Who Will It Be Then?

ONE

Homecoming

(Take On Me - Aqualung)

"You're shying away
I'll be coming for you anyway"

Incheon, South Korea
Ruby Jane's POV

10 years, ten long years since the last time I saw you.

Do you still remember me, Priya? Or maybe you’ve forgotten about me. As I’ve known people, they tend to forget a person that they haven’t seen for a long time. Maybe it’s the same thing for you. But for me?

I haven’t forgotten about you.

Though there are times that you slip off of my mind. But in my downtimes, you’re all I think about.

I think about our carefree days, where we laugh about silly things, and just enjoy each other’s company. For even if we have nothing, it doesn’t matter...

...because we have each other.

I think about how you see goodness in everything. Even after all that you’ve been through, you always have that easy smile on your face—that kind of smile that ease your worries away.

I want to see it again. I want to see you…again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Korean Air welcomes you to Incheon, South Korea. The local time is 3:50 PM...”

I wasn’t able to listen further because of the steady and heavy beating of my heart. I am so anxious and my nerves have been in overdrive since the moment we started to land. It’s so obvious because Irene kept on glancing at me with a questioning look on her face. But I just give her timid smiles every time our eyes meet—I can’t tell her my personal issues. Like, who does emotional vomit to a person you just met? I don’t want to be that kind of person so I try to calm myself.

I closed my eyes as I will myself to relax. I clench and unclench my fists then take a lungful of air.

Breathe in….breathe out….

Just like what I usually say when I help calming Pranpriya down before.

“Breathe in….breathe out…that’s a good girl. Another…breathe in….breathe out.”

I calmly say as she tries to follow what I tell her. I rub her back gently while she hugs me tight. Her body shakes like a leaf as I try to make cooing sounds to keep her calm.

“I’m here, Priya. It was just a bad dream.” I added. She continued to sob as I feel her tears fall whilst snuggling further on my neck.

“They were close, we were running away…I heard her scream. She was calling out for us.” Her voice trembles as she tries to share what her nightmare was. But it wasn’t just a nightmare, it was a memory. 

“You’re okay now, no one’s gonna harm you…now that I’m here.” I assured her and just kept on rubbing her back then I hand-comb her hair—a gesture that I know pacifies her faster.