Time Mansour - Chapter 36



Only Noblemtl

Episode 36 Baby Dolphin

A common residential area in Seoul.

A villa that has faded over time. Tape marks left on telephone poles like regret. Street trees that bloom using cigarette butts as fertilizer.

Seongtae and I naturally seep into the alley.

Bend your back slightly and climb the shallow hill.

Step by step like that. Going up the slope.

Bam.

When Seongtae, who was walking ahead, stopped.

I also follow suit and stop there.

“Are you here?”

When I raise my head.

A five-story, pure white building comes into view.

The exterior looks neat.

It blends well with the detached house and villa without any sense of incongruity.

-Haenaemjari (Residence facility for disabled infants and toddlers)

Looking at the intercom under the nameplate.

While hesitating for a moment.

Ding dong.

Seongtae reached out first. He covered the button with his palm.

“who are you.”

“I got a call from our monk Su-gyeong. It’s about that band.”

At Seongtae’s answer, I unconsciously turned my head and looked at him.

Another monk? It’s probably five or six more subway stops from here to Wolgye Temple. The monk has wide feet.

Instead of saying it out loud, I muttered it to myself as if reciting a Buddhist chant.

After waiting like that for a while.

Squeak.

The door opens.

“Welcome.”

The daycare teacher came out to greet us wearing an apron. The front of the apron was wet.

Hello. Seongtae and I greet each other. When I bow my head, the strap of the keyboard bag on my shoulder slips down.

From bass, electric, keyboard, and even a microphone stand. Look at all the instruments hanging from our bodies.

“Wow. What is all this?”

A daycare teacher whose eyes become wide.

Seongtae glares at the daycare teacher’s reaction. This kid didn’t ask properly. It seems there was some misunderstanding during the communication process.

Seongtae scratched his head at my resentful gaze.

“It’s very different from what I expected.”

The daycare teacher smiles awkwardly.

“Have you heard anything?”

“No. I guess I was just confused because I didn’t know much about it. I thought you were singing while playing an acoustic guitar or something.”

The daycare teacher also scratches her head, following Seongtae.

Sorry. No. You guys are here to help, so I feel more sorry.

After saying sorry three or four more times through the alley,

“Are you cold? Come in first.”

I was able to enter the building. I passed the large living room, pushed aside the laughter of children, and grabbed the office door handle.

“Please put it down here. Isn’t it heavy?”

After hearing the daycare teacher’s words, he put the instrument down in a corner.

“Oh. Right. Sorry. Excuse me. I need to talk to you.”

I apologized and immediately called Myung-gyu.

After a few beeps from the speaker.

Hello. Changseok’s voice was heard on the other end of the speaker. Ah. Oh, Myeonggyu must be driving.

“Hey, it’s me. Uh. Don’t bring the amp. Okay. Uh. Uh. Right. Just in case, bring the jambae. I can’t. This is a totally residential area. Uh. Okay. Got it.”

I’ll give you a rough idea of ​​the situation.

After telling the story to Myung-gyu, who was coming in another car, I hung up the phone.

“They haven’t all arrived yet?”

We nodded to the daycare teacher’s question.

“While you wait, would you like to meet the kids for a bit?”

Yes, that’s good. We both get up from our seats at the same time. As we walk out of the office, the lively voices of children surround us.

Residential facility for disabled infants and toddlers.

Should we call this a daycare center? It’s a similar facility. It’s a facility where disabled children who don’t have parents, or more accurately, children whose parents don’t want to raise them, live.

It is a place to stop over for a while before going for overseas adoption.

Seven years old. Or was it eight? Anyway, even as they grow older, children who still can’t be adopted are transferred to other facilities for the disabled.

I follow the daycare teacher up the stairs. I give her a brief explanation as I walk.

“I have some kids who are scheduled to go to another children’s facility next month. I wanted to do a little event for them before they leave. Thank you so much.”

While listening to the story, let’s go into the large room.

“Hello, sir.”

“Hello. Hello. Wow. Wow. Bye.”

“Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?”

Five or six children who look to be in the lower grades of elementary school look up at us.

A facility that was originally intended to house only infants and toddlers.

Systemically, it was like that, but in reality, there was no way this would work properly.

In cases where there are no spaces available at the facility for children with disabilities to which they should be transferred, even when these children are full of age, they have nowhere else to go, so they have no choice but to remain.

It’s just a common story. It’s a situation that everyone experiences in life.

Even in the case of company work, it is rare to see a case where things are done according to the established system and roles.

I met the children’s eyes with that thought.

His eyes sparkle as he looks at us.

Children who were not adopted.

Eventually, when I grow up, I’ll go to a facility for the disabled like my older sister did.

Looking into the children’s eyes made me think again.

I shook my head from side to side a couple of times for no reason.

**

Chang-seok, Myeong-gyu, and Gook-yeong. The rest of the kids arrived late.

“So what do we do now?”

All the band members gathered. They all came anyway.

I had no idea what to do.

Maybe we should just turn down the volume of the instrument? The soundproofing here seems pretty good, so let’s give it a try. I won’t be using an amp, so it shouldn’t matter.

All sorts of stories came and went.

“Still… let’s just be careful. I think it would be best to buy as much as possible.”

Everyone nodded carefully to the words I brought out.

Few residents welcomed the establishment of facilities for the disabled in their neighborhood.

You probably won’t like it anyway. There’s no need to make a fuss and cause trouble.

There are no bad people in the world. I have lived my life thinking that.

It’s just that each person’s circumstances cause them to blush.

If we all just take a step back, we can all laugh together.

Before I knew it, I was singing along to the chorus my mother used to sing often.

“Okay. Then let’s just use the jambae.”

“Well. That should be fine. Let’s say Myeong-gyu is a jambae. Let’s say Guk-yeong sings. Then what about the rest?”

There was nothing for me, Chang-seok, and Seong-tae to do.

Why don’t we all just sing a nursery rhyme or something?

If I just add some accompaniment. No. Wouldn’t that make it a little disappointing?

Sit down and rub your chin.

While I was thinking to myself, I kicked the floor with my foot for no reason.

The mat on the floor is sinking in. It can’t support the weight and is pressed down.

At that moment.

uh?

wait for a sec.

Something flashes through my mind.

Suddenly.

I remember a documentary I watched over and over again in my sister’s room.

-Dolls who want to become humans.

They originally started out in music as a band. However, due to unfavorable circumstances, they overcame their failures and transformed into a dance group.

like that.

I opened my eyes wide without realizing it.

In a solemn voice.

“Let’s dance again.”

Spit out bad breath.

All eyes were on me. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes.

Today we transform into a dance group.

therefore.

There was only one way.

Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking about? When did we dance? What the hell is that? And why is he suddenly making such a cool face? It’s disgusting. I should be dancing with my swords instead of dancing. Don’t stop me.

The criticism and finger-pointing of countless people.

Just like Red Blue did back then.

Enduring criticism and finger-pointing from fans.

“You crazy bastard. What the hell are you talking about? Speak clearly.”

I get up from my seat.

I got up with difficulty.

**

“No, that’s not it. Move your hands like this.”

Five dark-skinned men with their faces buried in their cell phones.

Watch the baby dolphin video. Follow the rhythm.

I’m just flailing around in the air, watching a few of those famous nursery rhyme videos.

I don’t dance, I swim. No. I swim.

Thirty five.

It’s a perfect age for singing nursery rhymes and following the rhythm.

They repeat awkward body movements and quickly memorize the rhythm. Seongtae claps his hands to keep the rhythm. Myeonggyu adds the beat with his jamb.

“Baby dolphin. Dooroo. Dooroo.”

At first, I was embarrassed and hesitated to move my body.

After singing along a few times, I think I gained confidence and started acting cute as if I was competing with each other.

To be honest, it was a bit shabby.

While I think that way, on the other hand, I find it quite funny.

I thought the kids would have fun.

**

A song flows out of the phone speaker.

Myeonggyu struck the jambae to the accompaniment.

-Baby dolphin. Doo doo doo doo.

I spread my palms and make a cute expression. I can’t remember, but I try to recall the cute times.

-Dolphin to the right. Dolphin to the left. Door. Door.

They turn their bodies in a rhythmic manner. When we turn left, the children turn right, or they just jump up and down without paying attention.

-Dolphin around the corner. Baby dolphin. Door. Door.

The daycare teachers who were watching also hum along.

The lips part and then come back together.

-Cute baby dolphin. Dolphins go round and round.

Everyone raises both hands above their heads to make a heart shape. They spin around in that position.

A crushed heart. A square heart. A heart with open hands. What should I say? A heart that cannot be described in words.

Beautiful hearts of all kinds bloom above the children’s heads.

**

“Thank you so much.”

It was so much fun. All the daycare teachers came and bowed their heads.

Instead of handing out the gifts you brought to the children.

“No, I’m glad the kids like it.”

We got up and said hello.

I’m having a quick chat with the daycare teachers.

“No. No. Put it on.”

“No. That’s not it. That’s not it.”

In the meantime, children push and pull each other with gifts.

He smiles awkwardly, his lips forming a faint smile.

Should I stop that? Should I stop? I don’t know, so we just look at each other’s faces.

“Everyone, stop. Stop.”

The daycare teacher comes and rips it off.

Children still smiling, hanging on to their daycare teachers’ hands.

I have no idea what he’s thinking.

We had no choice but to laugh along.

**

After finishing a performance that was hardly a performance at all.

Return home and close the door.

I sat down in front of the computer for the first time in a while to try dissecting a program.

The mouse just doesn’t fit in my hand.

Happy memories quickly evaporate.

Every time, only unfair memories remain in my heart and pile up.

so.

Before it disappears forever, I take a moment to look back on today’s memories.

As I was thinking back, I began to recall memories that started with the sound of children’s laughter.

My mother’s voice. The face of the head teacher from my daycare days. My sister’s smile. Even my school days when we laughed and chatted.

Vague memories come to mind and then quickly disappear again.

I kept fiddling with the mouse and thinking about other things.

‘On days like today, I can’t concentrate.’

I pull the blanket up to my chin with a useless excuse. Before I know it, my body is lying on the bed.

With my eyes closed, I found myself humming the baby dolphin song without realizing it.