Chapter 1: REALIZATION

(Park Hyu Hyu’s Point of View)

            I woke up with the sound of two people having a serious conversation. I tried making it out to what they were talking about but my head started throbbing. “How is she? Is she going to wake up soon?” I heard a lady asked. “She’s going to be………” I heard a man answered but I wasn’t able to finish the sentence. I feel so weak and drifted back into the darkness and fell asleep.

***

            I once again woke up, smelling the strong odor of a clean bleached room. I wrinkled my nose because of the intoxicating odor. I tried opening my eyes to see a white painted room with white window blinds shut. My attention on examining the room was interrupted by the lady who just entered. She looked like she’s in her 50’s. She looked familiar for a second. I blinked and blinked because my site was blinded by the brightness of the room as I opened my eyes fully. The lady was startled to see me awake…

            “Oh my goodness, I am so glad you’re finally awake dear. I’ve been worried sick.” She muttered as she moved closer to kiss my forehead. “You have been unconscious for about a week.” She continued… “Let me call the doctor to check on you.” She ended the sentence and walked out of the room. I started clearing my head for a moment. I kept thinking about the lady and realized it was my ee-mo 이모 (aunt), Ah Jin. I imagined her face once again and she looked like she aged since the last time I saw her attending my Family Day at school, which was last week. My revere was interrupted by my ee-mo and the doctor entering the room. “You look well rested.” The doctor muttered with a polite tone. I nodded blankly. The doctor started checking on my vital signs. I realized that I have been so thirsty and in need of a bathroom. “It looks like she’s healthy and there’s nothing to be worried about. Being unconscious for a week, I would say is very worrying. You seemed to be fine and you can go home tomorrow morning.” He finished his sentence and asked for my ee-mo to step out of the room for a moment to discuss on something.

            I decided to go to the bathroom to get some water and wash my face to clear my head a bit. Everything seems to be a blur. I opened the bathroom door and to my surprise, I saw a lady in her twenties standing in front of me. I screamed my lungs out not knowing why the lady would be inside the bathroom. My ee-mo came rushing in to the room with the doctor. "Yah! What is wrong, Hyu?" she asked with a concern tone in her voice. I stared at her for moment and pointed at the bathroom door; "There's a lady in the room. I don't know her. Why is she in the bathroom, staring at me?" I answered trying to catch my breathe. My ee-mo walked in to the room to check who's in there. "No one's here, Hyu." she said in a calm voice. "Are you sure you saw someone?" she continues. I nodded in respond to take a step forward. I once again opened the bathroom door to see the lady staring at me. I looked her in the eyes, and realized that I'm looking at my reflection in the mirror. My ee-mo took a closer step behind me. "I think you just saw your reflection and you were startled, that's all. There's no need to be scared, Hyu." she muttered in a monotone to calm me up. "But... I look so different. I've grown so much, I'm only seventeen. How could I look like that?" I asked while pointing at my reflection. My ee-mo looked so worried, she gazed at the doctor and went back on looking at me. "Hyu, do you remember why you're here in the Hospital?" she asked. I was silence for a moment and answered, "because I've had a high fever that won't stop, that's why I was admitted here at the hospital." I answered sincerely. She looked even more worried this time. She guided me back to the bed, and decided to step out of the room once again with the doctor.

           I layed in bed thinking of what just happened. "How could I look so mature? I barely recognized myself. What is going on? I thought to myself. My ee-mo and the doctor finally entered the room, my ee-mo decided to seat on the bed beside me. "Hyu, I have to tell you something. Make sure that  you'll handle it properly. This is going to be hard but you have to accept it. Okay?" she muttered. I nodded in respond still so confused of what's happening. "You were in a car accident a week ago, that is why you were admitted at this hospital. I know you remember the time when you were sick with a high fever, but that was when you were 17 dear. You're no longer 17, you're 22." she kept explaining. My head just startes throbbing hearing all these. "The doctor said that you might have an amnesia but this is a rare case. You've only forgotten parts of your life. You don't remember anything from when you were 17." she finished the sentence, and waited for me to answer. I tried finding some words to say but nothing came out. I wanted to asked a lot of things but I just can't. I just stared in to the blank space and doesn't what to think about. "I'll tell you everything you need to know, but for now I don't think it's the right time. We'll leave you to rest." My ee-mo muttered in such a worried tone. She kissed my forehead; her and the doctor decided to leave the room and let me be.

***

           I woked up from a deep sleep; my heart pounding hard; and I'm crying. I just dreamt about a tall man, with blond hair embracing me. There are two kids beside him, smiling and running to my direction and called me...... I woke up and wasn't able to hear what the children were saying. It felt like I was missing something but I'm just not sure what or who... I kept thinking about the dream that I just had and my head once again started throbbing. I drifted back to sleep with tears falling across my cheeks.