What Happened to Enos'
Little Girl?
by KayCee1951
Part One
Mount Jiri, South Korea
Theme Song:
You Are the Reason
by Calum Scott, Singer/Songwriter
Chapter Six
Pickled Scuppernongs and Other Secrets
Still August 4, 2022
The noon meal at Temple Shangri-La came sooner than Esme had expected or wanted. Kim Min-jun had begun work on the pond by measuring the width and length of the coping stones. To Esme, it seemed more like busy work to give her some space, and time to decide. Or did he know she had changed her mind?
She sat in the dining hall with Father, François, the temple monks, the novice monks, and Min-jun who was sneaking glances at her, only pretending to eat. Before they left the Hanok house for the temple, he'd asked her to stay one more night…to give them both time to figure things out. She had yet to give him an answer, but she had given up the pretense of referring to him as 'the Lieutenant.'
The temple food was surprisingly good. But then, temples were known for their cuisine, especially those that hosted temple stays. Esme learned that Temple Shangri-La hosted François Lefevre and Kim Min-jun off and on for the last six or seven years but that hardly qualified as a temple stay in the strict sense of the term.
It was a few minutes after one when François approached them outside the dining hall.
"Have you decided to stay, or will I be taking you back to the village? Father has already approved the truck if you are going back––."
"I'm staying tonight, that's all I'm sure of at the moment."
Kim Min-jun tried but was unable to hide his relief.
Esme made dinner that evening. She couldn't claim to be a great cook but, according to her dad, she made a whiz-bang of a salad. Having the advantage of a small truck garden with tomatoes and fresh greens didn't hurt her chances of making the salad 'whiz-bang.'
"What was in this vinaigrette that made it taste so different?" Min-jun asked.
"Different good, or different bad?" she asked warily, daring him to give the wrong answer.
"Definitely, different good."
"That's my dad's secret ingredient. I can't tell just anybody."
"Am I?"
"Are you what?"
"Just anybody…to you?" Min-jun asked.
Their eyes met with an intensity that could power a light bulb.
"If you were, I wouldn't be standing in your kitchen right now."
They would have fallen deeper into the energy they were creating if not for the knock on the door.
François took one look at them and turned to leave as he had arrived.
"What is it, François?" Min-jun asked, then muttered as the Frenchman breached the threshold, "And make it quick."
"Je m'excuse pour l'instrusion," François said, addressing Esme. 1)
"C'est absurde François, c'est ta maison. J'ai peur d'être l'intrus. 2) And the Lieutenant is being rude. Please, come in."
"I cannot stay long. I know you said you would tell me your decision tomorrow. However, Father is concerned. He has given me permission to take you back to the village to stay or take you there to collect your belongings. It is very important that you not reveal where you have been."
"I understand the importance and wouldn't want the peace of this place to be disturbed."
"I told him you could be trusted. Well then, if you are going to stay, please don't hesitate to visit the monastery. You will not be required to wear the gray pajamas," he smiled. "Something simple and conservative will suffice."
"I didn't bring anything flashy, so I think we're good. It's too late to go back tonight, so if we could go into the village early in the morning, I would appreciate it."
"I suppose I should be going, then."
"Will you at least stay long enough for a cup of coffee? Freshly made..."
"Oui, merci."
When Esme was safely out of range, François lowered his voice and turned to Min-jun, who'd said nothing but glared at him since he arrived. "I did try to call, but there was no connection."
Min-jun held up his cell phone. "My phone was turned off."
"Risky move."
"I take calculated risks every day, mon ami."
"You do. However, those are sanctioned missions, not dereliction of duty, resulting in losing your team and your rank. You've worked hard to earn them both. I would not like to see you toss it away because of a few dr-."
François abandoned the subject when Esme returned with his coffee.
Esme psyched herself up for the cold-water shower awaiting her and considered whether she needed a bath that badly. Last night's cold water barely touched her, and she ended up taking a sponge bath…not the same thing as a full shower, preferably hot.
Min-jun didn't seem to be the tiniest bit concerned. He probably took cold showers while out in the field. That is when he could get one. She imagined him standing behind a makeshift enclosure under a 50-gallon drum and pulling a cord to simulate a shower. She could even see the goosebumps on his chest…
She gulped and hurried into the bathroom, hoping he didn't see that her face was as red as Mr. Purdy's beets. Maybe she did need that cold shower after all to shock her back to her senses.
Forty minutes later she emerged from the steaming room in the robe Min-jun lent her and upon seeing him at the coffee pot in the kitchen, threw the soaking wet washcloth at him, hitting him squarely in the back of the neck.
He snickered, "I see you had a nice shower. You don't have to thank me. I was planning on repairing the water heater today anyway, so I got up early and got it done. There wasn't as much wrong with it as-"
"Thank you? Thank you?! You let me stew for two hours anticipating that ice-cold shower and you want a thank you. You just elevated yourself back to colossal jerk." She stomped her way to her room without giving him a chance for rebuttal.
When he knocked on the door frame, she tried to ignore him, but he kept knocking.
"Esme. I'm sorry…What can I do to make it up to you?...Esmeralda, please talk to me. I thought you would be relieved enough over the hot water that you'd see the humor in it. I told you before I can be an idiot." He murmured the rest, "…especially where you're concerned." He put his forehead on the door frame and begged, "Please come out and talk to me."
On the other side of the door, Esme did see the humor in it but also knew that if she let her guard down, she might end up in his arms like they were in some cheesy movie scene. Their movie-like meet cute was already enough to feed the entire mouse population of the planet.
And he did fix the water heater.
From the other side of the door, Min-Jun heard, "Maybe colossal jerk was too harsh, so I'll nudge it down to semi-colossal jerk."
He had hoped to be returned to ordinary jerk but was relieved she hadn't elevated him to monumental jerk. "I'll take it. I'll take it," he whispered. "Goodnight, Esmeralda."
"Goodnight, Lieutenant."
Min-jun walked away, shoulders slumped and talking to himself. "Great. Now, not only am I a semi-colossal jerk, but we're also back to Lieutenant. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Idiot!"
Esme heard every word.
References and Translations:
1) "I apologize for the intrusion."
2) "Nonsense François, this is your home. I'm the intruder."