14
The Chicken Case
14.
“You are here? Finally,” Sumi cried at her sister who rolled her eyes.
“You know, I was eating, I am not your slave so, I can finish my meal at least,” Ran said and Sumi raised her eyebrow “ Have you already forgot how I had to come for you from Seoul once, because you needed something?”
Ran raised her hand to stop her sister from talking about the whole incident once again “ I know, what you want to tell me, but that is not the same, you know, I needed help back then,”
Sumi took her ID from her purse and whispered “ And I need your help now, so you should be little more adaptive, don’t you think?”
Lady in the post office took her ID and observed both girls closely. Kwon sisters were both so beautiful, sweet and wise, that everyone was expecting them to be the best friends too. But it wasn’t totally true. From the moment Sumi stopped talking with Minhee, she changed a lot. Her sister was not longer the one she cared about the most like before. Sumi was not able to believe people enough to get close to them. That’s why in the school she was almost all the time alone and didn’t have too many friends.
Lady tossed them a big package with white paper on it and purple ribbon on the top.
“Young Sumi, somebody is sending you a present, who it might be?” asked older woman behind them and Ran quickly answered “ It’s for our mommy, not for us, but we have to take care of it Halmeoni,”
Older woman nodded and two sisters lifted the box together. After they closed the door, Sumi suspiciously glanced at her younger sibling and wanted to know “ Why did you lie to her?”
“And shouldn’t I? I mean do you know what all of this women want to do with you and Minhee, you are like the perfect housewifes for the old bachelors, if you tell it’s for you immediately they will start asking you to dates, because they want to get you, right sister?”
“See, I didn’t think of it like that, but maybe I should go to the date with someone, after all, being alone so long time, isn’t fun at all,” Sumi whined and Ran chuckled.
“Unnie, not that I don’t believe or want to scold you, but we all know that you wouldn’t go out with anyone seriously because you are totally in love with Euntae oppa,”
Sumi’s cheeks reddened and she bowed her head so the people on the street wouldn’t see it “ But I don’t have a chance, just look at him and me, I mean, he is just my friend, and he will always see me just as his friend, so….”
Ran suddenly stopped walking and mocked her sister “ And how exactly do you know how oppa, feels about you? Have you ever spoken with him about it? Did he said he likes you just like friend? I don’t think so,”
Sumi was about to say something when something moved in the box.
Or at least Ran thought so. “ Did you feel that?”
“What?” Sumi asked as she wasn’t sure about what was her doangseang talking.
“Nothing, “ Ran said after all and continued walking to their home, although the same kind of bad feeling occupied her body.
When they came home both of their arms hurt from holding the package they roughly let it fall on the ground in the hallway.
“I am going to make me a coffee sis, do you want some?” Ran asked as she quickly paced to the kitchen, her shoes just carelessly tossed in front of the door.
Sumi sighed and with care put them in the order to the shelf and answered “ Yeah, make me one, please,”
“How much sugar do you want, may I give you the same amount as I put to my coffee?”
Older sister just cried “ No! Please, do not give me any sugar, you are a walking sugar-basin, because you eat too much sugar,”
Sumi looked at the big white box in front of her and sighed. On the paper with address wasn’t the poster’s address and she wondered who was the one that send her the box.
“Ya! Rannie, bring some knife from the kitchen so we can open this thing,”
In few seconds Ran came to the hall with knife in her hand and handed it to her older sister with question “ Where are our parents anyway? It’s Saturday they should be already at home,”
“They called this morning, that they have to stay with halmeoni and harabujji little longer because they fell sick, so they will come on next Sunday,” Her sister with knife in her hand said ready to open that mysterious box.
“Why is someone calling our home phone, does anybody even still have our number?” Minsuk asked and wanted to stand up from his seat to go pick up the phone call.
Minhee raised his hand and muttered “ Wait Minsuk, “ she pulled her phone from the pocket and checked out the screen.
Five missed calls all together. She read and when she saw the name of the caller “ Minsuk, let it go, recorder will get his call, I know who that is,”
“Fine noona, if you say so,” Minsuk sat again to his seat and Jongup raised his eyebrow at the situation. He couldn’t understand who was the caller, but when he caught Yonguk’s stare, he knew his hyung had some hunch about this.
“Han residence, we are not available right now, you can call us later, or leave a short message here, after the beep sound,” it was Minsuk’s voice. But it was evident that the speech was recorded a long time ago, because his voice was really different, although you could distinguish that it’s him.
“Och, this is kind of creepy,” man’s voice started from the other line “ Hi Minhee, it’s me your oppa. You are not picking your phone, so I thought I can try calling this number, because your phone has to be broken. You would take my calls other way. But anyway, the thing I wanted to tell you is to remind you of your present. I send you present like a week ago, and you should have got it few days ago, so have you seen it? I know, BIG surprise, but I was thinking that if you are on the countryside, you would love it, and maybe use it. I know I am brilliant, so call me. We have to go out soon, I want you to meet my parents and I miss you. You know that break up was my fault, and I see it now, so come back to me, right. Och. It’s beeping here, maybe the record is full now. Bye, call me!”
After his long speech ended Minhee sighed, Minsuk looked at her with opened mouth widely Jongup stared at Yonguk, who roughly put his chopsticks on the table, so it shook a little.
“Don’t bother him,” Minhee said and Minsuk closed his mouth with his hand, because he wasn’t sure that he is able to do it other way.
“He is still calling you sis?” he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“He is calling me, but I am not picking up as you see, so relax,” Minhee said and Yonguk asked calmly “ And what about the present, did you see it? What it was?”
“He is calling me, but I am not picking up as you see, so relax,” Minhee said and Yonguk asked calmly “ And what about the present, did you see it? What it was?”
“Well, I know you took that thing, the box, tight?” she turned to her brother and he absent-mindly shrugged his shoulders, still bewildered about what happened.
Minhee stood up her curiosity risen and went for the small box that had rested on her night-stand some time. She was curious what that man thought she needed in village, when he didn’t know anything about the life here.
It was on the same place, as she left it on.
When she came down boys had already cleared the table, and all mess was transferred to the kitchen “ So hardworking, I almost can not believe,” she joked as she saw them sitting on the sofa comfortably.
“So,” Yonguk stood up and came to her observing the small box in her hand “ Open it,” he encouraged her and she sighed.
The ribbon on the small box was in blue colour and it was carefully wrapped around the box. She turned it over to see, where is the start of the ribbon and pulled it.
Then she took the cap of the box and screamed.
Small package fell from her hand to the ground and she quickly covered with hands. Her sight become blurry and legs started to wobble. Yonguk steadied her, he put his hands on her arms and held her tightly.
Minsuk and Jongup had already jumped from the sofa and rushed to see what was the problem.
When Minsuk saw the content of the box he angrily cursed “ ! What’s this Noona? Are you fine?”
Minhee was breathing in calm way then and she nodded but Yonguk still held her arms.
In the box was 7 cm long spider. His nasty little hairy legs in brown colour were trying to get him from the box. It was scraping the box and his little claws were opening and closing with the jingling sound.
Jongup quickly took the box from the ground and covered it again.
“So, can someone explain what have just happened?” Jongup asked and Minhee nodded and started talking.
Minhee and Sumi 12 years old
It was a nice day. Saturday to be exact. Sumi and I were walking in the town with Sumi’s dog. The morning breeze was chilling our cheeks and we were chatting as always.
“ Hey! What is Minsuk doing right now?” asked Sumi and I shrugged my shoulders.
“Probably trying to sneak into the police station and halmeoni is trying to catch him again,” Sumi chuckled and I asked “ And what about Ran?”
“Ran is at home with her friends, she is playing with my dolls, she thinks I don’t know that she is using them when I am not at home, but you know, that I am not stupid, right?”
I nodded my head and she stopped “ Do you see that?”
I turned the way she pointed and I saw the small pet shop, that have been opened just few days ago. “ Don’t you want to see the inside?”
“Ok, we can go!”
We opened the door and the small bell above the door rang.
“Hello!” Sumi called and I chuckled the way she tilted her head. There was no answer. “HI!” I tried this time, but it was the same.
“We can look around right?”
“Probably, we are not going to steal anything,” I said and we walked around. There was this big terrarium with three snakes as long as our bodies. There were also cages with different animals like parrots, pigeons, or aquarium full of small neon fishes, or there was also a big box with spiders in different colours and sizes.
Suddenly we heard the click sound that door makes when someone closes it.
“Wait!” We screamed, but it was too late. The iron gate on the windows was down and closed tightly. And we were left in dark, with just small light coming from the terrarium.
“Maybe there is some phone, so we can call someone,” said Sumi, but then happened something, that we both didn’t expect.
Sumi’s dog started to panic. The smell of other animals must have made him insane and he run towards the door barking. Animals in the cages responded and then he with growling turned to them.
He jumped and one rack fell down, leaving Sumi and me trapped. I could see her and she could see me, but there was no chance to get together.
While the rack fell, the box with spiders opened and they started running across the floor, at least 15 big spiders were there. I couldn’t say a word I was trapped I couldn’t move, because I was scared that they were poisonous. I heard Sumi squealing and crying hard.
On her side the snakes got from the terrarium and rolled on her legs, on her hands sticking their strange tongues out, almost touching her skin.
I saw her panicked face and she saw mine.
The dog hid under the table and stopped barking. He was scared too. My cheeks were stained with tears but I wasn’t crying loudly, because of the fear from the spider who crawled to my chest and was slowly trying to much my t-shirt.
“What happened then?” Yonguk wanted to know, when Minhee stopped for a second.
“Well, our family noticed that we haven’t come home, so they sent someone to go and look for us. The whole village ended looking for us. And after six hours of running across the streat, someone opened the gate and got us out,” she said.
“So you were trapped with them for six hours, not being able to move, scream, talk, or…”
“Yeah,”
“My sister is a troublemaker, “ Minsuk said and in that moment Minhee suddenly stood up.
“OH! NO!” without putting her shoes on she ran from the house.
Three boys were left in the mason their faces with shocked expressions.
“What have just happened?” asked Minsuk and Yonguk stood up “ I know, Jongup call Youngjae and Himchan! Minsuk come!”
Jongup was stood still but did what he was told. In the meantime Minsuk ran next to Yonguk, both could speak comfortably because they had a good stamina.
“Will you tell me what is happening?”
“Your sister probably thought about the package that Sumi have got, probably, she thinks that Sumi is going to face the same problem as her,” Yonguk explained and younger boy took a phone from his pocket.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, if what you say is true, than we have a big big problem here. You know, my sister managed her fear pretty well, because you know, you get in touch with spiders a lot. And of course she is biologist. But Sumi has panic fear of snakes, and as we know they don’t hang out at your toilet normally,” said Minsuk and Yonguk increased his speed rapidly.
Minhee was running as quickly as her leg muscles let her. The fear she felt when she opened the box was big, but the fear she felt when she thought of Sumi facing the same situation was even bigger. When it came to the panic tantrums Sumi was the best. And in the whole world, there were just two people, who could stop her mess. Euntae and Minhee. But because they weren’t in best relationship right now, Minhee wasn’t able to tell, if her presence would be enough.
Without knocking she opened the door and have found white box sprawled on the floor, totally damaged. But she couldn’t see Ran or Sumi anywhere.
“Sumi? Rannie?” she called to the house and heard a very muffled answer “Minhee?”
It was coming from the cabinet behind the door. Minhee opened it and found Ran holding her knees tightly and looking at her with round eyes.
In that moment two other people came to the house.
“Rannie?” Minsuk cried seeing his girlfriend on the ground. The world didn’t matter anymore, after he saw her teary eyes and face. He kneeled and hugged her without thinking that his sister saw it all. He wasn’t embarrassed, because Ran needed his hug than. She placed her arms around him and vanished in his embrace.
“Sumi?” was the only thing that Yonguk asked and Minhee placed a finger on . Yonguk didn’t met Sumi, so he wasn’t sure, where she can be. He waited until Minhee walked through rooms until she reached white door.
“Sumi! This is Minhee, look, come out, I am here, you don’t have to worry. Also police is here,”
There was just silence coming from inside. But Yonguk understood, why Minhee knew she was there. She hid in the only place that was totally separated from other places in the house, with no window with no space for the small slimy snake to get in.
Minhee continued talking without stopping to her although there wasn’t any response from her friend.
Yonguk new that in that moment there wasn’t anything he could do, so he returned to the hallway. Minsuk was still holding his girlfriend, thought she looked better than she looked before.
Himchan and Youngjae came to the house and with questions glanced at Yonguk “What is it?”
“Probably, there are some snakes in the house, Ran, do you know how many there were?” he turned to the girl in Minsuk’s arms and she nodded.
Another guy came from the door like nothing happened at all, and just flied across the room, without saying hi to anyone.
“Euntae oppa,” Ran whispered as she saw him walk past her.
Minhee came back to the room and sighed “ It’s going to be fine, now, Euntae is here, “
“Can you answer the question?” Youngjae looked at Ran who nodded her head “ So there was one brown with red circles on his skin, than there was other one brown with darker spots and head like cobra, and there was this strange almost grey one, with darker rectangles around which was his skin even more bright,” she said.
“That first one is a copperhead, the second one is Chinese spotted Habu and the last one is Eastern Diamon black,” said Minhee and Himchan nodded.
“OK, we can catch them, but we need all of you out of the house, now,”
“But, what about Sumi?” Ran asked and just when she asked Euntae walked from the bathroom with Sumi on his back. He was giving her piggyback and she was hiding her head on his back.
They quickly exited the house and other four people followed them leaving Himchan and Youngjae the only ones who stayed in.
Youngjae glanced at his superior with curious eyes “ So, we can catch them?”
Older man just shrugged his shoulders “ We can, you did it already, remember? When we were in Caracas,”
“Yeah, but those weren’t venomous, and those three are, so it will be little bit difficult,” Youngjae said and opened the drawer in kitchen looking for some plastic back, while Himchan took the hay fork that was part of the fire-tools.
“But, you are older and used to the venom, right?” he raised his eyebrow and Youngjae sighed “Maybe but it’s not that I am tolerant,”
Himchan was able to work with snakes, because he was part of an expedition in rain-forest once. Although they had the normal tools to catch them, he still could do something. And Youngjae studied snakes when he had time, because once he worked secretly as trader with snakes. But still, even though they had experience, doing it almost with your bare hands was dangerous.
Snakes like to hide in the dark places, so they thought that they will be under the furniture.
“ I am just happy that we know how many of them we have to catch, it would be difficult to not know,”
“Silence,” Youngjae said and closed his eyes, trying to use his other sense better. There was really a movement under the sofa.
He quietly pointed on in and Himchan understood, he held the sofa and lifted it. In that second Youngjae used the flash-light and blinded the copperhead that was under the sofa. Disoriented snake sizzled, but couldn’t move in other direction, because Himchan had already trapped his head with the hay-fork. Youngjae kneeled and snake sizzled even more, his dangerous teeth sharp as a knife. Snake tried to move his head but Youngjae held him tightly. Himchan stuffed pillow to snake’s mouth and its teeth were stuck.
Youngjae opened the plastic bag, and as the snake was with pillow in his mouth he tossed it to the bag.
“One done, two more,” Himchan said and Youngjae smiled “ I think that we are going to need more pillows,”
Two more were on the sofa and Himchan pointed on them saying “ We are prepared, more or less,”
Almost the same technique was used for the remaining snakes. Habu hid in the corner under the table, while Diamondhead rested in the slightly opened drawer of the shoes cabinet.
After they caught the last one Youngjae glanced at the bag and asked his hyung“ What are we going to do with them, since we can not contact anyone in the Seoul and stuff?” His eyes were sparkling and Himchan knew his friend enough to know what he wanted to hear.
“You can play with them, but you are going to take them to the nearest pet shop in a week, ok?”
Youngjae happily clapped his hands and sang “Daehyun will be happy, he always wanted to try the bullet with poison,”
Himchan just shook his head at the childish behaviour of his dongsaeng and opened the door to outside.
There was no one outside so he motioned Youngjae to go forward and he took the white box, still lying on the floor in the hallway. And looked around the house.
He had forgotten to place everything in the order, there was no one to help him, so he rolled his sleeves and loosened his arms.
Hi dearest 14 chapter is up:D I hope you like it:D !!!!!!!
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