눈발 (A Stray Goat), The Sequel

Chapter 05 / Yejoo

December 2015

It was about 3 in the afternoon by the time I arrived in Seoul. Having not eaten anything before I left the house, I wished that I had thought to take snacks with me during my commute. I didn't realize how angry I was when I left home. I just left in a hurry because I wanted to get out of there.

When I get off the train, I head for the passenger pick up area. Father said that aunty would be here by the time I arrived. I looked around to see if anyone was carrying a sign that had my name written on it, but didn't see my name anywhere. As I look around, I see children reuniting with fathers who might've been away from home for business trips, and couples embracing each other as their significant other was serving time in the military.

"Yejoo-yah!" I hear a guy's voice call out to me. I turn to look and see my cousin Wonjae with aunty and uncle from a distance. He's waving his arms out at me.

I laugh a little because I couldn't recognize him. And him waving his arms wildly at me was funny. "Wonjae? Is that you?" I called out to him. I walk towards them, as aunty, uncle and Wonjae walk toward me.

"Of course it is! Why? Did I get more handsome or something?" Wonjae jokes, lifting his chin up as if he was charming. I rolled my eyes and smile at him.

"You've grown up a lot was more like what I was thinking." I said to him. "And you haven't changed one bit." He laughs as aunty holds my face and touches my hair.

"Oh, Yejoo-yah! It's been so long," she said, and gently rubs my head. "So many years have gone by... you're practically a woman now." I see her eyes glisten.

I tell her it hasn't been that long. I remind her that she was there for father and I when mom first passed away. After mom's passing and memorial service, aunty stayed with us for a few weeks to take care of us. Her mouth pouted a little as I said those words. Then she embraced me into a hug. "Oh, our Yejoo," she says squeezing me. I make eye contact with uncle; he bows his head, and I say hello while aunty is still hugging me.

"Alright dear," uncle rubs her back. "Let's go before traffic gets worse." I laugh a little as aunty squeezes me one more time, then breaks the hug. I could sense that she didn't want to let go. I looked into her eyes and smile. I give her a gentle squeeze on her arm, assuring her that things were okay. Her embrace always felt familiar though; it reminded me of mom.

When we arrive at aunty and uncle's place, uncle tells Wonjae to take care of my luggage.

"Ah, no, it's okay uncle," I say. But uncle insists that Wonjae take care of it, and that he'll show me to my new room anyways.

The smell of food lingered in the air as we walked in. Aunty says she has food in the slow cooker for us and that she just needs to prepare the side dishes for us. She tells me to wash up after I've settled down in my room.

Wonjae shows me my room upstairs, and that the wash room is at the end of the hall. I sit down on the bed as Wonjae sets my suitcase down into the closet. I take a look around the room. It was a bit smaller than my room back at home. Wonjae explains the room was used whenever they had guests. I nod as I look around the room some more. The walls are empty, except for the wall with a window. To the right of the window, above the bed, hung a photograph of a lighthouse at a beach.

"It's not much, but it's cozy," Wonjae tells me as he leans against the doorway. I turn to look at him and give him a small reassuring smile.

"This is fine," I tell him. "It's a bit smaller than my room back at home, but I think cozy is great."

Just then, aunty calls us down for dinner. Wonjae responds that we'll be down. He reaches to open the small door, that looks to be a closet, across my room to hand me a towel. He tells me that I can come down after I've washed up. I thank him and grab the towel.