Endless Tears: Chapter 2

I woke up that morning and washed up. I put on my clothes and went to our living room.

“Aren’t you going to Grandma Kim’s house?” Jiwon hyung said to me as he saw me, sitting on the floor, in the middle of living room, watching television.

“I’ll be there, in a bit,” I said, without looking at him.

“Dad, you’re going?” I heard Jiwon hyung said. So, I turned my head, to see my dad, who was putting on his shoes, at the door.

“Bye, dad,” I said, in unison with Jiwon hyung.

“Bye. Where’s Hojin by the way?” he asked as he fixed his tie in front of the mirror.

“Outside, playing,” Jiwon hyung answered while I was paying attention on the television.

“Okay, I’m off,” my dad shouted and we all can hear a “Okay” from my mum, who was working at the kitchen.

“Did you do your homework yet?” Jiwon hyung asked me as he sat on the couch.

I groaned. “Come on, hyung. It’s weekend,” I said, annoyed.

“I’ll take that as not yet,” he said and laughed.

All of sudden, Hojin rushed into the house, all sweating and catching his breath.

“What’s up?” Jiwon hyung asked as he patted Hojin’s back.

He caught his breath by breathing in and out multiple times. He gestured an okay sign.

“Hyung, I saw a big black car, stopping by Grandma Kim’s house,” he said, in one breath, as he lied on the couch.

I widen my eyes and ran outside. I could hear Jiwon hyung shouted “Wait up” to me.

I went outside, as I saw the big black car, the one that Hojin described.

“Man, you ran so fast,” Jiwon hyung said as he tapped my shoulder, in exhaustion.

I ran towards the house, across the street.

“We have to ran again?!” Hojin said, freaking out. But, that time, I didn’t give a damn because I was too occupied with Grandma Kim.

I went to the house, peeking through the window with my brothers behind me, doing the same.

I saw a woman, with two kids, sitting on the floor. I continued to stare as my gaze was suddenly crossing with Grandma Kim’s gaze. She saw me, and us.

I saw she walked out of the door, towards us. She was in front of us, accompanied by the woman and two little girls.

“Are we in trouble?” Hojin asked as I shook my head and shrugged.

“Boys, can you help me?” Grandma Kim asked to us, while smiling.

“Definitely,” Jiwon hyung answered, giving an awkward smile.

“Please accompany these girls. Take them to the playground and play there,” Grandma Kim said, pointing to the two girls beside the tall woman.

“Jihye, these are my grandsons,” she told the woman, as she smiled at us. She resembled Grandma Kim a lot. She did look like the younger version of Grandma Kim.

“Hyojin, Hyeyoung, go with these kids. I have to talk alone with grandma,” the tall woman said, bending to the two kids.

“This way, girls,” Jiwon hyung said, as he walked the girls.

“Bye, grandma,” I said to Grandma Kim, waving to her and smiled as I was not worrying anymore, though I was confused with the situation.

We walked to the playground, which was really quiet because it was still morning.

“Why you girls at Grandma Kim’s house?” Jiwon hyung asked to the girl, who I acknowledged as Hyojin as I heard her conversation with Jiwon hyung, who was talking endlessly.

“She’s my grandmother. I remembered staying with her when I was 4,” she replied.

“Lucky you, I don’t even remember her,” the other girl, who I assumed as Hyeyoung, muttered.

“It’s because you weren’t born yet, when we left Korea. Don’t feel bad,” Hyojin said, giving Hyeyoung a pat in her back.

I was dumbfounded on her last sentence.

…You weren’t born yet…

…I have two granddaughter…

…Hyojin and Hyemi. Well, I guess, I don’t know about Hyemi, I never met her…

…I think Hyemi is around your age…

… I’m just wondering if Hyemi has started the middle school as well…

Hyemi. She was Hyemi, with no doubt. I stared at her, who was playing with the sand. She looked like she was around my age, maybe a little younger.

“Hyeyoung!” Hyojin called her, gesturing her to come over towards her side.

She smiled and started to run over the other side. All of sudden, she fell down, right in front of my eyes. My eyes widen.

“Hyemi!” I shouted and ran to her. We all did.

“Are you okay?” Hojin asked, from behind my back.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, and getting up, brushing her clothes.

“Are you sure that you’re fine?” Jiwon hyung asked again.

“She fell often, lack of stability, I guess,” Hyojin said, laughing.

“Sure, I’m fine, thanks,” she said while bowing to me, who helped her just now. “Lucky that I’m not bleeding,” she said and laughed.

We all went back to our own playing stuffs. But, I went after her.

“Do you need anything?” she asked as she stared at me, weirdly.

“You’re Hyemi, right?” I asked, stuttering on my own words.

“Hyeyoung is my name,” she said, blinking as she stared at me, furrowing her eyebrows. “But, Hyemi is a nice name,” she said and chuckled.

“Hyemi, your grandma told me about you,” I said, happily as I said in front of her.

“That grandma?” she asked, giving me a weird expression. “She knew about me?” she asked again, turning into happy tone. “Tell me about her!” she said, shaking me as I happily began my story on Grandma Kim.

That was how I knew Hyemi and that was the beginning point of my life where I got a best friend, who accompany me all the time from that day.