SING ME A SONG - CHAPTER 23&24
***
“I already know you can’t sing, Lonnie. You lost your voice in singing” Lani said and Lonnie staggered backwards, looking at her with wide open eyes, and balls of tears falls down from his eyes.
“How… how did you know? I… I… don’t remember telling you about it” He stuttered.
“Were you even planning on telling me? I found out two days ago” Lani replied.
“Two days ago?” He asked and Lani nodded.
•FLASHBACK, TWO DAYS AGO•
Lani entered Lonnie’s house, cuz he didn’t actually lock the door like he normally does.
“Lonnie, I am here!”
“Just a few minutes, Lani” He answered from the kitchen.
Lani smiled and began walking around the sitting room until her eyes spotted some few papers on the dining table.
She looked at the kitchen door and when he wasn’t making an attempt to come out, she went over to the table.
“I wonder what this is? Is this his new song?”
Lani’s eyes widen when she read through the lines of the papers.
“He is unable to sing? Was it caused by the accident? Is that why he always avoids singing for me?” She muffled as tears falls down from her eyes.
“Lani” Lonnie called her from the kitchen.
Lani quickly clean the tears in her eyes and dropped the papers. When Lonnie came out from the kitchen, she was already standing in the living room’s door.
“You should have just sat down instead of standing” He said, but Lani said no words to him.
“Lani, is everything okay with you?”
“Yes, yes… I am fine. I forgot I had something to do at home, I will be going home” She said to him and quickly left his house.
She went inside her room and began to cry.
“Lonnie. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have always insisted you sing for me. Lonnie!!” She called out his name, crying painfully.
Looking at her, you’d think she was the one who lost her voice in singing.
She knew it must have been a sad news for him and that’s why she was crying on his behalf.
•FLASHBACK ENDS, PRESENT DAY•
Lonnie sniffled and quickly turned his back on Lani, feeling ashamed.
“Why didn’t you tell me since then?” He asked.
“Because I was waiting for you to come clean with me. When you said you were going to train my friends and I for the audition, I was kinda shocked. I thought you’d tell us your main reason for leaving your group, but I was wrong, cuz you’re still hiding in your dark shell”
“Just go home Lani. I can’t look at you right now. Your idol is already useless”
“Stop saying that!”
Lonnie turned to look at her when he heard her sniffling. “Don’t cry because of me. A useless idol like me is…
Lonnie is cut short because Lani hugged him. Since he was taller than her, her head rest perfectly on his chest
“Lani” He tried loosening her arms from his waist, but Lani hugged him tightly.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about Lonnie. You didn’t wish to lose your voice in singing, so don’t punish yourself because of it. Even if you are no longer an idol or you no longer have your golden voice, I am still your number one fan. I will always be rooting for you… always”
Lonnie blinked by his tears and hugged her back.
“Thanks you so much, Lani”
“Don’t ever lie to me again, okay. Wh@??ver it is, I’m never going to h@?? you, alright”
Lonnie nodded his head, pulling her more closer to a hug, even if there weren’t an inch of space between them.
Both stood for minutes hugging each other and not saying a word.
***
“There’s a way I can teach train you and your friends without singing?” He asked some minutes later and Lani nodded with a smile.
“How?”
“You wrote the song, so it means you already know what kind of tunes you want from it, right?”
Lonnie looked at her and nodded.
“Good. Can you play a piano or a guitar?”
“Yes I do. I know how to play a piano and a guitar, but I’m more good at playing the piano”
“Do you have one with you?”
“When I left Seoul, I didn’t come with any of my musical instruments”
“Then let’s get one for you, that way you can also see what the countryside is like”
“I can’t go out Lani, if people see my face, it’s going to be chaotic”
“I wasn’t planning on letting the world know I have you all to myself. I will be right back”
“Where are you going?”
“Just give me a moment” She said and ran out of the house, Lonnie smiled.
Lani came back to his house few seconds later and handle him a nose mask.
“A nose mask?”
“Yeah. That way people can’t tell it’s you. But if I was the one, I’d know it’s you, cuz I know everything about you, including your favorite food, h@??d food, your allergies, and even your favorite color. You are afraid of cats and prefer dogs, your favorite weather is winter. You are also afraid of heights, but enjoy swimming a lot. You prefer wearing big clothes to fitted clothes, and lastly you are the only member in your group that can’t throw a punch”
Lonnie smiled and wrapped his around her waist. “You know so much about me”
“Yes I do. I have been your fan since the day you debuted. The other members were good at what they do, but you were the only one who caught my attention, and I became focused in knowing everything about you”
“I also want to know more about you… no, I want to know everything about you from your likes to your dislikes, everything”
“Well we share things in common”
“Are you trying to saying what I like is what you also like and dislike?”
“Hmmm, yes. But I prefer cats to dogs, and my favorite color is pink and not blue”
“Are you a Barbie?” He asked and Lani laughed.
“No, pink goes well with my cute face” She said placing her hand under her jaw.
“Yes, you are indeed cute. An irresistible cutie” He said patting her head and Lani smiled.
Lani wears the nose mask for him and use his hair to cover his eyes a little.
“Am I still recognizable?”
“To other no, but to me yes”
“Silly girl”
Lonnie brought forth his hand to hold Lani. Lani smiled and cleaned her hand with her skirt before holding hands with Lonnie.
“You didn’t have to do that. This isn’t the first time I’d be holding your hand. I held it when I woke up from coma”
“I don’t want to dirty your hand”
“Stop being crazy” He said and Lani laughed.
***
Lonnie and Lani walked together on the street holding hands and it felt like they were couples to those who were passing by.
“The air here is different from that of Seoul. It’s so natural”
“That’s because Hadong isn’t jamb-packed with lots of big buildings and companies”
“You can say that again. I guess life is more peaceful here”
“It wasn’t peaceful until you came. I won’t watch you on TV anymore, because you’re here with me”
Both smiled at each other before entering the music store. There were lots of violins, pianos, drums, guitars and other musical instruments.
“Let’s pick out the best piano for you” She said taking him to the piano section.
“I will take this one”
“No, I prefer this one”
“Your wish is my command” He winks at her and Lani laughed.
When they were done paying for the piano and heading home, Lani spotted some cats being sold and she stood looking at the beautiful little cats.
“You want one?”
“I have always wanted one, but my grandma is reluctant in buying me one. She said she rather spends her money on something else”
“Take the one you like, I will pay for it”
“Really? You will?” She asked with a smile and Lonnie nodded his head, returning the smile.
“What is his name?” He asked few minutes after he brought the cat for Lani. It was a small cat and white in color. Lonnie was standing a little bit far from Lani, cuz he is afraid of cat.
“I will call him Lonnie”
“Why will you name a cat my name?” He asked and Lani laughed.
“I was just joking. I will call him lulu. It sounds nice right?” Lani asked walking closer to him with the cat.
“Take that cat away from me”
“Say hello to him, lulu”
“Meow”
Lonnie screamed and took to his heels.
“Where are you going? lulu is just saying hi” She laughed
“Lani stop!” He said when Lani was walking towards him with the cat.
“We just want to say hi”
“Meow”
Lonnie screamed like a baby, and Lani laughed so hard.
******
•SEOUL, MARY-JANE’S MANSION•
“How long does it take to find one person!!!” Mary-Jane yelled at the private investigator.
She hired a private investigator to look for Lonnie, because she desperately needed him for her business. Her clients keep telling her they want to speak with her handsome son, and she couldn’t give them a good reason for not bringing Lonnie to them, cuz she doesn’t know where Lonnie is.
“I am doing my best to look for him”
“No! You’re not doing your best, cuz if you have, you’d have find him. Reports were made that there was no sign of him leaving the country, which means he is still in Korea. Get your thinking straight and look for my son, or I am going to hire someone else to do the job for you!”
“I will ma’ma”
“Leave my presence”
The private investigator bows to her and leaves.
“Where the heck are you, Lonnie!” She bangs her hand on the table angrily.
She got a call from Lonnie’s dad and she sighed before picking up.
“What do you want?” She asked in rage.
“Let’s meet up”
“We’re no longer a married couple, so why should I meet up with you?”
“I heard you are looking for Lonnie, give the boy a breathing space”
“What right do you have to say that? You left him when he was just five years old”
“You wanted the divorce, remember? You divorced me cuz that was your ticket to get your family’s money”
“I don’t regret doing that. We were never happy as a married couple, our silly mistake brought about our marriage”
“Lonnie isn’t a mistake!”
“He is my son and I can call him wh@??ver I want. I chose to bring him to this world, and that’s why I lost my entire inheritance from my parents. I was just given a little out from it, so Lonnie is going to continue being my ticket to riches”
“How long are you going to continue using the innocent boy? He became a K-pop star just so you can notice him, because you neglected him and chased after wealth”
“I am going to continue using Lonnie as long as I can, because he is the reason I suffered in a rat hole with you for five years. He is just paying me for bringing him to this world, cuz he won’t have existed if I had gone through with the abortion”
“Mary-Jane!!!”
“Don’t even dare raise your voice at me you good for nothing pauper! You left and got married to a foreigner a year after our divorce. You weren’t also there for him, so don’t act like you’re the perfect father, cuz you’re not! I am going to find Lonnie wherever he is and bring him back to Seoul, his mission is not over yet” Mary-Jane said and ended the call, fuming in anger.
******
•HADONG, COUNTRYSIDE OF KOREA, NIGHT•
Lani clapped his hand after Lonnie was done playing the piano.
“Do you get a hint of how I want the tunes of the song to be?” He asked and Lonnie nodded her head and cleared her throat.
🎶 When I close my eyes
🎶 The only thing I see is you
🎶 When I open my eyes
🎶 The only thing I see is your smile
🎶 Warming my heart like it’s a heater
Lani stopped singing and looked at Lonnie. “What do you think? Did I get the tunes, right?”
“A little bit. You have a nice voice, you just need a little bit training. It’d have been easier if I could sing like I used to”
“Don’t worry Lonnie. I’m going to use my magical powers to get your voice back, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo” She said, and Lonnie laughed.
“You must be a fan of Disney, right?”
“Yes I am”
“No wonder you behave like cartoon, sometimes” He said and Lani frowned.
“Sorry, you don’t behave like a cartoon”
“Are you hungry? Let’s go over to my house and eat, my grandma made a nice meal before she went to the restaurant” Lani said, and before Lonnie could say no, she already took his hand and left for her house.
Lani entered the kitchen with Lonnie and the lights were dimming.
“Oh, the light is faulty again”
“Lemme help you fix it, Lani”
“Don’t worry, I will do it myself”
“Are you sure? What if you fall down?”
“I won’t. You’re the visitor here, so I should be the one doing this”
She got a chair and began fixing the light.
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”
“No I can do it. It’s simple as ABC” She said with a smile.
She raised the tip of her toes to reach out to the lamp-holder. Even if she was using a chair, her hands couldn’t get to it. She was still struggling to reach for the lamp-holder, when the chair moved out from her feet.
Lani almost landed on the floor, but Lonnie was quick to catch her and he carried her in a bridal style.
“Were you born on the day stubbornness was created? You never listen” He said with Lani still in his arms.
Lani smiled and coiled her arms around his neck. “I wasn’t afraid of falling, cuz I knew you were going to catch me” She said with a smile.
Lonnie smiled and his eyes fall on her lips, and judging from her small Lani’s lip is, he was tempted to kiss her.
With Lani still in his arms, he leaned forward to kiss her. Lani stared at him before closing her eyes to receive Lonnie’s lips on her.
Just when their lips were about meeting each, a loud scream from Eloise prevented them from kissing.
“Grandma!”
Lonnie let go of Lani the moment he held the word grandma, and she fell to the ground, wincing in pain
“How dare you come into my house and kiss my granddaughter!” She roared. She is not a fan of K-pop music, so she doesn’t know who Lonnie is.
Before Lani could explain who Lonnie is, Eloise took off her heel and threw it at Lonnie.
The heel landed on Lonnie’s forehead, and he turn around four times before fainting on the floor.
“Lonnie!!!!” Lani screamed out his name.
……
TBC