CHAPTER 20 — The Last Journey Is the Beginning of Life

One day before Dalmi steps into the British high-performance sports car that has been voted the most beautiful car at the 2021 International Automobile Festival...

Juyeon's luxury Mercedes AMG G 63 car was parked in the vehicle parking area at the funeral home, after previously the car sped away from the courtyard of Jinsang Hospital. Now, Juyeon and Dalmi have returned to the funeral home and brought the results of Dalmi's medical examination to be handed over to her siblings.

However, when Dalmi was about to hand over the results of her medical examination to Zhuyang, Yinjun, and Changyi, she had already seen the worried expressions on her siblings' faces. "Dalmi, how the results of your medical examination? You're fine, right?" Zhuyang asked with impatience churning his heart.

Dalmi was silent for a few moments. The response she gave of course made Zhuyang, Yinjun, Changyi, Kim Seok, Seoyul, and Jiyoung worry even more. "Why are you just silent like this, Dalmi Noona?! Tell us quickly, how the results of the medical tests you've taken?" Yinjun chimed in.

"Huhhhhh..." Dalmi let out a long and heavy breath before she answered the curiosity and worry of her siblings, Kim Seok, Seoyul, and Jiyoung who had been waiting for her. "It can't be known for sure because we still have to wait for the results of the spinal cord test that I just did," answered Dalmi.

"What do you mean?! You had a spinal cord test?! Why did you have to do it?!" Zhuyang looked Dalmi firmly right in the eyes.

"Actually Dalmi was diagnosed with cancer of the blood-forming tissue including the spinal cord," said Juyeon. Juyeon's words instantly made the brothers Dalmi, Kim Seok, Seoyul, and Jiyoung like being struck by lightning when heavy rains came in winter.

"Leukemia?" Jiyoung asked with an expression of disbelief.

Dalmi looked at Jiyoung and then smiled mischievously at her. "Hey, keep calm! That's just the initial diagnosis. There is still a spinal cord test that will be the final decision. Just pray, hopefully the results are okay," Dalmi answered very clearly. From her speech, it was seen that Dalmi was trying to calm her siblings and friends. This girl tried to make the people who were by her side at that time believe in the understanding she gave.

"Then when can we find out the results of the spinal cord test you did today?" Zhuyang asked Dalmi with teary eyes.

"Tomorrow," answered Dalmi. "But I'm going to the hospital to get the test results after Mom and Dad's cremation is over the day after tomorrow. Please don't ask why, because right now I just want to focus on Mom and Dad's funeral. I just want to give all my attention to them, before I will be busy taking care of myself," She asked.

Zhuyang, Yinjun, and Changyi took their breath away. They know very well who Dalmi is. She is a pretty stubborn girl. Therefore, they will not stop Dalmi from doing what she wants. Instead, they will support Dalmi and her decision. Because the thing Dalmi wants is not wrong. Dalmi just wanted to focus her attention on Yoora and Jingmi one last time, before she focused on her health.

"I won't stop you. You can do whatever you want. Focusing on Mom and Dad's funeral ceremony is also not something that can be considered wrong." Zhuyang said with his big and wise heart. "I'm doing this because I don't want to regret forbidding you to do what you really want to do. I know your life clock is still running backwards. That's why I will try to always fulfill everything you want." Zhuyang said from within his heart.

Dalmi smiled at Zhuyang. "Thank you, Zhuyang Oppa," she said. After that, Dalmi and Zhuyang shared a hug.

"God... You hold time in Your hands and see it all, from beginning to end. Please take care and carry these precious people in their sorrow and loss. Cover them with the wings of Your great love. Give them rest. on their weary hearts and their minds to sleep soundly. God, lift up their eyes that they may glimpse eternity, and be comforted by Your promise of heaven. I ask all this in Your precious Name," said someone from within his heart as he watched Dalmi and Zhuyang who were embracing.

"Dalmi Noona." Yinjun called Dalmi after Dalmi and Zhuyang finished their need. "Don't worry and fear because God will always do all things for your good. All our pains, our frustrations, and our broken hearts. Somehow and in some way, God will surely use all the broken parts of us to create beautiful works ." Yinjun's words managed to make Dalmi smile. She even nodded her head too.

"Look! Even now, no matter how broken we feel, we are all still so strong. I also believe, there is something to be said about how we pull ourselves together and keep moving, even though we feel like breaking. So, we must not stop. Because now is a time of healing for us. As Dad once said, no matter how we are, no matter how broken our hearts are, we just need to keep going," replied Dalmi.

What Jingmi had told to his children while he was alive, was absolutely true. For Jingmi, feelings of sadness and a broken heart are the beginning of something not the end of something. A person can heal from a broken heart and rebuild themselves into something better. One could rise from the ashes like a Phoenix Bird and start their life over again. According to this father of four children, the world is a place to rise up. While heartbreak and sadness are the starting point of recovery, not the end of hope.

"Dalmi, don't worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Tell God all the things you need, and thank God for all that God has done for you. I believe, after that, you will experience God's peace. which is beyond anything we can comprehend. God's peace will guard your heart and mind as long as you live," whispered Jingmi from his place. Even though Jingmi has passed away, he will never stop giving his best support to his children. Whatever Jingmi would do even from a place so far away and unseen.

Seeing Dalmi have to swallow another bitter pill, made Changyi's heart sting. Since Dalmi's return to the funeral home to inform of her health condition, Changyi has been silent and watched her three siblings talk to each other. It's not that there's nothing Changyi wants to say, but it's certain that he won't be able to hold back his tears when he talks to Dalmi — the greatest woman in his life after his mother.

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Time goes on and the days change. Some people have finally arrived at their final journey. If it could be described, then the situation from that last trip was the same as, there was a train at a station with seats reserved only for some people who was excited about their destination.

As the saying goes, they once heard, that the purpose of the journey is the same as the day of liberation. They will be free from the trials, tribulations, pain, and stress that they breathes. All those feelings would not exist if they got off the train and left with only the happiness they believed in.

That's the picture from Jingmi and Yoora's last trip. On the third day of their three-day funeral ceremony, to accommodate guests who had come from afar, guests continued to come to the funeral home to pay their last respects and offer their condolences to Zhuyang, Dalmi, Yinjun, and Changyi.

Jingmi and Yoora's funeral ceremony was held for three days, starting from the day after the day of death. The first and second days were spent burying the bodies of Jingmi and Yoora, then paying their last respects to them. And on the last day, which is the third day of the funeral ceremony, Jingmi and Yoora will be used to cremate their bodies.

Although there are still mourners who come to the funeral home, but on the last day or funeral at that time, not many mourners were present at the funeral home. This is because Jingmi and Yoora's funeral was only held with a small ceremony and took place for close family only.

After that, the bodies of Jingmi and Yoora were taken to the crematorium. It used to be more popular to bury the body, but recently, especially in cities, cremation is becoming more and more popular among South Koreans. Likewise with Zhuyang and the extended family of his late parents. They chose to cremate the bodies of Jingmi and Yoora.

Cremation was chosen by them because besides being cheaper and not requiring much preparation, cremation is also more popular in Korea, which does not have a large enough land to open a public burial place. So the Korean cemetery is a special building that is intended to store the ashes of the dead or a memorial wall for the family who has died.

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"The day I understand everything is the day I stop trying to figure it all out. The day I finally know peace is the day I let go of Mom and Dad. The day I say goodbye to Mom and Dad then let you go." Dalmi said tearfully as she stared at the urn — an urn that holds the cremated remains of her late parents.

"Dalmi, you know what, farewell is only for those who love with their eyes. Farewell does not apply to us. Why? Because we love with our hearts and souls. And there is no such thing as farewell between us because all this time we have always love each other with our hearts and souls." Yoora said firmly from her place, accompanied by a friendly smile.

"Death changes everything!" said Zhuyang after Dalmi finished speaking. "Some people say that we can give time so time can work for us. But time doesn't change anything. In fact, I still miss Mom and Dad's voices shine in my life. Time doesn't change anything because I miss Mom and Dad today, just like the first day Mom and Dad left." Zhuyang added with his stuttering speech as he stared at Jingmi and Yoora's urn.

"Zhuyang, what makes you look weak like this?! Mom and dad are still here," Jingmi said from where he was too. "Just because you can't see us doesn't mean we don't exist. And just because we're in Heaven doesn't mean we won't care about you anymore." Jingmi whispered in Zhuyang's heart. "We always see you crying because you often call us here. We want to hug you tight, we want to ease your pain. It's easy for us because we know that Heaven is real if you know the truth, how much better you feel. One day we will meet again. But only when the time is right." Jingmi hugged Zhuyang with his wings.

It wasn't only Zhuyang and Dalmi who looked at their parents with grief, but also Yinjun and Changyi. They cried and hugged tightly while looking at the urn. "Mom, Dad, there's a feeling that Changyi and I really want Mom and Dad without any age limit, no time limit, and no distance limit." Yinjun chimed in as he continued to hug Changyi tightly.

"But that's just our wish. We can do nothing but pray for Mom and Dad," Changyi said in a hoarse voice as she spoke while crying.

"Yinjun, Changyi... When Mom and Dad are gone, please forget that we ever frowned at you and please always remember our smiles. Forget the harsh words we've said, and remember some of the good things we've done during this time. Please forget that we ever hurt you, and remember that we had a lot of fun with you. Please forget that we stumbled and made mistakes until we fell. Remember that we fought through many hard battles and won. Towards the close of the day. Please forget your sorrows. Mom and Dad will never let you be sad for a day. In this winter, please collect flowers and remember the place where we lay. Come in the afternoon when the sun paints the sky in the west. Stand beside Mom and Dad for a while. And remember only the best." Yoora replied before Yinjun, Changyi, Zhuyang, and Dalmi left the Columbarium — the ashes house where Jingmi and Yoora's ashes had been cremated.

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