PROMPTS

Remedium

It's been how long since I last saw him? Since I last hug him? I can no longer remember the days but it does feel like forever.

Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months. I thought the pain would lessen.  That my longing to be with him will diminish with days passing.

I was wrong.

I miss him. God, how I miss him.

Everyday, I drown myself with work, work myself to the bone, in the hopes that by the end of the long day, I will be too tired and go straight to sleep.

Each night I went to bed exhausted, but sleep eluded me. My mind just would not be still as I thought of the man I left behind. Is he well? Is he already married? Is he happy?

Tonight was no different. In fact, it was worse.

Opening my bedside drawer, I reached out for the bottles of sleeping pills - my remedy, my temporary reprieve from all the memories of past and present hurts. They turned out empty.

Loneliness was again threatening to eat me alive.

And the only cure for grief was action. I had to be out of here before it totally consumes me.

As has become my nightly habit, I forced myself to walk, if for no other reason than to keep my mind off him and our memories.

As I walk along the streets with no particular destination in mind, I recalled the last  conversation I had with him before we separated at the border and how I didn't do any of the things he told me I should do once I get back.

I'm sorry, Jeong Hyeok-shii. I cannot date men. They are not you. They will never be you.

I cannot hang out with people as if nothing happened. A lot has happened. You happened.

I can never be lonely without you, without you by my side. Six months is not long enough. Will never be enough.

The only cure for this is you but you are not here. Will never be here.

I understand the whys. Why we could never be. But understanding and accepting that fact were two different things.

I wonder which one is love. Hoping you are worrying about me like I am for you, and wishing that you are pining for me like I do for you? Is this love?

Or on the other hand, is it wishing that you won't be worried about me, that you'll forget about me and all the moments we've shared? Is that love?

If it's neither, is it love that I am willing to go through from the very beginning just so I can meet you once again?

I stopped short. Suddenly, in the midst of a throng of people, right before my path, stood a man. Staring at me even from a distance.

My heart leapt out of my chest.

Are my eyes playing dirty tricks on me?

Am I going mad, imagining him to be here? Looking so real and in the flesh?

My tears rose, blurring my vision. Surely, fate wouldn't be this cruel as to make me hope he is here when in truth he is not.

Soles moving upon such solid ground, he walked towards me, who stood immobile, still in disbelief, that he was here. For real.

And finally he stopped, close enough that I can almost hear his heart beating.

For a moment he simply stood in front of me, his wistful eyes staring, as I stare right back taking the sight of him in.

I closed the distance between us and hugged him, pulling him as close to me as I could.

He gathered me in his arms, his chin resting on my head. In his embrace, the world stopped still in its axis. There was no time, no snow falling. All that matterered was he was here now. And as I inwardly thanked God, I  hugged him all the tighter.

In that moment of feeling him so close,  I am more alive than I have been in so very long.

My cure is him.

- The End -

Author's Notes:

Buzzer beater for D19 (Remedy) #CLOYTOBER 2021.

If you have particular scenes that you would want us to recreate, do let me know. I'll see what I can come up with. 😊

Stay safe and healthy. And be kind to all kinds. Always. 💕