I'm so sorry for being late ma'am. I just went to the post office to get an important and precious letter from your favorite dongsaeng. I passed by the messenger a while ago and said it just arrived so I went to get it for you.”

 

“Really?” Tiffany’s eyes glittered in bliss at the information she heard. She turned around to her friend from bending down only to see her raising the letter up high in her hand.

 

“Yeah. Come and take a break while you read it. It's been a while since she sent a letter so I know you're eager to read it now.” Taeyeon said as she insisted.

 

Tiffany went off the field as she exchanged places with Taeyeon. Now that the letter is in her hands, excitement could be seen written all over her face, smile stretching so wide and eyes getting teary because of joy as she occupied a space for herself under the tree. She squatted on the grassy ground and she opened the letter stated:

 

Tiffany-unnie,

 

Hi unnie! It's been a while. I'm so sorry if I couldn’t send you letters these past few weeks. I've been very busy with exams and part-time jobs every weekend. I hope you understand unnie.

 

How's everyone in there? I hope everyone’s doing fine, especially grandma and the kids. Please say hello to Taeyeon-unnie for me too. As for me, university life is going well. Luna-unnie is looking after me too and she's dependable so you don’t need to worry too much. I still need to work harder and achieve my dreams and the promise that we made. I still have a long way to go so please wait until the day I can achieve it. I won't give up unnie, so you shouldn’t too. I miss you so much unnie and I hope I can find time to visit there soon.

 

I hope to hear from you soon unnie. That’s all for now. I'll try to find time to write letters again. Bye! Take care.

 

From your prettiest dongsaeng,

Sulli

 

The letter was short yet it gave a big significance on Tiffany's soul. A tear fell down after reading her short and meaningful letter. Her penmanship was crappy and this made Tiffany to let out low snickers but the paper was slightly crumpled, a sign that the letter was somehow abused from a strong hold.

 

“What did she say?” Taeyeon sat beside her after a successful harvest and planting.

 

“She said she’s fine but I doubt.” Tiffany sighed.

 

“Why?”

 

“There are tear drops on her letter. She must be crying when she wrote this. Also, she's living in the city and she's under a special scholarship program of a prestigious high class university. Everyone in there is rich and there is only a few of them belonging to that program. You know, I'm just thinking that she might be getting bullied or abused.” Tiffany stated her concerns as she showed the crumpled letter to Taeyeon.

 

“C'mon Fany! You've watched too much dramas. Just trust her. She's a strong young woman just like you. Even though you're not biologically related, she grew up with you under grandma’s care together with the kids. You guys weren’t taught how to give up. Besides, she has a big dream; I think that’s enough for her to stay strong. May she be bullied or not, I know she can fight on her own.” Taeyeon assured and patted Tiffany's shoulder for the utmost comfort she needed.

 

“I'm sorry my dear Fany but this village don’t allow unhappy people, remember? Smile and join us. Our neighbors prepared some snacks for us. Let’s not waste it.” A farmer heard Tiffany’s worries and cheered her up by beaming a warm smile.

 

“You're right. Sulli can do it. I only need to keep my faith in her.” Tiffany nodded then lightly slapped her cheeks to awaken her usual bright side.

 

The happy and carefree farmers of the village gathered together as they share the small amount of bread and drinks served for them. This kind of get-together isn’t as lavish and fancy like how rich people do but this cheap yet reasonable is enough to bring unity among the villagers. Because of everyone’s hospitality and consideration, Tiffany was able to set aside her distress for a short time.

 

In the advanced metropolitan area, some people neglect the poor’s existence while some just simply ignore them. They are discriminated by some abusive and spoiled rich people while the maltreated tries to be humble and won’t fight for revenge. They chew in every single insult and every inch of pain inside their hearts, every single day of their life. These victimized people stand strong but there are also times they break down and cry their hearts out of the abusers sight. They curl and hide like beaten up animal somewhere far from harm and all they can do is cry to no one but themselves.

 

“Go home! We don't need you here! Go back to your cave and live with the bats!”

 

“You stinky woman! Don't come near us!”

 

Raw eggs were thrown, unfinished lunch meals were tossed and bottled waters were showered to this bullied working student who is now on the floor, crying and sobbing as she's powerless to fight back this thick crowd of spoiled rich students. The way she's being treated isn’t something new and this kind of bullying happens every single day of her university life. All she can do is to cry her heart out and let her belongings be ruined by them.

 

“Hey! Stop it! Let her go!” A savior came to rescue the bullied young one and shooed the crowd away.

 

The crowd mixed with both male and female dispersed and went back to their own tables and businesses. They all laugh and amused at the sight of the pitiful woman crying with a helping hand of her own kind. She was pulled up and let her out of the cafeteria where the bullying took place. Being dragged somewhere in the university’s running field's bleachers isn’t something new to the bullied student either. It happens every day, every hour of her university life.

 

“Are you alright Sulli? Seriously, those idiots will never learn good manners! How dare they do this to you?” The savior maddened.

 

“It’s so unfair Luna-unnie! What did I do to be treated like this? Why are we being treated like garbage?” The bullied woman Sulli sobbed.

 

“I understand you Ssul. Just hang in there, okay? Sooner or later these bullying will stop.”

 

Luna handed over a towel as she marked the pitiful student in front of her, crying so hard and sobbing to the point she couldn’t breathe easily. The treatment began the day that the special scholarship program was established in the university. Some students refused to accept those poor and penniless students like Sulli and Luna who were admitted and now mingling with wealthy ones. And these students don’t have the power to fight for their own rights as they are scared of what money can do to their silent and precious life.

 

“Don’t cry. I’m here to protect you.” Luna frowned as she helped Sulli on fixing her own self, from her stained clothes to her crumpled hair.

 

“Thank you, unnie. I’m also worried that Fany-unnie might find out about this and will ask me to go back to the village.” Sulli said.

 

“Oh, so she doesn’t know that you’re being bullied?” Luna asked.

 

“There’s no way I’m telling her unnie. I don’t want her to worry and she worked hard for me just to be here right now. She sent me to high school and gave up on her dream of getting a college degree just because of me. And now I’m here, I will never turn back and stop right here. I want Fany-unnie to be proud of me. She’s all I have and I don’t want to disappoint her.”

 

Luna observed the sincerity on Sulli’s voice and the warmth shown on her expression as she talked of Tiffany. She then commented, “You should always wear that expression Ssul.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Nothing. I was just talking to myself.” Luna smiled as she playfully pinched Sulli’s puffy cheeks. “I'll see you back in the apartment. I still have classes to attend. You should go back to the cafeteria too. Those bullies might not be there anymore. The other staffs might look for you too.”

 

Luna gave her a last pat on her head before running back to her own class schedules. This is how their life loops every day and this is how they have been enduring all the beatings of the powerful. For a poor dreamer like Sulli, she has tolerated these kinds of daily maltreatments but it’s easier for her to withstand such pains with the help of her senior friend Luna. On weekdays she's a working student serving wealthy spoiled brats at the university’s cafeteria and on weekends, she serves as a caregiver on a facility where senior citizens and people with no families or people whose family are too busy are being taken care of.

 

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TAENGSIC2007 #1
Chapter 20: Still waiting for you author ╥﹏╥ Please come back and continue this beautiful story
TAENGSIC2007 #2
Chapter 20: Author please update. It doesn't matter to me if you are slow in making another chapter as long as you continue this story. Still waiting for update! ๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑
Lodinyoko
#3
Update?
otnine0922 #4
Chapter 20: I hope you get to finish this story author ssi.... i miss this story of yours T_T
otnine0922 #5
Chapter 20: Update pleaseeee author ssi??
foryoureader #6
One of my 2019 goals, the author will continue this srory till the end. Amen...
otnine0922 #7
Chapter 20: Author nim pleeeeaaaaasssseeee update:(((
JeTiHyun
#8
Chapter 20: Where are you buddy? Are you going to continue this story? I missed this story so much that makes me re-read it for I don't know how many times already. ^^
vitacam
#9
I miss your update autornim ?
jungchoi #10
This is one of my fave fanfic...i hope u can update soon authornim...i misa my jungli so much