4
Playful Proposal
A minute or two have passed, yet the two remained stupefied in their positions. They stood at the middle of the field like live models posing for a class of young painters - not moving, not blinking, just staring into each other's eyes.
The morning breeze blows. The sun hiding behind the mountains takes a peek at the man and woman absorbed in their staring battle. Surely, the situation has changed. This is no longer a suspense thriller movie where a girl runs for her life while a psycho chases her in a field of corns. A light drama where two old friends reunite… or maybe something else.
She would have stared into his eyes forever, if only her heart didn't try to jump out of her chest; if only the monarchs in her stomach didn't start fluttering across the continents of her belly. She could've won this staring battle, if she were immune of this man's charm, but she was not. And she knew it long time ago.
Looking away, she pulled her arm away from his grasp. The man continued studying her grown up face. After all, it's been almost two decades since they've last seen each other. The last time he saw her she was donning pigtails and always carrying her doll with her. The person in front him…
"… is definitely not a child anymore." He thought as he studied her from head to toe.
He saw pictures of her during her teenage years, for they used to mail each other often, until six years ago. For reasons he didn't know, she suddenly stopped answering his mails. Not wanting to cause her troubles, he, too, stopped sending letters to her.
"It's you." He chuckled. "I thought you were a thief."
Her eyes widened, then she turned to face him. "Do I look like a thief? Ohmaygad, Jiyong! How could you…"
"You remember me." He said cutting her speech off. His eyes have softened but the corner of his lips raised as if pointing to the clouds in the sky.
"Of course I remember… " She said in a soft voice.
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"I'm Jiyong. What's your name?" The farmer boy asked.
The little girl was hesitant to answer at first, for she remembered her parents telling her not to talk to strangers. But this kid looked kind and he helped her with the 'monster,' maybe she can trust him.
"Sandara Park. My name is Sandara Park." The girl eventually answered while drying her tears with the back of her hand.
"Ssan. Da. Ra? That's a weird name," Jiyong said nodding his head. "Oh! Then are you from the Park's farmhouse?"
"Ah, yes," she said. "Do you know the way back to my grandparent's house?"
Jiyong nodded. "I can take you there if you want."
And with that, the clouds looming over the young girl's face immediately fled like rats being chased by a mighty cat. Her misty and puffy eyes were once again as bright as a summer day's sky.
'Bright eyed rabbit.' The young boy secretly nicknamed his new found friend.
"Come on. I'll bring you back to your grandparents." He said motioning her to follow him before starting walking on the aisle of corns. He took her hand and they started walking.
Sandara would occasionally glance at the dark haired boy. Series of thoughts popped out of her young mind.
'In Omma's stories, princesses in trouble would always be rescued by their prince. Could he be a prince in disguise?' She dreamily thought.
Bright-eyed rabbit and the prince in disguise walked together. They walked, and walked, and walked, until they reached the farmhouse castle of the rabbit princess.
Her parents, and grandparents were there waiting for them. They were all worried that the young Sandara would be lost in the vast field of corns. They all thanked Jiyong for bringing their princess back. They wanted to invite him for dinner, but the farmer boy has to go home for it was getting dark and his parents must be starting to worry about him.
"Will you come here tomorrow to play with me?" Sandara asked.
"Yes," Jiyong said before running back into the field.
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"You can walk back home… I mean, you remember your way right?" Jiyong said.
And the grown up rabbit started fidgeting. How to tell him she's a lost kid? He'll surely laugh at her. She have to think of a way to make things less embarrassing for her.
"How do you expect me to remember my way back home, when it's been ages since I've been here and I always been ushered to and from my grandparent's home?" She answered quickly.
The farmer boy howled a heartfelt laughter. Was he amused? Or did he just find her funny?
"I guess some things won't change," he said with a meaningful smirk. "Then, shall I walk you home?" he asked as he offered a hand to her.
She looked from his face to his open hand, then vice versa. Did he expect her to hold hands with him while walking home like what they used to do when they were kids?
Sandara's face reddened at the thought, then she tried to ignore his hand and walked past him. "Lead the way, please," she said, not looking at him.
Jiyong tried to suppress the little earthquakes forming at the corner of his heart, but seeing the redness on his old playmate's cheeks makes him vulnerable and weak. Looks like some things won't really change.
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