Their Final Goodbye
Their Final Goodbye
DOCTOR DEMON IS OUT NOW
LINK: https://www.webnovel.com/book/doctor-demon_20493883605820405
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"So, are we going to do another seance?" Minho asked. He had arrived with Gayoon, Jina and Junho at their old mansion while Mina was on her way.
"No," Junho said. "I think it's best this way. I don't wanna speak to my wife's spirit while she's occupying the body of some smelly old man."
They waited outside for Mina. They did not have to wait long; she pulled up in front of the mansion after a few minutes. She was carrying a bouquet of hyacinths which according to Minho were her mother's favorite flowers.
"L-let's go in," she stammered. Mina was unsure of what to feel because she had only seen her mother in pictures. She did not have any memories with her and was nervous about what to tell her.
Junho put an arm around her shoulder. "She just wants to see everyone one last time," he said. "Especially you. You were so young when she died. She is feeling sad that she couldn't love you the way she wanted to."
"She probably missed you the most," Mina murmured. Minho also patted her head while Gayoon and Jina simply watched them. The trio tried not to be emotional but Mina was finding it difficult to bottle up her feelings. Minho was also trying to be strong and while not as nervous as Mina, his eyes were a little moist.
Junho was impassive but Gayoon knew that it was just a facade. The old man was in the most turmoil but he was holding it together for his kids.
"Let's go," Gayoon nudged. They slowly entered the dilapidated mansion. Jina was curiously scanning the dusty surroundings. The place was a little smaller than their mansion but nonetheless, was once an impressive sight.
Now the walls were stained black while cobwebs and dust surrounded the area. The furniture was also very dusty; she could see layers of dust on them. Either she was following Ahn Jaewan too much or Gayoon instilled some sense of responsibility in her but the little girl suddenly had an urge to clean the place.
Suddenly, she felt a cold presence approaching their way. Someone was watching them from a distance.
"Someone is here," she informed her parents. "Upstairs."
"Yes," Gayoon nodded. "She's up there. I think the poltergeist is around there as well."
Upon hearing that, Junho turned away. He knew who it was but even after so many years, he could not face her. Instead, he silently walked towards the bedroom he once shared with Suna, letting his children have a moment with her.
Minho did not stop his father because he knew that Junho still felt guilty over his inability to save his wife all those years ago. He sighed and turned to Jina.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"There," Jina said, pointing at a room upstairs which Minho recognized at Mina's old nursery. She led the others to the room where the entity was. Slowly opening the door, she saw a pale woman standing next to a broken crib, staring at it.
She looked a lot like Mina except with darker hair and her eyes were similar to Minho's.
"Beautiful!" Jina whispered without knowing. The woman heard her and turned to face her, smiling a little. Minho and the others stood behind Jina but the little girl was walking towards her grandmother, awestruck.
"You came to me in my dreams!" Jina gasped. "You saved me that night!"
She remembered clearly. This was the woman who rescued her from the poltergeist which was trying to take her away. At first, Jina thought it was a nightmare but it felt very real to her.
"Jina," the woman smiled. "You've turned out to be very smart and kind. Just like your parents…"
She lovingly stroked the child's cheek. Even though Suna's hands were cold, Jina found them to have a certain warmth in them. It was hard to explain but there was a comfort in that touch which made her feel very warm.
"Is she here?"
Mina's voice made Suna look up. The ghost gasped and instantly recognized her daughter. Minho nudged Mina to step forward. She walked towards the spot where Jina stood, unable to see her mother but still trying to communicate with her.
The mother-daughter stood only inches apart while Jina looked from one to the other.
"Is...is she saying anything?" Mina asked.
Suna stood there, trying to memorize Mina's face. She was overwhelmed by many emotions at that moment. There were a lot of things she wanted to say but upon the sight of her daughter, she could only smile and cry in silence. The baby who used to fit in her one arm was now a grown woman.
"She's smiling," Jina whispered.
"I…" Mina began. "I never got to spend much time with you. But I've heard a lot about you. My brother always told me that you were a kind and beautiful person…"
She took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry if I couldn't become the person you wanted me to become," she confessed. "But I'll try to be a better person from now on."
As she said the words, Mina felt a cold air engulf her. She was a little startled but Jina was beaming.
"She's hugging you," Jins whispered.
"Oh," Mina realized.
"You've turned out even better than I had hoped," Suna whispered. "Maybe a little too much like your dad and brother but still a beautiful human being. Work hard and find a good guy to love you. I'm sorry for not being with you but always remember, that your mommy loves you. So don't worry and live."
Jina repeated the words to Mina. The latter was sobbing but not in sadness. Rather, they were happy tears because Mina was finally glad that she was able to relay what she wanted to her mother.
"I will," she promised. "So don't worry about me anymore and rest."
Gayoon, who was standing with Minho, poked him.
"Go and talk to your mom," she said. He smiled and grabbed her palm, pulling her with him.
Suna let go of Mina and turned to her son. She noticed the sparkly ring on Gayoon's finger and gasped.
"We're getting married," Minho told her. "Please bless us so that we can be happy forever."
Suna smiled and whispered something in Jina's ears.
"She's asking whether Grandpa Junho chased you out of the house like his dad had done!" Jina laughed.
"He tried but failed," Minho replied while Gayoon hid her face behind him in embarrassment. Suna stepped forward to pat Gayoon's head. The latter felt her cool touch and smiled.
"I'm glad that you're going to be his wife," Suna told her. "Don't worry about anything. I hope my son will keep you happy. If not, whack him on the head! And if he talks too much about money, give him another whack. Also, if you end up having sons, make sure that he pays them a good amount of pocket money. I don't want him to be stingy like his dad."
"I will," Gayoon winked while Minho frowned. Why do I have a feeling that they're trashing me? He wondered.
"Tell Minho, that I love him," she whispered. "And also that I'm very proud of him."
Gayoon interpreted her words to Minho who smiled slightly.
"We miss you, mom," he finally said. Suna touched his cheek.
"I miss you too," she replied. "Now...where's my useless husband?"
….
Junho entered the bedroom he had once shared with Suna. The once airy and magnificent room was now moldy. The bed had been removed while the mirror was broken into pieces. Floors were sticky with fungi and weeds while the windows were covered with dust and soot. Thankfully, the stench of sulphur no longer lingered in the air. Was it because the demon was gone or due to the fact that many years had passed, he did not know.
He felt a cold breeze pass by. His wife was probably standing nearby, watching him. Even though Gayoon had offered to mediate between them, he refused. There was no need for anyone to interpret Suna's last words to him.
"I can't see nor hear you," he said out loud. "But even after all these years, I know exactly what you'll say to me. In fact, you've already told me everything you wanted to that night."
Suna was ruefully watching her husband. Both of them had suffered a lot over the years and despite the separation, it felt as if they could still understand each other. She did not speak but he knew her unspoken words.
"I'm sorry I couldn't raise our kids," he admitted. "I was blinded by my obsession to avenge your death. And I was guilty as well, for failing to protect you. Yeeun had warned me many times but I didn't believe her…"
"I know you'll say it was not my fault but it was," he went on. His voice was croaking, almost on the verge of crying.
"But they've grown up to be very good people," Junho mused. "And even though I don't say it a lot, I'm very proud of them. And I know you are as well."
"Last time, we couldn't tell each other goodbye. But now that our entire family is here, I just want to say that all of us love you. There isn't a single day when we don't miss you. Our family will be incomplete without you but we'll be okay. For your sake, we'll be happy. So don't worry and rest. One day, I'll join you up there and together, we can watch over our children together."
Suna did not say anything but stepped towards her husband. Junho felt the cold air swirling around him.
In a slow motion, Suna leaned up to place a kiss on his lips. Junho could not see her but felt something cold pressing against his lips. They stood there for a while, kissing in silence.
After a few moments, Suna backed off and whispered, "You've grown old, hubby. I wish I could have grown old with you. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone like this. But you still have to care for many more grandchildren. So don't think about joining me too soon, okay?"
Junho could not hear her but the emotions she conveyed were very much apparent. Slowly, a slight wind was circling around them as Suna began to fade.
"Take care of them," she whispered, her voice becoming hollow. Junho knew that it was her time to leave but he smiled at her.
"I love you, hubby," she said.
Just as she was about to vanish, Junho whispered, "I love you too, wifey."
The cold breeze disappeared, leaving behind nothing but an emptiness in his heart. It was their final goodbye.