Chapter 104 (2) - The Mysterious Art Museum
A five-year-old should know about museums. Ah, maybe she has never been to one, being from the countryside.
Oh, a place for viewing paintings. Remember we went into the forest together and entered a building after buying tickets?
Oh, yeah.
Was this originally here?
Lea tilts her head then shakes it.
No, there was just a building here before. Nothing inside.
Just as I thought, the museum followed me. Then what happened to the museum in Jongno? Ah, what is going on?
Just then, another carriage passed by.
A large carriage pulled by four horses, larger than a grown man. Lea, seeing horses for the first time, clapped her hands in amazement.
Horses, horses!
She must be seeing them for the first time. Yes, everything is fascinating at that age.
I envy her, all curiosity and no fear.
I asked Lea, clapping her hands in delight.
Lea, can you stay alone for a bit without Mom?
At this age, a child might have separation anxiety.
When I was this age, Dad, as always, went out fishing, and Mom said she was taking my brother to the hospital and gave me five hundred won, saying,
Jung-hoon, can you stay alone for a bit? Our second child is brave.
Yes! I can do it!
I proudly showed how grown up I was. Mom warmly smiled and patted my head.
Okay, our second child. If you stay well at home, Mom will give you another five hundred won when she returns.
Really? Great! I can do it!
I was confident then.
Even when Mom left with my brother and I was alone at home, it was the same.
But I broke into tears in less than thirty minutes. Even in the house where I lived every day, everything was scary without Mom and my brother. It seemed like someone might enter from outside, and something seemed to be watching me from the dark bathroom.
Eventually, I hid in the closet until my mom came back, and when she did, I burst into tears.
She held me warmly, comforting me. Although I couldn't keep my promise, she gave me 500 won.
Looking at Lea's beautiful eyes, I was reminded of the past. Lea asked me, as if puzzled, "I usually play alone and go home when it's time for dinner?"
".."
Is this normal for country kids?
Are there parents who let a five-year-old play alone?
I lived in the countryside when I was young but moved to the city too early to remember, so I don't know much about the life of people here. Anyway, it's good that she's okay without her mom.
Medieval France as seen in a dream.
On another occasion, I would have quickly sought out a painter for something to see. But falling into a dream for the first time with someone else, especially a child who couldn't communicate before but now can, makes me feel curious and keeps prompting me to start conversations.
"Leah."
"Hmm?"
"How many people live in the village?"
"I don't know."
Ah, a five-year-old wouldn't know that.
While I was pondering how to ask, Lea quietly said, "The villagers are in the east right now."
Eh?
"What do you mean?"
Lea gestures and says, "A big factory has come to the east, and theyve gone to work there. They come back late at night."
'Ah.'
I see. The village of 900 people seemed deserted because Monica had mobilized them for factory construction.
They all joined the construction to earn money, since there were no other means of livelihood.
The factory was a few kilometers from the village, so they worked late and returned home late at night.
Ha, its so much easier when you can communicate.
"Lea, how old are you?"
Lea holds up six fingers.
Ah, not five, but six years old.
No wonder she speaks so well for her age.
But shes quite small for six years old.
She needs to eat well to grow taller later.
"How old is your brother?"
"Ten."
A four-year age difference.
"What's your brother's name?"
"Vittorio."
"Oh~? Do you like your mom and dad?"
"Yeah! I like them the most!"
Thank goodness she has good parents, like an angelic baby.
Then, with a serious expression, Lea said, "But I don't like oppa."
"Why?"
"Because he doesn't play with me."
"Haha."
Boys and girls play differently. From Vittorio's perspective, playing with Lea might not be fun. Hes only ten, what can you expect?
Right at that moment, Lea's head suddenly turned, and she closed her eyes tightly and leaned against me.
"Ah!"
Instinctively, I hugged Lea and turned my body to assess the situation. And I could see a man passing through us like water, climbing the stairs.
"Phew, that startled me."
Yeah, when I first went to Paris, Sarah Bernard's manager passed through me like this. It must be quite surprising for Lea, experiencing something like this for the first time.
"Lea? It's okay, it's okay."
Lea feels someone passing through her and opens her mouth in astonishment. First, I need to calm the child down.
"It's okay; we're dreaming right now. It's okay in dreams even if it hurts a bit."
Lea opens her mouth wide and points to a man climbing the stairs, unlocking the door with a key.
"Is that uncle in the dream too?"
"Well, of course..."
I stopped talking as I looked at the back of the man Lea was pointing at. It was because I recognized the face of the man who, after unlocking the door, glanced around.
Claude Monet. It's his face from his younger days, as seen in a portrait.
Of all the places, the house where I brought Lea happened to be in front of Monet's house from his youth.
After quickly checking the surroundings, I saw Monet entering his house and hastily said, "Lea! Quickly, hug the uncle!"
I grabbed Lea like lightning and pushed my way into his house before the door closed.
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