When The Moon Draws Close

 

The time has come when the moon is above us again. Excited, we grab the ladder from the shed, then take a small boat and row to the middle of the ocean. As we row closer, the ocean begins to change. The light from the moon begins to spill its ink into the water, making it shine like silver. The fish come up to the surface, so do the squids and the turtles, they watch, just like we do, in awe as the moon sinks closer and closer to earth. Bright light begins to glow around us.

 

I reach for an oar, deciding that I should help bring us closer. We come upon huge rolling waves as the moon is finally within grasp. The boat rocks back and forth unsteadily, we spin as we try to navigate our way out of the waves.

 

Everything goes still when we are finally beneath the moon.

 

«Quickly,» Wheein whispers, «hand me the ladder.» 

 

I do as I am told and hoist the ladder above my head and hand it to her. Wheein places the ladder upright in the boat, right beneath the glistening moon. Hyejin and I steady the ladder so it won’t fall over. With a backpack slung over her shoulder, a knife in her hand and the other hand on the ladder, Wheein begins to climb.

 

Out of the three of us, Wheein is the better climber, the quickest one, too. Hyejin is the most careful one, always looking where her feet are before taking another step. I am the slowest, taking the most time to climb and to walk the crust of the moon.

 

Now, you might wonder what we’re doing on the moon. Let me explain: The moon is made of gems. I mean, why do you think it glows? Nothing happens without a reason. The sun’s made of fire, which is why it burns. The stars are a different matter as they both burn and glow. Sometimes the stars’ll fall from the sky, and if you’re lucky, you can pick the gems off the fallen stars. But the moon’s different.

 

Every thirty days, the moon comes down to touch the water, and that’s when Wheein, Hyejin and I take a boat, row out into the middle of the ocean at night, and harvest those gems. We work quickly, knowing it’ll be gone by daylight.

 

Hyejin is the next one to harvest gems. She uses more time than Wheein, but comes back with a full bag. Then it’s my turn.

 

«Be quick.» Wheein tells me, holding onto the ladder. «Don’t get too carried away.» She warns.

 

I nod, grabbing a backpack and a knife. Then I begin to climb.

 

It’s a weird feeling: Leaving earth, that is. It’s as if there’s something holding onto me, keeping me rooted, and then suddenly, when I’ve reached the middle of the ladder, there’s nothing holding onto me. It’s as if I’m floating, I can barely keep my feet on the ladder.

 

I take another step, and then it’s as if someone’s holding onto my shoulders, pulling me closer and closer towards the moon. When I feel like I’m being dragged downwards, I let go of the ladder. I swing forwards, my legs in the air, my backpack flying around me, and then suddenly my feet are on the ground again. I look up and see Wheein and Hyejin above me, or maybe I’m above them now?

 

Smiling, I wave at them, letting them know I’ve landed safely. I place the backpack on the ground and begin to dig out the gems on the surface. They’re tiny little things, no bigger than a coin, but no smaller than a bead. I make my way around the back of the moon, where the shadows loom. I sit down again and continue hauling gems into the backpack.

 

Knowing that the moon is about to pull away from the ocean, I stand and make my way towards the ladder again. It is then that I see a frightening figure in front of me. It is so human-like but also unlike any human which makes me fear it. There are gems protruding from their face, making their skin glow like ice, even their lips seem to be carved gems.

 

They look at me, and I look at them. When they blink, so does the entire moon, and suddenly it’s dark. The ground begins to rumble, making me stumble. I grab onto a rock as the wind tries to blow me away.

 

 

The moon is no longer touching the ocean, and I realise that I am drifting further and further away from home. I turn to look at the figure behind me.

 

«Who are you?» I ask, not meaning to sound as angry as I perhaps might sound. I am only afraid because I am lost. «What is your purpose?»

 

«I am a traveller.» Says the figure. «My name, if you cared to ask, is Moonbyul.»

 

«And how long have you been a traveller for, Moonbyul?» I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulder, the knife I hold tightly in my hand.

 

«For far too long, I suspect.» Moonbyul says and touches her jaw.

 

It is then that I notice her hand is made from carved gemstone as well. Glinting and glistening just like the moon itself.

 

Moonbyul smiles. «I wasn’t always like this.» She says, though she sounds sad. «You can put away the knife. I will not hurt you.»

 

«And where are you from?» I ask.

 

«You would not believe me if I told you, people rarely do.» Moonbyul shrugs and turns from me.

 

I follow her, though I do not know where she is going, or where she’s taking me. Soon we’re back where we were.

 

«Why are you taking us in circles?» I ask, huffing.

 

The backpack falls from my shoulder and I slump onto the ground, pulling my legs to my chest.

 

«You didn’t have to follow me.» Moonbyul says, rolling her eyes at me.

 

«Where are you from again?» I ask, quietly.

 

It is then that Moonybul turns to face me fully. She gestures to a spot beside me. «May I sit next to you?»

 

I nod, grabbing my backpack and placing it out of the way.

 

«I am from a very small planet that the moon also used to visit, just like it visits yours. I got on it with the idea that I’d travel the galaxy, see how many stars I could count and how many I could visit, but then the moon never took me home and here I am, still travelling.» Moonbyul says, wistfully. «I am not who I used to be.»

 

She holds up her hand, turning it over, and I see the gems carved into her hand.

 

«You can touch.» Moonbyul chuckles, then quickly adds, «but please do not cut them from me. I think that would only hurt.»

 

She is not cold like I expect her to be. She is not warm either. Her edges are softer than they look. I pull at the cuff of her shirt to see if her arm is also covered in gemstones.

 

«The rest of me is like this as well.» Moonbyul informs me with a smug grin. «Not very exciting.»

 

She turns to me, and it is then that I realise even her eyes are gemstones; small round orbs that reflect and shine and glow. She smiles at me again.

 

«So, what is your name?»

 

«It is Yongsun.» I whisper.

 

«And what do you do, Yongsun?»

 

«I am a woodcarver. I make things. Bowls. Cups. Spoons. That sort of stuff.» I explain, realising I sound quite boring. «It is a simple and honest way of living.» I say proudly.

 

«You must show me.» Moonbyul says eagerly. «Yongsun.» She announces suddenly.

 

«What?» I ask dumbly.

 

«Your name. I just wanted to say it.»

 

«Ah. Yes, I am Yongsun.»

 

«And I am Moonbyul.» She teases.

 

That is when I smack her shoulder, telling her she should behave, reminding her that I am the only company she has now and she would do well by not annoying me.

 

 

I am unsure of which day it is now. I do not know how long I have been on the moon with this mysterious traveller who has only announced to me that her name is Moonbyul and that after having stepped foot on the moon she has never been home since.

 

She has a peculiar ritual of waking up, taking a walk around the moon twice and then sitting down beside me. It is when she takes her walks that I notice the path is lit up beneath her. Her steps make the moon crust glow, just like I’ve seen it glow in the sky. Moonbyul helps me dig up gemstones occasionally, telling me which ones are the best ones, and which ones I should just get rid of.

 

When I tell her I am feeling hungry, she empties her backpack which she usually keeps hidden from me. Two thick books tumble onto the ground. Moonbyul carries them to another corner of the moon where a rock protrudes from the surface. She stacks the books on top of each other. From inside her jacket, she pulls out a flask.

 

Then she tells me to wait. And so I wait.

 

Above us is a ceiling of dark blue. The moon passes a party of rocks that float above us, then some stars that glow softly, and that is when Moonbyul reaches out her hand, holding out her flask. I watch as the silverlight of the stars pour into the flask, like a running river pouring into the sea. As the moon continues its journey, the silverlight continues to pour.

 

Satisfied, Moonbyul jumps down from the books and hands me the flask.

 

«Drink up.» She says and pats me on my shoulder.

 

I do as I am told. Surprised, I realise that the light from the stars is actually milk.

 

«Thank you.» I make sure to tell her, to let her know I appreciate her helping me. «I am not a very good traveller, I feel I am ill-prepared.»

 

Moonbyul says nothing at first, then she takes off her jacket and rolls up the sleeves of her shirt.

 

«I’ll show you how it’s done then, all the ins and outs of moon-travelling. The trick is to never steer off course, never leave the wheel.» She winks at me.

 

 

She shows me how she commandeers the moon, how she makes it sail across the sky, through the endless ocean of stars. I am not surprised when Moonbyul tells me she used to steer sailboats before she stepped onto the moon. Most of her childhood was spent trying to quench her thirst for adventure, apparently she would strike out before sunrise and be back in time for dinner. It is this ferocious curiosity in Moonbyul that stirs my passion for her.

 

She has this way of moving, drifting, that is like pure wild magic. It is an intimacy she shares with the moon I must admit that I am jealous of. She takes a step, and the moon and its pull is there to catch her. Her eyes shine like diamonds, her voice is soft when she tells me things. The more she talks, the more I listen. Her words fulfil me. Her eyes on me makes my skin burn. She smiles at me all the time now, and though I know it sounds silly of me to say that I feel like her smiles are only for me, I know they are because it is only the two of us on the moon.

 

«Will you stay on the moon forever, do you think?» I ask her.

 

«I have no plans.» Moonbyul says simply.

 

«You’re a traveller.» I tell her. «The moon only has one route.»

 

«And?»

 

«Isn’t there more you want to see?»

 

Moonbyul is quiet for a long while, and I sense I have said the wrong words.

 

«Would you like me to come back to earth?» She asks, «is that what you want?»

 

I nod slowly. «I like to believe that you would find happiness there.»

 

Moonbyul turns to me, takes my face in her hands. She looks deep into my eyes and tells me she cannot leave.

 

«The moon hasn’t always been like this, the way it is now.» Moonbyul confesses, sadly. «It doesn’t push and pull without reason. It doesn’t sink down to earth without me telling it to do so. I cannot leave, Yongsun. If I leave, then the moon drifts off course.»

 

I cover her gem-encrusted hands with my own and whisper: «And you are the reason it glows.»

 

She nods, content. «I am sorry that I cannot go with you.»

 

I shake my head and tell her, tearfully: «No, I am sorry that I cannot.»

 

 

A hand on my shoulder. I open my eyes to see Moonybul above me, and above her is the ocean.

 

«It is time for you to go.» Moonbyul announces. «The moon has sailed its course and I have brought you home.»

 

Wheein and Hyejin have rowed out in the middle of the ocean to greet me. I grab my backpack, which is full of gemstones, and begin to climb the ladder.

 

I am only halfway across when I look over my shoulder, only to find Moonbyul watching me. She takes a step forwards and begins to climb the ladder as well.

 

Suddenly, just like all the times I’ve climbed the ladder, I turn, spinning on my feet and now the ocean is no longer the ceiling, rather, the midnight sky and stars are my ceiling. I do not let go of the ladder. I turn my gaze upwards and find Moonbyul above me, now: whether I am normal and she is upside down, or I am upside down and she is normal, does not matter.

 

She reaches out and my cheek. She smiles, and tells me she’ll see me again in thirty days.

 

The moon drifts from the sea, and I drift closer to shore along with Wheein and Hyejin who look at me as if I am a stranger.

 

«Who was that?» Wheein asks.

 

Hyejin snickers and shakes her head. «Whoever it was, they had Yongsun entranced.»

 

Wheein giggles. «Well, who wouldn’t be entranced?» she comments, «didn’t you see? They had diamonds for eyes, and their hands were gemstones!»

 

They continue like this, all the while I stare at the moon that sails further and further away into darkness.

 

I am welcomed back by the village, and I go back to my task of woodcarving. I still search for them on lonely evenings; both the moon and Moonbyul. In their absence, my longing only grows, I patiently await their return.

 

In the faint light that sometimes spills across the blue night sky, I can distinguish the moon, or perhaps it is Moonbyul and her way of glowing? After all, she is the one who makes the moon glow, the moon, I’ve learned, cannot do much on its own. I search more eagerly when the night glows more like silver, I think, perhaps, I can see the outline of Moonbyul’s figure: The shape of her face, the slenderness of her fingers, and her eyes! oh her eyes! when the moon’s glow fades and returns quite suddenly, I can’t help but think it is Moonbyul blinking at me.

 

The wolves begin to howl then, when the moon shows itself in the sky, and I howl my longing with them…

 

 

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*

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Wheein and Hyejin break down the door to my room in the middle of the night. They’re both panting, trying to regain their breath. I look at them strangely, but before I can ask, they shout:

 

«The moon is back! The moon is back!»

 

I waste no time and jump out of bed, grab my backpack which is already packed, and the three of us run out of the house and down to the docks where a boat is waiting patiently in the water. Then we sail out to sea where the moon has just landed, and I see Moonbyul, standing on the moon crust smiling at me.