Angel Of The Morning Calm (4)
Silently, Miss Gunn exited the room and closed the door behind her. Byron looked in the pan and bowls. There was rice in the small bowls, and an aromatic soup made with fish and kimchee – the pickled vegetables that form a staple of Korean diet - in the pan in the middle. He emptied the rice bowls into the soup and stirred until the rice no longer clumped. Byron moved to Ok Sun’s bedside. He did not know if this was just an old wives tale, or if there was really any merit to it, but any chance of helping his friend must be taken right now. “Miss Lee,” he spoke, now struggling to remember the Korean she had so meticulously taught him. “I am here with you. I am going to stay with you as long as you need me – just like your brother.” He picked up her hand, and stroked it gently as he continued to speak to her in Korean. “I need you. I only have one friend here, and that is you. I need you to stay with me.” “I hope she can make sense of my broken Korean,” He thought to himself. “Still, if there’s and chance at all that it will mean more to her in Korean, then I’ll keep trying.” “I need you,” he cooed once more. Ok Sun whimpered, and slowly opened both eyes. She struggled as if having trouble with the light, then fixed both eyes on Byron. Byron was sure she could see him this time. She managed a weak smile. “Miss Gunn brought us something to eat,” Byron said in English. “You need something to help gain back some strength, so let’s see what we can do.” Byron moved closer to Ok Sun’s side and bent over her. Gently, he slid his left arm beneath her shoulder and upward so that the back of her head rested in his hand. She neither helped nor resisted him. He leaned back slightly to raise her, then with his free hand, he situated the pillow in such a way as to hold her upper body at a slight incline. He gently reclined her back onto the newly positioned bedding. He removed his hand from beneath her and sat back up. She smiled weakly and silently to signal her approval. He spooned through the soup, and found a piece of fish. Using the spoon, he tore a bite sized piece from it, and shredded it to be sure it contained no bones. He gathered the pieces into the spoon and blew on the steaming spoonful until he was sure it was of a good temperature to take into the mouth. He brought the spoon to Ok Sun’s lips. Like a baby, her mouth opened to allow the spoon full of food to enter. He could see her work the food in her mouth, chewing very lightly and slowly, then swallowing. She looked up into his face, and smiled again. Interpreting her smile, he began to spoon through the soup for another mouthful of food. Her eyes closed again, and she slipped once more into that unresponsive state. He sat by her side, caressed her hand again, and began speaking to her again. Again and again the scene repeated. Ok Sun awakened and smiled. One or sometimes two mouthfuls of food were managed, then she would again drift off into that unknown state. Sometimes she slept for five minutes, and sometimes fifteen. Never did she speak a word. Never did she move anything other than her mouth, and that only enough to chew slightly and swallow the little mouthfuls of food Byron gave her. Byron faithfully watched and cooed over her, careful to never miss any sign that she may be able to take anything, and never ceasing to try to offer some stimulation – some assurance that he was there with her, and that he desperately wanted her to remain with him. On into the night Byron continued his watch. Every trick he had ever learned on guard duty was employed to push off time and again the sleep that crept upon him. Each time Ok Sun’s eyes opened, his excitement rose just enough to once again lift the weight of the sleepiness which fell upon him, but soon Ok Sun’s awakenings seemed to give way to peaceful rest. The room and the shadows that occasionally danced within it became indistinguishable. Slowly the shadows gained voices and the voices gained bodies. Reality was immersed in dream and dream in reality. Fading was all cause for alarm and all ability to be alarmed. Head nodded, but the nod was no longer noticed. The room disappeared, and the now embodied shadows became reality. All resistance was unconsciously abandoned and sleep claimed its hard chased quarry. * * * * Byron opened his eyes. Sunlight came through the window in Ok Sun’s house, but the beams were still high on the walls. “Where?” he thought briefly. Suddenly remembering, he jerked and sat straight up with an “omigosh!” He didn’t have to work today, but what time was it? The clock on Ok Sun’s dresser said 8:00 – more than two hours since he last remembered reading the time. “Miss Lee!” he thought to himself jerking around quickly to see her. She lay there motionless with eyes open. Was she still alive? She blinked. He exhaled and smiled involuntarily at the reassurance that her spirit remained within her. “Hello?” he said hopefully. “Blue color eyes,” she responded. “Yes?” he said, unsure if that was a new nickname, or if he had missed something. “Big blue color eyes,” she repeated. “What about them?” “I thinkee you are my angel,” she said. “My trouble time, you come and you help me.” “If I’m your angel,” Byron said. “I arrived too late last night.” “No! Don’t thinkee likee that!” “Sorry. I just thought if I was really your angel, I would have been there before whatever happened.” “No! Last night, my trouble time, I thinkee I am going to die. When I see you, and I see your big blue color eyes, I know I am OK.” “Maybe you knew that, but ‘big blue color eyes’ didn’t. I was scared to death all last night.” “Why you scared?” “I was scared I was going to lose you.” Ok Sun smiled much fuller than she had managed during the previous night’s spoonful sessions. “I am ok,” she said. “Then are you hungry?” Byron asked pointing at what was left of the soup Miss Gunn had brought the previous night. “I can heat this up.” “I think so,” Ok Sun said. Byron quickly moved to start the fire in the kerosene stove, and sat the kettle on the little burner. “I remember,” she said as he settled beside her again. “Last night, you always give me something to eat.” “I was afraid because of how much blood you lost,” Byron said. “I was just hoping to get you started rebuilding some blood.” “Thank you,” Ok Sun said softly. “Supposed to.” Byron said using her favorite explanation. “Are you feeling stronger now?” “Yes,” she said, still reclining motionless in the same position. “So what happened?” Byron asked. Fire jumped into Ok Suns eyes, but nothing else moved. “You know,” she said. “Some woman come inside restaurant. I thinkee I know her. Sometime she come inside. All the time, I thinkee she takee medicine … not good medicine.” “Drugs?” Byron offered. “I thinkee so,” Ok Sun continued. “That time I need to go to bathroom, so ajuma tell me go. You know our bathroom is so small.” “Yes.” “I locked the door, and this woman, she want to go bathroom too. I have door locked and she so mad.” “Because the bathroom door was locked while you were in it?” “Yes.” “Wow!” “Yes. I come outside, and she wait for me. She try makee trouble me, and I cannot makee trouble. You know, if I makee trouble, achoshi say I cannot work.” “Yes, you can’t fight with a customer.” “Yes. I try to pass her, and she not want-uh let-uh me go. I try to go, and she takee Coca-Cola bottle on table. You know our wall everything concrete?” “Yes. I think all the buildings are.” “Yes. She takee Coca-Cola bottle and she crack on the wall.” “Crack? Or broke?” “She hit-uh wall, and-uh broke.” For the first time, Ok Sun moved her arm, raising it up above her as if she held a bottle to demonstrate. “I am so surprised.” “Startled?” “Yes, startled. And-uh she hit-uh me here.” “With a broken pop bottle?” Byron exclaimed. “Yes!” Ok Sun said now becoming agitated with the recounting of the events. Byron thought back to the deep three cornered gash and the longer gash about 2 inches below it. That would fit the pattern of a jagged broken bottle. “Man!” he exclaimed. “Yes! Ajoshi come and he kickee her out. I don’t know I’m hurt. I touchee my neck, and my hand had so muchee blood! This time I’m scared.” “She hit you with a broken bottle, but you didn’t know you were hurt until you saw blood on your hand?” “I’m not feel nothing that time.” “Wow!” “And, I’m so scared that time. I thinkee I die.” “That’s what I thought when I first saw you.” “Lots of blood?” “A LOT of blood.” “Yes, I thinkee I die, and then …” “What?” “Then, my angel come. I see you big, blue color eyes, and I know I will be ok.” Byron shook his head. “I think the soup is hot.” He moved into the corner of the room that served as a kitchen. He lowered the wick to kill the flame on the kerosene stove, and removed the kerosene blackened kettle from the top. He brought it back to the tray beside Ok Sun’s bed. Following the pattern from the previous night, he took a spoon, and spooned through the soup until he found a bite sized chunk of kimchee. He blew it to cool it down, then brought it near to Ok Sun’s mouth. She raised her hand to meet his, and guided the spoon into her mouth. “Now, I can do this,” she said to him wagging his spoon holding hand after she swallowed. “Just I need help to sit up.” Byron knelt over her and again gently slipped his left arm beneath her shoulders and slid his hand beneath her head so that no strain would be placed on her wounded neck. Ok Sun put her arms around Byron’s neck and shoulders to help support herself in the move. Slowly, Byron sat back bringing Ok Sun to a full upright seated position. The color left Ok Sun’s face. She swayed first one direction, then the other, then stabilized. “Are you ok?” Byron asked. “I thinkee too I lost lot of blood,” Ok Sun answered breathlessly. “Are you able to sit?” “I think so. Just I need to sit up slowly.” “Is it ok for me to let go? Or do you need to lie back down?” “I thinkee I’m ok now.” Byron slowly let go, and moved away, making sure she sat steadily before leaving her to sit by herself. “Blue color eyes,” Ok Sun smiled as he moved away. Byron shook his head again. “You know,” he said. “I remember my first time downtown, I was too stupid to know how badly I had gotten myself lost with no way back, and somebody I didn’t even know gave me cab fare to get back to base. Who was the Angel then?” “5000 won,” Ok Sun said. “5000 won and I meet-uh angel.” She smiled humorously. “I thinkee this is good price.” Byron shook his head again, still uncomfortable with the comparison to an angel. “That time everybody thinkee I am crajee give you money. And now I thinkee if I do not give you this money, I do not know you, and last night I die. This is really good price.” “You told me you were like my sister.” “Yes,” Ok Sun said. Her eyes dropped, but her head stayed erect in the one comfortable position she had found. Her soft smile disappeared, and concern began to show itself in her face. “What’s wrong?” Byron asked. Ok Sun smiled again. “Really,” Byron said. “What’s wrong?” Ok Sun paused for a moment. Her smile faded again. “I do not want to tell you, and I think I need to tell you.” “Tell me,” Byron said. “I want to know.” “Last night, if you do not come, I die,” Ok Sun began. “I know this, and this one I really thank you so muchee. And still, I have a new big problem.” “What’s that?” “Now, some man stay in my house night time. This is big problem. American man stay in my house night time. This is REALLY big problem.” Byron sat back. “I promise I never touched you wrong.” He protested. He pointed to her clothing “I even left you in your bloody shirt because I didn’t want to do anything wrong.” “I know that,” Ok Sun answered. “And anyway I trust you. But other people so muchee gossip.” “You can’t worry about gossip,” Byron said. “Korea this really big problem,” Ok Sun insisted. “People so muchee gossip and I have American man in my house. And now nice man, nobody want-uh me.” “Surely it’s not that bad.” “That bad!” Ok Sun said, widening her eyes for emphasis. “Miss Gunn and ajuma know you stay here, and they so muchee gossip. After gossip, everybody thinkee I am business girl.” Byron shuddered at this thought. Could anyone really believe this virtuous and graceful lady was a prostitute? “Miss Gunn brought the food last night,” Byron offered. “She came to get me, although I don’t know why she thought she’d find me here.” “Why she think that?” Ok Sun mused aloud. She turned her eyes to him. “Why you come here?” Byron pointed to the TV. “I wanted to surprise you.” Ok Sun smiled. “You give me?” “Yes. I had just left when Miss Gunn came to get me. She brought me to the restaurant. She was quite a trooper!” “She have a good heart,” Ok Sun admitted. “And still she so muchee gossip.” Byron thought for a moment. He looked at Ok Sun sitting before him. Her hair was mussed, tangled, and uncombed after the rinse he had given it last night. Her shirt was blood stained. Her face was pale. But beneath that he could still see her. Beneath that, if anyone would look, she was still stunning. Beneath all that, she was still beautiful and graceful. How foolish could he be? He had always seen it, but he had never told her. “I thinkee I cannot marry nice man, so I do not want to marry,” Ok Sun continued. “The problem doesn’t have to be that bad,” Byron said with a smile. “You do not understand Korea,” Ok Sun continued. “No nice man want American man girl.” Byron moved close to her. He reached out, and took the hand she had resting in her lap. “Will you marry me?” he asked. Ok Sun’s eyes went wide. She gave a slight jump accompanied by “uh?” Her smile returned to her face perhaps wider than ever before. “You want to marry Korean girl?” “I want to marry my best friend.” There was silence as Ok Sun mentally translated the words, then assigned them meaning. Her smile and her eyes softened as she began to understand. “Jeong-mal?” she asked. “Jeong-mal” Byron answered. “You too,” Ok Sun said. “You are my best friend.” Byron’s eyebrows flinched. That was not quite the response he had expected. “When I am growing up,” Ok Sun said. “I never thinkee about marry American man.” Her eyes returned to Byron’s. “Blue color eyes,” she said as she smiled again. With her free hand, she grabbed her shirt by one of its many blood stains. “I never thinkee this ugly time somebody ask me marry. You know every girl dream to have beautiful time and somebody ask her marry.” “I can see past that,” Byron offered. “Even now, I can see the real you, and I can see how beautiful you really are.” Again Ok Sun’s face softened as she brought her eyes to meet Byron’s. “You thinkee so?” she asked. “I know so,” he answered. She dropped her gaze, and continued her debate with herself. “If I marry American man, my father and my mommy thinkee I am crajee.” A mischievous smile came onto her face as she looked again at Byron. “Already they thinkee I am crajee.” The smile left and she continued, “If I marry American man, I have to leave Korea. Before, I never thinkee I live another country.” Byron now moved from his seated position and knelt on one knee directly in front of Ok Sun. “I first said I would treat you like I wanted my sister treated,” he began. “You answered me that you would be like my sister. That meant something different, but I promised you that. Now, I can see that I can treat you like I want my sister treated, but I cannot treat you like you are my sister. You are my best friend here – my only friend here, and last night and today I realized that I really love you. If you think about it, a person could never do better than spending the rest of his life with his best friend, but if that is not enough, I am telling you the truth when I say: I really love you. I love you like I’ve never loved anybody before.” Byron paused until he was sure Ok Sun had comprehended him. “Will you marry me?” he asked again. Ok Sun smiled with the same sweet smile she gave when she first approached his table on that day when he was lost and she was his rescuing angel. “My best friend,” she said. “My angel.” She looked intently into his blue eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I will marry you.”
Copyright © 2004 Steven L Howard |