I am penning this letter with the heaviest heart. Half of my troop had been massacred. I, for one, have been fortunate enough to survive by God's grace whereby I only sustained non-life threatening injuries. I do not wish for you to worry about me, as I am back on my feet and well now. My love, it is with deep sorrow that I bring the news that the KPA have already occupied Kaesong. My mind immediately flew to you, Yoon Seri. You have always been fascinated by Namdaemum, more so when we bunkered off to see the placeyears ago. We were still friends back then, and the memory lies vivid in my mind like it was yesterday. Do you remember, Yoon Seri?
You occupy my thoughts in the day and dreams in the night.
I'm sorry.
I am sorry I cannot do as you ask in your letter, nor will I have an intention of doing so. No, Yoon Seri, I will never forget you. I will never forget the evening we spent under the Ginkgo tree by the clearing where I spoke the words I have always wanted to tell you as you bid me a temporary farewell: that you will forever hold my heart in your hands. I did not hold on to you so tight only for you to feel the emptiness that my absence would bring. I did not kiss you that sensually for you to feel the phantom touch of my lips when I pulled back. As much as it pained me to live every single day without you, I refuse to ever forget the beautiful memories we have built together to numb the pain of our absence in each other's arms.
Wherever this cause might bring me, you will always be my reason for every why's. You are the sunshine to my darkened days.
You are the reason why I'm fighting for our motherland, Yoon Seri. When the unforgiving nights of sorrow and grief call upon you, my love, remember that I am doing this so I could, over and over again, marry you in front of our flag. I am doing this so we could raise our future children, the product of our love that encompassed everything including this war, in a Korea we all once knew. I am doing this so I will have the chance to hold you everyday in my arms without the fear of someone might take me away from you, or you to me.
You are my peace in the lifetime of war. Every part of me is yearning to be with you, my love, to touch you, to cherish you, to hold you tight and never let go. I may not know what tomorrow may bring, but this I promise you: I will always choose to wake up everyday to fight for our motherland— to fight for the chance of a future with you.
I did not say hello to you that one fateful night in 1949 for me to bid you farewell today in 1952.
You are my everything, RJH
***
Seri folded the letter hastily but with utter care, before the droplets of her tears stained her lover's words to her. She placed the letter inside a worn out box that contained all his letters to her for the past 4 years— she held the box that turned out to be her most precious possession, to her heart.
Every morning she would listen to the radio by her bedside, hoping for any news— even just the tiniest information on what had happened in the war. Three months ago, July 1953, the static amidst the almost inaudible voice of the radioman announcing the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed still rang vividly on her mind.
Today, she wept. Seri can masterfully make out the words from her old radio despite the clackity-clack and the static. 137,899 are dead. 450,742 are wounded. 24,495 are missing. 8,343 are Prisoners of War. Last time she heard from him was his last letter in December, and it had been months— Every single day without any ounce of information of what ever happened to Ri Jeong Hyeok is threatening to make her mind go mad.
Seo Dan, her neighbor and the only one who could ever understand her lamentations, had scrammed her way when she heard a knock to her door— only to find a soldier in a camouflaged fatigue. It was the sight she had been waiting for the past 4 years, only it was not the face she was expecting for.
Her loud whimper was heard to the farthest end of their village, as she dropped to her knees, clutching the Korean flag the soldier had given her. Seo Dan's husband, Gu Seung Jun, heeded the call of the motherland four years ago and all that came back to Dan was a piece of cloth.
Seri's mind tipped off the edge and she could feel her heart drop to the floor when she heard a knock on her own door.
No, please. Please.
Gripping the knob to her door with unstable shaky hands, she found herself uttering a prayer on the heavens above. Seri never found the courage to look up to the man when her eyes laid on the man's combat boots. The impending wrath of her emotions got the best of her, and Yoon Seri's tears fell upon her beautiful face as she shut her eyes in fear of the reality in front of her.
For a few seconds, her world stopped as she readied herself: Ri Jeong Hyeok or a Taegeukgi?
For the second time in their village, a loud whimper of a woman was heard- only this time it was not out of grief. Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok, alive and well, enveloped Yoon Seri in his arms as he said in his last letter, unwilling to let her go.
"You're alive." Seri sobbed, "Thank you... Thank you for being alive." Jeong Hyeok pulled back for a moment to kiss all her sadness away, to make up for the 4 years that he was not by her side.
"I don't ever want to wake up another day in a place where I am not your husband." He says, pulling her body closer to him. "Marry me, Yoon Seri."
"Of course I will, Captain."
***
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A/N: Hi! This is my entry for the fifth day of #SuitfitCupid: You gave me peace in a lifetime of War.
This tweet is heavily influenced by the most beautiful Filipino prose I have ever read: Liham ni Andres kay Oryang. Kids, if you haven't read this, please do so. The letter is fictional though! https://www.launchora.com/story/liham-ni-andres-bonifacio-kay-oryang
