2 Am I Ugly?

June, 1996. At a forest near village Lang.

Jim looked closely at the girl sitting near the pond. She was hugging her knees tightly and crying. He swallowed. What was he supposed to do?

He couldn't leave her alone. Of course not. She must be crying because she wanted something. And his teacher had told him that he must always help those in need. So, how could he walk away?

Slowly, with light steps, he approached her.

The girl was quivering from her sobs. She looked smaller than he was, even though he himself wasn't very tall for a big boy of eight years. Silently, he knelt beside her.

"You shouldn't cry, miss," he told her awkwardly, "If you do, your heart will rip apart."

The girl looked up at him with large green eyes, still hugging her knees tightly.

"What?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

Jimmy sat beside her clumsily.

"Your heart, miss, it will rip apart."

She stared at him for a long moment, and he stared back. He figured she didn't understand.

"How?" she asked nevertheless. Jimmy frowned.

"I have a friend, her name is Mrs. Park. She told me that if you cry, your heart rips apart."

"Rips apart?"

"Yes, like… breaks into two."

The girl wiped her tears with the back of her hands.

"And then?"

Jim thought for a full minute before responding. He didn't really know.

"You die," he said though.

The girl shivered at this, looking at Jim with wide eyes. Jimmy immediately regretted his words.

"I-I don't know for sure, miss!" he began in a hurry, "I read it in a book that the heart works all day. If it breaks though… I'm guessing…"

The girl's eyes welled up again, and she looked severely unhappy, ready to cry.

Jimmy slapped himself mentally. He didn't want her to start crying again!

"But… But you shouldn't cry! Miss, if – if it doesn't rip, it would still hurt, like every time I cry, my chest hurts a lot. Then I stop, because I don't want it to rip apart."

The girl looked at him incredulously.

"You cry too?"

"Yes… sometimes, why?"

"But you're a boy."

"Boys can cry too!" Jimmy exclaimed in defence. He thoroughly disliked this logic where boys could not cry!

The girl's eyes brightened at this, and she almost smiled.

"I like you," she said.

Jimmy blushed.

They sat there awkwardly for a full minute, and then the girl turned around, hugging her knees again. She stared at her reflection in the water and then looked back at Jimmy.

"Am I ugly?" she asked. He was surprised.

She stared at her reflection fixedly.

"All the boys in my village keep saying I'm the ugliest girl in the whole world. That no one would ever marry me. You're a boy. You say. Am I ugly?"

"Is that why you were crying?"

She nodded. Jimmy couldn't help but laugh.

The girl turned around, surprised. Her eyes brightened up instantly and she was visibly happy.

"You're not lying?"

He shook his head.

"I don't lie. And if they tell you again that no one would marry you, show them this."

Jim thought for a while and put his hands in his pockets, searching for something. His hands found the small metal piece soon, and he beamed. Good thing he had taken it away from his father.

Taking out a ring, he handed it over to the girl.

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the ornament, and she looked up at Jim in awe.

"Tell them you married me."

The girl blushed furiously. Jim smirked.

And just as he was about to ask her for her name, or shake her hand, her expression changed. She stared at his wrist watch, and suddenly looked terrified.

"I've been hiding here for too long," she told him wide-eyed, "They'll kill me back at home!" And just like that, she got up and ran away.

But as she was about to turn around the corner, she looked back and waved at him, smiling and shouting a "Thank you! Goodbye!" whilst running off again.

Jim beamed.

He waved back, silently mouthing a "Bye-Bye".

He liked her smile.