Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Chapter 7. Pills Of Friendship


Ra Nae’s POV
“WHAT THE HECK?!”I yelled throwing my pillow in fatto’s head. “GET OUT OF MY ROOM! IT’S ENOUGH THAT I HAVE TO SLEEP IN THE SAME ROOM WITH PORORO! GET OUT!!!!”
He threw me a look and then stood. “It’s morning anyway. But mock my words monster, if you don’t fix the thing with the mice, tonight I’m sleeping here as well,”he said right before closing the door behind him. The guts he has! I’m gonna make him pay for this…but then…
“Why are you yelling so early in the morning?”Pororo’s head appeared from under his blanket.
I smirket. “How dare you let that beggar sleep in my room?”I asked on a low tone, hiding my intetion. “YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR IT AS WELL!!!”
~*~
I climbed up the pille of rusted cars and looked up towards the blue sky. From there I could see everything: fatto was trying to figure out how to use the crane machine while Pororo was dodging the chains that were moving with the metal arm that was lifting pieces of metal into the air. I sighed. I looked down at my right hand. If it didn’t hurt like that…if only I could sleep better at night without waking up because of the pain. If only I had more pills to take and make that pain go away…
“RA NAE!”I heard my name being called and I looked down. Grandpa Han was there, signaling me to go down. I jumped from car to car, landing perfectly next to him.
“What?”
“Today is Friday,”he said as if I didn’t knew.
“And?”
“Ra Nae…”
I sighed. “I know. But I hate going to hospital! I hate that place! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!”I clenched my fists tight.
“I know, I know,”he placed his hand on my shoulder. “But you have to go, Ra Nae. It hurts, doesn’t it?”
I nodded, trying to keep in the tears. I was not going to cry. I didn’t cry back then, I was not going to cry now! “I’ll go. Watch fatto for me, will you?”I tried to smile.
“He’s name is Tempo, Ra Nae,”chuckled grandpa.
“I know, I know! But it’s more fun this way,”I winked.
“Ra Nae?”he called from behind right before I entered the house.
“What now?”
“Take Hyun Seung with you.”
“I don’t need him!”
“You know you do. These old bones can no longer sustain you, Ra Nae. So do them a favour and take Hyun Seung with you, ok?”
This old man! Always doing whatever he wants and likes! “OK! FINE! PORORO!”I turned around and called out his name.
“MY NAME IS NOT PORORO!”he yelled back forgetting all about the chains and receiving a hit from one of them because of that. “AISHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
“COME DOWN HERE! I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU!”I continued to yell.
After that I entered the house. He was going to come. I was sure of that. Why? Because he was that kind of guy that would obey you, even though you mock him. Weak! I opened my closed and looked for a pair of jeans and a white, extra sized t-shirt. With the clothes in my hands , I entered the bathroom. A quick shower and I was good to go!
“What do you want from me?”asked Pororo as I got out of the bathroom, drying my hair with a towel.
I glared at him and then I sighed. Being all sweet might attract more flies than running after them! “Look here Pororo, I need you to come somewhere with me. Now get dressed and move that ass!”
He stood there and stared at me. “Who said that I was going? I have nothing to do with you,”he shrugged. “Might as well go back to work.”
I sighed. I knew he was going to be like that. “Fine. Do whatever you want to. It’s not like I wanted you to come with me from the beginning!”I picked up my bag and left him there, looking all confused.
Why are men men? I mean, I think my gender should have been male and not female!
I was going to get in the bus when I saw something flashy running after it. That Pororo…
“Look what you’ve done! Now we have to wait for another one,”I scolded him as he huffed and puffed next to me.
“Whatever…”
Silence. I wonder why he changed his mind? “Say, why did you changed your mind?”I asked softly.
“Just.”
“Because?”
“I was curious.”
“Oh!”
“You know that curiosity killed the cat, don’t you?”I sticked my tongue out.
“I know,”he smiled. “But I’m still curious.”
I turned my head and looked at him. The sun was playing on his face, making his skin shine. His skin was perfect, clean and healthy, all glowing in the light. Now, if I think about it, he was quite good looking, this Pororo…
“What are you looking at?”he opened one eye to look at me.
“Nothing!”
~*~
I waited for the doctor inside his office. It was so familiar to me that I could tell you all about the thngs that were hanging on his walls. I could even tell that the doctor had some new wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. I could tell you everything about that building, but nothing about the pain I feel everytime I go there.
“The results are out,”the doctor sat in front of me, across the desk. “It’s going perfect! I don’t understand though this pain you’re saying you feel. It’s really that strong that you have to take those pills?”
I nodded.
“It’s strange since the results show a perfect match between you and the system inside you. Strange!”he mumbled as he put something down on a piece of paper. “I’ll write you a prescription and you can go the the hospital’s farmacy and pick up your pills. I’ll call them and tell them that you’re on your way. But miss Kim, it’s not normal for you to take so many pills at a time!”
“It’s not my fault that it’s painful,”I shrugged off the accusations that I could read in his eyes. “And it’s not something I can control either. That you for your help!”I bowed and left his office.
Outside on the corridor I let one tear run down my cheek and then quickly whipped it off. What could I have possibly told him? That the pain I was feeling was coming from inside of me? That it was hurting me, not the new right hand, but the old one that was already burned and burried? How could he understand that the pain I was feeling was ghostly?
“Can you pass me that bottle, please?”I asked Pororo after I picked up the pills the doctor gave me.
He gave me the bottle of water without a word. I could feel his eyes watching me as I swallowed five pills at a time.
“What?”I asked him while placing the bottle of pills inside my bag.
“Nothing,”he shrugged.
“Let’s go then.”
The sun. The heat. The pills. Everything was making me feel sleepy and dizzy at the same time. I began stumbling on my own feet. I could have even fall down on the dirty pavement if there wasn’t for Pororo to catch me before I landed on the ground.
“Thanks,”I mumbled as he held me tight.
“What’s wrong with you?”he asked, placing his hand on my forehead. “You don’t have a fever…it’s because of those pills, isn’t it?”
I looked the other way even though everything was blurry. “Let’s hurry home.”
I took one step in front, but he pulled me back and stood in front of me. “What?”I asked, not understanding what he was doing.
“Get on my back, dummy,”he chuckled. “We’re going to walk all night with your state. So, get on my back!”
“No need for something like that!”I raised my head stubbornly.
“Aish! Would you listen to me for once?!”he snapped, making me place my arms around his neck while my feet wrapped around his waist. “See? Isn’t it better this way?”
What could I have answered? That it was making me feel warm? That my heart was beating  like crazy? That it was not normal for me to feel my right hand that warm? That I was feeling safe there  on his back? What could I have answered?

Seung Hyun’s POV
I locked the crane machine’s door and jumped off. The junkyard was silent. Too silent if you ask me.
“Oy! Grandpa! Where’s the monster?”I asked as I entered the house all sweaty and dirty.
“She went out with Hyun Seung,”he turned towards me with the pink apron over his clothes and with the ladle in his hand. “I’m making soupe. Want some?”
I began laughing. That old man! He looked like the perfect housewife for a second there! “Yeah, I’ll have some. But I’m going to take a bath first. I think I stink.”
“I’m glad you realized that.”
I rolled my eyes and left the kitchen. On the corridor I stopped. My things were still in the room with the mice. Hmmmm…I think she wouldn’t mind if I borrow a towel from her…too much! I pressed the knob and the door opened silently. Now that I was inside I could see that the room was clean and bright. Hyun Seung’s things were placed next to the monster’s, but there was nothing scattered around and everything was arranged neatly.
“Now, where is she keeping the towels?”I opened her closed. “Nope, not here,”I closed it back.
There was another closet that had only drawers. “Let’s see,”I opened every single drawer till I finally found the towels, pilled up inside. Smiling, I raised my eyes and prepared to leave the room when something drew my attention. On the wall, right above the closet with drawers, there was a wallpaper. The guy was smiling so brightly that it was blinding me. He looked happy and satisfied. Of course! Of course! Life offered him everything. Everything!
Suddenly, I felt anger building up in me. My fngers curled into fists and my knuckles turned white. That stupid wallpaper! What was he doing there? Why was he hanging there? Why did he had to remind me of myself?
“Aigooo, aigooo! She took those pills again, didn’t she?”I heard grandpa’s voice from outside the room.
“Yeah.”
The door opened itself, revealing Hyun Seung carrying the monster on his back. Grandpa Han was behind them. And both of them was looking at me.
“What are you doing here, Tempo?”Hyun Seung asked as he placed her on her bed.
I shrugged. “Came to borrow one of her towels. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to take a bath,”I quickly left the room, closing the door behind me. That was close!

No comments:

Post a Comment