AAA, Diary Four, Aera

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Dear Diary,

I stare out at the passing scenery which seems to fly by in a blur. Lush green all around. I am now on my way to basically another city, which is hours away. The call had worked. It went through, but it hadn’t been his mum. Instead, a nurse had answered, informing me of Mrs Oh’s current condition. It had scared me. She is lying in hospital right this moment, with bandages and probably scars that’ll mar her for life.

Abuse, what a terrible word. I bite my lip in worry as compassion swims around my heart. I mention none of the news I’ve found to Se Hun. He does not need to lose his sanity over this. Seriously, what have humans become? Abuse, kidnap, murder, whatever . Monsters already live among us. I recall the message I’ve left for Se Hun this early morning. I’ve told him I would be leaving for a while, and that he doesn’t have to worry, though I doubt he actually will. Still, it’s good to let him know I’ve gone in case he’s surprised that I’ve disappeared overnight. I’d planned for a day, and set off straight away on the earliest bus possible.

I am going to somehow convince Se Hun’s mum to come back to her original family, and I plan to surprise Se Hun.

~~~

I gasp as I enter the assigned room. Se Hun’s mum, no doubt, is sitting upright against her pillows, reading. I refrain from covering my eyes in horror as I enter. Her face and arms are dotted with dark purple spots, and she had one arm wrapped in bandage. God, how can there be such an evil inhumane monster wandering on Earth? Shaking my head, I switch on the ‘see me’ button within me.

Se Hun’s mother looks up sharply as I enter, and her face first, a mask of ill-disguised fear, twists into a confused frown as she sets her novel down beside her gently. I take slow steps as I approach her, and bow.

“Mrs Oh? It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Aera.” I greet her formally. She nods her head a little with wary eyes, wincing as she did, and folds her hands on her lap, covered by the linen sheets.

“Miss...Aera, please take a seat. May I know why you are looking for me? I believe I have never met you,” she asks. I lower myself into the stool beside her bed and twiddle with my thumbs, suddenly nervous. Was it because she was Se Hun’s mother, of all people?

“Mrs Oh,” I pause as she stiffens, and continue, “I am acquainted with Se Hun…”

“My son? You know him? How is…he?” Mrs Oh perks up even straighter at the mention of my ward and regards me with a devastated expression. Her eyes start to rim with tears.

“H-he’s…doing fine, Mrs Oh. But he wants you back. Both of them do,” I answer softly.

Tears leak out of her eyes as she gives a sudden sob. I tense as she stammers. “I-I regret, regret leaving them, leaving…Se Hun. I miss…miss…miss…” She breaks off as her sobs turn violent, racking though her body like an earthquake. I snatch a tissue out of the nearby box and hand it to her gingerly as she bawls her heart out. Of course, who would be happy to live with an abuser?

“Why didn’t you ever return, then? He misses you a lot, too. Because you left, he’s changed. To such a reserved, hard block of ice,” I murmur, feeling the clench of my heart as I do so.

“I didn’t want to stay with that…that bastard any longer the moment he attacked. But I didn’t dare to return to S-Se Hun and his dad, either. I-I didn’t have the guts, I just…couldn’t. I left them for good, I just c-can’t expect them to forgive me so easily and wish for everything to be back to normal.” The words are a struggle for her to pull out, and I take her cold hands in mine unconsciously. I feel somewhat close to her, and I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter now that we had just met, and are still partial strangers. She is opening up to me, and it will do her some good from hiding it, I hope. Plus, it may actually help persuade her to return with me.

“I understand. They want you back. I know Se Hun does, badly. He yearns for his mother’s warmth.” I squeeze the pale hands in mine encouragingly while she sniffs. “Will you return if you know they would forgive you, no matter what?” I know they will. They are a family, after all. They cannot hold a grudge to it forever. And, Mrs Oh needs a place to live in after she’s released, and there is absolutely no way I will allow her back into that creeper’s dungeon. Se Hun’s mother stares at me for what seems like eons. Her light brown eyes penetrate mine as she scrutinizes me.

“Who…Exactly are you? Are you his girlfriend, by any chance?” she whispers, continuing to hold my gaze to try discover my secrets. I choke, swallow, and break the eye contact.

“I’m…Just his friend. He told me his mother left him years ago, and he still wishes her to be by his side,” I mumble, but I can tell Mrs Oh hardly believed me. How would a normal friend know so much?

“I…I want to go back.” She fidgets, playing with the linen sheets as a form of distraction. I refuse to give her a chance to change her mind. She is my hope to survival, my hope to melt that surrounding block of ice around Se Hun’s heart.

“Then you are coming back to your rightful family the instant you feel good enough to travel,” I state firmly, grasping her hands tight. A wave of hesitation washes across her picturesque features. Her lips press into a tight line. I hold my breath. She cannot change her mind, please, Lord, no.

Her nod is assurance. I sigh in profound relief as I slump back in my seat. Mrs Oh watches me with a strange look which I choose to ignore. My job is almost done. Almost. I cannot believe it. Just a mere few days and my task is about to be completed. Lord is definitely helping me, and I can return to my body soon. So soon…

The idea leaves a surprisingly unsettling feeling in my stomach. Why? I should be happy to be able to return to my world so soon. Maybe I am just reluctant to leave Cheyenne, my BFF now. We’ve gotten so close despite the sheer number of days of contact…Maybe she could come and visit me when she’s free. I would love that.

~~~

“Come on! Here, I’ll help you with that.” I rush to Mrs Oh’s side as she struggles to lift her small brown luggage. Her body is still frail from consecutive attacks, but she is doing well. She flashes a grateful smile at me as she limps a little behind me. I take her arm this time to steady her. I have no idea why, but an ominous feeling is rising within me, and I decide to hurry up.

“HEY!” Both of us freeze as an extremely loud voice booms across the hallway of the hospitals. Nurses on duty give an approaching man the stink eye as he strides towards us. I don’t recognize him at all, and am just about to continue helping Mrs Oh walk when she stiffens and cowers a little. I only then, focus on the man properly.

He gives off the scent of money. His clothes, shoes, belt, sunglasses-practically everything is branded. Must be rolling in dough. Something about him unnerves me.

“It’s him...” I know who Se Hun’s mum is talking about instantly, and I tense as the filthy rich fellow rips his inky-black sunglasses off to stare coldly at us.

“Who are you?” He spits at me, then flings a hand my direction in dismissal and turns his damn smirk on Mrs Oh.

“I heard you’re about to be released from hospital today, and drove here personally to fetch you, dear.” I can barely contain my jaw from hanging and my fist from connecting with his deceiving face. This bastard…

“I-I’m not going back with you today, dear.” Sarcasm laces her voice as she replies coldly, but bravely. The jerk’s eyes before me darken like an oncoming typhoon and he snarls like a beast.

“What? Of course you are. You have nowhere to live, anyway.” I wish so badly to wipe that smug look off his ty face. Mrs Oh trembles under his intense glare, but I hold on to her, trying to convert some support or sort to her.

“I’m going back to my original home-”

“Ohhh, so you’re going back to your miser of a husband? Sure, you .” His hand raises, and I’m aware of his intention before anyone else can anticipate it.

“OW!”

He howls and nearly keel over as I deflect his heavy hand and aim a kick at his groin. Just nicely. I grab the now-familiar pale hand and start running while several early patients’ eyes follow us, widening.

“Stop right there, you brat!” The guy behind us yells.

I snort at his useless command. Who am I to have to obey His Meanness’s orders? I slow down a little as Mrs Oh stumbles, but keep on going, all the while. Away from this hospital. Away from His Malevolent-ness.

“Hurry, hurry!” I can’t help but to urge the lady beside me to run faster as Mr Whoever tries to give chase. We burse out of the hospital and continue moving until I am sure he would not be able to find us. Only then, I exhale. Just a few more hours and Se Hun will be that guy he used to be again.

Just a little longer to wait, ward.

Love you,

AeRa~