Charlotte
I've met a beautiful girl, very quiet, shy and small. She talked slowly with a shy smile in her eyes behind her silver framed fragile-looking glasses. I smiled when she talked. I said that I was glad to meet her. And I meant it. I smiled again inside. Her hair was short above her small ears and bright brown. She was wearing a dark green shirt which made her body look even smaller. When she smiled, she looked down then slightly closed her eyes and opened them slowly with a peaceful smile. She looked at my eyes and I smiled. She seemed to want to talk to me more. She tried to say something funny but she just quietly laughed to herself and looked at me with a baby boy's smile. I smiled a big smile and almost wanted to give her a hug.
One day I heard that she had left the town. I heard people talking about her. She left some dirty socks of hers that she had not washed for years and an old blue and yellow radio that did not work anymore. That was all that people remembered about her. And everyone started forgetting about her. Their life was already hectic itself and their personal issues captured their heart. The truth was that actually nobody was to blame. There was some curiosity over the leftovers. Why did she not take her dirty socks and the old radio? Why not anything else but thoes? But soon people naturally stopped questioning about those stupid dirty socks and the old radio, they had many other important things to talk about like their new cars, Mrs. Pager's new hat, the guy who peed in his pants at the village party last Sunday, or new paint colors and so on.
The place I met her was the public lady's room downtown. There was no toilet paper and she told me to grab some of hers. We went into the separated toilet booths to take care of our businesses and I felt extremely uncomfortable and nervous about the fact that I could hear pretty much everything quite well far from her booth. I didn't want to let her hear me and reveal the fact that I was pretty desperate to take care of this personal business. And I was well aware of the fact some unexpected farts could damage seriously too. At that moment, she started talking to me. I don't remember a single thing that we talked about there but I remember that she sounded calm and warm. So, now the real urgent problem was that I desperately did not want to wash hands with her after coming out of the booth at the same time. That would be the awkwardest situation ever. I waited a bit but she did not come out. I didn't want to seem to be taking care of another heavy business. I hurried to come out and she did too.
She washed her hands next to me. She smiled and I smiled back. She was going to leave, but she did not. She seemed to have something to tell me. She was staring at the empty corridor and moved her arms and hands awkwardly in the air as if she had had something to describe. I said my name and asked for a shake with my right hand. She said her name right away, smiling. I forgot right away. I told her to see each other again soon. She said something very quietly and I couldn't hear it. I left. And I did not have anybody after that to talk about that day or her with. I forgot about it too. And I heard about her leaving from other people after she had left.
I thought about her smiles, voice, the touch of her hand and the sunlight of that day. Then I pictured her dirty socks and the old radio. I badly wanted to ask her about the socks and the radio. But she was not there and nobody knew where she'd gone. Even if anybody had known though, I don't know if I would have gone to ask her about it. I forgot about it again. My life was truly hectic itself and to be honest, actually I really was not to blame. It was yesterday when I was traveling far from the town on the road, that I saw her in the field far from the road. She looked like a boy, running back and forth in the dried field to find something. Then I realized that I had to call her to ask about the socks and the radio. But I didn't want to let her know that I was traveling far from the town for some inappropriate reason or rather, with my sorrow on my back. She faded away in the dusty wind. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the pain in my heart. The sun was shining through the dusty wind. And I was still going.
Angel Hye-young Kim
One day I heard that she had left the town. I heard people talking about her. She left some dirty socks of hers that she had not washed for years and an old blue and yellow radio that did not work anymore. That was all that people remembered about her. And everyone started forgetting about her. Their life was already hectic itself and their personal issues captured their heart. The truth was that actually nobody was to blame. There was some curiosity over the leftovers. Why did she not take her dirty socks and the old radio? Why not anything else but thoes? But soon people naturally stopped questioning about those stupid dirty socks and the old radio, they had many other important things to talk about like their new cars, Mrs. Pager's new hat, the guy who peed in his pants at the village party last Sunday, or new paint colors and so on.
The place I met her was the public lady's room downtown. There was no toilet paper and she told me to grab some of hers. We went into the separated toilet booths to take care of our businesses and I felt extremely uncomfortable and nervous about the fact that I could hear pretty much everything quite well far from her booth. I didn't want to let her hear me and reveal the fact that I was pretty desperate to take care of this personal business. And I was well aware of the fact some unexpected farts could damage seriously too. At that moment, she started talking to me. I don't remember a single thing that we talked about there but I remember that she sounded calm and warm. So, now the real urgent problem was that I desperately did not want to wash hands with her after coming out of the booth at the same time. That would be the awkwardest situation ever. I waited a bit but she did not come out. I didn't want to seem to be taking care of another heavy business. I hurried to come out and she did too.
She washed her hands next to me. She smiled and I smiled back. She was going to leave, but she did not. She seemed to have something to tell me. She was staring at the empty corridor and moved her arms and hands awkwardly in the air as if she had had something to describe. I said my name and asked for a shake with my right hand. She said her name right away, smiling. I forgot right away. I told her to see each other again soon. She said something very quietly and I couldn't hear it. I left. And I did not have anybody after that to talk about that day or her with. I forgot about it too. And I heard about her leaving from other people after she had left.
I thought about her smiles, voice, the touch of her hand and the sunlight of that day. Then I pictured her dirty socks and the old radio. I badly wanted to ask her about the socks and the radio. But she was not there and nobody knew where she'd gone. Even if anybody had known though, I don't know if I would have gone to ask her about it. I forgot about it again. My life was truly hectic itself and to be honest, actually I really was not to blame. It was yesterday when I was traveling far from the town on the road, that I saw her in the field far from the road. She looked like a boy, running back and forth in the dried field to find something. Then I realized that I had to call her to ask about the socks and the radio. But I didn't want to let her know that I was traveling far from the town for some inappropriate reason or rather, with my sorrow on my back. She faded away in the dusty wind. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the pain in my heart. The sun was shining through the dusty wind. And I was still going.
Angel Hye-young Kim
posted by Angel | 5:15 PM
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