“I… would prefer not to have him anywhere near my sister—”
“Do you want this done or not?” Hana snapped. “It’s just for a couple of days… endure!”
“Fine,” I muttered.
“And maybe I can clog the wheel a few days earlier as well, and you get him to help you… you know, like a rehearsal… it’ll make it easier, I think,”
I didn’t like the idea at all but still nodded in agreement.
“Great… I’ll get back to you,” she got up and left as casually as she had come.
I noticed Nari standing only a few yards from me looking at me with judgmental eyes.
Does she know what we talked about? No… that’s not possible… she was too far away…
Still, I had to be sure, so I stood up and walked over to her.
“So… you’re still involved with her,” Nari said.
“Hana’s helping us,” I said defensively, still not sure what she was referring to. “She’s helping you… tomorrow you will go back to working in the watermill. Life will be much easier for you from now on… she helped us with that.”
“No, thanks… I don’t want to owe her anything,” Nari crossed her arms.
“You won’t… she’s doing it as a favor to me.”
Nari looked worriedly into my eyes.
“I don’t want you to owe her anything either, Areum.”
“I won’t… I promise,” I lied. “I’ve already helped her with something… nothing dangerous, I swear… no one got hurt,” I hurried to add. “So she’s just returning the favor.”
Nari looked at me suspiciously.
“Come on, Nari… working out here is killing you… do it for me, okay? Let me help you… please! Neither of us will owe her anything… I swear!”
She thought for a moment, then her face softened slightly.
“Okay, I believe you,” she nodded. “Thank you, Areum.”
“You’re welcome, sis,” I sighed with relief.
“But Areum… please don’t have anything more to do with her… promise me that,” Nari pleaded.
“I can’t promise you that. But I do promise I won’t do anything stupid… okay? That is my promise to you.”
“Okay,” Nari said, and a cautious smile appeared on her lips.
CHAPTER 46
The next morning was cooler than usual, and after I had given my work unit that day’s quotas - an act that, surprisingly enough, didn’t feel all-that unnatural anymore - I went with Nari to the watermill to set her up. It felt strange being back in that noisy rackety construction that produced musky sludge that didn’t bare any resemblance to the enticing fragrant cobs surrounding us in the fields. Do Hun grunted and shot hateful glares at us, but said nothing. That little man was truly nothing like his predecessor - the giant fearless ogre that had made our measly two weeks working here a torment. Seeing him surrender to my authority gave me a weird sense of satisfaction and I understood how Hana must feel at every moment of every day… and also what drove Hyuk to stage the coup to grab the power for himself. That was also how I knew we hadn’t seen him for the last time.
I said goodbye to my sister - who surprised me with a strong hug - and braced myself as I went over to the guardhouse to talk to Chul. I was relieved to find him alone in the room.
“I put Nari back to work at the watermill,” I told him right off the bat.
He gave me a worried look from behind his desk where he administrated the quota fulfillment status of his different work units.
“I know,” he said. “It’s good… but… are you okay, Areum? What you’re involved in now… can you manage it?”
“Don’t worry about it… I’ve got it under control,” I replied, annoyed. At the same time, I couldn’t forget what happened to Hana’s last right-hand girl. “But I need a favor from you,” I continued as I felt my heart accelerate.
“What is it?” Chul raised his eyebrows.
“I’m worried about my sister being alone all day with Do Hun… I think he blames me for what happened to Ki Ha.”
“Not surprising,” Chul said.
“And now that I have to continue working as normal in addition to administering and making sure the workers fill their quotas… I don’t have so much time to go and check on her, so—”
“Oh,” Chul’s face lit up. “Hey… it’s not a problem. I’ll check in on her from time to time… don’t worry about it… and Do Hun is not like Ki Ha… he can be easily managed, so I don’t think you have to worry about him.”
“Thank you, Chul… I’m counting on you,” I forced a smile, pushing my hatred deep down so it wouldn’t seep through.
The rest of the morning I monitored the watermill from the field. Chul came one time and stayed for about ten minutes. Things were going according to plan, but having them alone in a room made me uneasy.
What are they talking about for so long?
I didn’t like them being together, but after having heard Chul call her too ugly to rape, at least I was no longer worried about him attacking her again. And even though she was my sister, I couldn’t help but see his point. After her long term of sickness and the starvation due to the cut rations and stress - not to mention the nightmare that was her uneven short hair, which looked more like a black, half-built birds nest above her thick, greasy glasses - I could honestly not fathom how any man could find her the least bit attractive. And that was a good thing… in here at least. But men are men… and there is no way of knowing how their minds, and other body parts, function… so I couldn’t allow myself to be completely at ease.
At lunchtime, I went to eat with Nari outside the watermill by the river. The cabbage soup didn’t have the distinct moldy flavor it used to, which made me wonder if they had started using fresher cabbage or if I had just gotten used to the taste of mold. Or maybe they were now putting so little cabbage in the soup it simply wasn’t enough to affect the flavor. Either way, I happily noticed Nari looked slightly more rested than before. There was also almost not trace left of her pellagra rash, so for the first time in months, I was not acutely worried she wouldn’t survive the day.
We ate in silence for a while as my mind drifted off to what will happen on Monday. I was terrified but tried to convince myself I wasn’t.
“How are you holding up?” she gave me a worried glance.
“Don’t worry about me, sis… nobody will mess with me again,” I winked at her.
Chul came two more times after lunch but didn’t stay long. The next day went the same with Chul checking in on Nari three times, and the day after as well. I also checked in on her from time to time, but not too often. After all, according to what I had told Chul, I hardly had any time to leave the cornfield. I also purposely avoided asking Nari about Chul’s visits. It wasn’t worth the risk of triggering another conflict.
Three days after I had relocated Nari to the watermill, Hana came over to me around the time the sun had commenced its descent behind the western mountain ridge.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Good,” I could truthfully admit. “Nari is better now, working indoors… and no more problems with my work unit.”
“Good to hear,” Hana said without the slightest hint of interest in her voice. “So… be ready tomorrow… we’ll rehearse after lunch. Get Do Hun away during that time.
“Tomorrow?” I swallowed, feeling the hair at the back of my head stand on end. “O-okay, but… how?”
“You’re the unit leader… ask him to go and do inventory or something,” Hana shrugged her shoulders.
I nodded, feeling a heavy lump forming in my throat.
After Hana left, Jun Ha approached me.
“What was that about?”
“Nothing special… she’s just trying to control everything I do… as usual,” I said.
“Don’t take it too seriously… it’s just the way she is. As soon as she feels her power is secure, she’ll calm down a bit. Don’t expect a complete change, though,”
he winked and turned around, but just as he was heading back toward the field, I called out to him again.
“By the way… how is Ho Jin?”
“Almost recovered,” Jun Ha smiled. “And he’s very grateful to you… expect a hug next time you see him.”
He turned away again, which I was grateful for since I didn’t want him to see my blushing face.
The workday finished uneventfully, but my anxiety for what was to come continued to grow. Nari noticed my absentmindedness - I assume she thought it was because of my new responsibilities - so she let me rest while she did the cooking by herself. I barely noticed when she handed me my bowl, and I was still deep in my thoughts when there was a knock on the door later that night. I noticed the half-eaten soup I was holding had turned cold. For the first time in a long time, I had no hunger at all, so I put it down as Mrs. Choy and Mina entered our house. They were later than usual for their daily check-up visit for Nari, and I saw Mrs. Choy checking extra carefully that Sun Hee was nowhere to be seen.
By now it felt like our rice was stolen more than an eternity ago, and there was no doubt in my mind the Choys were innocent. Sun Hee still didn’t feel that way… but that hardly mattered anymore. I knew Mrs. Choy pitied us. As much as she hated our mother, she didn’t wish for us to be abandoned. I hated being pitied, but I was thankful to have them, now that Nari and I were basically alone. And now that we had food in relative abundance - and no parents around to object to it - we gladly shared part of it with them. Partially, I also did it out of spite. I still couldn’t shake the horrible image of my mother’s naked body in the arms of the Demon of Yodok.
At long last, I had also come to terms with having Mina as part of my replacement family. I saw how much she meant to Nari and had grown confident my secret would stay buried deeply under the surface forever.
I had difficulty sleeping that night and kept twisting and turning on my rock-hard quilt. I tried to channel my hatred for Chul, but it had become increasingly hard lately. Especially since there were so many other people competing for my hatred. Colonel Wan, who was still out there biding his time, looking for the next opportunity to drag me down to the Center of Truth to finish what he started. Lieutenant Kim, who had snapped that poor infant’s neck without even flinching and then blew its mother’s brains out all over the floor. Private On - the father - who just sat idly by and did nothing to protect the people he himself had put in harm’s way. Hana, who now seemed to be more in control of my life than I was. My mother and General Roh… and my father - the reason we were all here in the first place. The list could go on… and on…
But I had to stay focused on Chul. If I at least could get rid of him, there would be slightly less evil in the world!
But then again… what kind of world is left now that our Father - the Great General has left us?
I think I must have slept, but it felt like I had just closed my eyes for a minute, and when I opened them again, it was morning. At work, I was completely disconnected and unable to focus. Luckily, my workers were still too afraid of me - or rather, afraid of the Dragons - for it to matter. After lunch, which I again ate with Nari by the river next to the watermill, I gathered my strength and went over and instructed Do Hun to go over to the granary and do an inventory of the bags of unground corn delivered from my field yesterday. Apparently, there had been complaints from the Oversight about a discrepancy in the numbers, and I couldn’t spare anyone from the field to do it. Hana had arranged an official-looking order document to give to him. He grunted angrily but didn’t protest this time either.
As agreed, Hana positioned herself upstream - hidden, but with a clear view of the watermill and the cornfield - with a log she had prepared beforehand and waited for Chul to appear for his afternoon visit to Nari. It never stopped baffling me how freely she could move around the camp at any time of the day - or night - without anyone even raising an eyebrow.
But her powers have limits… she can’t get us out of here…
I positioned myself behind the first line of cornstalks at the edge of the still unharvested part of the field, facing the watermill. The weather had noticeably turned the last couple of days, and the chilly gusts of wind rustling through corn leaves made me shudder. From where I stood, I couldn’t see what was going on with Hana and the log, but just when Chul was passing me on the road, there was a loud bang from inside the watermill followed by a terrifying scream from Nari.
Chul took off spurting, and so did I, catching up with him within a few seconds.
“Hurry… she’s alone in there,” I panted. Chul picked up his pace.
Just as we approached the door, Nari came storming out, her pale face distorted with terror.
“There’s something huge stuck in the waterwheel,” she shrieked. “I don’t know what to do… I thought the whole building was going to come crashing down on me,” her voice trembled and tears streamed from her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Chul panted without slowing down. “I’ll take care of it… just stay here.”
“I’ll help you,” I said and followed him through the door.
Inside the building, there was a battle of the elements. The waterwheel and the cogwheels were fighting with all their might, emitting ferocious squealing and screeching noises, but were completely blocked by the intrusive log.
“Be careful,” Chul screamed over the noise. “Stay away from all the moving parts. As soon as I dislodge it, everything will start moving instantly… so don’t let it catch your clothes or anything.”
“Okay,” I screamed back, feeling the pounding of my heart was competing with the squealing and the screeching of the cogwheels.
I noticed Nari had also come back inside. She stood pressing her body against the wall, her wide-open eyes fixed on our progression. I didn’t protest.
Today is only a rehearsal… it doesn’t matter if she sees or not. It might even be good…
Chul took a plank leaning against the sidewall and went over to the large opening where the waterwheel was fighting its one-sided battle against the log. He carefully positioned the plank and started pressing. The water swirled around the log, and the waterwheel squealed to get loose. But it didn’t move an inch. Chul put more and more force into it, pushing the plank with the entire weight of his body in complete disregard for his own safety.
If the log gets dislodged now, he will lose his balance and fall in… could this be over already today?
“Come and hold my waist,” Chul yelled at me over his shoulder. “I need to push harder… you need to help me keep my balance.”
“Okay!”
I took a couple of reluctant steps over to him and, with disgust, put my hands on his waist.
“Hold on tight,” he yelled.
I felt his body tensing as he applied every ounce of force into pushing the plank against the log. When he didn’t have enough strength left in his arms he put the plank directly against his chest and pushed back with his legs. The log was finally giving way… slowly… slowly.
If I just let him go he will fall and it will all be over…
My heart raced furiously as the deafening squealing of the struggling waterwheel painfully pierced through my eardrums. My whole body was drenched in sweat.
Is this it? Can I really do it? Nobody will suspect this wasn’t an accident… not even Nari…
Chul screamed and I felt his body moving forward. I grabbed his waist harder. There was a deep guttural sound - like the whole building was struggling to get rid of the unwanted intruder holding up the waterwheel - and the machinery came jolting to a start, taking in the plank Chul was holding with it and smashing it to bits with merciless and uninhibited force. The entire building came back to life. The waterwheel and the cogwheels spun like they were making up for all the time they had lost. Chul was losing his balance and was inches from falling into the waterwheel to meet the same fate as the disintegrated plank… but I was still holding his waist.
Come on Areum… let go… ev
erybody will believe it was an accident… just like you planned!
Just as I started releasing my grip, my body was pulled backward, and both me and Chul fell to the ground. I screamed, but it was drowned out by the raging waterwheel beside us.
What happened? I was so close…
I turned my head and saw a panting Nari lying next to me. I gaped at her, dumbstruck.
“Oh, thank the Great General,” she cried. “I thought you were both going to fall in and… and get crushed,” tears dripped from her chin onto the colorless dirt that had taken possession of her once colorful shirt from back home.
Chul panted on the ground for a moment, then sat up and looked at us.
“That was a close one,” he gave a twitching smile. “Thank you, Nari… I started to think that Areum wouldn’t be able to hold on to me,” his voice trembled.
“I’m just glad you’re alright,” Nari said, looking at me.
“Thanks, Nari… you saved us,” I panted. “And thanks for fixing the waterwheel, Chul… now I know where to go if this happens again.”
Nari threw me a suspicious look but didn’t say anything.
“Hopefully not too soon, though,” he laughed nervously as he stood up on shaky legs. After he had helped Nari up as well, he brushed off the dust from his uniform and started walking toward the exit, carefully avoiding all the potentially lethal rotating machinery all around him. When he came to the door, he turned around to us.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Nari?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you.”
He gave me a searching look but then opened the door without saying anything else, and we followed him outside. Once back under the blinding sun, he looked at me again.
“Maybe next time… er… you should keep Do Hun here,” he said insecurely. “I mean… now that you’re a leader, Areum… you have to learn to use the right people for the right job, and… I don’t think it was the best move to send Do Hun to do inventory. It’s… just an advice for the future.”
The Weeping Masses: A Young Adult Dystopian Survival Saga (Juche - Part 3) Page 41
