My Moon – Part 3

 

By the time of the late summer festival of the neighbourhood called “Summer comes to an end, but it doesn't mean you have to suffer from the bends” --What a pretty long name, you're right-- I had started to feel better, though Jaejoong was still a little weak. Jaejoong went for some walks, but without once going near the river. One evening, I decided that we must solve this mental anguish. Just as the night was falling, I walked there with Jaejoong. The lantern light led the way. We crossed a field, or maybe two... and we took a small path along the nothern side of the river. There were rocks creaking under our feet and the moon was full, lightening the scenery like it used to be. A pleasant sent of roses rose up in every direction as I picked up a flower to put it on my lover's hair. We finally sat on an abandonned bench. At our right, there was the place from our last 'river-meeting' and, we could see, in front of us, the opposite bank covered by a wild and magnificient nature. Slowly, as the night darkened,we felt a breeze beginning to blow away our worries.

“After all, this is a pretty nice date'' said my Jae. “But wouldn't it be better if there was some wine with us ?”

My lantern had come to an end and so Jaejoong began to fall on his thoughs. We left the place and went home, Jaejoong was still thinking of the shock he has received on our last river-meeting. I hold his hand all the way back. I bet it wasn't the only thing I could do for him, but it was the only thing I could think of at this moment. To tell you the truth, I was quite insecure too.

 

It was pretty casual to adopt sons and daughters at this time. I had a adopted sister named Wangwu and she was in good terms with Jaejoong. Wangwu was a simple girl who loved to dance. She used to say that dancing is an art that nobody must underestimate. Every time she went to my little house, Wangwu ran into Jaejoong whitout wondering why he was always there. One day, she asked us to go with her to watch an opera. My sister had never been superstitious so she decided to see the performance called The sad ending. At the interval, I turned to face my lover and I could see, that he was deeply moved.

But after, while the performance was going on, I saw Wangwu get up and run out. After a long time, I understand she would not return here. I went to look for him with Jaejoong following me. We found my sister sitting beside our front door.

« Wangwu, are you upset about something ? » I asked her.

But she didn't answer, only glancing at Jaejoong with wet eyes. He, then, answered to me with a serious tone. « An opera is supposed to be entertaining. But I guess.... Today must be very heartbreaking. »

I told myself to understand what a very emotional person she was but I premuse I had to understand in what emotional state Jaejoong was too. I saw nothing.

I didn't have time to answer corretly to comfort her because she quickly said to me

« I won't sit here by myself all day, when there's something funnier, I'll go back. »

But this play is tragic and we knew that the end is not going to be amusing. I went into the house as soon as I saw the kindly gaze of my lover. I knew he would talk to her, I knew that I had to let them alone for some time. But what I didn't expect was that after some waiting time I returned and I saw Wangwu cheering up Jaejoong. He was singing one of his poem. His voice.... I can't express what it felt like. But I guess, I can write that it was more than beautiful.

 

Wangwu he ard of a place on the mountain and she asked us to go with her. In fact, we were the only way for her to go there. It was prohibited to go without a man and she wasn't married yet.

That day, Jaejoong was looking at the delicate light green leaves when he suddenly went near a gracious red rose. All aroud the rose, others pink flowers seemed to be in competion over which could win against the red one. My sister always had been that kind of people to pick a flower without wondering if she had a vase to put it in. I scolded her ;

«Why are you picking this pretty flower ? You have no vase to put it in, and you're not going to hold it all the way down, I know you ! »

She quickly reacted « What is the harm ? Is the flower going to cry ? Are you going to cry because of it ? »

« Wangwu ! You are going to marry the worst man of the country. »

She looked at me maliciously, then told me « No. I'm going to marry Jaejoong. Are you going to cry ? »

She angrily threw the rose on the ground and step on it with her small feet. I was only joking but she said that she is going to marry Jaejoong... What is this ?

We rapidly came back home, someone could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

 

That evening, I cooked for Jaejoong. I might not be the best but I wanted to please him. He liked to eat very spicy food so I prepared a spicy bean curd with vegetables and some meat. Bean curd is the thing I had hated all my life, I couldn't believe how he could eat it. I asked him :

« Do you really have a tongue ? Because I can't believe you like it that much.. »

« It's cheap, I've eaten it since I was a child and I guess your cooking skills are not that bad. As I am now eating a lot with you... I don't like that kind of 'white' meat but I still eat it because you like it. I would never ask you to eat dung, because I guess it's disgusting and it might not be good at all ! But if only you could eat some bean curd...I'm certain you would realize how good it is. »

He put the food nearer my mouth after grabbing me to come by his side.

« Are you looking at me this way because you really want me to try it ? Okay, but a smaller piece. »

He quicly picked up a small piece of bean curd with his chopsticks and forced it into my mouth. I chewed and I can still remember the awful taste. I continued to chew it to satisfy him but to my suprise the horrible taste became stronger and stronger. I held my nose and swallow it while doing a grimace. He laughed. He laughed loudly.

 

Jaejoong valued shabby and old books. I bet he could dedicate all his life to books. He liked to seperate them all into sections by topic. He called the place where all of his books were cleanly put 'The hopeful area'. He also liked tattered paintings, when he found a painting that had been ruined, he would ask me to restore it with him. The name of his collection was 'Junked delights'. Jae would work in these for the whole day without becoming tired. If he came across something that he believed was special, he would act like he had found the rarest item of the whole world.

 

Jae understood what my eyes said. He did everyting according to my expression and everything I did I know he wished it.

« We could travel the world together... »

He answered to me with a drab voice. « But must I be a woman or a man ? We could propably go together but not far. You'll still need to marry a younger woman. »

« Then if we can't be together for all our life, I hope we are going to be in a real relationship in the next. That would be nice if we could still remember this life. »

He came closer to me with a small smile. « If in the next life, we can still remember the past, I guess I would not be able to be far away from you.. »

That night, we asked the moon to protect us and to let us meet in our next life. 

Here was another small part of the story. Thank you for the comments ! Every one makes me happy. I hope to see new ones as the time goes by. Yeah~ 

-Jul'