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MELANCHOLIA: Chapter 1
Chapter 1
MOWED GRASS
LEVI’S POV
“We’re just on the first stage of our college life, my goodness! Stop playing games, okay? Review your notes! Focus on your study! Tsk,” I scolded Caius after he got a low score from the recent exam we had taken.
“Ne, alget seum nida abeoji,” Yes, I understand, father, he said teasingly.
“You brat!”
“Kidding!” he chuckled, then looked over his test paper. “Oh, darn this exam!” he whined as he brushed his hair in frustration.
“Aigo. Gwaenchanseumnikka?” Aww. Are you okay? We both turned our head to her as she drew near us.
“Oh, Adalee!” Caius exclaimed, “Gwaenchana. Gwaenchana,” I’m okay. I’m okay.
“O jinjja? Daheng ida,” Oh, really? That’s a relief, Adalee said as she smiled to him.
“Aish! Dwaesseo!” Gosh! Enough! I shouted at them, “Stop talking in Korean! Tsk.”
“Wae?” Why? they asked in chorus. I just snorted and looked away.
“I love Korean Dramas,” Adalee said, almost a protest.
“Jeoneun Park Caius imnida,” I am Caius Park, he said, then bowed his head. “I am a half Korean, so why would you stop us from communicating in Korean? You even talk to us in Korean!” Caius carped as he raised his eyebrow.
“Whatever!”
“I can’t believe you, tsk! I’ll get going then,” Caius said as he waved goodbye to us.
“Bye!” Adalee said as she waved back.
These two sometimes could really make me so annoyed! Tsk. I shouldn’t let them be that close in the first place!
“Hey, annoying woman!” I stormed off and made a face.
She turned her head to me and I saw her frowned. “Again?” she complained, “How did I annoy you?”
“I just find you annoying today. Why?”
She just pouted and said, “You’re being cranky again.”
“Whatever! Just come here,” I said.
“Come to where?”
“Here...” I replied, “beside me.”
She barely smiled, a teasing one. “What’s with you?”
“I said come here!”
She startled when I suddenly raised my voice. “C-coming! Oh goodness! You’re scaring me!” she said and acted as if she was scared. She instantly moved beside me when I gave her a death look, and it made me smile secretly.
We later found ourselves near the department’s garden; blade-like leaves, rough barks of the tree, vegetable patch, tree foliage, and caterpillar-eaten leaves—the grass in the garden was mowed so short that the ground showed through. The moss was scuffed, rolling it away from the soil like a carpet.
“Grass cut like that takes a longer time to grow back,” I said as we made our way to the bench in the garden area.
“Gosh! Are you even a gardener now?” she chuckled.
“It satisfies the gardeners, though. More time for other work.”
“Do you even know their other job?” she asked.
“Um... let me see,” I said. I stopped from walking as I looked at the center of the garden where a middle-aged man in a green, dirty shirt was pulling off the weeds. “He’s Kakang Julio,” I said and pointed him, “Aside from being the school gardener, he also works as a helper at the wet market at around 4 in the afternoon.”
“Oh, really? How hardworking of him. Wait, how did you know that?”
I just shrugged and gave her a smile. Moving on to the next one, I turned my head on the other side. “That one, he is Kakang Ben,” I said as I pointed the white-haired old man sweeping the dried leaves on the ground. “He’s a cowherd and a right-hand man of a wealthy rancher.”
“Whoa. How did you know that? Are you a stalker? An informant? A private investigator of some sort?” I literally laughed because of what she had said. Stalker, my foot.
“I am not one of those what you say,” I replied as we continued walking.
“You look like you’re one of those people.”
“Is that so?”
“Right. You know what? You have something similar to one of the characters I saw the last time I watched Korean drama. He’s the most famous informant in their town. A smart, good-looking guy who knows almost everything.”
“Tss. You and that Korean actors!”
“Why? They’re all good-looking!”
“Really?” I asked blatantly.
She nodded. “Definitely. Just look at Caius. He’s a good-looking guy as well.”
My face suddenly turned into some disgust. “Not at all. He’s just an ugly little pig in my eyes,” I said nonchalantly.
“Little pig? Oh, come on! You’re bullying your friend.”
“He’s my friend, that’s given, but I don’t really think that he’s handsome and such! Oh, gross!” I said disgustingly.
Adalee just laughed while hitting my arms. I just can’t help myself, but to stare at her.
“Well, do you think...” I mumbled.
“What?”
“Do you think... I mean, am I good-looking, too?”
She just stared at me. Confused—much more like what-are-you-talking-about was all over her face. “Oh! Well... um...” she said while in doubt. “That thing—I mean—”
“Ya!” Hey! I snorted and cut her off, “It’s just a matter of saying yes or yes!” I protested.
“Why... why are you shouting?”
“Tsk! Is it really hard to answer between yes and yes? Goodness!” I face-palmed. We just both bursted out in laughter after that lame joke of mine.
“Such a witty,” she smiled. “Fine. I’ll say yes between yes and yes. You’re definitely such a handsome guy.”
“I know,” I said, barely smiling.
“Oh,” she mumbled, pointing the mowed grasses which she stamped on. “Shorter cut of the grass allows them to do more jobs aside from gardening. The shorter, the better, right, Mr. Bonifacio?”
I glanced at her and said, “Yes, but not always.”
“What do you mean?” she asked and looked at me.
I tilted my head skyward that eventually dazzled my eyes due to the bright light of the sun.
“30°C, North East wind direction, and it will be partly cloudy throughout the day. Humidity ranges at 75%, precipitation at about 0.008mm, wind chill is 32°C, cloud covers at about 33%, 10km/h wind speed, dew point at about 21°C, pressure at 1101mbar, Ozone at 238.6 DU, UV index reading is at 7 which is high, and rain probability is just 17%,” I detailed.
“You never really fail to make my jaw dropped. Goodness, Levi! From being a gardener to weather forecaster? Really?”
“I just wanted to say that the weather is good, but the UV index reading is high, so it’s not good for us to stay under the sun,” I said as I gently pulled her under the shade of an old Narra tree.
“Why don’t you just tell me that the weather is fine instead of telling me those science facts?”
“Proofs.”
“Proofs? Proofs that the weather is fine?”
“Yes.”
“I have eyes, you smart kiddo!”
“Well...” I smiled, “to see is to believe, but it’s more believable when you have proofs.”
“Jinjjayo?” Really?
“Even when it comes to liking someone,” I paused as I watched a butterfly flapped its wings over the flowers. “You can say that you like him, but it’s not that easy to make him believe you without giving or showing him proofs. Giving him the material things; luxuries, money—everything is for the eyes to see and to believe, but it’s more believable when you show how you really feel,” I continued.
“Tsk tsk. You’ve gone too far. You talk too much,” she chuckled.
“Explanation needs good examples.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m telling you.”
“Fine. Fine. If you say so,” she said, then smiled. “Let’s drop it already,” she added, accepting her defeat.
A heaved a deep sigh after as I looked at the mowed grasses in the area.
“Grass cut like that takes a longer time to grow back. The shorter, the better, but not in the lives of people,” I said, keeping my both hands on my pocket.
“Huh?”
I glanced at her for awhile. “Life is short, but became shorter because some people wants to end it much sooner. Lucky are those grasses when mowed, but will still grow back. Unlike people’s lives, when cut and ended, no matter how long you wait, you can never take it back,” I whispered, then smiled bitterly.
“You’re right,” she said as we sat on the bench. “Then the people who’s left behind has nothing to do, but to endure the pain of loss.”
“Right.”
“You know almost everything. I wonder how hard to be that smart!” she complained as she massaged her temples.
“Don’t dare to ask. It’s stressful,” I grinned.
She pouted and said, “How arrogant! Yeah, whatever! Tsk.”
“Knowing everything is a wonderful thing, but there’s still a consequence with it.”
“Oh?”
“It’s like, the more you know, the more chances you’ll get hurt,” I said.
She breathed. “I guess, it’s better than knowing nothing.”
“It is, at times. You know,” I said, “there are things better left unsaid. Words are sharper than a dagger, a slowburn, and could kill you emotionally. It’ll be better if you learn how to control your curiosity.”
“Why?”
I barely laughed and said, “It’ll be better if you learn how to control your curiosity.”
“You’re so mean!”
“Oh, am I?”
She pouted, then punched my arm. “Enough! Stop it, Levi!” she exclaimed as she brushed her shoulders.
“Sorry,” I giggled. Silence followed between us as we enjoyed the fresh air at the garden.
“The weather is good and beautiful, right?” she asked smiling with her eyes closed.
“Absolutely,” I whispered as I stared at her lovely face; the view that I would always wanted to look at, the sight that I would always be craving to see. I smiled.
“Just like you,” I added as I roamed my eyes around the garden once more.
There were bonsai tress lined the perfect lawn in their wooden boxes. There was a pond at the center with flowering lily pads and a wooden bridge that crossed the middle so you could look down to watch fishes of different kind.
“I never wished to be beautiful.”
A little surprised, I turned my head to her. She was pulling the end of the jacket’s sleeve she’s wearing. The corners of her lips rose as she opened her eyes and glanced at me.
“Why?” I simply asked.
Adalee was indeed a beautiful lady, but she never bragged about it. Her fair skin was completely flawless. I doubted, she never use any expensive skincare products. Her hair was straight black, eyes were dark, and figure a perfect glass hour.
“Being beautiful is fearsome, upsetting, and tiring. It’s excruciating,” she whined, “I never wanted attention, all I want is peace. Can you just make me ugly, Levi?”
I was expecting that she would laugh after what she had said, but she didn’t. Her eyes were begging. For what? To be ugly? Her emotions couldn’t hide at her innocent face, but as I gazed intently into her eyes, there was a flicker of emotion I couldn’t identify yet. Would that be pain?
“Hey!” she laughed and playfully hit my arm. “You looked so serious! I’m just kidding,” she said, then smiled like she used to do. I felt relief.
“Really?”
“Of course!”
I smiled back and pat her head. “Don’t think about anything. You’re making me worry,” I said in a low pitch voice, and hugged her close.
Being so close to her now made me remember when, and how I made a move to approach her for the first time. It was already months ago since the story about us had started.
MOWED GRASS
LEVI’S POV
“We’re just on the first stage of our college life, my goodness! Stop playing games, okay? Review your notes! Focus on your study! Tsk,” I scolded Caius after he got a low score from the recent exam we had taken.
“Ne, alget seum nida abeoji,” Yes, I understand, father, he said teasingly.
“You brat!”
“Kidding!” he chuckled, then looked over his test paper. “Oh, darn this exam!” he whined as he brushed his hair in frustration.
“Aigo. Gwaenchanseumnikka?” Aww. Are you okay? We both turned our head to her as she drew near us.
“Oh, Adalee!” Caius exclaimed, “Gwaenchana. Gwaenchana,” I’m okay. I’m okay.
“O jinjja? Daheng ida,” Oh, really? That’s a relief, Adalee said as she smiled to him.
“Aish! Dwaesseo!” Gosh! Enough! I shouted at them, “Stop talking in Korean! Tsk.”
“Wae?” Why? they asked in chorus. I just snorted and looked away.
“I love Korean Dramas,” Adalee said, almost a protest.
“Jeoneun Park Caius imnida,” I am Caius Park, he said, then bowed his head. “I am a half Korean, so why would you stop us from communicating in Korean? You even talk to us in Korean!” Caius carped as he raised his eyebrow.
“Whatever!”
“I can’t believe you, tsk! I’ll get going then,” Caius said as he waved goodbye to us.
“Bye!” Adalee said as she waved back.
These two sometimes could really make me so annoyed! Tsk. I shouldn’t let them be that close in the first place!
“Hey, annoying woman!” I stormed off and made a face.
She turned her head to me and I saw her frowned. “Again?” she complained, “How did I annoy you?”
“I just find you annoying today. Why?”
She just pouted and said, “You’re being cranky again.”
“Whatever! Just come here,” I said.
“Come to where?”
“Here...” I replied, “beside me.”
She barely smiled, a teasing one. “What’s with you?”
“I said come here!”
She startled when I suddenly raised my voice. “C-coming! Oh goodness! You’re scaring me!” she said and acted as if she was scared. She instantly moved beside me when I gave her a death look, and it made me smile secretly.
We later found ourselves near the department’s garden; blade-like leaves, rough barks of the tree, vegetable patch, tree foliage, and caterpillar-eaten leaves—the grass in the garden was mowed so short that the ground showed through. The moss was scuffed, rolling it away from the soil like a carpet.
“Grass cut like that takes a longer time to grow back,” I said as we made our way to the bench in the garden area.
“Gosh! Are you even a gardener now?” she chuckled.
“It satisfies the gardeners, though. More time for other work.”
“Do you even know their other job?” she asked.
“Um... let me see,” I said. I stopped from walking as I looked at the center of the garden where a middle-aged man in a green, dirty shirt was pulling off the weeds. “He’s Kakang Julio,” I said and pointed him, “Aside from being the school gardener, he also works as a helper at the wet market at around 4 in the afternoon.”
“Oh, really? How hardworking of him. Wait, how did you know that?”
I just shrugged and gave her a smile. Moving on to the next one, I turned my head on the other side. “That one, he is Kakang Ben,” I said as I pointed the white-haired old man sweeping the dried leaves on the ground. “He’s a cowherd and a right-hand man of a wealthy rancher.”
“Whoa. How did you know that? Are you a stalker? An informant? A private investigator of some sort?” I literally laughed because of what she had said. Stalker, my foot.
“I am not one of those what you say,” I replied as we continued walking.
“You look like you’re one of those people.”
“Is that so?”
“Right. You know what? You have something similar to one of the characters I saw the last time I watched Korean drama. He’s the most famous informant in their town. A smart, good-looking guy who knows almost everything.”
“Tss. You and that Korean actors!”
“Why? They’re all good-looking!”
“Really?” I asked blatantly.
She nodded. “Definitely. Just look at Caius. He’s a good-looking guy as well.”
My face suddenly turned into some disgust. “Not at all. He’s just an ugly little pig in my eyes,” I said nonchalantly.
“Little pig? Oh, come on! You’re bullying your friend.”
“He’s my friend, that’s given, but I don’t really think that he’s handsome and such! Oh, gross!” I said disgustingly.
Adalee just laughed while hitting my arms. I just can’t help myself, but to stare at her.
“Well, do you think...” I mumbled.
“What?”
“Do you think... I mean, am I good-looking, too?”
She just stared at me. Confused—much more like what-are-you-talking-about was all over her face. “Oh! Well... um...” she said while in doubt. “That thing—I mean—”
“Ya!” Hey! I snorted and cut her off, “It’s just a matter of saying yes or yes!” I protested.
“Why... why are you shouting?”
“Tsk! Is it really hard to answer between yes and yes? Goodness!” I face-palmed. We just both bursted out in laughter after that lame joke of mine.
“Such a witty,” she smiled. “Fine. I’ll say yes between yes and yes. You’re definitely such a handsome guy.”
“I know,” I said, barely smiling.
“Oh,” she mumbled, pointing the mowed grasses which she stamped on. “Shorter cut of the grass allows them to do more jobs aside from gardening. The shorter, the better, right, Mr. Bonifacio?”
I glanced at her and said, “Yes, but not always.”
“What do you mean?” she asked and looked at me.
I tilted my head skyward that eventually dazzled my eyes due to the bright light of the sun.
“30°C, North East wind direction, and it will be partly cloudy throughout the day. Humidity ranges at 75%, precipitation at about 0.008mm, wind chill is 32°C, cloud covers at about 33%, 10km/h wind speed, dew point at about 21°C, pressure at 1101mbar, Ozone at 238.6 DU, UV index reading is at 7 which is high, and rain probability is just 17%,” I detailed.
“You never really fail to make my jaw dropped. Goodness, Levi! From being a gardener to weather forecaster? Really?”
“I just wanted to say that the weather is good, but the UV index reading is high, so it’s not good for us to stay under the sun,” I said as I gently pulled her under the shade of an old Narra tree.
“Why don’t you just tell me that the weather is fine instead of telling me those science facts?”
“Proofs.”
“Proofs? Proofs that the weather is fine?”
“Yes.”
“I have eyes, you smart kiddo!”
“Well...” I smiled, “to see is to believe, but it’s more believable when you have proofs.”
“Jinjjayo?” Really?
“Even when it comes to liking someone,” I paused as I watched a butterfly flapped its wings over the flowers. “You can say that you like him, but it’s not that easy to make him believe you without giving or showing him proofs. Giving him the material things; luxuries, money—everything is for the eyes to see and to believe, but it’s more believable when you show how you really feel,” I continued.
“Tsk tsk. You’ve gone too far. You talk too much,” she chuckled.
“Explanation needs good examples.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m telling you.”
“Fine. Fine. If you say so,” she said, then smiled. “Let’s drop it already,” she added, accepting her defeat.
A heaved a deep sigh after as I looked at the mowed grasses in the area.
“Grass cut like that takes a longer time to grow back. The shorter, the better, but not in the lives of people,” I said, keeping my both hands on my pocket.
“Huh?”
I glanced at her for awhile. “Life is short, but became shorter because some people wants to end it much sooner. Lucky are those grasses when mowed, but will still grow back. Unlike people’s lives, when cut and ended, no matter how long you wait, you can never take it back,” I whispered, then smiled bitterly.
“You’re right,” she said as we sat on the bench. “Then the people who’s left behind has nothing to do, but to endure the pain of loss.”
“Right.”
“You know almost everything. I wonder how hard to be that smart!” she complained as she massaged her temples.
“Don’t dare to ask. It’s stressful,” I grinned.
She pouted and said, “How arrogant! Yeah, whatever! Tsk.”
“Knowing everything is a wonderful thing, but there’s still a consequence with it.”
“Oh?”
“It’s like, the more you know, the more chances you’ll get hurt,” I said.
She breathed. “I guess, it’s better than knowing nothing.”
“It is, at times. You know,” I said, “there are things better left unsaid. Words are sharper than a dagger, a slowburn, and could kill you emotionally. It’ll be better if you learn how to control your curiosity.”
“Why?”
I barely laughed and said, “It’ll be better if you learn how to control your curiosity.”
“You’re so mean!”
“Oh, am I?”
She pouted, then punched my arm. “Enough! Stop it, Levi!” she exclaimed as she brushed her shoulders.
“Sorry,” I giggled. Silence followed between us as we enjoyed the fresh air at the garden.
“The weather is good and beautiful, right?” she asked smiling with her eyes closed.
“Absolutely,” I whispered as I stared at her lovely face; the view that I would always wanted to look at, the sight that I would always be craving to see. I smiled.
“Just like you,” I added as I roamed my eyes around the garden once more.
There were bonsai tress lined the perfect lawn in their wooden boxes. There was a pond at the center with flowering lily pads and a wooden bridge that crossed the middle so you could look down to watch fishes of different kind.
“I never wished to be beautiful.”
A little surprised, I turned my head to her. She was pulling the end of the jacket’s sleeve she’s wearing. The corners of her lips rose as she opened her eyes and glanced at me.
“Why?” I simply asked.
Adalee was indeed a beautiful lady, but she never bragged about it. Her fair skin was completely flawless. I doubted, she never use any expensive skincare products. Her hair was straight black, eyes were dark, and figure a perfect glass hour.
“Being beautiful is fearsome, upsetting, and tiring. It’s excruciating,” she whined, “I never wanted attention, all I want is peace. Can you just make me ugly, Levi?”
I was expecting that she would laugh after what she had said, but she didn’t. Her eyes were begging. For what? To be ugly? Her emotions couldn’t hide at her innocent face, but as I gazed intently into her eyes, there was a flicker of emotion I couldn’t identify yet. Would that be pain?
“Hey!” she laughed and playfully hit my arm. “You looked so serious! I’m just kidding,” she said, then smiled like she used to do. I felt relief.
“Really?”
“Of course!”
I smiled back and pat her head. “Don’t think about anything. You’re making me worry,” I said in a low pitch voice, and hugged her close.
Being so close to her now made me remember when, and how I made a move to approach her for the first time. It was already months ago since the story about us had started.
