final
That Butterfly
"Look, kiri! I caught a butterfly for you" the little boy held up his butterfly net and grinned proudly.
Kiri quickly ran over to the little boy and awed at the butterfly.
It had such beautiful wings. Beautiful and strange wings. Its wings were mixed patterns. Dotted, striped and floral.
Kiri had never seen such a unique butterfly but reality dawned upon her.
The butterfly was free before her oppa caught it. It was having fun with the other butterflies before her oppa caught it. It was alive and free spirited before her oppa caught it.
So she has to set it free. For if you love someone or something, you have to set it free. At least that's what kiri' s mom said. She always told kiri that if it was hers in the first place then it would come back to her.
Pain and sacrifice was all worth it in the end.
She never understood the last part. What is pain? What is sacrifice? Is it some kind of food? Because if it was then she would like all of the pain and sacrifice in the world.
What she did understand though was that it isn't right to catch something that was free before. So kiri knew that the butterfly had to be freed.
5 years later...
Now kiri is ten. She's currently living with her aunt. No living isn't the correct word. Let me rephrase that. She's currently staying with her aunt. There, much better.
But anyways, her parents were in America. Whatever that place is. Her parents were doing important adult business there and it's been months already. How long will she have to wait?
"Kiri, time for lunch!" Her aunt said. "We're having your favorite!
Jjajangmyun!"
Once kiri heard "jjajangmyun" all thoughts of her parents disappeared she hurriedly jumped off her bed to go downstairs.
But as she passed by her window she notices a butterfly. A strange and yet beautiful one. It had dots, stripes and flowers on its wings. Hmm. Strange. It seemed so familiar to kiri but she didn't know why so she decided to just go eat. Maybe eating will help her remember why.
6 years later......
Now kiri was 16. And she was still staying with her aunt. She hasn't lost hope in her parents. She knows that they will come back for her and oppa. She knows that they will become a happy family again. She knows that one day it will all happen. One day.
"Hey kiri!"
Kiri turned around to see her oppa.
"Oh. Oppa! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in college?" Kiri asked.
"Um. Yeah. Listen. I'm going to America to find mom and dad. It's been exactly 6 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 10 hours, 2 minutes and 26 seconds. And counting. How long will they make us wait?" Her oppa asked.
"Let's just wait a few more months. Then go to America. Promise?" Kiri asked.
She still had hope in her parents.
They'll comeback. I just know it. And oppa won't break his promise. I trust him.
But the thing is, her oppa never said promise.
5 months later.........
"Oppa!! It's time to go shopping! You promised me 2 days ago! Now come on!" Kiri was outside of her oppa' s door, knocking and smiling as wide as her face would let her.
"Oppa?" Kiri was being to question if he was even in there. There wasn't any reply nor sound coming from his room.
"Oppa!!!!" Kiri played with the knob to find the door open already. She entered the room carefully.
"Oppa, stop hiding! I'm not in the mood for jokes. Come out already! Opppa!!!!!!!" Kiri was getting worried. Something wasn't right.
She looked around and saw a note on his desk.
DEAR KIRI,
I'M SORRY. I REALLY AM. BUT I HAVE TO GO TO AMERICA. YOU TOLD ME TO WAIT A FEW MONTHS AND I DID BUT I GREW IMPATIENT. SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I'M SORRY I CAN'T GO SHOPPING WITH YOU. I KNOW YOU WERE ECSTATIC TO GO WITH ME SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. DON'T TRY TO COME TO THE AIRPORT AND CAUSE A FUSS. I KNOW YOU AND YOU WOULD TRY TO DO THAT BUT PLEASE DON'T BECAUSE BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I'M EITHER IN AMERICA OR ON THE WAY TO THE AMERICA. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT I LOVE YOU. TAKE CARE OF AUNTIE, OKAY? I LOVE YOU. I'M SO SORRY.
LOVE,
YOUR ONE AND ONLY OPPA.
"Andae!!!!! Why would you leave right before my birthday??? Why, oppa?" Kiri cried and yelled at the picture of her oppa in the frame.
"Kiri, is everything okay?" Her aunt touched her cheek and felt her tears. She read the note and hugged kiri tightly while rocking her back and forth.
Kiri looked at the window and saw the same butterfly that she saw months ago. She tried to recall why it was familiar but still couldn't remember so she focused on crying about her oppa.
10 years later......
Kiri is now 26. She was now old enough to go to America. So she bid her aunt goodbye and flew to America.
She called her brother only to be greeted by his voicemail. She didn't know her parents' s number so her brother was pretty much all she got.
"A 30 year old korean man was found dead next to a Korean man and woman. Officials say that they are one family since they have all been verified as...."
Kiri turned her head to look at the news. She didn't understand English but she did understand korean, man, woman, and dead.
As she looked at the tv, tears streamed down her face. It was her oppa and parents. She cried and cried and cried and cried. She just stepped on American grounds and yet she was being greeted by this kind of new already?
People watched as a young Korean woman cried her heart out while looking at the tv. Just by using common sense they solved the puzzle and understood why she was crying.
But as Kiri kept in looking at the screen, she saw the butterfly once again and all of her family members were holding it. That was when she remembered why the butterfly was so familiar.
Many, many years later.....
Kiri was now an elderly. She was 86 and was waiting to be with her family. She was ready to go since she has already suffered and sacrificed.
And now she was ready for her prize.
OMG!!!!! First oneshot!!!!
How was it?
Comments