CHAPTER 1
"Ouch!" screamed Jayu as he fell out of his bed. The scent of mildew filled his nostrils as he recovered from his fall. Jayu got up and looked out the window to see a jet-black sky arrayed with a vast number of stars. What time is it? he thought. He glanced over at his alarm clock and saw that it was one o'clock in the morning. Jayu, still fatigued, dragged himself back to his bed. The rest of the night was awful; he constantly tossed and turned in bed and got a headache from lack of sleep. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon when Jayu finally went into a deep sleep. Only to be awakened ten minutes later by loud screaming.
"Jayu! Are you up? Come on, let's go to the port!" bellowed the voice.
Jayu sprang from his bed, went to the window, and ripped the blinds forcefully, only to be met by a bright and cheerful face.
"Time to get up, sleepyhead!" exclaimed the voice.
"Chungseong, do you know what time it is!?" shouted Jayu.
"Time to go to the port!" Chungseong said elatedly.
"Ugh! Fine, but I don't understand why you like to go the port anyway. All we do is sit there and watch a seemingly endless supply of boats sail past us. What a waste of time."
"How many times do I have to tell you!? They are not boats. They are warships, and it's fun to name the different parts of the boat. I'll be waiting for you out here."
"Huh, okay, here I come."
Jayu hastily put on his clothes and ran out his door. We should be back before my parents wake up, he reasoned. As long as I do not allow Chungseong to get carried away and attempt to name every part of each boat in sight. When they arrived at the port, they sat on the ledge and gazed at the ocean.
Chungseong took a deep breath and smirked as he said, "Look how gorgeous this scenery is right now. The rays from the sun are glimmering in the crystal blue water. I always like to think that the sun and the ocean are best friends. They complement each other perfectly and amaze those watching the scene. Just like a close human friendship, don't ya think?"
"Yeah, yeah," Jayu whispered sarcastically.
"Not only that, but look at how vast the ocean is. It looks like it could stretch for miles on end."
Chungseong's comment caught Jayu's attention. He began to think of the destinations beyond their sight, out in the ocean blue. The supposed land of liberty is out there ... America, thought Jayu. Jayu began to speak.
"Hey, Chungseong, have you ever heard much about America?"
"No, not really. All I know is that its citizens have freedoms which we cannot even dream of."
"Does that thought ever make you want to leave North Korea?"
Chungseong boomed in a loud voice, "Oh God, no! I cannot believe my ears! North Korea is the greatest country in the world! Petty America cannot compare with our grandiosity! Of course, we can get better, and that is what I'm determined to assist with when I'm an adult! I could never turn my back on my native land!"
"Hey! Keep it down! Do you want somebody to hear us!? You'll have us imprisoned if you keep yelling like that!" Jayu whispered in a harsh tone.
"Well, I was just appalled by you actually thinking of leaving North Korea one day!"
"Look, I never said I wanted to leave. It was just a thought."
"Hmph!"
"Look, let's go home. I've seen my fair share of boats and so have you. Plus, I have to get home before my parents wake up. I can't afford to get in trouble."
They walked at a brisk pace back to their houses.
"Do you want to meet for lunch later on?" Jayu asked.
"Sure, how about twelve thirty?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay! I'll come by your house then, and we can walk together."
"Sounds like a plan."
When Jayu arrived back home he could hear water running and knew his parents were getting dressed. He lay in his bed and drifted off into a deep sleep. Jayu was abruptly awakened by a knock on the door. He stumbled toward the door and opened it to see Chungseong, grinning widely.
"Ready to go eat?" asked Chungseong.
"Yeah, let me just get my wallet" Jayu stated.
Jayu got his wallet off his dresser and walked out his door with Chungseong.
"By the way, where are your parents?" Chungseong inquired.
"I believe they told me a few days ago that they would be going shopping today. We both know how they both love shopping."
"Yeah, my parents are quite boring actually. They are always uptight and serious about everything. Sometimes I just want to ask them why."
"Yeah, I've always wondered where you got your outgoing and playful personality from."
"You know, we are not confined to only possess the same attributes, skills, and knowledge that our parents have, right?"
"That is certainly not true, Chungseong. In fact, you would have no knowledge of America or other countries if it weren't for me."
"Nobody our age has the knowledge of other countries that you do! All we're taught is that they are the enemy and we are the greatest of all the countries, which I firmly believe. You, on the other hand, allowed your uncle and cousins to poison your mind about how America is the land of the free!"
"If you only knew," Jayu sneered.
They continued talking until they reached the restaurant, their favorite hangout called Joh-Eun Eumsig. While they were eating Jayu stared at the statue of the Supreme Leader, Mujabihan, and remembered seeing the chilling images of the execution he witnessed while coming home from school one day last week. Jayu inferred that the condemned had to be political prisoners who committed a heinous crime such as treason in order for the Supreme Leader to execute them himself, by sawing. Jayu quickly dispelled those images from his mind and finished his food. Chungseong, on the other hand, ate two more plates of food.
"I'll pay for it," Chungseong declared.
"No, no, it's okay. I have money," Jayu insisted.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
Despite Jayu's reluctance, Chungseong paid for the lunch, and they walked home together. They started talking about their schoolwork, which Jayu was always up to date with.
"Did you finally do at least a portion of your homework?" Jayu questioned.
"Of course not. Our teachers don't even check our homework, so why do it?"
"Homework is necessary in order to fully comprehend what we are learning. Don't you care about your grades?"
"Never have, never will. Our grades rely on our tests. I can be very resourceful when it comes to taking tests." Chungseong smirked.
They continued their conversation until they reached their houses; then they said they good-byes. Jayu walked into his house to see his mom and dad sitting at a desk reading a letter. Their full attention was on the letter, which most likely meant that it was from his uncle and cousins.
"What's the letter about this time?" Jayu asked.
His parents looked up at him and smiled.
Jayu's mom replied, "This time it's about the amount of opportunity found in America. My brother talks about how he went to a local businessman's speech who talked about how he grew up in poverty and came from nothing. He worked hard, graduated college, and created a flourishing business. These are things that we cannot even dream of here."
Jayu's father added, "While we are on the subject, we really need to discuss a timetable for our escape to America. It won't be long before you are out of school and have to make a choice...
