Chapter 4

Blue eyes
Reflect the colour
Of skies
Rain drops
Carry my burden
Falling into the Pacific
Strength is draining
Mind is fighting
I’m no longer the same child


“Where do you think he would go?” asked the teacher. “ I don’t know. It’s dark already. I hope he is okay,” replied I. Then my head was spinning and mind racing in hopes to find any possibility where Yang Dong-Yu might be. Suddenly a thought popped up. I told the teacher we usually went to the “Hunting Woods” on Wednesday afternoon. There was a tree hut we built a while back. Teacher and I then urgently took off. We rode our bikes with a flashlight attached to the front. The balmy weather with a bit of cool breeze made the evening actually quite pleasant but I had no mood to enjoy all of this. All I wanted to know was where Yang Dong-Yu was!

By the time we arrived at the tree hut. A dim light was flickering; and I knew it was Yang Dong-Yu. “Oh, thank God you’re here!” cried out the teacher. “How did you know I’m here?” “It’s me who told the teacher. We were very worried about you because you didn’t go to school,” responded I. Strangely enough, I didn’t see any sadness on Yang Dong-Yu’s face. He was there like that was his room. On the way home, three of us didn’t say a word. Teacher kept peddling his bike until we arrived Yang Dong-Yu’s house. That night Yang Yu-Fong was totally drunk and fell asleep on the couch. Teacher and I said good-bye to Yang Dong-Yu and his sisters. Then we left quietly.

“How dare you! Running away from home! You think your ‘wings’ are strong enough, huh?” as Yang Yu-Fong questioned Yang Dong –Yu harshly the next morning. Yang Dong-Yu just stood there, listening to his father because he knew if he said anything back he would get beaten and kicking and slapping. “Don’t you ever run away again or I will hang you up high and whip you to death!” storming out the living room Yang Yu-Fong after leaving these horrific words. Yang Dong-Yu was trembling but he told himself everything would be all right. He walked out to the front yard, gazing at the blue sky. There were some pigeons flying over the trees and an aeroplane on the other side of the white cloud. He pictured himself flying that aeroplane, going to various exotic foreign lands…

After that running-away event, Yang Dong-Yu never came to play with us on Wednesday. I sometimes rode my bike, passing their house to check if he would be in the front yard; but I never spotted him. At school, he withdrew into his own little world, drawing pictures, all kinds of jets and aeroplanes. I tried to invite him over to our house; yet all he said was his father would not allow him to play…