사랑하니까 (On the Wings of Love)

I

A beautiful harmony of trumpets rang out as the first rays of the morning sun pierced through the endless beds of clouds, creating a rather picturesque scene, complete against a dazzling background of blue. Upon closer inspection, one may observe that each separate mass of the fluffy material contained a sleeping figure.

The peculiar forms looked very much like human beings, and no difference would ever be possible to detect if not for a pair of white, clustered, feather-like things, called wings, which seemed to just emerge from their shoulder blades, running down the length of their bodies all the way to their ankles.

Heaven was the name of the place. It was an absolutely wondrous and peaceful abode, perpetually filled with joy and cheer. Its inhabitants are, without a doubt, called angels, a term which we human beings have, over time, associated with magical creatures that flitted around making merry all the time. It was a largely accurate concept, for that was what went on most of the time in this enchanting community.

Angels spent most of their time just enjoying the niceties of life in Heaven. Immortality was a really huge advantage, and nobody ever needed to worry about getting old, passing away, or any other unfavorable circumstance. Heaven was safe. Angels were protected. It was once rumored that angels were specially created by The Almighty himself, and that he made sure to design only the kindest, most honorable people to have the eternal benefit of breathing the sweet air of this Promised Land. As such, an angel would never choose to go to Earth for whatever reason there was.

Then there was Jessica Jung.

When she was first introduced to her fellow folk, everybody received a handshake… and an embrace that was almost suffocating… followed by a kiss to the cheek. She would have grabbed each angel for an acquainting dance if only the Chief of Angels had not stopped her.

If enthusiasm could be personified, it would come in the form of Jessica Jung. She often got into trouble for being overly friendly. Yes, even for a place such as Heaven. The littlest of things fascinated her. One time she bounced up and down a cloud for three days in a row without ceasing, just to see whether or not it would give way. Of course it didn’t, and she ended up having to sit through another counseling session with the Chief.

Jessica was just different; special in her own way.

Just like the rest of the angels, she had often heard tales of the many happenings on Earth. Instead of feeling afraid or vulnerable like the others, the larger part of Jessica felt as though it needed to explore this mysterious territory. She wanted to see how different human beings were compared to angels. She strongly desired to interact with one just for the sake of it. Every nerve in her being just craved for some sort of experience of life as a mortal, regardless of how short it was going to be.

As you would expect, she eventually sat down with the Chief one day in the hopes of being given a chance to discover Earth for herself. If you had seen the look on the Chief’s face as he listened to the atrocious news, you would have been worried for the poor angel. It was ultimately a huge, fat ‘no’. Of course we would not believe that Jessica was one to take ‘no’ for an answer.

A conscious effort was being made every single day without fail, and the angel went so far as to gather a band of confidants to get a petition signed, not forgetting to include a list of reasons pertaining to why she should be allowed to go.