Chasing Gavin
The blue-colored paper boat
The dark-haired boy held the small piece of paper in his hands, folding one corner to the other, creasing one end to meet the one next to it. His short, pale fingers slid across the blue-colored sheet, as tiny triangles and little squares slowly appeared after each fold over. He hummed a soft song under his breath, smiling blithely upon his modest work of art. Giving out a sheepish grin along with a wide beam on his face, he laid the origami masterpiece upon his hand for everyone to see.
"Oohhh..." The little boy was daunted with surprise. Taking the paper boat into his hands, he trifled it in his fingers adorning its simple splendor.
Yurin dipped his little finger into the icy water, quickly pulling his hand away because of the cold. Drawing his sandals from his small, pallid feet, he plunged them into the water, squirming and waggling them as he giggled. He drenched the dark-haired boy next to him, wetting the other boy's arms with the frozen water. Ch'ou-ren rubbed his face onto his sleeve, wiping the water off his wishy-washy cheeks.
"Cut it out, Yurin. You're getting me wet!" protested Ch'ou-ren. The boy took the paper boat from Yurin's hand and laid it charily upon the grass. The sun shone dazzlingly above the unruffled morning rime, playing hide-and-seek along with the fat cotton balls in the blue. The dewdrops formed tiny rainbows upon the tree trunks, across the stream that came rolling along the field. As the cries of the newborn canaries filled the air, the gentle wind hoisted the dried leaves into the sky, creating a tall figure of flying twigs and twirling leaves. It was one of those remarkable things that Yurin would call with any idea that will come out of his wits. Apparently, this sight colored the backdrop with the sunny shade of orange and yellow. Because of the fact that it's one of Yurin's it's-a-special-thingy matters, he called it his ginger tornado.
The two boys dabbled their hands into the running stream, quavering their fingers against the cold water. A few leaves floated along with the current, like miniature boats without masts and sails. They all came in every autumn color: red, orange, yellow, and brown, painting the ground with its crisp and brusque shades.
Ch'ou-ren shook his hands out of the stream and wiped them dry upon his red cheongsam. Both of them were sopping wet, their pants drenched in mire and water.
Standing up, Ch'ou-ren giggled. "Oh stop it now, Yurin. Gyokuran will be fuming with anger as soon as she finds out." He said, staring down at his clothes. Yurin shrugged, and carried on with his larking about, "It doesn't matter. Ch'ou-ren, what about the paper boats?"
The dark-haired boy bent down and picked up the blue paper boat from the ground. "We can let them sail tomorrow, okay?"
"Ch'ou-ren! But you promised..."
With that, a tall girl came running across the field, toddling towards the two of them. She wore a pair of braids, tied neatly with long, cherry bows. In her arms, she carried a small, white bundle of soft and wooly rags. Sauntering closer to Yurin and Ch'ou-ren, she whined, "I've been searching the whole of China trying to find the two of you!"
Ch'ou-ren nodded and Yurin chuckled, "It's Ch'ou-ren! He promised to come with me to sail my paper boats!"
"The whole of China, ne? I told him the story of the emperor...you know, that one with the blue-colored paper boats. Yurin found it rather amusing, you see. So he wanted to pretend that he was the emperor's son, sailing the paper boats along the stream," said Ch'ou-ren. "He's been nagging yesterday...he did, all the time."
"I did not!" protested Yurin, folding his arms upon his chest.
"Okay, okay, you didn't, alright?"
Yurin meddled with Ch'ou-ren under the soft, white blankets. The two of them made a tent out of the large, thin sheets of cloth, topping everything off with a small lamp hidden away under the beddings. Small shadows came prancing about upon the rough, white walls, sketchily rolling and tumbling about like newborn bunnies. Two pairs of little hands trifled with each other, forming amusing shapes of animals through the shadows on the walls and ceiling.
"Dog!" said Ch'ou-ren.
"Bird!" Yurin gleefully answered.
"Bunny!" said Ch'ou-ren.
"Umm, cow?" retorted Yurin.
Ch'ou-ren, raising one hand into the air, pretended to create a boat out of his fingers.
"Float, blue paper boat! Swim into the ocean!"
"Ch'ou-ren," called Yurin. "What happened next...in the story of prince Ngu-yen?"
The older boy stopped and settled down. "Prince Ngu-yen?"
"Of the blue-colored paper boats!"
"You find that story really interesting, ne?" said Ch'ou-ren, bringing out the paper boat from his pocket. He laid the small boat upon the futon and pushed it around like it was the real thing. "Where were we then?"
"Prince Ngu-yen! Prince Ngu-yen!"
A plump lady in a white apron came sauntering all over the palace looking for the little prince. She held a tall glass of fresh milk in her hand, and a small bag of biscuits in other. A line of maids-in-waiting followed her from behind, hoping to catch a glimpse of the missing prince. "Prince Ngu-yen!"
They searched the palace, in and out, yet the prince was nowhere to be found. The round lady has started to feel weary and anxious because of that matter. It's been an hour since they have begun looking for him, and the sun has started to set already.
The maids-in-waiting shouted with all their might, "Prince Ngu-yeeeen! Prince Ngu-yeeeeen!"
Out of the bushes in the palace garden came out a small head, wearing a small, red hat with bright, yellow stones. The little head wore a brilliant smile upon his lips, and a blissful look glittered upon his small eyes. As he shoved the branches of the bushes aside, he tried to take a glance at the ladies nearly going ballistic while looking for him. With a big beam upon his features, he tittered, "Li-chan! Li-chan! Look at my paper boat. Isn't it lovely?"
The plump woman looked over her shoulder and saw Ngu-yen toddling towards her. She waved her hand and motioned him to stop. "Master Ngu-yen! Please stop running! You might hurt yourself!"
But the hardheaded, little prince carried on, waving his paper boat in the air. "Blue paper boat! Blue paper boat!"
The throng of maids-in-waiting rushed to little prince's side and checked him if he was all right. They brushed the dust off his pants and his red cheongsam, both covered with dust and somewhat drenched in wintry, stream water. The plump woman, Li-chan, approached his side and knelt beside him. Her eyes were wet with tears, as she held Prince Ngu-yen.
"Prince Ngu-yen, Lord Ryuen has been waiting for you. Where have you been, master?"
Little black eyes stared down awkwardly at the fraught woman, staggered to see her treat him that way. Subsequently, Ngu-yen burst into laughter. The maids-in-waiting glared at chortling Ngu-yen, wondering why he started giggling surprisingly.
"Oh Li-chan!" said Ngu-yen, putting his pale hands upon Li-chan's wet cheeks. "It's Chuei, he made me these blue-colored paper boats to sail along the stream."
Li-chan looked at Ngu-yen as a faint smile rose upon her lips. Standing up, she took the young prince into her arms and carried him back inside the palace. The sun was setting behind them, wrapping the blue with the warm blanket of orange and burgundy. The sun hid behind the purple-headed mountains, as the red merged with the indigo and blue in the mountain slopes and the hilltops. Ngu-yen hoisted his arm in the air, trying to reach the lone firefly above him. Li-chan smirked, called the maid behind her, and motioned her to catch the glowing insect for Prince Ngu-yen.
The little prince, awed by the handsome blaze of the firefly, kept the tiny creature in his hands all the way to the palace. He reserved the warmth inside his fingers, trying to keep the poor insect from flying.
