Page 7 of Perfect Happiness
Then who were these puppets?Mother’s imaginary family?When Mother was alone, had she also played with her imaginary family in this attic?What stories did she tell them?And why had she acted so scary when Jiyoo brought up the attic?
Jiyoo’s mind was whirling with questions.But she had no answers.The longer she thought, the more confused she became.It felt as if she were trespassing in Mother’s secret world.Suddenly, she thought she could hear Mother’s angry voice.
Quick, put everything back!
A loud thud came from somewhere.But Jiyoo couldn’t tell if it came from inside the house or outside.It sounded both like the front door being closed or the wind knocking something over.Jiyoo listened closely.But she couldn’t hear any sounds coming from downstairs.
Jiyoo could feel a sense of unease returning to her.She needed to go back to her room as quickly as possible.Remembering that she shouldn’t leave any traces behind, she placed the puppets back in their original positions.The mom in the mom’s seat, and the baby brother in his.But in Yuna’s seat was something strange.She hadn’t noticed it when she took the puppets out.It was a severed puppet leg.It didn’t belong to t a human puppet.The leg was covered in light-yellow fuzz and connected to a webbed foot.
A duck’s foot, Jiyoo guessed.She wondered where the rest of the duck was but decided she wouldn’t go looking for it.Nor did she have time.She sat Yuna on her chair and closed the lid to the box.She was planning on only taking Dad Puppet back to the room with her.If he were Mother’s imaginary father, perhaps he could also be Jiyoo’s imaginary father.
Jiyoo returned to her room.When she lifted her legs onto the windowsill, she realized she was in the clear.The downstairs was still silent.She felt relieved.The attic was locked again, Mother was fast asleep, the night was still young, and Jiyoo had slept plenty during the day.Not even Mother would be able to figure out what she had been up to—as long as she returned the puppet before morning.
Jiyoo put the puppet in her hand and brought it to eye level.It was so strange.In the moonlight, the puppet looked just like her real father.The glasses, the clothes, even the sneakers.She mimicked her father’s deep voice as she talked to herself:
“Jiyoo, what did you do today?”
“I read a book,” Jiyoo said in her normal voice.“It’s calledFrozen II.It’s my third time reading it.After that, I took a nap.”
“Wasn’t that what you were reading in the car?”
“Yes, that one.I do like it.But I wanted to go to the Half Moon Marsh.I wanted to know if the loons were okay.”
“Are loons your favorite?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re strange.Sometimes they howl like ghosts, and other times they scream like children.You heard them last night, didn’t you Father?”
“Strangely enough, tonight I haven’t heard them.”
He was right.Tonight, they had been silent.Jiyoo looked out the window.
“I guess they’re asleep.They must have hoarse voices after last night.”
The moon, which was hanging from the maple tree in the front yard, drifted through the sky toward the wetlands.Unlike last night, the moon wasn’t crimson in color.It was large, white, and even rounder than before.The moonlight was so bright that Jiyoo felt like she could see individual reeds in the Half Moon Marsh if she opened her eyes wide enough.The fog suspended above the field of reeds was following the movements of the wind and dancing like waves of mercury.The night was still silent and bright, but it was not boring anymore.
“Father, why did you leave?”Jiyoo finally asked the question she had been dying to ask.
“I’m sorry.Something came up.I bet you were disappointed?”
Jiyoo batted her eyes as if to say yes.
“Just a little.But, Father, are you really not coming back?”
“No.I’m coming back.What, did you forget the promise we made at the Half Moon Marsh last night?”
Jiyoo hadn’t forgotten.How could she forget that promise?Her father’s movements, his words, his expressions, his voice—from the moment he got into the car to the moment Jiyoo fell asleep, she remembered everything.
Yesterday, Mother showed up unexpectedly at Jiyoo’s school and had her dismissed early.It was just before lunch time.Seating Jiyoo in the back seat, which was not where she usually sat, Mother said something Jiyoo could hardly believe.
“We’re going to meet up with your father in a bit.”
Jiyoo was so excited she stopped breathing for a moment.Did she mean Father and not Stepfather?
“There are two secrets you must keep from your father.”
