Last Time is the First Time: Prologue
From Two to One
A small wind blew through the ajarred window, the chirps of the morning birds ride along the air waves and into her ears. The cold air started to nip at Sakiko's feet and on her fingers. An alarm went off in the room. Today was her first day of college, it was an art school in South Korea. When she was younger her mother and father used to encourage her to create more beautiful artwork and she's been doing it ever since. For the past few months, she's been having trouble how to speak Korean since it's not her native language. She turned off the alarm and stretched her arms and legs before getting out of bed and turning on the shower. She's been saving up to go to this college for the past few years and it's finally becoming a reality, the one her parents would've wanted for her.
2013, JUNE 19TH
"I'm back home mother" She waved as she closed the door behind her, coming back home "See you afterschool darling" her old voice barely reached Sakiko as she left.
Her father's been bed-ridden for the past week with a terrible illness. After she came home, they went to the hospital to have his doctor do a check up on him, they told Sakiko to wait outside until they were done. She went out the door and she knew that something was wrong so she stayed outside of the room and put her ear up to the door to listen in. The doctor started to talk.
"Mr. Yukimura, I'm afraid that you don't have very much time left to live."
Sakiko heard her mother deeply breath in, she was holding back tears that needed to come out.
"He has at least a few more weeks to live. Till then I suggest that he stays at home in bed. He's not feeling any pain and he won't be feeling pain when he goes. I'm sorry. . ."
Her mother started to cry. And her father didn't make any sudden movements. Maybe he was taking in the fact that he knows he'll be dieing soon.
A sudden wave burning pain spread through her entity. She pulled her long hair over her face and cried in silence as her back slid against the pure white wall of the hospital, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Her mind went blank and she couldn't move. Her breathing was uneven and a nurse came up to her.
"Are you okay?"
Sakiko looked up at the woman, through a few strands of hair that weren't in the way of her eyes, in a white uniform. Her hair was tied in a perfect bun and she smelled of roses with hint of copper from her recent patient. Sakiko didn't move but the nurse knew from her red eyes that she needed some help.
"Come with me, let's get you some water, yes?"
The nurse held out her hand out. Sakiko placed her shaky hand onto hers and stood up slowly, using her other hand on the wall to keep her balanced.
Sakiko was lead down the spotless halls to a small room, quiet and obsolete.
"I'll be right back, sit down and relax"
She layed down on one of the couches in the room. There wasn't a single white object in the entire room. She sank into it's fluffy cushions and closed her eyes, hoping that she'd wake up in her bed and it was all just a nightmare.
A door opened and the nurse appeared with a glass of water, Tylenol, and a small icepack for her head. She placed them on the coffee table in the middle of the room. They sat in silence for a few minutes. The clock in the background ticking away each second.
Sakiko suddenly sat up on the couch and picked up the Tylenol and water, she placed two pills in and drank the water to push them down. She got a little bit of water on her shirt. Not a noticeable water stain though. Setting down the water and Tylenol box, she picked up the icepack and placed it on her head as she layed back down on the couch.
"My father is going to die soon. . . "
Her voice was silent but it seemed to ring throughout the room.
"And I can't do anything to help hi-" her voice cracked as more tears went down her cheeks and onto the couch, making a small puddle next to her head. She didn't want to cry. She wanted to be smiling, so that her dad could be happy on his last days with her.
The nurse suddenly pushed her hand through Sakiko's hair, calming her down, her breath evened out and the tears became less and less.
"I lost my mother when I was very young. ."
She said this with a sting of pain running through her soothing voice.
"My father was driving and my mother was in the passenger's seat. They were taking me to middle school. I was buckled in the seat behind my father. We were listening to old pop music my parents used to listen to when they were kids. Of course, I started to pick up the lyrics and I really liked the songs as well." She smiled melancholy and sighed.
"We had the volume turned up really loud because that's what my funny and crazy parents did. When we came to a four way stop they looked to see if anyone was coming. They moved the car forward into the intersection. I heard a loud noise coming from the right, it was a loud engine. I turned to see what it was and . . . That was it. I woke up in our rolled over car, still strapped into the seat. I looked over, my vision very blurry. My father's airbag released but my mother's didn't open. I blinked a few times and seen pieces of the windowshield stuck inside of my mother's abodomin. I didn't think it was real and I passed out."
She closed her eyes and her hands formed into fists, balling them tightly together on her lap. Sakiko didn't understand the reason to this story. It seemed unnecessary.
"I woke up in the hospital and my father was sitting at my bedside, holding onto my hand. I asked him 'where's mom?' He started to sob and I understand that she wasn't here anymore. We went back home after getting a few stitches on my hand. The next few weeks my father couldn't go near a car. He drank a lot and stayed in his room. When I came back home after walking to school, I didn't hear my dad mumbling to himself in the kitchen. I checked the living room, the bathroom, the basement, our attic and even my room."
She paused again for a minute or two. Her eyes getting teary but none of them falling down her face. She trained herself to not cry in front of others.
"I seen a note on his room. It said . . . " She choked on her words, " 'I soorry' . . . The door was slightly cracked and I could see a pair a of feet hanging off of the floor. He couldn't handle being split apart from the love of his life . And I couldn't see a way to live without either of my parents."
Sakiko had tears running down her cheeks as she listened to the nurse's story. She didn't want to be rude and say that she didn't want to hear anymore of it so instead, she kept listening although she didn't want to.
"I tried to commit suicide a few days later from the pills that the doctor prescribed to me. Since I was being watched over in an orphanage, one of the other orphans told on me and. I was in the hospital again. I had to be surveyed for the next few weeks to make sure that I didn't try it again."
Sakiko interrupted.
"Why did you decide to become a nurse then?"
The nurse looked up at her with a confused look.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sakiko felt as though she crossed a boundary.
"Because," her response was quick, "I can save them this time. I can save someone's life. I can't bear to see someone go through the same tragedy I've been through."
Sakiko didn't quite understand. The nurse seen the confused look on her face.
"Sakikooo~ Where are you?" It was her mother's voice.
"That's my mother. . ." She said silently.
"You have a beautiful name." The nurse smiled at her and got up from the floor, "You better get out there. You don't want to keep your mom waiting"
She got up from the couch and held out the icepack, the nurse nodded and took it from her.
"You will understand. . ."
Smiling at the nurse, she turned away and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.
"Mom, I'm over here!" she waved her arms above her head. Her mother was pushing her father in a wheelchair.
"It's time to go home sweetie" they walked toward the automatic doors and went out the building.
2013, JUNE 25TH
Sakiko's father died. Her mother knew it was going to happen and she thought she had prepared herself.
But how could anyone prepare for something as terrifying as losing the love of your live.
Losing someone you've had for your entire life.
It happened late at night while they were sleeping.
They held a funeral for him on June 30th.
Sakiko's mother fell into a deep depression and always stared at a photo of him.
Smiling with great pain.
Every single day.
A month afterwards.
Sakiko's mother died from an unknown reason on May 30th.
How would she continue going on with no one there for her.
She felt utterly alone.
She kept thinking about whether or not she should kill herself.
Suddenly.
CURRENT DAY
Sakiko opened her apartment door, waving to the picture of her parents. She slings her bookbag over both of her shoulders and walks down the stairs of her apartment building. She unlocked her bike in front of the building and kicked up the stand, pedaling her way down the empty sidewalk. She stopped in front of a coffee shop and got the usual before leaving to make it to her early bird classes.
She rode her bike to college and put it into one of the many bike holders out in front. She locked up her bike and went over to the sophisticated looking building.
The college is 9 stories high, about three avenues long, not including the large track and field for sports or the seperate dorms for women and men. The building is engraved with beautiful old victorian designs, with a modern twist. Certain parts of the building are completely made out of one-way glass, the outside is the mirror and the inside looking out. Two rows of birch trees make up a pathway into the school, a black smooth cement pathway inbetween the rows, leading into the large glass doorways.
Distracted by the scenery and trying to take in all that's around her, she accidentally bumps into someone else. She turns around to apologize but freezes when she sees his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry" He bows his head and walks into the building.
Am I dreaming?
She stares at the door and decides to go into the building shortly after. She feels the cool air conditioning blow into her hair and it immediately cools her off from the warm breezy air outside. She looks around, taken away by the inside of the building. Amazing artworks cover the walls from previous artists that have been there. Her smile widens at the articulate designs of each one and the simplicity of the actual designs on the white and black paint on the walls holding the artworks. One long strand of a red ribbon has been painted over the walls, twisting and turning around every corner and edge of the building.
Backing away from the walls filled with artwork she walks into the center of the large room, about fifteen feet tall, to see the whole room. She bumps into someone else again.
Iya, not again
"Sorry, sorry" she says in English, forgetting how to say sorry in Korean.
"We seemed to bump into each other again."
She turns and sees the same guy she bumped into earlier, "Oh-"
"You speak English?"
"Ah yes, yes I do" she nods a few times.
"You speak it very well," He smiles brightly, "Maybe we'll see each other again"
She catches up with her thoughts and stops him before he gets too far away, "Wait, I didn't get your name"
He turns and looks at her with a cheeky smile, "My name is Lee Gi-Kwang." he waves to her before leaving into an unknown room.
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