July 29th, 2011

"Annyeong haseyo, everyone. You are now listening to Our Vintage Memory slot with your new dj here, Ham Eun Jung-imnida. Dear listeners, how are you feeling today? It is summer but it has been a rainy day lately. And I'm sure most of you would love reminiscing the past during rainy days. Therefore, if you feel like you have a memory which is beautiful to you and you feel like sharing it with other listeners, you can call us at 20061777. You can also call us if you would like to request a song. " Just then, Eun Jung saw the programme producer raised his hand as a signal that there was a caller on the line. Eun Jung noted.

"Oh, I guess we have a caller on the line. Yeoboseyo..." Greeted Eun Jung cheerfully.

"Ne, yeoboseyo, Eun Jung-ssi." An orotund voice could be heard from over the phone.

"Yes, may I know who's on the line? And where are you from?"

"I am Ye Eun calling from Gasan-dong."

"Ne, Ye Eun, you may go on with your story."

"Ah ne, I just want to share my beautiful memory I had with my cousin who is 25 years older than me. She is almost the same age as my mother but yet we are so close to each other. Probably it's because she understands how I am since she was a teacher herself. When I was in primary school up to secondary school, my family and I would never miss to visit her during the summer holiday. Mum would be bragging about my academic results and my cousin would be so proud of me that everytime she heard that I got excellent results, she would gave me 4000 Won for every A I obtained...."

"Omo, she's so nice to reward you like that."

"Ne, but I have never really looking forward to get the reward from her. For me, going to visit her is enough since she would prepare variety of food whenever she knew that we were coming. She would also ask my mum to let us stay at her home for days and she would bring us to the beach during the summer."

"What a nice child you are."

"Oh, thank you. Anyway, my family and I no longer visited her after my aunt died and neither did she visit us. My mum was quite disappointed to know that she no longer contact us after her mom died. But one day, we found out that she actually had been excluding herself from relatives ever since she found out she had a cancer. I was so shocked when I heard that news and I couldn't really have visited her often back then. Therefore..." The girl stopped talking and Eun Jung could hear sobbing from the end of the line. Eun Jung herself was lost for words upon hearing the word 'cancer'.

But Eun Jung didn't have time for a flshback when the girl on the other end of the line continued,"Therefore, I didn't get to say that I have always been grateful to have a cousin like her who has been my motivator in my studies. And now, that she's gone I just wish I can say to her a proper 'Thank you' and 'I love you' and also to apologise if my family ever thought badly about her. Ji Na eonni, thank you for giving me wonderful summer memories for years and I will always remember you throughout my life."

"Don't be sad, Ye Eun-ssi. I am sure your cousin must have been really grateful to have a brilliant cousin like you. She would be proud as a cousin as well as a teacher. And you know what, I'm pretty sure she had long forgiven your family about that. Because that is what I felt towards a person I care so much in this world. I just know she really wants to say 'Thank You and Sorry for everything'." Eun Jung advised from her own perspective and experience. "Would you like us to play a song of your choice?"

"Yes, please. I would like to request for Everlasting Summer by Monni." Said the girl in a wobbly voice.

"Ah, good choice of song. Thank you, Ye Eun for calling us. You've got a really beautiful memory there. I hope you'll keep it forever." Eun Jung said, ending the conversation with the caller. And seconds later, the call is hung up.

"Dear listener, I know it was a touching story and I guess it is to remind us to always keep in touch with our family and relatives as well as close friends and such. Also, I think it would be a good idea to always ask ourselves everyday, "have we said to the one we love the word "Thank You" and "I love you"?" Anyway, as requested, I will play the song "Everlasting Memory by Monni". Enjoy!."

My longing is like the deep sea
I'm standing at that sea,
the sea of my memories that came from those days
My summer is like the glass bead
broken during that clumsy time
The everlasting summer inside me that won't end,
the brilliant summer from my childhood that I miss

As soon as Eun Jung saw the producer gave her a signal that the song has been played, Eun Jung took off the headphone on her head and went out of the station cabin, bringing along tissues and phone with her. As she walked past the producer and the team, she asked if any of them were getting coffee but all of them were not. 

While waiting for the coffee to fill up the cup she placed under the dispenser, her hand began typing a text and sent it to Yong Hwa while her left hand wiped the tears that had been welling up in her eyes.

"Were you listening, just now?"

She went to get a coffee and walked back into the cabin. As soon as she took her seat, a text came.

"Yeah, I was. And I am still listening now. Noona, good job!" But Eun Jung didn't reply his text. Instead she just embraced herself while enjoying the hot coffee but she still had her gaze staring at her phone. She wondered if Yong Hwa even knew the reason she texted him in the first place. Or, she was thinking, probably he did and he just hid behind the text he replied to her.

I'm standing at that sea,
the sea of my memories that came from those days
My summer is like the glass bead
broken during that clumsy time
The everlasting summer inside me that won't end,
the brilliant summer from my childhood that I miss

The song had ended and Eun Jung continued with her session.

....................

December 19th, 2009

It was the fourth week out of the five-week-chemo-regimen. 

Shin Hye had just returned home from her two days of staying at the hospital. Two days after chemo, and she still felt increadibly tired and weak. So all she did was staying in bed along with her 5 days prescription of post-chemo injections, which she had to take to reboost her bone marrow production. She used to be scared of the injection procedure that she had to undergo, especially thinking of the possibility that the doctor couldn't find her veins. But it was long gone. Now, she could even watch the doctor penetrating the needle into her vein and she had become so used to it that she felt like she's numb to it. 

Shin Hye tried to take a nap. But five seconds later, her eyes would be wide awake. She's incredibly tired but she was also extremely exhausted from all the sleep she had for those two days. So instead, she tried to reach for the book on the shelf near her bed but her elbow accidentally knocked against a bottle of medicine on the bedside table and it fell to the floor. She tried to bend her upper body down from the bed to pick it up but another hand got it before hers.

"You are always so careless." 

Shin Hye looked up to see who was standing before her eyes.

"Eun Jung-eonni!" She exclaimed in excitement.

"How are you feeling?" Eun Jung hugged Shin Hye and gave a light peck on her cheek,

"Bored!" Shin Hye gave Eun Jung a pretended scowl face.

"I knew it! Therefore...." Eun Jung paused to take something from inside her pastel pink tote bag. "...I brought you these dvds! Tadaa....!!" Eun Jung showed Shin Hye a number of animation dvds she had in her hand.

"Studio Ghibli!" Shin Hye shrieked in astonishment. "Eonni is the best!"

"That...I knew as well. Ho ho ho..." Eun Jung gave off her boastful laugh. "Which one do you want to watch first?"

Shin Hye took a look at the dvds one by one. "I want to watch this one first!" Shin Hye pointed at the dvd with a written title "Ponyo On The Cliff".

"You picked my favourite. And you made the right choice as I think the genre should be quite light for you to watch now. Geurae..." Eun Jung took out the dvd and inserted it into Shin Hye's laptop drive. 

"So cute!" Shin Hye claimed as she saw the first appearance of Ponyo in the film before going back to silently focusing on watching it. Meanwhile, Eun Jung laughed at her reaction even though she was not watching the film with Shin Hye. Eun Jung was busy texting someone.

"Eonni, are you not watching?"

"Oh, you go ahead. I've watched it for countless times. As I told you, that is my favourite. " Eun Jung smiled, and returned to focus on the text she just received.

"Oh so you're gonna be late." Eun Jung mumbled softly.

 "Sousuke's voice is so adorable. How I wish I have a little brother like him." Shin Hye squeaked again, causing Eun Jung to giggle. 

"You really have an eye for cute boys. Is that why you fall for Yong Hwa?" Eun Jung teased again.

"No! Eonni!" Shin Hye denied it. "Look! Look! I can make a face like Ponyo!" Shin Hye pouted and showed to Eun Jung, hoping to change the topic. 

"Geurae! I can see why Yong Hwa falls for you now!" Eun Jung continued teasing Shin Hye. "Sousuke and Ponyo are like both of you." Eun Jung laughed at her own idea. Shin Hye didn't say anything but kept pouting and pretend to ignore Eun Jung's teasing.

"You haven't told me how did you get to know Yong Hwa." Eun Jung suddenly brought up her curiosity that she had been keeping to herself for quite sometime.

Shin Hye didn't answer straightaway. Instead, she asked Eun Jung, "Eonni, do you believe in love at the first sight?" 

"Em, depends." Eun Jung answered after a quick thought.

"You'll be the first person to know this so I hope you won't tell anyone about this." Shin Hye seemed like opening up her secret. "I remembered that I saw him when I first enrolled in the college but I never really have the courage to find out more about him until one day when I met him in the library for detention."

"So you've known his presence even before you knew his name?" Eun Jung confirmed.

"Yeah."

And then Shin Hye told Eun Jung how they progressed after their frist meeting in the library, their walk back home together in the rain, their day out in the park and so on.

"I hope you don't mind but is it right if I say that you fell for him first before he fell for you?" 

"I think so." Shin Hye blushed.

"It must have felt so good to have found your love. Handsome. Kind-hearted. Good in everything he's doing. Not to say how he stayed next to you when you are happy or sad." Eun Jung could go on forever with her praising list but she decided to cut it short with, " Wonder where my love is..."

Shin Hye nodded in agreement with what Eun Jung said. "I wish I have the courage to mutter the words 'Thank You' sincerely to him but sadly I don't."

"Well, you know what, in my opinion, the word 'Thank You' and 'I'm Sorry' shouldn't be in a dictionary of relationship." There went the philosophy of a Drama Club Director.

"Why?"

"Two people in love should always be ready to forgive each other and should always be sincere in helping each other." Eun Jung confidently voiced out her opinion in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But then Eonni, I have always felt guilty for keeping him near me during this moment." That, Eun Jung didn't expect Shin Hye to say it out loud.

"What do you mean?" Eun Jung asked in undertone, with her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Just then, both of them were interrupted by a knock on the door of the bedroom. Eun Jung went to open it.

"You came late. We are almost finished watching one film." Eun Jung said to the guy standing in the doorway in front of her, with her controlled tone so as to sound as if all they did was just watching the movie. But the guy exchanged with her a bleak smile which Eun Jung could see through it. And Shin Hye, on the other hand, could already guessed who it was thus she sighed, softly but rather heavily.

He came late, but somehow it seemed that he turned up at the right time. The irony of life

........................