Lesson 14

Jessica

“Jessica. Wake up. Please!” His hand smooth along my cheeks. The sound of raindrops against my head. I felt the hot burning blood against my face.

“Don’t sleep!” His kiddish voice woke me up from a light sleep. “We are going home!”

He lifted me to his back and started traveling. When I finally regain my conscious, I smell Luhan’s sense. My cheeks against his. “Where are we going? Luhan” I heard myself said.

“Home.” His voice trembled in the rain and soon I heard his loud cry. He suddenly stop walking. We were soaked by the heavy rain, but his tears were worst the weather.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“He died.” He dropped to the ground. I climb off his back and walked in front of him. With my small thumb, I wiped the tears off his face.

“Who died?”

The look on his face froze, and he grab me by the shoulder shaked me. “YOUNGJI. YOUR BROTHER! I LET HIM DIED.”

I felt backward and seeing the world spin around me. “Stop. Don’t lie to me.” i chuckled. “We were just playing near the park.”

“They got him.” Luhan repeated. “He died.”

I found the direction towards the park and climbed towards it. Luhan was pulling me back. I fought to go back. “I have to say goodbye!”

“We can’t go back. They are coming for you. You have to hide.” He warned. “Jessica!”

“I just want to say goodbye! Please!” Luhan locked me to his embrace. I felt myself calm down, but the tears didn’t stop.

“Jessica. Youngji want you to stay alive.” His soft voice warmed my body. “Let’s go back.”

We reached our empty home. Without another delay, we changed into dry clothes and hid under the bed in my parents’ bedroom. As we expected, a few minutes later a group of men broke into the house.

“Find the girl. If that woman don’t want to pay us back, her little girl will pay for it.” A voice declared.

The sound of searching grew closer and closer to the bedroom. Glass shattered, tables broken, pictures slammed. The heavy footstep step enter the quiet room.

I watched Luhan’s eyebrow furrowed. His eyes pinned on me with a fearful look. Our little hands were locked together. I tighten my finger against the back of his hand.

The large shoe paused near the bed. Luhan pulled himself closer to me. Without a word, he leaned in and locked his soft lips against mines. I felt his tears against my cheeks. The bedsheet was lifted and a hand reached in for Luhan’s shirt. He was pulled away from him. I saw his gentle smile for me, and our hands were spreaded.

“We found one.”

I covered my mouth with both of my hands. They didn’t see me. Luhan was covering me. I trying to stop my breathing and even the slighted sound couldn’t escape from me. I was afraid that the men can hear my heartbeats.

“He is the boy, who ran away with the girl.” The man shouted.

“Where is she?” They asked.

She watched as more feet gathered towards Luhan. “I don’t know. We ran separate ways.” Luhan responded.

“Don’t play with us, boy.” Another man screamed. “She is future money.”

“I DON’T KNOW” Luhan’s little voice shouted.

“Maybe there is one more under the bed.” One of the men suggested. I heard my head rang in fear. I curled up closer. The footstep got closer to the bed again.

“What the hell! Are you stupid!” Luhan’s voice echoed in the room.

“Did this little son of a...”

“We are not stupid enough to hide together. All you need some education to be tough.” Luhan screamed again, but right after that he received a punch against his stomach. It send him against the desk. He fell against the ground. A bunch other men sending violent kicks against his stomach. His face clenched up in pain. I reached my hands towards him, but afraid to exist the darkness.

Blood spat from the corner of his bruised lips. A few heavy cough followed after. His bloody hand still gripped against the man’s pant.

I watched with a dizzy head. The darkness under the bed spun in uncoordinated directions, but it never misses a sight of the dying boy. Before anyone can react to the horrible act, a lamp was smashed against Luhan’s head. It left a pool of blood streaming out from the open wound.

“Sh*t.” The word left human morality  to the lowest values. How can they do this! What have he done! What is wrong with these people! Why am I here! Why do I have to witness this! Don’t kill my best friend! Please let them stop!

We were smiling yesterday. We were just children. We still have to graduate from middle school. We have a life ahead.

Why?

Why?

What have I done wrong that they have to take my love away!

The men walked out the bedroom and eventually exit the house, but Luhan was still lying against the bloody ground.

I climbed out the darkness and throw myself towards him. His eyes were slowly closing.

“Luhan.” I said it in a whisper. “Don’t sleep. We need you to wake up. We have to find Youngji. Right?” I heard myself sniffing. Then my vision was blocked by the tears in my eyes.

“Jessica smile.” He said in a struggling voice. I smiled and wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

Luhan smiled back at me too. I watch the angel closed his eyes before me.

With an snap back to life, I reached out of the white telephone and soon I realized the ambulance arrived, but Luhan no longer respond to anyone.

That day I watched my mother and Luhan’s mother being handcuffed into the police car. The group of men never came back again. I didn’t remember what happened, but I remember the after effect from this trauma.

While my dad was away finding justice for my brother’s death, I was left in the house alone everyday and locked up myself in my parents’ room.

I remember hiding under the bed for hours and watched the exact spot where Luhan died. After crying myself to sleep everyday for the past two years, I lost my memories part by part.

Soon, I can no longer bring up Luhan’s name. As time past, I locked the most horrible memories so I can survive.

I sat up from my bed and found myself in my hotel room. My pillow is wet from my tears. I searched for Luhan in my room. My hands tremble from impatient. I was so rush that I don’t even remember to turn the light on.

“Luhan!” I screamed for his name. I was afraid that he might have left me, because it remembered everything. I screamed against in the darkness. The only light was from the wall wide windows where the moon and the light of the city painted the large glass.

“What’s wrong?” Luhan entered room. His loose white shirt makes his blonde hair stands out even more against the moonlight.

I sprint towards him and wrapped my hand around his waist.

“No one’s fault. You protected me. You are not a killer. Don’t feel guilty.” I mumbled out in tears.

“Don’t say that.” He looked me in the eyes. ‘I might have to leave if you say that.” The smile on his face is undescriptible. He suddenly closed his eyes and eyebrows furrowed.

“I am here to pay for my guilt.” He told me again.

“You are not guilty of anything.” I stretched my feet and tip toe towards him. My lips softly touched his warm cheek. I closed my eyes and heard the racing heartbeat against my ear. As if the city is playing a song for us, the light flashed in rhythm.

Luhan suddenly curl up towards me. He put his chin on top of my shoulder.and groan in pain. Then a reminder told me that he is a soon-to-be angel.

The white feathery wings stretched out from his back. The two glow in the dark shining the room with a white angelic lights.

Feathers flew around the room. The light surrounded the wings as if they are protecting it. Luhan straightened his back again. He looked at me with fear, but this is the fear of losing.

“You are an angel.” I remind myself.

“I am.” He smiled, and the large wings created a light breeze around the room.

“One more kiss and you can send me to heaven.”

It can not be measure who had more love than the other. There are no tools use to calculate how much more who had done than the other.

True love brings out the best in one another.