October the Tenth, 2008

Fourteenth Anniversary, the first of those gloomy ones.

Hearts were broken, yet actually they were not changed.

*****

“That’s quite a big box.”

Joohyun nodded while sadly looked at the blue box she received this morning.

“Aren’t you going to open it, Joo?’

Her Umma looked at her with worry eyes since she had been sitting in the chair with the box laid in the table in front of her for like half an hour or so.

“Hmmm, maybe later, Umma.”

“Okay. Suit yourself. So what time Kyuhyun will pick you up? He’s late this time, isn’t he?”

Joohyun’s eyes blinked. She forgot that they had not telling their mothers about the fight. No wonder she thought she behaved strangely. In any October the Tenth before this one, she would always jumping in excitement from her bed at 6 am and be ready for a pick up or a call by 7 am.

And now it has been 7.40 am. Instead of picked her up as usual, he texted her at 6.50 am and left that box in her front door.

“Joohyunnie, I know you hate me now. And the last thing I want you to have today is sadness. So I understand if you don’t want to see me at all. But can you please at least accept the box?”

She was crying when she read that text. He was sounded in desperation. But she could not just forget what he did that easily. Maybe because she loved him that much. Unconditionally. 

Yuri took the box and brought it to her. “Choose well, Joo. But don’t make yourself suffer.”

But almost an hour after, she still could not open the box. She was afraid.

“He has some errands to do this morning, Umma. I’ll .... see him in the afternoon.”

“Oh, yeah. The four pm routine. I am actually amazed with the boy of yours, Joo. He was only six at that time, but he remembers all that happened very clearly.”

Joohyun closed her eyes in pain. “He is .... amazing.”

Her Umma laughed. “But still, you’re only 17, Joo. As much as I love the two of you together, I hope nothing is too forward with your relationship.”

The ironic statement stabbed her heart. “Don’t worry Umma.”

“Ok. Just open that box, will you? I think everybody here is dying to know what is in that. Appa had been shaking the box hardly when he saw it first in the front door.”

She nodded and pulled the box with her to her room, then with shaking hands she pulled out the strings and tore the wrapper.

A rectangle white box was inside the outer wrapper. She took the cover and immediately retrieved two medium size canvas.

She pulled the first and it slowly. It was a portrait of her, stood beside their bench in the river bank with a small house at the background. She blinked again to prevent her tears from falling down. Her Oppa, yes she still considered him that, was really a good artist.

But the second canvas broke her wall. It was a simple sketch of what the house would be looked like. He named each of the rooms with symbols. His drawing room.  The balcony for watching the birds and the swans. And a small room beside the garage that marked “ Doc Hyunnie’s patients’ room.”

He remembered everything, included her obsession as veterinarian.

She hugged