Waiting For Peter Pan

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

She never knew if that moment in flight was just a figment of her imagination or a truly vivid dream.

The childlike face that she still couldn’t forget.

The hand that held tightly onto hers, as she was whisked away to this Neverland.

 

“Take my hand.”

 

 

Her head was lost in the clouds, always dreaming about flight.

 

She stared out longingly at the night sky, as the lights on the building slowly flickered on one by one.

 

At that moment something caught her eyes.

 

No, not something… but someone. A reflection of the figure standing behind her.

 

“Wendy unnie…”

“Oh Joy… it’s you…”

“It’s time for dinner..” “said the younger girl standing behind her.

“Mmm… I’m coming, Joy.” Wendy replied, and got up to follow the younger girl to the dining room.

“What were you doing, unnie?”

“I’m… I’m not sure. I just feel at peace there…”

“Are you… waiting… for someone?”

“I… I don’t know. I just feel like I should be…” Wendy and smiled weakly at her dongsaeng.

 

What was she waiting for? Was she waiting for that person to come pick her up?

 

But she’s gone.

 

Joy looked at her unnie worriedly, she only wished that her unnie would come to accept what happened one day.

 

 

“Come fly with me…”

 

 

She found herself sitting here, staring out the window into the dark skies again.

 

The stars were out tonight, and she could only focus on one.

 

“Wendy… it’s late…”

 

She turned her gaze away from the flickering star and focus on the worried that her friend bore on her face.

 

“She’s not coming back, you know…” the girl said with a sullen voice.

 

 

She knew… she has always known. But this truth was something she wasn’t ready to accept yet…

 

“She’s coming, Seulgi-yah. She’s just a little late.”

“Wendy…” she sighed, knowing that there was no consoling her friend at the moment.

“She told me she’d come…”

“Just… don’t stay up too late…” she said worriedly, and placed a hand on Wendy’s shoulder patting back lightly.

 

She smiled back at her friend, assuring her that everything is fine.

 

“I’ll be right back, Seungwan-ah.”

“Unnie, let me go with you…”
 

“I’m sorry, but you can’t come with me. Not this time.”

“But why??”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”

 

Those were the words that She had promised.

 

The words that were so simple, but held so much meaning to her.

 

The words that bounded her to this window side bench, peering out into the dark skies.

 

 

“We’ll fly far away from here…”

 

 

“Seungwan-ah, I’m sorry. I know I promised to come back right away…”

“No… unnie. Don’t talk… It’s okay. It’s really okay…”

“Here… take this. I got it for you.”

 

Wendy took the small box that was handed it to her with shaky hands and held it gingerly.

 

“Happy birthday, Seungwan-ah… I’m sorry… I wa…”

 

She shook her head from side to side, clearing up the blurred image that appeared again. Wendy reached up instinctively to her neck and searched for the item that she treasured most.

 

A lone feather pendant hung low on the thin chain around her neck, she held it between her fingers; running it across the intricate details that carved out each bristle of the feather. Wendy couldn’t help but smile bitterly, as her heart ached again and again.

 

“You didn’t have to go out to get this…”

 

 

“We’ll fly to a place that far, away…”

 

 

“Unnie… you’re here…” she muttered to herself, while staring off into the distance.

 

She pushed open the window, and a rush of cold air brushed past her. Wendy whirled around and she could’ve sworn she saw her again.

 

“I knew you would come back, unnie…”

 

She felt another gush of wind past her and went back out the open window. Wendy stepped on to the ledge and stood there as the moment froze in time. She closed her eyes and saw her smiling face, and the stretched out hand; waiting for her to grab hold of it.

 

She was free now.

 

Free falling.

 

Flying through the clouds…

 

She was done waiting for Peter Pan.

 

 

“I’m sorry I took so long… let’s fly away now. To our Neverland, Wendy.”