Eternal life - Magdalena Wita (best summer reads .TXT) 📗

observing you. Now, we’ll go first to try to register you as a decent human being.’

‘And after that can we go shopping? Like I feel that this style is not for me…’ He looked down and pulled out the insides of the pockets of his pants. He also bended and picked the slipper, trying to proof her something.

‘But do you have money?’

‘Oh…’ He smiled and looked friendly at her.

She smiled back mockingly. ‘Yeah, as I thought so. Let’s go, before I will kick you out from the car.’ She started the engine and drove away.

***

The car stopped in front of the photography studio. Aeri and the young man came out of the white vehicle. The nurse leaded the way to the shop, but she halted as she noticed that her new friend wasn’t going after her, but instead he looked dumbly on the signboard.

‘What?’ She put her hands on her hips.

‘What do you meant, saying that you’ll make me a decent human being?’

She put her palms together and started to rub it, laughing creepily. But in return Gil Dong only looked at her. ‘And what you think? To have some documents you need a photo.’

‘But in those clothes?!’ He tried to put the pockets, he pulled out earlier, back.

‘To that photo you could’ve come in briefs, wouldn’t make a difference.’ He shockingly covered his crotch. ‘Oh come on, the photographer will borrow you some blazer and that’s all we need. Just torso, above the belt…’

He slowly approached her, but still his face was showing some kind of funny disgust. ‘You’re so blunt!’

She clapped few times, trying to hurry him up. ‘We don’t have whole time of the world!’ And they walked into the shop.

***

Later, they found themselves in a hall filled with people waiting for they turn. Outside it was already afternoon and when they left when it was morning. They were sitting in front of the desk, where to officials were trying to analyse the papers filled out by the man. He stood up and, with his hands crossed on his torso, started to walk in circles, while Kim Ae Ri observed the civil servants hands closely. Gil Dong stopped again and was thumping his leg, biting inside of the mouth. He was visibly nervous and angry.

One of the civil servants grunted. ‘Sir, this thing with legs isn’t helpful.’

‘Just as your presence here. How many of your colleagues have to come yet, until you’ll be finished?’ He said bitterly. Aeri just sighed. Maybe it was a bad idea overall.

‘Sir…’

The second man wanted to save his friend. ‘Sir, your case is not common, it has to be examined separately and really closely. So, you claim you don’t remember your name?’

Young man has thrown his head to the back and looked at the ceiling. ‘There it starts again!’

The office worker raised his hands. ‘Please, don’t shout. On the discharge paper from the hospital there is written name Hong Gil Dong, right?’

This time Aeri spoke quietly, she was already tired of all this waiting. ‘That’s a name given to the people that have amnesia.’ She explained.

Even though they were sitting there for a long time, the man looked at her like he saw her for the first time. ‘Ok. You’re his relative?’

Gil dong in frustration caught his hair. ‘Yeah! I have amnesia, don’t know who I am, but I brought my sister!’

Aeri sighed. ‘I’m just a nurse working at hospital where he was treated… sir, I’ve already said it today, I think, 7 times, really…’

Civil worker pushed some keys and looked at the computer screen. ‘But we can’t just randomly make a person in the system, everything has to be checked correctly, this kind of situation is rare. So, Mr. Hong, the police didn’t help you?’

Man in black lost his temper and cussed. ‘Oh for fucks sake! I have enough of this bullshit! And that’s not my name!’ He punched a stall separating the desks of the workers, creating a hole, and he angrily leaved the civil bureau.

The nurse stood up to go after him, but stopped and looked at the civil workers. ‘Sir, I understand that it’s not common, but he lost his everything and additional difficulties are worsening his state. He just got discharged… here are all the papers: hospital, police, forms and photos.’ She pointed everything, what was on the desk. ‘Also my contact info. Take it to higher officials and give him some hope.’

The man which was providing service first smiled coldly and spoke. ‘Ma’am, we’ll do what we can.’

‘How long can it take? Until he’ll be accepted as citizen?’

‘Up till month, I think. This will have to take court route, since it’s unprecedented. Then still he’ll have to show again for more formalities.’

‘You have my number, call me anytime. And can you make it quicker?’ She tired to smile to persuade the men, but they ignored it, instead one of them looked at the hole created by Gil Dong.

‘As my colleague has said, we’ll do what we can. Take this form, it also has to be filled.’ He passed her another application document.

Aeri finally went out of the building and headed towards parking lot with a sheet of paper in her hands. She spotted her car and just as she got closer, she finally noticed her friend crouching down near the passengers doors. He was sniffling and she realised that with evening the cold wind came, but he had nothing on him but t-shirt. She hid the blank into her bag and she took off her jacket. She put in on his shoulders, but it was barely covering him. He was tall and muscular, while she was maybe half of his size.

He chuckled. ‘Really, all black and pink cardigan? You clearly aren’t into fashion.’ Ae Ri smirked, but she didn’t answer. ‘I’m just frustrated. I know, that I’m joking sometimes, but I thought about this scenario, you know? That I will be discharged, then I will file for some documents, at least get an ID. Find job, move forward at least tiny bit and then slowly investigate who am I. And not forgetting about repaying you for your kindness…’

‘You don’t have to…’

‘I have, I think that’s an evidence of decency. But how I can do anything, if – for them – I don’t exist? Like what with job? To find job I need an account in bank, phone number, ID… I don’t have any of them and without identity I can’t start some of them… to have where to live, I have to have money… if I want to eat, I need money… if I don’t want to wear one outfit for whole of my life, I… need money… and money comes from work. Dumb circle it is, isn’t it? Do they think that for the waiting I will just disappear and appear again when it’s suitable for them? Did they exchange their brain for the job?’ He looked at the girl, the single tear was running on his cheek and he was grabbing the jacket tightly.

She didn’t know how to answer, so she was quiet for a while. She decided to let him calm down, so she just patted his arms. ‘Come on now, it’s getting cold…’ He was sitting like that for some time, so she had to help him stand up.

He wanted to change the subject, to make it less awkward. ‘Yeah, you see, already my eyes went teary from whole this wind.’ He wiped this single tear off and again sniffled. They got in the car and Aeri started the engine, so the hot air soon was warming them. ‘Ah, much better’ He put his frozen palms near the vent.

She put her seat belts and as the car started moving, she scratched her head. ‘Hey, about that joking, it’s a good strategy, it’ll help.’

He looked at her, not understanding what she meant. ‘With what?’

She bit her lip. ‘They said it will take a month…’

He opened his jaw and rolled down the window. When passed by the main entrance of the building, he pulled out his hand and showed them middle finger. ‘Fuuuuuuck youuuuu!’ He shouted from the top of his lungs.

Chapter 4

In the late evening they were in the nurse’s apartment. The block of flats, where it was situated was old and not well-maintained, but the small unit itself was cosy. It had one separate room, Aeri’s bedroom and one big living room with the small kitchen. On the front of the doors to her room there was tiny bathroom. Its interior was not modern decorated and equipped but Aeri made sure it was clean and well lighted.

The apartment was arranged in the square shape, with the corridors and living room making big cross. As they walked in, Gil Dong noticed that: first entrance, with some storage units on both sides, on the left couch with small TV in front of it, further the sliding window for a small balcony and on the right table with three chairs, further cabinets, sink, small kitchen stove and a fridge. In front to the entrance there was a dead end, with two doors on both sides.

‘Sorry, it’s not any kind of villa.’ Aeri said, when they arrived, but he assured her, that everything was better than hospital bed.

Later Gil Dong asked if he could take a shower and she agreed. While he was in the bathroom, she heard a doorbell. Aeri went to open it, leaving the kitchen stove on with some dishes being cooked. As she opened it, the boxes attacked her. She screamed as she tried to avoid the falling items and, because of the sudden moves, she fell on the floor. Around her there was a puddle of clothes.

The voice, which she recognised, talks form above. It was her friend, Min Ji Soo. ‘You were supposed to catch it!’ She took a sock from Aeri’s head. The nurse looked at her meaningfully, but Ji Soo ignored her. ‘Move!’ She waves her hands at her sitting friend and tries to pick the clothes which were still outside. When she threw them in, she walked inside and tried to help Aeri to stand up.

The girl tried to analyse what just happened to her right now. ‘Why you didn’t call? You were supposed to! I would go out and help you, but now it’s a mess!’

Ji Soo waved her hand nonchalantly, while taking of her coat. ‘Yeah, yeah, sorry. My son was playing games on it and I forgot to take it.’ She looked toward the bathroom door, since she heard running water. ‘He’s bathing?’

‘Yeah.’ Aeri knew that her friend is going to complain about it again, so wanted to change the subject. She looked at the clothes pilling up around her. ‘But what with all of that?’ She pointed at the blouses and pants, at least she thought that it was it.

‘Well, you asked if my dear husband had some old clothes, so I looked and I found it.’ She smiled and she moved toward the kitchen. She grabbed the spoon, tasted what Ae Ri was cooking and started seasoning it. ‘Still, your taste buds are bland…’

Aeri ignored the remark about cooking. ‘Isn’t it like a half of his wardrobe?! And some of the pieces are completely new!’

‘Well, he gained almost ten kilograms in two months, so he can’t fit them anymore. Thankfully his tall, because otherwise it wouldn’t be fitting Gil Dong. What he’s been eating that he grow up so well?’ She wondered.

The nurse started to pick up the fallen clothes. ‘If he would know, he would tell…’

Ji Soo put the spoon aside. ‘Yeah, like hell I believe that story.’ She sat on one of the chairs, and gave a look toward her friend. Aeri shook her head, trying to ignore Ji Soo. ‘Oh, come on, Aeri, you really bought it, this amnesia thing? Look at him! Certainly hiding something! One look and I can tell that. Still going to let him live here?’

This subject was unavoidable, so the girl took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation again to her dearest friend. ‘Stop overreacting, in first place. Second: he’s been checked by the police and been in hospital for a long time, somehow I’ve got to know him a little bit and I sense he’s not a bad person. And third, I still have the taser you gave me for birthday.’

Ji Soo put her hands up. ‘I know, I know, but don’t