The Church {DARAGON}

The Church

Ji Yong was ten. Dara was nine and a half. Both of them were still very young and innocent. They say it was an unlikely age and a very unlikely time for such a thing to take place. They haven't been introduced nor have they crossed paths with each other before this, and no one could have ever guessed how their unique story will unfold.

On that fine Sunday morning, both of them were forced to attend the mass by their respective mothers at the old Santo Domingo church.

Little Ji Yong hated it. He wanted to play basketball. His friends Tae Yang and Top would have so much fun imitating the lay-up his older brother taught them yesterday. He really hated it.

Little Dara hated it. She wanted to play dolls. Her friends Bom and Minzy told her yesterday they have new Barbie dolls that they could dress up. She really hated it.

"I want to play!" They both squealed in protest, but their mothers obviously fell on deaf ears.

They both despised the idea of attending the mass for they felt they were being deprived from doing the things they love to do. But they were children, so they couldn't say no. They had to go.

***

The mass lasted for more than an hour. The priest seemed to be suffering from a really bad cold that he had to turn his back every ten minutes to silently sneeze, and people would stifle a laugh because of it.

For the two kids, it wasn't funny at all. It was more than just plain torture having to sit through a painstakingly long mass.

"Torture. Torture. Torture," both of them continuously mumbled.

Just because their older brothers and sisters didn't want to accompany their mothers, they had to drag them instead? Life is just too unfair.

"It's boring," Ji Yong thought.

"It's boring," Dara thought.

Then it was finally time to go back home. Oh how their hearts sauntered with delight when they realized they were going back home! At last!

"Home! Home! Home!" They both exclaimed in glee.

Little Ji Yong followed his mother, but he noticed that one of his shoelaces has come undone. So he bent down to tie them, and as he did, a little girl walked right past him.

Little Dara was walking with her mother when he noticed someone. She became curious on what the young boy was fumbling with. She let go off her mother's grip and looked over him closely.

As he struggled with his laces, Ji Yong realized that someone's watching over him, for he saw those tiny pink mary janes in front of him. He gazed up slowly. Their eyes met for the very first time and right there and then, time stood still.

At that instant they felt something different, something innately good inside their hearts, and it made them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Only they were too young to realize what it was.

Dara smiled at him wonderfully. He's shining.

Ji Yong smiled at her just the same. She's breath-taking.

Seconds later, worried mothers came rushing to them, grabbed their arms, and quickly dragged them home.

She didn't get to ask for his name.

He didn't get to know her name.

"Who is he?" Dara asked herself.

"Who is she?" Ji Yong asked himself.

They didn't know.

He felt bad.

She felt bad as well.

"I'll be coming back next Sunday," both of them promised themselves.

***

Next Sunday morning, Ji Yong got up early. He fixed his bed. He prayed to God and even brushed his teeth. He's so excited to hear the mass and was already imagining how the priest would look like.

"I wonder if he still has the cold," he thought to himself and smiled.

"We're attending the mass, right?" He excitedly asked his mother during breakfast.

"We can't do that, my dear. We need to go to the province. Your grandpa's very sick," his mother replied.

Little Ji Yong flopped himself down a chair, feeling defeated.

***

On that same day, Dara got up early. She fixed her bed. She prayed to God and even tied her hair up nicely. She's so excited to hear the mass and was already hearing how the choir would sing like.

"I wonder if the same lady will do most of the solo singing," she thought to herself and smiled.

"We're attending the mass, right?" She excitedly asked her mother during breakfast.

"Yes, we are hearing the mass, my dear." Her mother replied, patting Dara's head lightly with a smile.

Dara did a happy twirl in front of the mirror, feeling excited.

****

Dara was scanning the whole church all through out the mass. She looked everywhere, hoping to find the little boy. But she couldn't spot him. Not even a trace of him.

When the mass ended, there's still no sign of the little boy. Little Dara almost cried in disappointment.

***

On a fine Sunday morning inside the old Santo Domingo church, an all-suited up Ji Yong is approaching the church's vast door. He's all grown up now. Oh how his heart skipped! He walked along the aisle. Slowly. He settled somewhere in the front. Some young men in suits looking dapper were lined up before him.

Across the other end of the aisle, near the church's vast door, a pretty young lady in a white gown was smiling at Ji Yong. She is to be his wife. He is to be his husband. And when the young lady started her march, Ji Yong surprisingly cried.

Twenty years ago, he met that little girl with those tiny pink maryjanes and a sweet warm smile that he couldn't forget. He promised to come back next Sunday, but wasn't able to because his grandfather was seriously ill so they all had to go to their province. The next Sunday after that, Ji Yong flew with his entire family to the States and stayed there for years with the memory of that little girl engraved in his heart.

Now, he's about to marry that young lady in a white gown whose shoes he could not see. But she's not her. She's that girl he met in Houston. He's crying because he still remembers the little girl he first fell in love with. And inside this church, just now, the feeling came rushing back to him. He still feels that love for her.

If Ji Yong only knew, Dara waited for him for so long. She attended the mass the next Sunday and the Sunday after that and another Sunday, and so on. But Ji Yong never came back for her.

Now, she's standing outside that church's vast door, looking enviously at the young lady in a white gown, not knowing that the groom is the same little boy she hoped to see again when she was young. She's still single, unattached.

"I wish I was her," Dara said silently.

"I wish she was her," Ji Yong muttered to himself.

Then he and she both cried.

Oh how the angels wept that day.

Oh how the angels wept for them.