Summer evenings always
made me tired.
As usual, I was watching TV leisurely with my sister. I spread out my
limbs on the sofa casually, as I waited my mother』s call for dinner.
My mother was just the typical mother, who was nice, kind and always
kept the housework, paid attention to children』s schoolwork and usually
held conventional ideas toward life. For her, to live smoothly was the
best lifestyle ---no change, no challenge; no high, no low. Likewise,
her children were asked to know their places, not dream too much.
Unlike my mother, I prefer a changeable and colorful life. I totally
believed I was much braver than my mother, the traditional woman.
」Bang!」 My little brother slammed the door shut behind him as he entered
the living room. Sweat covered his forehead. Like all energetic
eight-year-old chaps, he loved the delights of running and sweating on
the basketball court, which made him feel powerful and man-like. But if
he still wanted to enjoy dinner with us, he would have to take a shower
first, at my parents』 command. He always followed their order; he would
go and get his clothes ready for the shower as soon as he came home.
But this day, he looked different.
「Beth,
Beth!」 He had just come from the upstairs bathroom.
「What?」 said I.
「There was something like a frog on the second floor…」 He said it as if
he were showing off something new to his fellows and was hoping to get
some surprises out of them.
「Frog?」 my sister and I couldn』t help laughing. 「Oh, sorry, but we
don』t have any interest in a… frog. Go and get your clean
clothes. Dinner is almost ready!」 said I, with some kind of sarcasm.
He turned but hesitated to walk away. Finally he stumbled upstairs. He
had to, he knew it and so did I. My parents』 demand of cleanliness was
uncontestable and this must be one of his newly-invented excuses for not
taking a shower.
One minute later he leaped down the stairs and ran in a flurry, again,
approaching me. Staring straight at me with frightened eyes, he waved
his hands and said to me, before regaining his breath: 「Come, Beth!
The frog is now flying into my room. I don』t dare to get my clothes.
Come and see, pleeeease.」 He pleaded and almost sobbed. His forehead
was still sweating.
「Ok, ok…go get the broom and dust basket. I』ll take it out,」 said I.
I felt as if I were a dogcatcher as well as a detective trying to find
out what the 「flying frog」 was. The second floor was semi-dark now,
with some strange orange light veiling the whole room. The door to my
brother』s room was there in the dark too, and, semi-opened. A 「frog」
was now staying inside the darker part of the shadow, shining its starry
eyes, staring at me, maybe.
Wondering and guessing, I got a sudden shiver. Was I afraid?
Absolutely. Only a witch could shape herself into a flying frog,
according to some distant fairy tale. And the summer night seemed like
the perfect time for witches. Moreover, here in the countryside,
animals were always busy, busy moving homes in the early evening of
midsummer, especially in the countryside. Birds were flapping their
wings, flying toward their nests across the clouds against the sunset.
Crickets were jumping, chirping here and there in the thick growth of
grass. Toads were leaping, crying with full energy behind the shadows
of the ditch. The symphony of these natural creatures had been both
pleasant and soothing, but at this moment of suspense, they only brought
up more frightful images.
Slowly and carefully, I moved my right hand to push the door a little to
see…
」Aaahhhh!!」 I shouted out. A black thing flew toward me at great speed
only to turn back just as it was about to hit me. I fell to the floor,
shivering, but stood up quickly and shut the door behind me in a hurry.
My bones turned into water. Cold sweat came up to my shaking body and
my brains went blank. I couldn』t think at that moment.
「What』s inside?」 my mother, followed by my little brother and sister,
hastened to my side with tools in hand.
「A bat!」 I sobbed.
Without remembering much detail, I saw my mom march into the room
immediately. To fight the dreadful monster, I guessed. There were
pounding noises inside as we all listened intensely. When the door
opened again, my mother appeared like Athena, holding her weapon in the
right hand and a plastic bag in the left with the captive inside.
I had always believed I was young and brave. I thought I had sufficient
courage and curiosity to explore any world of mystery. In facing a dark
room, however, I withdrew and did nothing but keep the danger behind the
closed door. As to my mother, one of those traditional women whom I
thought always depended too much on their men and without much of their
own life and courage, she, in her usual quiet style, took care of the
problem without much hassle. She may think little of these things, but
I will always remember that radiance on her face as she came out of the
room on that one summer evening. That is the kind of courage that I
would like to have one day.