He stood up straight as he looked away from the place the girl fell. He scoffs as a taxi finally stops. He entered the taxi and sat comfortably.
"Where to?"
He heard the grumpy voice of the taxi driver, but had no response for the old man.
"If you are looking for a free ride, you are in the wrong car drunkard, cause I ain't some buddy of yours."
The man's grumpy voice echoed in the car, but he still got no response from his passenger.
"You got a destination or not?"
Hearing the man's angry voice brought Hee-mang back to his senses. He wanted to go to his apartment, but he also didn't want to. He wanted to rest, but didn't want to rest under the same roof as his Unnie. He didn't have a friend, whose place he could spend the night, he never had such friends. Yoo-na Unnie was the only one he was ever friends with, but he wasn't so sure anymore if they were ever friends to begin with.
"Anywhere is fine."
He replied calmly
The taxi driver turned to look at him, which he did with a frown displayed on his old face, and said
"You think you are in a movie? Where the f**k are you going?"
Hee-mang held his head, as if holding his head would reduce the headache he was feeling. He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a bunch of new notes.
The taxi driver's eyes shone at the sight of the money. He smiled and his demeanor changed.
"In that case, I'll take you across the Han River, feast your eyes on the beauty of the bridge. And I truly do hope that your depression stops, cause it's really obvious that you are depressed buddy."
Listening to the man was annoying, and all he could reply to the old man's speech was 'whatever'
*****
While driving across the bridge, Hee-mang started to feel nauseous. He asked the driver to stop the car, which the driver did as he didn't want him puking in his car. The driver remained in the car, while Hee-mang stepped out and rested on the railing of the bridge.
Hee-mang bent over as though he was about to throw up, but nothing came out. He soon stood up straight and just stood still as he watched on as the river danced in beautiful colors, while the violent yet gentle breeze hit him. Even in his drunken state, he could still appreciate the beauty before him.
"Ha" he heaved a sigh of relief.
"If only I was half as beautiful as this." he said, comparing himself to the beautiful colors that danced on the water
"How did I end up this way? Abandoned and not wanted"
He soon begins to laugh hysterically, which got the attention of the driver.
The driver stepped out of the taxi and went to him with a worried look but hostile voice.
"What do you think you are doing acting like a mad one boy?"
Hee-mang looked at the old man, but his blurry vision didn't permit him to see how worried the old man was. All he could sense was the hostility with which the man spoke to him.
"At least, I'm being mad with reason."
The old man shook his head as he walked back to he car.
"Punk. Does he mean to say I'm a busy-body. It's my fault for worrying about him. Why not just complete it."
Trying to mimic Hee-mang's voice
"At least I'm being mad with reason. Why don't you mind your business old man. The fact that you are angry at the whole world and old doesn't mean I have to let you take out your anger on me. Hmph"
The man heaved heavily as he stopped by the door, looked at the poor boy who looked lost, he sighs deeply then enters the car, shutting the door behind him. He places his head on the steering wheel, thinking about his own issues of life.
Hee-mag looked on at the river, the beauty, and an idea struck him.
"If I become one with the river, doesn't that mean I would become just as beautiful as it"
His eyes shone brightly at this belief. He smiled like an idiot as he climbed the railing. This action caused a lot of noise from passing cars, as they honked and honked their horn, which brought the old man back from whatever world he was in.
Seeing the boy on the railing, panic set into the old man. He ran out as fast as he could to stop the boy but he was the one who got stopped.
People had alighted from their cars, and had gathered round the scene, with their phones in their hands, capturing the moment. The old man's way was blocked. He screamed at the top of his voice, asking them to leave the way if they knew they didn't want to help.
"Stop" said a young lady as she pulled the old man back.
"If you move too close to him, he'll panic and would fall off into the river."
"So do I just stand here and watch him jump into the river?"
The old man had no time for this. He was not going to watch someone else commit suicide right in front of him and do nothing again.
"Boy" he shouted at the top of his voice as soon as he went through the crowd
"If you get down here, I'll take you across many other beautiful bridges, we would drink together and have so much fun together. Your life is too precious to end it now."
Hee-mang who was backing them all of these while, turned to face them, which got a lot of them screaming in fright, especially the old man, who knew that the idiot standing there was a drunk one.
Hee-mang had a peaceful look on his face as he looked at the old man with appreciative eyes. The breeze blew hard, as if it also sympathized with the old man, and was going to help in the safe landing of the idiot back on the bridge. But no, Hee-mang footing was stronger than that.
Hee-mang smiled at the old man and said
"Thank you. That's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me."
The old man felt relieved. Hee-mang didn't look like one who wanted to die. He looked peaceful, he wanted to keep on living. His face said it all. Or so the old man thought. If only he knew what Hee-mang termed as a peaceful life, he wouldn't have thought Hee-mang would come back from up there.
He watched as Hee-mang fell backward into the river with a peaceful smile on his face. Panic set into the man, as he rushed to the railing, as though to catch him. But it was too late. All he saw was Hee-mang disappear into the river.