Landing in Your Inbox

54 - the lone tree

December 26, 2020 8:41 AM
Olympic Park, Songpa, Seoul

2 weeks have passed since the accident and Jeong-hyeok's ankle was feeling stronger. Jeong-hyeok had been performing some exercises that would encourage ankle movement either by tracing letters with his toe, moving his knee side-to-side while his foot was pressed flat on the floor or doing some towel stretching, by pulling two ends of a rolled towel held against the ball of his foot while keeping his knee straight. It was Seri's first time to see Jeong-hyeok try the exercises that result to him contorting in pain - tried as he did to suppress it - so much so that she wanted him to stop with the exercise immediately but Jeong-hyeok wanted to at least do it at least three times.

"Don't be competitive over this, you're beating no one but yourself." Seri chided as she handed him a bottle of water. "You'll get better." 

That morning, they visited the Olympic Park so he could try walking, and also to admire the winterscape of the spacious landmark. Their boots crunched on the snow-covered grounds with Seri lending a helping hand and Jeong-hyeok trying to manage with one crutch while watching his steps.

As the two walked towards the lone tree on the hillside, the sound of an airplane flying roughly overhead had Jeong-hyeok stopping to look up.

Seri too tried to listen and locate the flying object but the skies were too gray to make out anything. She regarded the pilot beside her. "Do you miss it?"

Jeong-hyeok's gaze remained transfixed skywards, "I should be up there, flying nonstop during the holiday rush. It's strange to be in Seoul this whole time. Time seems to move slower."

"Funny, time moves fast for me." Seri's hands clutched each other behind her back, "You told me that your father chose this profession for you and your brother. Do you still think about doing things differently? Staying on as a pianist for example..."

The two continued onto the hill with Jeong-hyeok squinting at the sky. "There is no chance I would have stayed on as a pianist."

"But what if your father allows you to go back." Seri asked. "Would you do it? Just pretend in this scenario."

"Hm, It's hard to answer now." Jeong-hyeok pondered, taking to her side. His eyes were still miles away while Seri watched him. "I've already built my life around this career."

"You don't miss playing the piano at all?" Seri moved to his front, "No one else could make the music like you can..."

"My mindset while I was composing the song, to my mindset today is different. I don't know if I'll still be an effective pianist if I go back. It's hard to answer your question." Jeong-hyeok regarded the woman addressing him with scrutiny. "Why are you concerned about this?"

"I don't know." Seri shied away from his stare, looking at the snowy scenery, "I guess, I was watching you play yesterday and I'm thinking about your dream and how you sacrificed it. It doesn't sit well with me. I know our families are different but I couldn't help but think you might have been shackled on air."

Jeong-hyeok smirked, "It's not anything like that."

"But the piano was your passion...is..."

Jeong-hyeok shook his head with a reassuring smile, "It's true I had to learn a set of skills different from what I've learned as a child. But I'm not shackled on air..." 

Seri waited on him to elaborate, so  he continued, "There is some peace in flying that can't be found anywhere else, the solitude of being up there, far away from the world below. Especially if you are the one doing the steering."

"I've done paragliding one time, so I guess I understand a bit." Seri trailed off but not wholly convinced. 

Jeong-hyeok turned to see the lonely tree standing in the midst of a vast field. "Solitude is different from loneliness, I found."