by K T Durham
Grandma cleared her throat. “Well. Where are you from? What are doing here by yourself?”
“She said she’s lost, Grandma!” Jong-Min interrupted. “Can’t we help her out, maybe let her stay here for the night?”
Grandma shook her head. “Don’t be preposterous,” she muttered. “We can’t just invite a complete stranger into our home. We should call the police to help locate her parents.”
“But she’s not a stranger!” Jong-Min burst out. “I know her! I’ve seen her before!”
Grandma looked at him in surprise. Elly gaped at him, shocked. “This is your friend?” the old woman asked dubiously, her eyes darting to the girl, who looked as taken aback as she felt.
He gulped and shifted on his feet. “Well, ermm, not exactly a friend. But I’ve m-met her before …” He could not very well tell his grandmother that he had been seeing this girl in his dreams, could he? She would think that there was something wrong with his head.
“I’ve met her before,” he insisted again, thinking that it wasn’t exactly untrue. He had met her in his dreams, after all.
Grandma frowned. “Where did you meet her?” she asked sternly.
Jong-Min clutched her arm. “Trust me, Grandma. I know her. I’ve … I’ve seen her around. She’s not a bad person. Please, let’s help her out?” he implored.
Elly stood up straight. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but if this boy with the mushroom haircut somehow knew her, then it must be the Guardian’s doing. She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I’m here in Seoul by myself, Grandma. My parents are not in town with me. I have to look for somebody. But it’s so late, and I’m really cold and tired. Please may I stay here to rest tonight? I could sleep on the floor, just anywhere to get out of this freezing cold.” If the Guardian needed her to be here with these people, she would have to find out what it was that needed to be done. She must, in order to locate the Guardian’s exact whereabouts.
The old woman frowned at the girl. Why was she here alone without her parents? She looked young, perhaps in her early teens. But it was hard to tell with these foreign types.
Then something occurred to her. Could this girl have been adopted? Perhaps she was looking for her lost birth parents in Seoul against the wishes of her adoptive family? She looked foreign, what with her brilliant green eyes and everything, but her hair was as black as night, and as curly as the instant ramyun she often ate. It was possible that one of her birth parents was foreign, and the other was Korean.
The old woman became a little excited despite herself. She didn’t like to admit it, but she herself indulged in many TV soap operas when she wasn’t making and selling dduk on the street or off visiting Jong-Min. Her perspective on life has been a bit addled by sappy melodramas featuring orphans nursing a burning yet ambivalent desire to track down their long-lost birth parents …
Jong-Min tugged on her arm. “Please, please, Grandma, let her stay for the night,” he pleaded. “Otherwise she might freeze out here and die, and it would be our fault!”
Suddenly, Grandma swayed and stumbled. Elly gasped and reached out a hand to steady her. “Are you all right?” she asked in alarm as she stared into the old woman’s sagging, pale face.
Grandma tried to steady herself as she leaned against Elly. “Please kindly help me get into the house. I’m afraid I might be too heavy for my little grandson here. He’s only seven,” she said weakly, her hand trembling as she retrieved her keys from her purse. Elly nodded and gently put an arm around her bony shoulders, noticing how frail the old woman was. And as she grasped the old woman’s cold, wrinkled hand, she sensed it, like a knife cutting into her skin.
Grandpapa had recently alerted her to this elven ability of which she was previously unaware – that if she came into close physical contact with a human, she might be able to get a glimpse into their emotional and physical state, raw and uncensored. “It’s like you’re peeking in through the window when nobody else can,” he had said. She had never known what it felt like to have this special sense, until now.
And Elly sensed that this old woman was physically ill. Very ill.
CHAPTER NINE
A Street Cart Named Desire
By the time they got into the house, Grandma was close to collapsing. Elly managed to help the old woman into her tiny bedroom, where she practically fell onto the plumy futon-mattress on the floor. Elly gently took off Grandma’s tattered black shoes, tucked the pillow underneath her greying head, and covered her in the thick floral quilt.
The house was very small, but it was cosy and warm. It wasn’t drafty here like it was in the Cobbles’ house. As she sat kneeling next to the old woman, she realized that her legs felt warm. Was there heating underneath the floor? She smiled as she pressed her palms against the warm wooden floor. If only all homes in cold places were heated like this …
Jong-Min hovered beside Elly as she tucked the quilt snugly around his grandmother. She looked like a caterpillar. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked worriedly, kneeling down and taking his grandma’s small hand. He frowned. “Her hands are so cold! Has she got the flu or something? Does she need medicine?”
Elly bit her lip, feeling helpless. She had no idea what to do. Desperately, she looked around the room to see how she might help the old woman.
There was a whisper. Grandma’s voice was barely audible. Elly leaned over, inches from the old woman’s face. “What can I do for you?” she asked in a low voice.
“My pills. In my purse. Get water,” the old woman croaked, her breath shallow.
There was a jug of water and an empty glass on a small table next to the narrow wooden dresser. Jong-Min rummaged through his grandmother’s fraying brown handbag and retrieved two small plastic bottles. He squinted at the label, not understanding what the medical terms meant. “There are two bottles, Grandma. Which one do you need?”
“Both. Get one from each,” came the whispered response. “Let her do it, my boy.”
Jong-Min watched as Elly took one pill from each bottle and handed the glass of water to Grandma, who sat up with great effort and downed the pills with several gulps of water, grimacing throughout. After several minutes her features relaxed, and she was breathing a little more evenly again. She sighed and rolled onto her side, then looked up at her grandson and the strange girl whose large green eyes reminded her of jade.
“Thank you,” she said to Elly, who nodded and smiled. Jong-Min fidgeted. “Grandma, do you have the flu? Do you need to see a doctor?” he demanded.
The old woman patted his hand; his was white and smooth as ivory, hers was wrinkled and spotted like worn leather. “Don’t worry, dear boy. I’ve already seen the doctors. They’ve given me all the medicine I need.” She coughed a little. “Jong-Min, please go to the cupboard by the kitchen and get Elly the spare bedding. Prepare it for her and then get something to eat in the kitchen. I’m afraid I’m not well enough to make you supper.”
His eyes lit up. “Oh, Grandma, thank you for letting her stay! Don’t worry. I’ll prepare something to eat. I know it’s late, but I’m hungry!” He jumped up and ran out of the room. “I’ll let you know when supper’s ready!” he called, feeling important and grown-up.
The old woman now fixed her eyes on Elly, whose face grew warm under the scrutiny. “How curious,” the old woman said softly. “I don’t know you. By all accounts, I shouldn’t be inviting you into our house, since you are a stranger. But my grandson is not a liar. For some reason, he is certain he’s met you before. And I can’t explain it, but … I trust you. I sense you are a good person.” She coughed and then paused to sip some water. “I don’t know what has brought you all the way to Korea, but I do believe you are telling the truth when you say you’re looking for somebody important. I will not press you for the details.”
Elly was momentarily stunned by the old woman’s sharp understanding and bowed her head.
“Thank you for letting me stay here tonight. I’m truly grateful.”
The old woman narrowed her eyes curiously. “You’re not, umm, adopted, are you?”
Elly blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I mean … you haven’t come to Korea to look for your birth parents or something?”
Elly stared at her, then pursed her lips to stop herself from bursting out laughing. “Umm, no. I’m certainly not adopted. I have parents and a younger brother back home. And I really, really miss them. But I need to get something done in Korea, so here I am.”
The old woman chuckled, amused that she had entertained such a far-fetched idea. “Well, now that that’s cleared up, make yourself comfortable here tonight, child. My grandson only has me now, poor thing. Very soon, he won’t have anybody.” To Elly’s surprise, the old woman began to cry quietly. Elly felt awkward as she sat there, not knowing what to say.
The old woman sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not worried that you might turn out to be a thief and run away with my things, unless you are dim enough to think you can sell any of it for good money.” Elly smiled. Grandma continued, “I take comfort in the fact that for now, Jong-Min is not stuck alone in the house worrying about me. Please help me keep an eye on him tonight while I regain my strength.” She winced as she thought about her own son. She could not believe that he and that awful wife of his wanted to send Jong-Min away to an orphanage. There were many people in the world who would go to great lengths to have a baby, and yet her son was ready to give away his own child just because that woman didn’t want him in the way. It was monstrous, unconscionable.
Elly nodded. “I’m so sorry for whatever you are going through. Yes, I’m here to look for somebody very important. I think … if you let me stay here for a bit, I might just succeed. I don’t know anyone here in Seoul.”
The old woman closed her eyes and nodded faintly, exhausted. “Stay here tonight and help me keep an eye on my grandson then. I would be most grateful. I will see you bright and early in the morning …” Her voice trailed off. The medication was kicking in, making her drowsy. The next moment, she was already fast asleep, snoring gently. Elly slipped out of the bedroom without making a sound.
Out in the tiny living room, where the lone bulb in the ceiling offered dim lighting, Elly saw that Jong-Min had laid out two futon mattresses that dominated the room. The small, old-fashioned TV was running on low volume. He grinned and put a finger to his lips. “Grandma is a really light sleeper,” he whispered, beckoning her over. Next to him was a low wooden table, on which he had laid out several small dishes of food. Elly had no idea that a typical Korean meal came with seven or eight separate side dishes prior to the main meal. In this case, there were no main dishes as such, only side dishes, but this was the best that Jong-Min could scrub up without his grandmother’s input.
He beamed. “I found some kimchi, bean sprouts, spinach, potato, anchovies, and some leftover sardines in the fridge,” he said proudly, pointing to each dish. “There’s also some dduk here. Grandma makes the best dduk. It’s too bad there’s no more ddukbokki left. I hope Grandma will be well enough to cook tomorrow. She’s the best cook in the world!”
Elly peered at the dishes. The food smelled and looked very different from what she ate back in London. The kimchi gave off a very strong but not unpleasant aroma. It looked like some sort of cooked cabbage, but why was it so red? She cringed at the sight of the anchovies and sardines with the tiny bones exposed. In her coat pocket, Marlow squirmed with hunger. “I’m sorry, but do you have any bread?” she asked Jong-Min.
He nodded. “I think there’s some bread left over here,” he said, retrieving a plastic bag from the kitchen counter and handing it over.
“Thank you. I just have a sudden craving for bread … I’ll eat it with the food,” Elly said quickly. She caught another whiff of the sardines and anchovies and swallowed hard.
Jong-Min giggled at her expression. “Haven’t you eaten Korean food before?” he asked. When Elly shook her head, he laughed and clapped his hands. “Then you better try! Kimchi is very good for you! It can stave off disease and help us live a long and healthy life. That’s what all the ahjumma like to tell me when they pile kimchi onto my plate.” Then he paused, turned slightly, and carefully took out something from behind his back.
It was a big Santa Claus candle, the wax slowly dripping down his pointy red hat as the flame danced about. Surprised, Elly broke into a smile.
“Merry Christmas,” Jong-Min said shyly, clutching the candle with both hands as though at a candlelight vigil. “Grandma gave this to me for Christmas.” He was a little sad that he’d missed out on meeting Santa and getting a nice present. Perhaps he might have gotten the Bumble Bee this time. Oh, well. At least he didn’t have to spend Christmas with his father and her, and he was so happy to stay with Grandma, his favourite person in the world. To top it off, meeting Elly more than made up for all the bad stuff that had happened that day. Looking at Elly, he felt like he had acquired a new best friend. Well, he didn’t really have any friends to speak of, so she was his first and only friend.
Elly sat down on the warm floor, tucking her legs beneath her in imitation of Jong-Min. “Merry Christmas to you, too,” she said softly, staring at the flickering flame. Then she looked at him curiously. “Jong-Min, have we … have we met before?”
He nodded vigorously, the dancing flame of the candle reflected in his small, dark eyes. “Yes! I’m certain of it. I recognized you the moment I saw you!” He blushed and realized what he was about to disclose sounded totally bizarre. Would she think he had a crush on her? He scowled at the thought. He had never liked playing with the girls in his class. Elly was probably the first girl he didn’t find repulsive.
But then again, she was quite different from those other girls at school. She was older, and there was something outlandish, something magical about her, especially those strange green eyes that seemed to sparkle like Christmas lights. And there was something weird about the way she spoke Korean. Her pronunciation was perfect, but she spoke it as though she was trying it out for the first time.
Elly’s eyes widened as Jong-Min stumbled along in his explanation. “You’ve been dreaming of me?” she asked incredulously. The girl with the short black hair and green eyes flashed across her mind, and once again she felt that inexplicable sense of loss.
Jong-Min nodded. “Yes, and I don’t know why. I’ve been seeing you in my dreams every night for the past two months. In the dreams, you just sort of stand there and look at me. So after having seen your face over and over again, it’s no wonder that I easily recognized you straight away.” He grinned. “Don’t you see? It’s magical!” he said in a loud whisper. “Somebody’s been sending me those dreams so that I would recognize you!”
Elly’s head swirled as she sat pondering what Jong-Min was saying. The Guardian had led her to this place, the house of Jong-Min’s grandmother. Jong-Min had been seeing her in his dreams for the past two months. Surely, it could not be a coincidence. But why? What did this all mean?
Then a thought occurred to her that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The dreams that Jong-Min had been having and the dreams that she used to have of that mysterious girl … were they somehow connected? Could it be the Guardian’s doing? But why would the Guardian send her dreams about the girl, only to stop so abruptly? For some reason, the Guardian needed her to be here with Jong-Min. This was her pit stop. But why?
The truth will reveal itself in due time, Ellanor. We must be patient.
Elly bit her lip. Greymore, how can you expect me to stay calm when so much is at stake? I’m tasked with restoring the orbs, but the Guardians sure are taking their time in helping us!
Jong-Min finally put the candle down on the table and rubbed his hands together. He could smell the crunchy cuttlefish from the other side of the room where he had left his backpack, and his mout
h started watering. He looked at Elly. “So, I wanted to ask you … Where are you from? What are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. “Are you … are you some sort of fairy?”
Elly smiled. He seemed like such a sweet boy, and it broke her heart that he was oblivious of how sick his grandmother was. “I’m definitely not a fairy,” she said smoothly, and his face fell a notch. “I came all the way here from London, England. I’m here to look for somebody very important who could, umm, help my family. But I need to do some … investigative work. So I probably need to stay here a little while to figure out some things.”
He frowned and imitated the detectives that he saw on TV; they would often crease their forehead and prop their chin up with their thumb and index finger. “Who is this person you need to find?” he demanded in a serious tone, adopting a deeper voice.
Elly resisted the urge to chuckle. Jong-Min reminded her of her little brother. Oh, how she missed Luca! “The person that I’m looking for will make contact when they’re ready to see me. But for now, I need to stay put and wait. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.”
Jong-Min nodded. He didn’t really understand everything she was saying. But then again, she was a teenager, so she was probably doing way cooler, more grown-up things than he had ever done. He couldn’t wait to be a teenager and start earning money and fly away with Grandma on a jet plane. He grinned at Elly. “Well, you and I are connected now! I can be like your sidekick for as long as you’re here with us!” He paused and scowled. “Well, for a week while school’s out for the Christmas holidays, anyway.”
She burst out laughing, and he started laughing, too. She said a silent prayer of thanks to Freya for leading her to this sweet boy and his grandmother. “Let’s eat up this food,” she said cheerfully, shifting closer to the small wooden table. There were two pairs of silver metal chopsticks, and she picked up a pair with a smile, remembering how she had learned to use chopsticks at Lily’s Chinese New Year reunion dinner last year.
