Epilogue: . . . And So, There Were Two
The Selfless Love
She laid flowers on the ground. Tears started welling in her eyes again. She took in a raspy breath and smiled.
“Taeyang is becoming more like you,” she started. “Playful, naughty but very selfess. Just the other day, he gave his cousin his favorite toy because Durami was being hard to him again. I hope in time, she will accept her son. It isn’t the child’s fault if his father was cruel and evil.”
Silence.
“Oh, your son’s training had begun. I confess I am worried for him but Jiyong said that our son is as brave and as strong as you are.”
She sighed. “Jiyong has been very patient with Taeyang. And I hate to say this but your son is matching me up with him. He said ‘twould be better if I marry his oh-so-great Uncle Jiyong. Huh! You do not know how much your son dotes on him. He always praises him, talks about him. I feel jealous about it sometimes.”
She took a deep breath again and looked up ahead. “If you were just here. . .”
“Mother!” someone called. She turned around and saw her son running to her with a huge grin on his face. “Mother, Uncle Jiyong taught me how to write a love poem!” he panted excitedly.
“A love poem?” Sandara echoed. Another competition for her son’s attention?
“Yes”, Taeyang grinned. “He is really good. You should have read all of Uncle’s secret love poems and notes! They are the best!”
“Jiyong showed you his love poems?”
“Yes. He said they were supposed to be for this certain girl he loves and adores; only he said they can never be together.”
Sandara went very still.
“Mother?” he worriedly asked. “Has Uncle been rejected by a girl?”
“Why do you look so worried?”
“Well,” he hesitated. “I’ve been asking Uncle to teach me how to court girls. If he has been rejected, I might get rejected, too!”
Sandara cannot help but give a heart laugh.
“But I cannot understand why that girl rejected Uncle. Every girl LOVES him, well except you, Aunt Durami and that girl who rejected him.”
“What do you mean every girl?”
“I’ve been hearing girls, even women of all ages gossip about him,” he said.
“Oh, indeed?”
“Indeed. They admire him and totally worship him. I even heard one wondered what it would feel like to be under Uncle’s body. What did that mean, Mother?”
Sandara’s eyes grew wide but her son did not notice. He was staring up ahead, a frown creasing his forehead.
“During our combat trainings, Uncle always defeats me and brings me down, crushing me on the ground. But I do not feel anything unusual about it. Hmm. . . oh! I should ask the lady to join our training so she’ll know what it feels like to be under-”
“Taeyang, no!” Sandara interfered. “You are not to talk to that lady again! And you are not going to ask any woman to go near your Uncle, understood?”
Taeyang gave her a look. A naughty and playful look gleamed his eyes. And then, he laughed. “Hahaha! I was just fooling around, Mother! Finally, I caught you! You secretly like Uncle Jiyong, do you not? Haha! Yes! I am going to tell him!”
And then, he ran off.
“Taeyang!” she called. “Taeyang, come back here!”
“The little one hasn’t surrendered matching us up yet, huh?” a voice behind her said.
She whirled around and saw Jiyong with flowers on his hand. He went to lay them down on the ground, too.
“How come he sides with you more than me? He doesn’t even listen nor believe anything I say. I am his mother,” she complained.
Jiyong shrugged. “We’re both male. We understand each other.”
“He looks up to you,” she confessed.
“He needs a father and I am the closest father figure he has,” he returned.
“You’re right. He does need a father.”
“True,” he quietly said then sighed. “I shall go ahead. Have a good day, Your Majesty.”
“Jiyong wait!” she called. “Those. . . those hidden love poems you showed to Taeyang. . . were those. . . were those for me?”
It took him some time to answer. “Yes.”
“Can I see them?”
Jiyong chuckled. “You do not have to. You’ll only pity me.”
“No,” she smiled. “I want to read them.”
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