Lines Crossed - Volume 1 Chapter 38 The Song To You
“Why did I agree to live with someone as picky as you again?” he groaned.
I chuckled in good humor as I set up the machine.
“My impossible charm.”
“You’re impossible, alright.” Jaemin retorted.
“Because, you didn’t want me to live all alone in this big house on a hill, it’s your overwhelming caring nature. It shines through.”
“More like you didn’t want to live alone, and that’s why you collect random human beings.” Jae snorted and unloaded.
“They aren’t random and don’t make it sound like I am some serial killer, I simply procured a few brothers.”
Jaemin looked up at me and smiled fondly. Many words were never really spoken between the two of us, but one of the most prominent ones was that of course we would never be without each other through thick and thin, we were family after all.
“Hyung! You guys are home.” Changwook interrupted as he burst into the kitchen and threw his body down onto one barstool. I didn’t even bother to look up and continued to rummage around in the fridge to see what I could make for dinner.
“What have you been doing all day?” I asked as I grabbed some ingredients out for japchae and rice cakes and pulled out the leftover kimchi Kang Jaemin’s mother had made for us and placed in the fridge last week. I grinned at how close to empty the container was, knowing that she would stop by in the next few days and just like magic all the side dishes would be replaced for her three boys.
“Are you going to remove the ingredients from the fridge or climb in there yourself?” Jaemin retorted sarcastically.
“I dunno I am thinking about seeing what it’s like inside.” I stated cheekily.
“Hyung, like Narnia!” Changwook smiled, his face animated excitedly.
“That was a wardrobe you idiot.” Jaemin laughed at him.
“Oh, It’s been a long time since I saw it.” Changwook said sweetly.
“That doesn’t really seem like your type of movie.” I retorted while closing the fridge. I dropped the items gently on the counter as the overflow of ingredients tumbled down as if eager to be made. I reached out and grabbed the pink and brown apron hanging on the side of the wall. I slid it over my deep blue turtleneck and then tied it tightly around my waist before moving to get out a pan. I plopped a big piece of Pork into the pan with a little bit of sesame oil and barbeque sauce the sound as the meat hit the pan, gave off a satisfying little gurgle that made us all lean a little closer as the first smells wafted through the air at our noses. It smelled heavenly, I sighed with delight turned the heat down to medium and put the lid on, before turning around to the pile of vegetables and getting to chopping.
“It isn’t really my type of movie the only reason I saw it” Changwook started.
“Was for a girl.” Jaemin and I both finished his sentence at the same time. We both looked up from what we were doing to stare at his innocent face.
Changwook blinked back at us.
“Wow, how did you guys know?” I didn’t even know you when I went to it. I was only a kid.
I laughed,
“Didn’t that movie come out when you were like five? Weren’t you a little young to be going to movies, alone With girls?” Jaemin scoffed and handed me the garlic.
We caught the rerun a few years later; I think we were like eight or nine when we snuck in. It was a terrible first date; she took the candy I had saved all my money for; you know what I didn’t even get a kiss on the cheek out of it. Hold on, I think I was totally played for my candy, wasn’t I?” He whined realizing.
I chuckled. “How you feeling there Casanova? Need a hug?” I paused the chopping and pointed the knife down into the chopping block.
Jaemin shook his head then bent back down to continue unloading, his soft chuckle floated through the appliance and echoed back out into the room.
“You may be older, but you haven’t changed at all from the kid I pulled off the streets.” I said then stopped what I was doing, reached over, and ruffled his hair.
“Yah, take that back. I have so! I am nothing like that kid.” Changwook snapped, his pudgy innocent face crumpling into a pouty little frown.
“I meant it as a good thing. I like the kid I pulled off the streets, that kid is my favorite little brother.” I said looking at him fondly.
He stopped, and his eyes grew misty and his ears turned a shade darker of a red. His face turned embarrassed and he looked around quickly as if searching for an out from the awkward conversation.
“Your eyes are getting misty Wookah.” Jaemin stated teasingly.
“I am upset because I haven’t seen my Destiny all day.” He lied, I smiled and pretended to believe him.
“Destiny!” Changwook yelled loudly at the three-year-old black and white cat. She had walked into the room and jumped up on the couch minding her own business, only to be pounced on a moment later by a full-grown human being.
‘Poor thing, Changwook’s using her as a crutch to hide his feelings again.’ I watched him shuffle over to the couch and plop down then shove his face into the poor things stomach fur.
‘Adorable’
“Hey, Wookah?” I called.
“Yeah, Hyung?” Changwook answered cautiously.
“Never change I like you this way.” I walked towards the couch leaning forward.
“Ahh, hyung find a girl, don’t just go about confessing like that!” Changwook squealed, while clutching the poor confused kitty and then ran away from my outstretched arms as if they were diseased.
I laughed.
“He’s right though, you need a girlfriend.” Jaemin called from the kitchen.
“Oh, be quiet.” I snapped back playfully.
“The pork is going to burn,” he called back.
“Coming.” I walked back into the kitchen my earlier problems not forgotten, just set aside to enjoy an evening with my brothers.
***
“Mom, mom, no please” I cried out.
“My dear baby, goody baby
Slowly fall asleep now”
“Baby stars in the heaven also
Fall asleep in their moms’ bosoms”
“Happy baby, fall asleep tight..”
Her warm voice struggled around the words. Each one a battle she whispered with all her might.
I cried into her sleeve.
“It’s okay, baby. I love you.” she choked out. I slipped my tiny hand into her own and she closed her eyes.
The warmth from her hand seeped into my own but her hand was tired without any strength in it.
“Wake up, momma, please wake up, momma momma”
Momma I wailed, but it was no use the rescue men still came and pulled her hand out and took her away.
All that was left was her fading warmth in the tips of my little fingers.
The world around me became hazy and I was holding the picture of my beautiful mother. People floated around me but none of them were faces that mattered.
Straight through that haze cut the soft melodic tinkling of piano keys, a gentle song, that poured out reaching for me, holding out a helping hand to save me from my tearful drowning.
And with it the soft gentle words I knew in the deepest parts of my soul, poured forth, giving me strength. I clung to each word. My mother’s voice lent me her strength.
When mama, to island beach, goes to pick oyster
When mama, to island beach, goes to pick oysters.
Baby left all to himself, keeps their dwelling alone
My hoarse voice sang along, the words, but I was just a child, the strength wasn’t there but it melted together and slowly The voice shifted by the third verse; the voice became slightly deeper, more golden, by the time the final verse fell from my lips my eyes fluttered open.
I reached my arm up and wiped the tears from my eyes in the darkness.
“I fell asleep while working again.” I sighed.
“It’s been a really long time since you had such a strong one Hyung” Changwook hesitated. I could hear his foot tapping on the floor anxiously.
“Wookah I found my way out of it, thanks to you.”
“Ah it was nothing I barely played at all.” he said gently. I listened, clenching my eyes closed on the last tears.
My heart slowed.
‘You’re safe.’
His foot still tapped the ground. I looked at the glowing clock and the deep darkness in the room and knew he was lying. I had been stuck in my own night terror longer than last time.
“You’re a bad liar Wookie. But thank you. I will call Dad tomorrow and tell him.”
The tapping stopped and I heard Changwook heave a huge sigh he must have been holding inside him. He was so sensitive to other’s pain, which was probably why he had agreed to this three years ago, because he was such a delicate soul his insides must have been knotted the entire time.
I stood up and walked up to the piano, the soft light from the large windows pooled around Changwook and I saw his hands clasped together tightly. His hair was disheveled, his neck covered in sweat and the way he held his hands told me they were probably cramping hard. He must have been playing frantically hoping to get through to me. I stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. The tip of my slipper shoved something and I glanced down quickly.
Changwook’s phone lay in pieces on the floor.
“That’s great Hyung I I am wo.”
“Tomorrow I promise I will tell him everything” I interrupted.
“You should get some sleep I know I am so tired I will sleep hard. Goodnight Changwook.” I said rubbing his shoulder then walking past him.
I clicked the door to my room behind me then sunk to the floor and then let the shaking start, the impossible to stop shaking that started in my heart and poured through my body, at the gripping fear, terror, and loss that gripped my heart tightly in its fingers.
I knew from experience despite what I had told Changwook.
it was going to be a very, very long night and that was when everything was normal.
Now
Now they were stronger.
I had noticed their increase in potency ever since.
Since that night on that hill when I had almost died.