The Ice Cream Gang

 

The Ice Cream Gang

J.T. Jefferson

 

            Welcome to Freezer Town, a wonderful community where family and friends live as neighbors who help each other become better citizens every day. In the middle of the town is the community center, where townsfood comes together for celebrations and to solve problems. On the eastside of the community center is the home of the ice cream family. They live in an ice cream box. The popsicles, the ice cream family’s next-door neighbors, live just to the south. On the westside of the community center are two more families: the vegetable sisters and their cousins, the frozen fruit. 

            In the ice cream family are four siblings: three brothers and one sister. There is Lil Fudge, a brown ice cream bar who wears glasses and has braces on his teeth. Lil Fudge is very creative, so other residents of Freezer Town often come to him for fun ideas for games and holiday activities. One of his brothers, Lil Pop, is also an ice cream bar. Lil Pop is green, and he always has a nervous look on his face. He is always the first one to ask, “Is it safe?” before trying anything new. Lil Fudge’s other brother is an ice cream cone. Lil Cone’s cone is the color of a waffle, and his head is a scoop of blueberry ice cream. Lil Cone smiles all the time, and everyone in town becomes happier when they see him. Their sister is also a cone. Lil Berry has the same cone as Lil Cone, but her ice cream scoop is strawberry. Lil Berry has thick, cherry-red lips and enjoys dolls, putting on makeup, and playing dress-up. 

            In the open space next to the ice cream family’s home live the popsicle triplets. They are each shaped like a rocket made with red, white, and blue ice. Cherry Pop has a pointy red head and a white and blue body. Lime Pop has a pointy white head with a blue and red body, and Blue-Raspberry Pop has a pointy blue head with a red and white body. The popsicles are known in Freezer Town as the life of the party. They are always the first to arrive and the last to leave any celebration.

Across town from the ice cream and popsicle families live the vegetable sisters. Sweet Corn, Crookneck Squash, and Climbing Bean are always seen together. Sweet Corn sports a coat of green leaves, and only her yellow head, filled with kernels, peeks out over her coat. Like Lil Cone, Sweet Corn is always happy. Crookneck Squash is the tallest citizen in town. Her long neck is supported by a plump, yellow, squash-shaped body. She is very shy and does not speak much, preferring to spend her days helping her sisters in their garden. Climbing Bean is the smallest member of Freezer Town. Her skinny green bean body makes it easy for her to climb, so she is often found in high places looking down at her much taller sisters.

Living next door to the vegetable sisters are the Frozen Fruit. Granny Smith Apple, Banana Split, and Peach Fuzz share a container home. Granny Smith, a green apple, never leaves the container, but the other townsfolk visit her when they need motherly advice to help them with life’s challenges. Banana Split, a ripe, yellow banana, is rarely seen. Some in town believe he is dating Crookneck Squash, but since Crookneck Squash doesn't speak much, and Banana Split is hard to find, no one really knows. Lastly, Peach Fuzz, a red and yellow peach who usually needs a shave, is the sheriff of Freezer Town. He works closely with Mayor Baking Soda. The mayor’s orange, boxy body was raised at the right side of her head, and the space where her head was raised was covered in white powder. The powder always smelled fresh, so the citizens of Freezer Town had elected her mayor to keep the town smelling pleasant.

 

***

     The ice cream box is new to Freezer Town. Before the ice cream bars and cones were placed in this community, they lived in a place where they were surrounded only by other boxes of ice cream. Popsicles, vegetables, and fruit came from foreign lands that ice cream had never visited. To welcome the newly arrived ice cream family to their town, the popsicles of Freezer Town surprised them with fireworks.

Firecrackers began exploding outside of the ice cream box. Lil Fudge opened the top of the box from the inside to see what was making those loud noises. In the space next to their home, Lil Fudge saw three popsicles dancing around a circle of rockets that were launching into the air one by one before bursting into brilliant colors.

“What is it?” Lil Pop asked. He was shaking in his bed, worried about the sounds coming from outside.

“Fireworks,” Lil Fudge said with a smile.

“I wanna see, too,” Lil Cone pleaded. “Please, please, please?”

Lil Fudge looked down from the top of the box at Lil Cone. Lil Cone smiled up at him excitedly. Lil Fudge then looked over to their sister’s bed. Lil Berry was still sleeping. She can sleep through anything, Lil Fudge thought.

“Wake Lil Berry,” Lil Fudge said to Lil Cone. “We’ll all go outside to watch the fireworks together.”

“No, no, no,” Lil Pop protested. “I’m not going outside.”

“You’ll miss the fun!” Lil Cone said. He was standing next to Lil Berry, who was still blinking the sleep from her eyes.

“What fun?” Lil Berry asked.

“The fireworks!” Lil Fudge and Lil Cone said in unison.

“Oh, goodie,” said Lil Berry. “I need to put on my lipstick first.”

“Why don’t you want to join us?” Lil Fudge asked Lil Pop.

“I have never met popsicles before. What if they’re dangerous?” Lil Pop responded.

“They’re just dancing and having fun,” Lil Fudge said. He was trying to help Lil Pop feel more comfortable.

“Nope, you guys go ahead. I’ll stay right here,” Lil Pop insisted.

“I’m ready. Let’s go,” Lil Berry urged. She was anxious to get out of their box.

***

 The popsicles stopped dancing when they saw the three ice creams standing nearby and watching them. They went over to introduce themselves. Cherry Pop looked first at Lil Fudge, then at Lil Cone and Lil Berry, who were right beside him.

“Hi. My name is Cherry Pop, and these are my brothers, Lime Pop and Blue-Raspberry Pop,” she said, nodding toward her siblings.

“Hello. My name is Lil Fudge, and this is my brother, Lil Cone, and my sister, Lil Berry,” said Lil Fudge.

“Welcome to Freezer Town!” the popsicle triplets said in unison.

“Thank you,” the ice cream siblings responded.

“I thought there were four of you,” Cherry Pop said to Lil Fudge.

“Our brother, Lil Pop, is afrai-” Lil Berry began.

“He’s not ready to come outside,” Lil Fudge interrupted.

The last firecracker went off behind the popsicles, and the popsicles and ice creams looked in the direction of its popping sound. Coming toward them was the town sheriff, Peach Fuzz.

“Who’s setting off firecrackers?” Sheriff Peach Fuzz asked the group of popsicles and ice creams.

“We’re celebrating the arrival of our new neighbors,” said Cherry Pop.

“You need permission from Mayor Baking Soda to use fireworks,” Sheriff Peach Fuzz explained.

“Will do, Sheriff,” Cherry Pop promised.

Lil Fudge then turned and asked the sheriff, “Sheriff, can I speak with you in private?”

“Sure,” Sheriff Peach Fuzz agreed.

Lil Fudge and Sheriff Peach Fuzz moved away from the group.

“Can you speak with my brother Lil Pop? He’s afraid to leave the ice cream box for fear of popsicles,” Lil Fudge explained.

“The popsicles are fun-loving triplets,” said Sheriff Peach Fuzz. “I think Granny Smith Apple can help your brother overcome his fear.”

“Where can I find her?” Lil Fudge asked. He was eager to help his brother.

“She lives with me in the container across town. I’ll tell her to expect you,” Sheriff Peach Fuzz replied.

This made Lil Fudge feel a bit better.

“Thank you, Sheriff.”

***

Lil Pop peeked outside of the ice cream box when the fireworks stopped. He saw the popsicles, and a peach, walking away from his siblings. Lil Pop cautiously left the box to find out what happened.

“Is everything okay?” Lil Pop asked Lil Fudge.

“Come with me,” Lil Fudge urged.

“Where are we going?” Lil Pop asked. He looked around nervously as he and his brother approached the container on the other side of Freezer Town.

“We’re going to visit Granny Smith Apple. She can help you feel better about living in this town,” answered Lil Fudge.

When Granny Smith Apple saw Lil Fudge and Lil Pop approaching her home, she opened the lid of her container to let them in. Cold air whirled around the stem on her head as she looked toward her neighbors’ garden. Before closing the lid, she saw the vegetable sisters working in their garden.

“Good day, youngsters. Peach Fuzz told me to expect you,” Granny Smith Apple said as Lil Fudge and Lil Pop took a seat on a couple of ice cubes.

“Good afternoon, Granny Smith Apple,” Lil Fudge replied.

Lil Pop was feeling too nervous to greet Granny Smith Apple. He didn’t make eye contact, and he tried to hide behind Lil Fudge.

“Peach Fuzz said that you’re afraid of the popsicles. Is that true?” Granny Smith Apple asked Lil Pop.

“It’s not just the popsicles,” Lil Pop admitted. “Everyone in Freezer Town is so different. In the town we left, everyone was an ice cream. Here, there are popsicles, fruit, and even mixed vegetables living right next to us.”

“Why does that frighten you?” Granny Smith Apple asked.

“Well, maybe they’ll hurt me, or worse, maybe they won’t like me,” Lil Pop responded.

“Being different doesn’t make them dangerous, Lil Pop. In fact, it might mean that they have new and wonderful things to share,” Granny Smith Apple explained.

“Really?” Lil Pop asked. He had never thought about what strangers might have to share.

“Yes. When I was a small apple still holding on to my mother’s branch, I had dozens of siblings who looked just like me. We were all the same, and as we grew, there was little for us to learn from each other. Then, something wonderful happened.”

Granny Smith Apple paused.

“What was it?” Lil Fudge asked.

“What happened?” Lil Pop echoed.

“A garden town was planted right next to my mother. There were families of rosemary, chives, oregano, basil, and more. They created miracles together,” Granny Smith Apple said, joy glowing in her eyes.

“What do you mean by miracles?” Lil Pop asked.

“When garden town citizens got together, they made one plus one equal four. They were more than twice as good together than when they were apart,” explained Granny Smith Apple.

“So together is better,” Lil Pop whispered.

“You got it!” Granny Smith Apple responded.

***

Lil Pop was no longer afraid of the different citizens in Freezer Town. Granny Smith Apple had told him to love himself first if he wanted others to like him. This advice gave Lil Pop the confidence to make new friends, so he asked Lil Fudge to join him for a visit with the vegetable sisters. Before they arrived at the sisters’ gate, their siblings, Lil Berry and Lil Cone, joined them.

“Who lives here?” Lil Berry asked.

“The vegetable sisters,” Lil Pop replied. “We’re visiting them to make new friends.”

“Yippie!” Lil Cone shouted with glee.

The gate to the vegetable sisters’ home opened before Lil Fudge could knock on it. Now, standing in front of the ice cream family was Sweet Corn. Behind her, in a patch of dirt, were her two sisters. Crookneck Squash was planting seeds at the bottom of a stick, and sitting on the top of that stick was Climbing Bean.

“Oh, what do we have here?” Sweet Corn asked Lil Fudge, the closest ice cream to her.

“We’re the ice cream family. I’m Lil Fudge, and these are my brothers and sister,” Lil Fudge said, grinning toward his siblings. “We’re new in town, and we want to meet new friends.”

“Well, welcome,” Sweet Corn said as she opened the gate to her home even wider. “Come on in.”

The ice creams walked over to the patch of dirt where Crookneck Squash and Climbing Bean were working. Sweet Corn joined them, and everyone introduced themselves. Lil Cone marveled at how tall Crookneck Squash was, and his staring at her appeared to make her feel uneasy, as she turned away from them. Lil Fudge reminded Lil Cone that staring at others who looked different was not polite.

“Your coat is pretty,” Lil Berry said to Sweet Corn.

“Thank you,” Sweet Corn replied. “I like your long eyelashes.”

Lil Berry giggled and blushed at Sweet Corn’s compliment. Before her giggles faded away, Crookneck Squash ran through the open gate and toward the container shared by Granny Smith Apple, Banana Split, and Sheriff Peach Fuzz. The ice creams were confused. They thought it might have been something they did that had scared Crookneck Squash away, but their minds were set at ease when they saw Crookneck Squash smiling as she stood next to Banana Split in front of the container.

“She must really like that banana,” Lil Cone said.

“They’re in love,” Climbing Bean informed them.

“It’s okay for vegetables and fruit to be together?” Lil Berry asked.

“Love is love,” replied Sweet Corn. “It wouldn’t be right to tell them not to care for each other.”

***

The popsicle triplets were at the center of the town square surrounding Mayor Baking Soda.

“So you want permission to have a festival to welcome the new ice cream family, is that right?” Mayor Baking Soda asked Cherry Pop.

“Yes, Mayor,” Cherry Pop said. She was beaming with excitement.

“I can be the D.J. and play music,” Lime Pop offered.

“And I’ll bring more fireworks,” Blue-Raspberry Pop chimed in, jumping up and down.

“Alright,” Mayor Baking Soda agreed. “Tell everyone in the community that it’s party time.”

“Hip hip hooray!” the popsicles cheered.

***

During the welcoming festival, Sheriff Peach Fuzz made sure that Blue-Raspberry Pop handled the fireworks safely. Banana Split and Crookneck Squash danced together in front of the music speakers that Lime Pop had setup for the occasion. Granny Smith Apple watched the celebration from the window of her container.

Sweet Corn added sprinkles to Lil Berry’s strawberry scoop to make her look even prettier during the party. Looking down from an icicle high above the town were Climbing Bean and her new friend Lil Cone. Lil Pop was no longer afraid of his many new unique neighbors. As Cherry Pop and Lil Fudge thanked Mayor Baking Soda for allowing everyone to get together, Lil Pop could not help but wonder what he had ever been afraid of. Granny Smith Apple was right; different foods have much to share, and we are better together.

 

 

2

Who took a bite out of Lil Fudge?

 

Resting snuggly in his bed in the ice cream box, Lil Fudge dreamed about the fun he would be having the next day. Maybe he would make frosties with the popsicles next door, or play hide and seek with Lil Cone and Climbing Bean. Mayor Baking Soda might have a cleaning job he can volunteer for, or Sheriff Peach Fuzz may need help finding Banana Split. Whatever tomorrow would bring, Lil Fudge slept soundly knowing that everyday in Freezer Town promised a new adventure.

All of a sudden, Lil Fudge was shocked awake by a rush of warm air. He stared in amazement as the top of the ice cream box was lifted open. Lil Pop began to cry, Lil Cone did not understand what was happening, and Lil Berry stayed fast asleep. A pudgy hand as large as Lil Fudge’s whole body lifted him out of the box and carried him all the way out of Freezer Town.

After the box top closed shut, Lil Pop shouted, “What was that?”

“A monster?” Lil Cone guessed.

Still frightened, Lil Pop moved his bed to the space between Lil Pop and Lil Berry. There, he shook and hoped that Lil Fudge would be returned. He also hoped that Lil Berry would continue sleeping through this terrible event.

The warm air that Lil Fudge had felt became even warmer as he was pulled into the bright light that now filled Freezer Town. From within the light, he could feel his brown coating starting to soften. But before his thoughts could focus on the awful possibility of melting, voices that boomed as if from megaphones could be heard.

“Amir, put that back. You’re going to spoil your dinner,” a woman’s voice ordered.

“Please, Mommy. I’ll still eat all of my dinner,” a child’s voice pleaded in response.

The heat was unbearable. He could not survive outside of Freezer Town much longer.

“Do as I say,” the woman ordered.

“Yes, Mom,” Amir responded.

However, the child decided to take a small bite of the fudge ice cream bar before placing it back in the box.

Lil Fudge saw a giant mouth open in front of him. Two rows of teeth wrapped in metal loomed over his head, getting closer. When the rows of teeth separated, an enormous pink tongue licked his face. Lil Fudge then felt pressure on the left side of his head, and a piece of him disappeared into that gargantuan mouth.

Moments later, Lil Fudge was back in the ice cream box, surrounded by his worried brothers and sister. They stared at him in disbelief. The left side of his head had been bitten open, but it had frozen up again the second he returned to Freezer Town.

“What happened to you?” Lil Berry asked. The racket her brothers were making had finally woken her up.

Looking up at the top of their ice cream box. Lil Fudge answered, “I think something named Amir tried to eat me.”

 

10/10/20

*The four main Ice Cream Gang characters were created (designed, named, & sold on t-shirts) by Amir Bruce Shabazz. This story was written as a gift for his birthday in 2020.

When Broccoli came to town…

Broccoli Sprout appeared in town square while the other townsfood were sleeping.

His body was a short, thick, light green stalk, and his large flowering head was covered by small, dark green leaves. Everyone in Freezer Town would have strong opinions about Broccoli, but they would all learn that the community was healthier with him around.

            The next morning, Lil Fudge was the first one awake in the ice cream box. He heard voices coming from town square, so he opened the box top to see who was out and about. Mayor Baking Soda was smiling broadly as she greeted a broccoli.

Lil Fudge closed the box top and turned to where his siblings were sleeping.

“Hey guys,” Lil Fudge said loud enough to wake them. “There’s a visitor in town.”

Lil Cone, who was only pretending to still be asleep, sprang from his bed.

“Really?” Lil Cone said excitedly. “Is it a flower or a grape?”

“No,” Lil Fudge chuckled. “It's broccoli.”

“Oh no,” said Lil Pop. “Doesn't broccoli smell funny?”

“They sure look funny,” Lil Berry added.

Lil Fudge shook his head. He was a bit disappointed with Lil Pop and Lil Berry for judging a food they hadn’t met.

“Why don’t we go find out?” Lil Fudge suggested.

“Cool,” said Lil Cone. He was already opening the box top ready to go.

In the yard next to the ice cream box, the popsicles were running around happily. They were hoping that the broccoli they saw speaking with the mayor would be a cause for celebration. Blue-Raspberry Pop stopped abruptly, and his sister and brother collided into him.

“What’s wrong?” Cherry Pop asked.

“Is a warm light coming?” Lime Pop asked while his eyes searched the air.

“Aren’t we supposed to run away from broccoli?” Blue-Raspberry Pop said with a puzzled look on his face.

At that moment, the popsicle triplets saw Lil Fudge and Lil Cone heading toward town square.

“I guess not,” said Cherry Pop.

Granny Smith Apple watched from her container as Lil Fudge and Lil Cone approached Mayor Baking Soda and a broccoli. She was hopeful that the broccoli would visit members of the community who were not feeling well. Broccoli was known to be able to help reduce swelling, improve vision, and make townsfood live longer and stronger.

Sheriff Peach Fuzz was about to leave the container to begin his work when Granny Smith Apple said, “Make sure you meet that broccoli the mayor is speaking to.”

“Why?” the sheriff asked.

“It may give you a leaf to help with your bruised belly,” said Granny Smith Apple.

“Bring me a leaf too,” said Banana Split who had just stood up in his corner of the container. “Maybe it will keep my skin nice and yellow.”

“That it will,” Granny Smith Apple confirmed.

Mayor Baking Soda saw two of the ice cream brothers approaching, and smiled toward them.

“Come meet our special guest,” the mayor said to the ice creams.

“Good day, Mayor,” Lil Fudge greeted her.

“Good day,” Lil Cone repeated with a grin.

“This is Broccoli Sprout,” the mayor said while leaning toward the broccoli.

“Nice to meet you,” Broccoli Sprout said to the ice creams.

“Welcome to Freezer Town,” said Lil Fudge.

“Are you here to play?” Lil Cone asked.

“I’m here to help,” Broccoli Sprout responded.

“Help how?” Lil Fudge was curious.

“Broccoli Sprout visits townsfood to make them feel better,” said Mayor Baking Soda. “He’s going to start by visiting the vegetable sisters.”

On his way to the garden of the vegetable sisters, Broccoli Sprout met Sheriff Peach Fuzz. He gave the sheriff two of his dark green leaves: one for the sheriff, and the other for Banana Split. At the gate of the vegetable sisters’ garden, Sweet Corn let Broccoli Sprout in.

Sweet Corn shared with Broccoli Sprout that Crookneck Squash had been having problems with her eyes. Broccoli Sprout went over to Crookneck Squash, who was watering plants in the garden, and offered her one of his leaves. He told her that the Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene in the leaf would improve her vision.

Climbing Bean, who was securing a vine high up on a fence post, asked Broccoli Sprout, “What’s Beta-Carotene?”

Broccoli Sprout was surprised to hear Climbing Bean’s voice coming from so high up. He looked up at her and said, “Beta-Carotene is the red-orange coat that some fruits and vegetables wear. When it’s inside of us, it becomes Vitamin A.”

Climbing Bean nodded her head, and said, “I see, and Vitamin A is good for the eyes.”

The popsicle triplets, Lil Pop, and Lil Berry waited outside of the ice cream box when Lil Fudge and Lil Cone returned from the town square. They were anxious to learn about broccoli.

When Lil Fudge reached them, Lil Pop asked, “Did the broccoli smell?”

Lil Berry asked, “Was he scary looking?”

“Are we going to have a welcoming party?” Lime Pop wondered. “I can play Hip Hop music!”

Lil Fudge giggled. “You’re all so silly,” he said between bouts of laughter. “The broccoli’s name is Broccoli Sprout. He’s only visiting, and his job is to help townsfood to grow healthy.”

 

Chocolate Strawberry

Chocolate Strawberry’s reflection in the ice made him feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t because he thought the image of himself was not handsome, it was because he believed it was too pretty. Everyone saw the light green skirt that covered the bottom of his red, strawberry-shaped body, and they complimented his chocolate-brown face. They saw Chocolate Strawberry as a girl. The girl who occasionally visited Freezer Town to play with her best friend, Lil Berry.

Back in the strawberry patch where he lived, Chocolate Strawberry’s mother-plant dressed him in a skirt that he never wanted to wear. She saw him as one of her beautiful daughters, and thought that someday she would enjoy pretty dresses. Chocolate Strawberry found it hard to explain to his family that he was a male strawberry born into the body of a female strawberry. He was hopeful that he could convince Lil Berry about his true identity.

  Lil Berry was outside of her home dressing up an ice cream sundae doll with an assortment of candies when Chocolate Strawberry arrived.

In a cheery sing-song voice, Lil Berry said, “Hi, Chocolate Strawberry, do you want to play dress up with me?”

Before Chocolate Strawberry could answer her, he saw Lil Fudge and Lil Pop heading over to the popsicles’ place with hockey sticks. They enjoyed playing ice hockey with Lime Pop and Blue-Raspberry Pop. What Chocolate Strawberry really wanted to do was join the boys, but they saw him as a little girl, and did not want a girl to get hurt by their rough play.

Chocolate Strawberry said, “Okay, Lil Berry, I’ll play dress up with you.” 

Lil Berry smiled with delight, and handed him a vanilla sundae doll to dress with candies.

While placing mints on the sundae doll, tears began to run down Chocolate Strawberry’s face. Seeing this, Lil Berry began to worry about her friend.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Lil Berry asked.

Between sniffles, Chocolate Strawberry said, “I hear the boys having so much fun next door, and I want to play with them.”

With a confused look on her face, Lil Berry said, “But you’re a girl.”

“No I’m not!” Chocolate Strawberry shouted. “I’m a boy strawberry in a girl strawberry body.”

Lil Berry was surprised to hear this, but she could see how much her friend wanted her to understand. She thought about how Granny Smith Apple once helped Lil Pop feel comfortable living in a new town with many different townsfood. Maybe Granny Smith Apple can help my friend, she thought.

“I believe you,” said Lil Berry. “I think I know someone you can talk to.”

“Really? Who?” Chocolate Strawberry asked. He had stopped crying. Lil Berry believing him, and offering to help, made him feel happier.

“Granny Smith Apple,” Lil Berry replied. “She lives in the container across town.

Lil Cone was sitting with Cherry Pop watching their brothers play ice hockey when he saw Lil Berry and Chocolate Strawberry walking toward town square.

“Good afternoon, Chocolate Strawberry,” Lil Cone called out. He didn’t think it necessary to also say hello to his sister.

Cherry Pop looked away from the hockey game toward town square, and said, “Hi Lil Berry and Chocolate Strawberry.” She then turned to Lil Cone, and said, “It’s great that they’re such good friends.”

Lil Berry and Chocolate Strawberry walked past town hall. There, the mayor and sheriff were discussing town business. Mayor Baking Soda smiled at them, and Sheriff Peach Fuzz took a step closer.

“Where are you girls headed?” the sheriff asked.

Chocolate Strawberry felt uneasy when the sheriff called him a girl.

Lil Berry replied to the sheriff, “We’re going to visit Granny Smith Apple.”

“She’d love to have company,” the sheriff responded.

Before reaching Granny Smith Apple’s home, the two best friends saw the vegetable sisters dancing around a pole in their garden. Sweet Corn, Crookneck Squash, and Climbing Bean were all singing, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” The sisters wanted the white fluffy stuff to protect their seeds from the cold.

Upon reaching Granny Smith Apple’s container, Lil Berry tapped on its lid. Chocolate Strawberry paced nervously. He didn’t know exactly how Granny Smith Apple could help him. Banana Split opened the lid.

“Well, hello ladies,” Banana Split greeted them. “What brings you two tasty treats to our home?”

“We’re here to see Granny Smith Apple,” Lil Berry said. “My friend needs to speak with her in private.”

“Come on in,” Banana Split beckoned.

When they entered the container, Lil Berry stood with Banana Split while Chocolate Strawberry sat close to Granny Smith Apple on the opposite side of the room.

“Hi, sweetie,” Granny Smith Apple said to Chocolate Strawberry. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Chocolate Strawberry looked across the room at Lil Berry. She nodded her head to let him know that it was okay to share his feelings with Granny Smith Apple. He turned back to face Granny Smith Apple, and started to explain his situation.

“I know it’s okay for boys to like pretty things, and for girls to like getting dirty playing tough sports, but I want everyone to know that I’m a boy. I want them to stop seeing me as a girl, and calling me she or her. They should see me as a boy, and call me he or him. That’s all I wish for,” Chocolate Strawberry sighed. He had been keeping these thoughts to himself for a long time.

Granny Smith Apple thought carefully about what she was just told. She knew some food would respect his wishes, and others would not. The advice she offered needed to prepare Chocolate Strawberry for both good and bad reactions.

“It would be easier for you to continue to pretend to be someone you’re not, but you are showing a lot of courage by telling the truth,” said Granny Smith Apple. “Your good friends and family, like Lil Berry, will continue to love you anyway. Strangers might still call you a girl, but you need to be patient with them. You are in the body of a girl, and they probably don’t mean any harm.”

“You really believe I’m courageous?” asked Chocolate Strawberry.

“Very,” said Granny Smith Apple. “And so are those who accept you for who you are.”

I Believe in You

“I Believe in You”

Jonathan T. Jefferson

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

        The cool flow of air, accompanied by calmness, swept up ghost-like from Schoharie Creek as it meandered through the Catskill Mountains. Tuesday found me lying in bliss on a large pockmarked gray stone on the edge of the creek. I was supposed to be gathering up the nerves needed to do the deed. The rays of the pale-yellow sun, briefly allowed to peek through the soft white smokiness of the clouds, only bit gently on the skin. The whiteness which was stolen from them more than a few times this summer by the reddish-tan hues cast southward by historic fires in the Canadian forests, were welcomed and distracted me.

        Today, overnight thundershowers swelled the reflecting waters enough to cut off my access to that same relaxing stone. Yesterday, I succumbed to the urge to stand barefoot on the smooth multicolored rocks of various sizes below the waves. Now, despite the heaviness of my burdens, I was content to absorb the natural splendor of the environment from a new vantage point, several feet above a slope in a parking area that provides respite for passing motorists and access to fly-fishers. Inhaling deeply to soothe my internal organs with ashe-free oxygen, cleansing the olfactory nerve with a perfectly balanced mix of flower-scented aromas, and feasting my eyes on unblemished panoramas, was more than sufficient to gather the strength for what I planned to do.

        Shamefully procrastinating for two days was predictably giving way to greater resolve. A short stroll around this picturesque rest site would ‘seal the deal,’ I returned to my cream colored SUV, drove to a designated trailhead, and began my vision quest into the wilderness. No food, water, compass, or timeframe would accompany me on this journey. Most importantly, no promise of direction, revelation, or survival…

“Don’t nobody know my troubles but God.”

Natural Blues - Moby

        Trampled down thatches of weeds and gravel caught each impression of the half-inch black rubber soles on my hiking boots. The loud, but soothing, trickling of the stream filled my ears from the right, while less peaceful sounds of passing vehicle tires on pavement came from my left. A mid-sized blue car entered the parking area one hundred yards ahead of me. It drove toward me on the half-circle of crumbling blacktop that served as the turn off. I tried to appear inconspicuous as the driver slowly cruised by. From the periphery of my left eye, I saw who appeared to be an elderly woman behind the wheel.

        Alone once again, I returned to the task of silencing my thoughts, opening my senses to the beautiful surroundings, and listening for what the universe might want to convey. Upon reaching the west end of the turn off, I spun around. The blue car that passed me minutes earlier was parked three hundred yards away at the east end. Its occupant, who I could now see was an old man, was walking towards me. Judging from his appearance and awkward gait, I grew weary. What was this white-haired man, wearing a long white sleeve shirt and white pants, doing? To make it clear that I was not to be bothered, I entered the trees close to the creek to stand just out of sight. To my relief, before I disappeared, the old man turned back toward his car.

        Hugged by the branches of trees while standing on a flat rock, solitude enveloped me, and the old man was briefly forgotten. Emerging from that silent embrace of fauna, sure that I was now the only soul around, I did a double take when from only a few yards away the old man was approaching me, saying something I could not understand.

        “Excuse me?” I asked. The expression on my face showed that I did not hear what he just said. I noticed the wrinkles of time on his face, so many that his age could not be counted.

        “Are you okay?” he repeated. The rumble of his voice gave me the impression of a gentle summer storm approaching. Normally, as is the case for most people, I would have replied, “fine,” but something about our exchange demanded honesty. I shrugged slowly to indicate that the weight on my shoulders felt impossible to carry.

        “You appear troubled,” he said bluntly. It was clear to me that he knew his statement was indisputable.

        “I like the silence here by the creek.” I replied. “I’m kinda on a vision quest to find answers.”

        “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, opening his arms wide as though an eagle were about to take flight. His gesture was warm, like the unspoken offer of comfort from a grandparent to a child with a scraped knee. I shook my head side to side weakly to turn down what was sure to be his wise counsel.

        To counter any hint of ungratefulness, I said, “I’d like to let the universe guide me.” He shook his head up and down with understanding.

        The old man began to walk away, and then he stopped and asked, “What’s your name?”

        Once again, I did not respond with my usual, “Jon”, I said, “Jonathan.”

        “I’m going to include you in my prayers tonight Jonathan. I too trust the universe to bring me answers. That’s why I come here for my daily walks!” He exclaimed with gusto while raising his eyes to the sky.

        “Thank you.” I responded with the most sincerity that I ever felt while saying those words.

        The old man continued with his walk toward the west end of the turn off. It was only ten yards away. Heading back east, he walked past me again and said, “I believe in you, Jonathan.”




September 18, 2023

Hyuk-jae: K-pop Runaway

Hyuk-jae: K-pop Runaway

J.T. Jefferson

Hyuk-jae: K-pop Runaway

Hyuk-jae: K-pop Runaway

            I can’t believe I was born here, Hyuk-jae thought, gazing up through the skylight of a black Cadillac Escalade as it pulled away from Madison Square Garden and headed south along 7th Avenue. The yellow-white eye of the August midday sun followed him and his small entourage. It was unable to cast its heat inside the tented confines of their air-conditioned coach, and something about that fact added to Hyuk-jae’s growing sense of frustration.
            Like always, he sat in the center-rear seat sandwiched between his manager, Nari, and his stylist. In the middle row were two burly male bodyguards who dwarfed Nari’s diminutive assistant. The assistant never faced forward. She knelt on her seat, tangled in a seatbelt, looking back directly at Nari, careful not to miss any assignments. Nari told her when and what food to order, which pictures to take, where to post them and the comments that HJ supposedly was making at the time. HJ is the stage name Hyuk-jae chose to make himself easier to digest in the English-speaking world.
            A five-story-tall electronic billboard on the corner of 31st Street and 7th Avenue flashed a picture of Hyuk-jae. In the picture, he stood on a stage gripping a silver microphone and wearing a one-piece black leather outfit. His bowl-cut black hair rested on his head with the appearance of unkempt spaghetti. A diamond necklace distracted the viewer’s gaze while he mischievously peered into the audience. The caption on the sign read: ONE NIGHT ONLY! TUESDAY, AUGUST 9TH – KOREAN HIP HOP SENSATION HJ WILL BE ON FIRE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. It was all too surreal for this kid from Queens.

***

            Earlier, on this sultry Saturday morning in NYC, Hyuk-jae landed at JFK International Airport for the first time in nearly 20 years. When he was seven-years-old, his parents pulled up stakes and returned to South Korea. They had met while foreign students at Queens College. Soon after graduating, they opened a dry cleaning business on Main Street in Flushing, Queens. Hyuk-jae, their only child, was born in November 1995. His mother, who was born in North Korea, never overcame her homesickness. His dad believed it was because her mother, Hyuk-jae’s grandmother, was still in North Korea. When his maternal grandfather died, his mother wanted to return to the city of Daeseong-dong in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), just in case her mother ever escaped the ironically named Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
            No fewer than 100 young Korean American women and teenage girls had crowded the exit gate at the terminal when his plane arrived. Even before he came into view, they began chanting, “HJ, HJ, HJ . . .” Hyuk-jae was amazed at how the Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth (ARMY), always seemed to know his itinerary. He thought, for sure, that arriving three days before his performance would gain him some peace. Undoubtedly, Nari tipped them off, he figured. The horde of ladies stopped chanting and began screaming during the few seconds it took his bodyguards to whisk him into their SUV.
            “Welcome home!” Nari said to him excitedly, as the driver sped toward Manhattan for their first pre-show walkthrough.
            “Says you,” Hyuk-jae replied nervously. His throat felt increasingly restricted, as though he were a coveted pure breed puppy whose master kept tightening the collar. You’ll never get away, echoed in his mind.

***

            By the first grade, Hyuk-jae’s classmates began introducing him to their musical interests. His very conservative parents only listened to traditional Korean music, so his peers became windows to the vast world of entertainment. Flushing, Queens boasted the most diverse racial and ethnic student population on the planet. First- and second-generation Asians, Eastern Europeans, Latin Americans, Caribbeans, and Indians all mingled with children from old American families. It was the exponentially exploding hip-hop culture and music that most appealed to Hyuk-jae.
            Looking back, Hyuk-jae wonders if part of the reason for his parents’ decision to return to Korea was out of concern for what they may have perceived to be negative influences. Seeing their round-faced, pale, pudgy kid with a mess of black hair on his head dressed in a hoodie and blasting Busta Rhymes from his bedroom stereo may have frightened them. Hyuk-jae smiles as he reminisces about singing lyrics from Ludacris’s Rollout song while getting on a plane to Korea at age seven. None of them knew then that he would someday move them from the DMZ to the most affluent district in Seoul, Gangnam-gu, to live out their lives in luxury with a chef, maid, and gardener tending to their needs.
            Upon arriving in Daeseong-dong, Hyuk-jae became friends with Joon, the boy next door. It helped that they were in the same grade and could walk to school together. Joon, a spindly kid with a perpetual golden tan, appeared to be comfortable with being awkward. Other children gave up on teasing him about his skinny body, ill-fitting clothes, and overbite, since he would only react with a smile, grateful to be noticed. He also loved to share with anyone who would listen that his best friend was from New York.

***

            Joon’s sister, Nari, was already in high school when Hyuk-jae met her. She was at the top of her class and known for actively lobbying government officials to do more for North Korean refugees. It broke her heart to see their bewildered faces on the news after surviving a perilous journey across the DMZ, only to learn that the 1950s dystopian world that they came from was far behind the space-aged existence now before them. Nari pledged to devote her life to law so that she could advocate for refugees. She went on to become valedictorian of her high school and later attended the Seoul National University School of Law.

***

            By freshman year in high school in 2009, Hyuk-jae and Joon had become popular among their local peers for hosting a YouTube channel they called HJ & J Talk Hip Hop. Initially, they would only post videos of themselves bantering back and forth about current happenings in the world of hip hop. Hyuk-jae added English subtitles to the videos to expand their reach. They eventually began including interviews with aspiring Korean hip-hop artists.
            During their senior year in 2012, Joon converted his sister’s former bedroom into a music studio. He had an ear for sound and began making and recording music mashups for their channel. This sparked an idea in Hyuk-jae that would change his life. He understood that simply translating the lyrics of a song into another language and singing it over the same music did not work well because of the differences in pace and pitch of the languages. So, he asked Joon to make subtle changes in the music to match the translation. They shared his first song, “Big Thunder,” on their YouTube show in both English and Korean with the appropriate subtitles for each. It went viral.
            Producers from the top three music labels in Korea reached out to them. One offered them a contract, and that was when things became a bit rocky. They were both only seventeen, so they needed their parents’ permission to sign. Joon’s parents were against him taking this hobby of his any further. Next year, he would be attending college, and perhaps following in the footsteps of his sister the lawyer. Hyuk-jae’s parents were more liberal in comparison and only requested that Hyuk-jae have a lawyer review the contract before signing.
            The only lawyer Hyuk-jae knew was Nari. She read the contract as a favor, shared it with a colleague of hers who worked in the publishing industry, made a bunch of suggested revisions in red ink, and returned it to the producer. Thanks to Nari, Hyuk-jae signed one of the most favorable contracts of any musician. This caught the attention of Nari’s law firm, so they took Hyuk-jae on as a regular client and assigned Nari to manage his account.
            Hyuk-jae’s first full album, New York Seoul, hit the top of the charts in 2013 in over 70 countries. Each song on the album was performed twice, once in English and again in Korean, with slight musical variations. Since then, for nine years now, HJ has never been alone. Of course, he could be alone in a bathroom or bedroom, but not entirely. Outside of any room he is in, there are security personnel. If too much time goes by without his presence, usually not much more than 20 minutes, a knock comes on the door. Nari and her assistant handle much of the chaos generated by the people around him: the dance choreographer, a masseur for his aching muscles, interpreters, a stylist, bodyguards, and drivers.

***

            Nari was saying something to him about a short residency in Las Vegas as the Escalade crept along 7th Avenue, but his mind was elsewhere. Hyuk-jae was fixated on the people walking freely along the sidewalks, in and out of the subway stations, taxis, and buses.
            “Are you listening to me?” Nari asked.
            “Yeah, you want me to do a show in Vegas,” he replied, while wearily pulling his eyes away from the window to look at her.
            “No. I mentioned that the Bangtan Boys did a week's worth of shows there back in April.”
            Hyuk-jae’s thoughts drifted again. How nice it would be to just go out for a bagel or slice of pizza without having to have it coordinated or nixed in exchange for delivery. Never in my adult life have I been able to walk a dog or jog in a park, he lamented.
            Subconsciously, he pressed the small backpack on the floor between his ankles tighter. Stuffed inside of it was a nondescript change of clothes. I’m going to do it, he promised himself. Today, I’m going to do it.

***

            Hyuk-jae hid the real reason why he asked Nari to charter a flight to New York, which got them there early that morning. He knew she would tip off the ARMY to stir up publicity. It was her job to keep him relevant in media circles. Arriving three days before his concert to rest was his stated objective; setting up a rehearsal before noon was how he justified the unusual time they needed to depart from Seoul. What he did not share with anyone in his circle was that he planned to attend the Rock the Bells Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Flushing, not as HJ but as an ordinary spectator. The all-day event coordinated by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame rapper LL Cool J was taking place that day.
            At some point, their driver headed east before turning north on Madison Avenue. Hyuk-jae noticed a dramatic change in the atmosphere outside this muscle-bound carriage. There were fewer people hustling about, a lower noise volume, and a greater feeling of arrogance emanating from the old concrete buildings. “Where are we staying?” he asked Nari.
            “The Carlyle on 76th Street. It’s the best place in NYC for privacy and quiet,” Nari replied.
            “Is that so?” Hyuk-jae asked sarcastically and redundantly. There seemed to be no place on Earth that the paparazzi could not infiltrate.
            To Hyuk-jae’s surprise, no celebrity gawkers or sketchy fan girls were waiting for him as the SUV pulled up to the curb in front of The Carlyle. Its golden revolving entrance was flanked by two equally impressive golden doors. This won’t be how I exit, he thought, while following his stylist and bodyguards into the lavish hotel.
            Nari was waiting for him inside the foyer, along with four bellhops. Most of the musicians, dancers, and production crew had accommodations closer to the arena. Hyuk-jae envied how everyone they traveled with could explore the many attractions of NYC this weekend unencumbered. Nari shared a suite with her assistant, the stylist had her own room, and the bodyguards were booked into a suite next to his. Both bodyguards were assigned by an executive security agency. All of the agency’s employees had extensive military training, stern faces, and were hyper-alert. Hyuk-jae knew that they would be alternating their work schedules to make sure someone was always seated by his door.
            “Nari, I’ll be eating dinner alone in my room tonight,” Hyuk-jae told her just loud enough so that their entire party and the bellhops could hear him.
            “You sure?” she asked, with a bit of concern in her voice. If he was not feeling well, canceling this show would cost them millions of dollars.
            “Don’t worry. I have a few songs in my head that I want to get down on paper,” he said reassuringly.
            One bellhop accompanied Hyuk-jae and the bodyguards to their suites. He told the guard who drew the first shift that he would be taking a nap and to allow room service to set up dinner in the dining room later while he was in the jacuzzi. This was just a ruse; his plan was to be a ghost in the concrete jungle within minutes.

***

            Hyuk-jae clutched his small backpack and hustled to the bathroom. He paused for a moment in front of the bathroom’s ceiling-to-floor ice-block designed door, which slid soundlessly into the wall. Hidden lights tucked along ornate moldings and mirrored tiles blinked to life once his nose crossed into the Roman bath-inspired oasis. Hyuk-jae shook his head in mock amazement at the expansiveness of this one space. It was twice the size of the apartments he grew up in, both in Daeseong-dong and Flushing.
            Hyuk-jae kicked off his burgundy, custom-fitted boots and sat in front of one of the two vanity mirrors. Looking at himself, he could not believe that the scorching summer sun had only managed to make his pale skin take on a wet hue, not the golden color of his best friend, Joon. The mess of wavy blackness that crowned his scalp gave way to perfectly trimmed, thick eyebrows over long eyelashes that highlighted his brown eyes. His rather common nose and round face were easy to ignore, thanks to his pouty, naturally pink lips. His stylist routinely darkened his lips to ruby red and added a bit of sheen.
            After removing several gaudy rings from his fingers and carefully snapping off an equally obnoxious necklace, Hyuk-jae began unzipping the one-piece red leather outfit he was wearing. He thought of his clothing and jewelry as props for the HJ persona, nothing more. Once undressed, he took a glance at all five foot nine inches of his medium-build frame. Nodding, as though answering an internal question, he opened the backpack he had tossed in the sink.
            The contents of the backpack were dumped on the sink’s counter. It contained a navy blue hoodie, blue jeans with a few random tears, and a pair of slip-on white sneakers. Nothing that would stand out in any setting, Hyuk-jae supposed. He dressed quickly before searching his hotel suite for a way out.
            He found it. In the kitchen, there was a walk-in pantry with a dumbwaiter in the back that descended into one of The Carlyle’s restaurant service areas. That’s gonna be a tight squeeze, Hyuk-jae thought, but I can fit in. Before making his exit, Hyuk-jae took a clock radio from the master bedroom and placed it in the bathroom next to the jacuzzi. He set it to a popular music station and cranked up the volume. In about four hours, room service would be let in to set the dinner table, and they would assume he was bathing.
            Knowing that Nari could track his cell phone, Hyuk-jae decided to leave it behind. The one phone number he might need, Joon’s, was already etched into his memory. He used his phone one last time to check a Google map of the area. An alleyway ran behind the buildings on 76th and 77th streets that extended from behind The Carlyle on Madison Avenue, one city block to Park Avenue. To know where garbage was removed and deliveries made, away from traffic and prying eyes, was all Hyuk-jae needed.
            Using credit cards would be as telling as carrying his cell phone, so Hyuk-jae had made an exchange for a few thousand U.S. dollars while at Incheon International Airport in Seoul. With his pockets filled with cash and a hoodie covering his face, Hyuk-jae climbed onto the dumbwaiter and pressed the button marked “down.” “Rollout,” he whispered.
            Descending from the 25th floor took approximately five minutes. His curled body position made his neck begin to ache from the feeling of heat rising in his spine. As he gained more awareness of his neck, his right leg became numb. When the dumbwaiter stopped, Hyuk-jae uncoiled as he sprung clumsily through wide strips of heavy plastic, which acted as a curtain concealing the dumbwaiter. Thankfully, at two o’clock on a beautiful summer Saturday, no hotel guests were waiting for butler-in-suite dining service. Hyuk-jae found himself completely on his own for the first time in a decade.

***

            The exit door for the alleyway connected directly to the restaurant’s kitchen. This made for quick disposal of uneaten food that would soon rot, surely giving off a scent that only rats would find appealing. Still trying to regain feeling in his right leg, Hyuk-jae limped into the alleyway and made his way out to Madison Avenue. With his head down and his peripheral vision partially blocked by the hood of the hoodie, he bumped into a man walking by. He collided with the man hard enough to send him falling against a light pole.
            “Oh my god, are you okay?” Hyuk-jae asked, reaching for the man’s left arm to help him up. He was a middle-aged black man with a closely cut, expertly groomed beard that featured graying strands on his chin. His scalp was a bald brown orb that glinted in the sunlight. The man staggered slightly upon rising, and he held his right hand over a small bump on his head, where it had knocked into that dirty gray post.
            “Whoa,” the man groaned.
            “I’m so sorry,” Hyuk-jae said while gently steering the man toward the outside wall of The Carlyle to help steady him. The man leaned erectly against the building. Hyuk-jae could see and feel that the man was of average weight and stood about six feet tall. While rubbing his wound, he looked directly at Hyuk-jae. He did not speak. Hyuk-jae saw that his watery eyes were still clearing and his lips were thicker and redder than his own.
            “No worries, kid,” the man finally managed a few words.
            “What’s your name, sir? I’m Kim,” Hyuk-jae said. He wanted to know the man’s name just in case he needed to call for an ambulance. “Kim” was the only name he could come up with in a hurry that is common among Koreans. No need to get exposed before getting away, he thought.
            “Darryl, Darryl Jenkins,” the man responded. His voice was firm now, and he had stopped leaning against the wall.
            “Can I walk with you?” Hyuk-jae asked. “I’ll feel better knowing you got to where you’re going safely.”
            “Sure,” Darryl replied with an embarrassed smile. He did not want to admit that the pain in his head was making him feel nauseous. “My car is in the Quik Park garage just around the corner. Where were you headed in such a hurry?” he asked. “I wouldn’t want to make you late.”
            Remembering the festival, Hyuk-jae smiled and said, “Not a problem. I have all day. I just didn’t want my friends to see me leave. They won’t miss me until tomorrow morning. I made sure of that.” Hyuk-jae thought about what he just said and added, “It’s not an escape, or anything like that. I just need some time to myself.”
            Darryl nodded slowly. He knew he had a bottle of ibuprofen in his car’s glove compartment, and he could not wait much longer for relief. He was born and raised in Queens, New York, but he now lived in Woodstock. Woodstock is a two-hour drive north into the Catskill Mountains. Today’s visit to the city was for a consultation with a renowned heart surgeon. There was no way he could make that drive back home, feeling the way he did now.
            “Maybe you can help me,” Hyuk-jae said as they approached the valet at the Quik Park. “How do I get to the Forest Hills Stadium?”
            As the parking garage attendant went to fetch his car, Darryl rubbed the gray hairs of his chin, as if in deep contemplation. He looked up at Hyuk-jae and said, “How does this sound? It will take me a while to feel well enough to drive, so why don’t you take the wheel while I rest in the back seat. When we get to Forest Hills, I can drive myself home to Woodstock from there.”
            “Really?” Hyuk-jae blurted out; he could not believe his luck.
            “It’s a win-win,” Darryl continued. “I get a chauffeur, and you get to Forest Hills. What kind of event is it anyway?”
            “LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Festival!” Hyuk-jae answered, struggling to contain the giggles of excitement growing inside him. “Do you like hip hop?”
            “I grew up with old school hip hop: The Sugar Hill Gang, Run DMC, The Fat Boys, Heavy D. & The Boys, LL Cool J, and more. I was a fanatic about it until I went to college in the late 80s and early 90s. I lost interest after that,” Darryl said, as he handed the valet a cash tip for bringing his white 2014 Subaru Forester to the entrance.
            “Wow! That’s really old school,” Hyuk-jae inadvertently said out loud as they climbed into the car. He was not referring to the Subaru but to the list of artists Darryl just mentioned.
            Darryl smiled. He was not offended. Most of the rappers from his day were around his age or no more than several years older. “Hey, Kim, if it’s mostly old school performers, maybe I’ll go in with you.”
            “It is, and it’s my treat,” Hyuk-jae said, in a tone that accepted no refusal. “Another thing . . .” Hyuk-jae began as he typed “Forest Hills Stadium” into the car’s navigation system. “My name is HJ.”
            “HJ . . .” Darryl mused. “That name sounds familiar, but I might be thinking of H&M fashion.”
            Hyuk-jae laughed and asked, “Have you ever heard of K-pop?”
            “I think so. Does it have something to do with Korea?” Darryl asked. Like most born and bred Americans, he carried no shame about being ignorant of the happenings in sports and entertainment that were not popular in the United States. Formula 1 drivers, cricket and rugby players, and even most soccer stars could vacation unmolested almost anywhere in the USA.
            “K-pop is Korean popular music and culture. You must have heard of the group BTS . . .” Hyuk-jae explained as he looked in the rearview mirror to see how Darryl reacted. There was no hint of recognition on Darryl’s face. Darryl’s expression remained placid. Amazingly, he never heard of HJ or BTS. Thinking of this fact actually made Hyuk-jae feel more comfortable. He was finally with someone who was reacting to him as a person, and not “kissing his ass” as an idol.

***

            Darryl and Hyuk-jae reached the festival at around three-thirty in the afternoon. Darryl was beginning to feel better and made his way to the food court for a cup of coffee. Hyuk-jae accompanied him with a growling stomach of his own. He had not eaten since arriving at JFK International Airport. At the food court, Hyuk-jae went straight for Nas’s Sweet Chick chicken, and Darryl settled for Ghostface Killah’s Killah Koffee.
            They stayed at the festival until the last performance, dancing and rapping to Fat Joe, Lil Kim, Ice Cube, and many other rap pioneers. Hyuk-jae was impressed with Darryl’s knowledge about the dawn of hip hop and how he transformed into a happy teenager as the festival rocked on into the night. Darryl enjoyed how one of the only Asian faces in the stadium, his new friend HJ, moved with a sense of belonging among the predominantly black and brown attendees.

***

            “After three cups of Killah Koffee, I’ll be buzzed all the way home,” Darryl said, as they exited the stadium with the masses. “Would you like me to drop you off at a subway station?” Darryl asked Hyuk-jae, who was suddenly looking solemn after the festival.
            “I’m really not ready to go back,” Hyuk-jae replied.
            “Won’t you be missed in a few hours?” Darryl asked. He wanted HJ to begin considering the feelings of those he was avoiding at the hotel.
            Hyuk-jae considered this for a moment before responding. “I can text my friend, Joon. His sister is my manager. He’ll let her know that I’m okay.” Hyuk-jae noticed Darryl’s face quivering slightly. He was clearly uneasy about this runaway.
            This good man deserves more of an explanation, Hyuk-jae figured. “Well, it’s like this. Right now, I feel as though I’m on parole after a long prison sentence. The people around me mean well, but it’s not like I ever wanted to be famous. I just fell in love with hip hop and grew a passion for expressing myself creatively with it. The fans who enjoy my songs have made me rich, but they have also pushed me into a cell. A cell that I can’t buy my way out of.”
            Darryl shook his head up and down slowly to acknowledge that he understood. The young man was obviously conflicted. He was experiencing a conundrum familiar to other elite talents: How to share one’s gifts on the world stage while retaining individual freedom to walk the earth undisturbed? When they were only ten yards from where his car was parked, Darryl asked, “When is your next show?”
            “Tuesday,” Hyuk-jae answered glumly. He felt like a child about to be sent to his room for misbehaving. He then perked up and said, “You know, I’ve always wanted to visit Woodstock. It’s the site of one of the most iconic events in rock and roll history, isn’t it?”
            Darryl knew where this conversation was going, so he tried to refocus HJ’s attention on the possible consequences of his absence. He said, “Actually, that Woodstock event happened in Bethel Woods, about sixty miles southwest of Woodstock. Also, I don’t want anyone coming after me for kidnapping a celebrity.”
            Hyuk-jae smiled. He felt as though this was the beginning of a short debate that he was about to win. “If I can use your phone, I can text my friend. Once he notifies my manager, they’ll use a stand-in for the rehearsals. As long as I’m back in time for the concert, there’ll be no problems,” Hyuk-jae said with practiced and unwavering confidence. He finished stating his case by raising one eyebrow and flashing a broad smile.
            Darryl stood by the driver’s side door of his car, looking over the rooftop at HJ, who waited expectantly for the passenger’s door to be unlocked. He knew that HJ was employing every bit of his charm, but he also felt the young man’s overwhelming need and pain. He gave his car’s keyring a double tap, and after two audible chirps, they both entered the car. Once seated, Darryl offered HJ his phone and said, “Text your buddy.”

***

            Cool, damp air caressed Hyuk-jae’s face with the touch of an invisible cloud. He jerked awake and was momentarily disoriented. “What . . . Where?” he asked himself, noticing the grogginess in his voice. Upon seeing the dashboard of the car, he remembered what had transpired and quickly came fully awake. “Oh right,” he murmured. With the back of his left wrist, he wiped away the drool that had begun drying at the corner of his mouth. A digital display clock read 4:00 AM above the blank navigation display screen. The motor was turned off, but the windows had been left open a crack. Through the windshield, he saw that they had parked in a gravel driveway alongside a small blue house clad in pine board siding. Above its entryway, a weak yellow light illuminated the short walkway. The white screen door was closed, but the red-cedar-stained wooden door married to it was open, and a much brighter white light inside bade him to enter.
            Hyuk-jae entered an impeccably clean and orderly two-bedroom, ranch-style home with rustic decor. The light that beckoned him in came from the kitchen off to his left. Deer antlers held four curly energy-saving bulbs above a kitchenette table. On the table was a sheet of paper with a message written by a thin, black felt marker. Four words were written on it: Make yourself at home.
            His bladder was about to explode. To his right, along a short hallway, he saw three doors: one on the left, the next on the right, and the third straight ahead. The third door must be the bathroom, he thought, and it was. After relieving himself, Hyuk-jae returned to the living room and sprawled out on a large brown leather couch where he quickly fell back to sleep.

***

            It was not the cold hand of nature that woke him at eight o’clock in the morning but the smell of coffee percolating in the kitchen that did the honors. Hyuk-jae’s eyes opened to see Darryl sitting at the kitchenette table, reading something on his smartphone. “Good morning,” Hyuk-jae said cheerfully. He wanted to leave no doubt about how grateful he was for Darryl’s hospitality.
            “Oh, good morning to you,” Darryl replied. “Sleep well?” he asked.
            “Best sleep ever!” Hyuk-jae answered while hustling to the bathroom again.
            “I left a towel and washcloth on the tub, and there’s a new toothbrush still in its wrapper in the medicine cabinet,” Darryl said, just before the bathroom door closed.
            Several minutes passed before Hyuk-jae reemerged from the bathroom, showered and refreshed. His hair was wet and sticking flat to the sides of his head and ears. Darryl thought this made him appear two inches shorter. He knew HJ only had the clothes that he had danced in the night before, so he offered to take him to a local thrift shop to gear up for the next couple of days. Hyuk-jae was game to do whatever Darryl recommended. He was reveling in the serenity of his current circumstances.

***

            Darryl apologized to HJ for not being able to offer him bacon or sausage with his breakfast. He admitted that a heart scare in 2014 had convinced him to go vegan. Hyuk-jae did not mind. The locally sourced organic fruit and berries piled atop waffles smothered in vegan butter and drizzled with lite Vermont maple syrup were delicious. After eating, they sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and tea, respectively, while getting to know each other better before planning their itinerary.
            Hyuk-jae learned that Darryl worked as an assistant principal for the local school district’s secondary school and coached their cross-country running teams in the fall. He still had a couple of weeks off before the new school year started, so HJ’s unexpected visit was not an inconvenience. Hyuk-jae noticed how intently Darryl listened to his brief life story. Darryl also concentrated on every sip of his coffee and grinned with satisfaction each time.
            The first item on their to-do list for Sunday was to go to a nearby thrift shop. Afterwards, they would eat lunch at a popular restaurant that specialized in farm-to-table dining. The weather was perfect for relaxing outside, with no rain in the forecast and low humidity. Darryl stated that he usually read a book or listened to fusion jazz while sitting by the Ashokan Reservoir just across the road from his house. He suggested that for the evening’s activity.

***

            Hyuk-jae entered the thrift shop, with his hoodie pulled close over his head. He was still a bit anxious about being out in public without his entourage. Darryl saw the elderly male proprietor behind a counter flinch when he looked at HJ. It was not at all from recognizing the K-pop star but from suspecting that this hooded young man was up to no good. Darryl immediately assuaged the man’s fear by saying, “Afternoon, sir. Please excuse my friend. He’s having a bad hair day.” That comment, accompanied by a cheerful show of pearly white teeth, put the man at ease. Darryl also suggested that HJ pickup some items for a day hike in the mountains the following afternoon. Now, the owner, who was fearful a minute ago, was thrilled that they had graced his establishment.

***

            To Hyuk-jae’s surprise, the restaurant they ate at that afternoon seated all guests family style. Woodstock was small enough that most of the locals knew their neighbors, but the summer visitors were treated with the same familiarity. Hyuk-jae was now wearing a loose-fitting sleeveless white V-neck shirt and thin khaki pants. His hair was tamed, and the anxiety of being discovered was abating. He followed Darryl’s lead and politely greeted the six other diners seated at their table, one at a time. While the diners spoke casually about the weather, Catskills hiking conditions, and the delectable way their food was prepared, Darryl made a point of smiling to all who were present. Taking this in, Hyuk-jae thought, What an amazing fellow.

***

            It was not until six in the evening that they sauntered across the road to relax by the reservoir. In two hours, the mosquitos would chase them back inside. Hyuk-jae wandered back and forth along the shore and picked up a few small rocks to skip across the surface of the water. Songs began forming in his head that were entirely inspired by his new acquaintance, Darryl, who was sitting cross-legged, listening to music from the buds in his ears and indeed smiling as he took in the pristine surroundings.

***

            On Monday morning, Hyuk-jae laughed at himself in the full-length mirror affixed to the bathroom door. He wore tan hiking boots, knee-high socks, hiking shorts with too many pockets, and a water-wicking T-shirt dyed with a camouflage design. Darryl was similarly dressed, but did not think it strange; he was accustomed to it. Darryl also carried a black plastic garbage bag and plastic gloves. Hyuk-jae was going to ask him about this but thought better of it. He did not want to come across as being completely naive about the great outdoors.
            The views from their hiking destination left Hyuk-jae speechless. Giant Ledge, in the heart of the Catskills, treated his eyes to surreal vistas. Darryl sat quietly, grinning ear to ear and breathing in deeply. Hyuk-jae also observed how Darryl relished every footstep along the way. As they began to leave the ledge, Darryl pulled on the green plastic gloves he was carrying and opened his garbage bag. They slowly made their way back to the parking lot, and Darryl picked up every scrap of trash he came across, mostly snack wrappers, pieces of cloth, and a few plastic water bottles.
            On the drive back to Woodstock after their hike, Hyuk-jae’s emotions swayed back and forth from sadness to excitement. He was sad that his running away episode would end the next day, but excited to share with the world how it inspired him. Of course, he would share this through songs.
            A new album was forming in his mind. He thought he would title it The Real Woodstock: Peace & Happiness. He never heard Darryl speak unkindly to anyone, so one of the songs he would call “Right Speech.” Other titles this life excursion planted inside of him included: “Listen with Love” that reflected the way Darryl paid close attention to what everyone was saying, “Just Smile” was what Darryl did all the time, and “Everything Mindfully” was the way Darryl cherished each sip, bite, and sight he took in.

***

            “Did you remember to text your friend?” Darryl asked HJ as he took the southbound entrance lane to the New York Thruway in Kingston. He was driving two exits to Interstate 84 in Newburgh. From there, they would head east across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Directly across that bridge was a Metro-North railroad station. The train would take just over an hour to get to Grand Central Station.
            With a teasing grin, Hyuk-Jae said, “Yes, Dad, it’s all taken care of. Joon called his not-so-happy sister, and she arranged to have my security team waiting on the platform. They told me to exit from the third train car.”
            Darryl shook his head affirmingly. The confused and hurting young man who had stood before him after Saturday’s festival was nowhere to be found. He assumed that HJ’s renewed spirit was one of the benefits of clean mountain air. “Truthfully, no one will recognize you. Not just because of the hoodie and jeans,” Darryl said, with true admiration.
            “You know, I’ll never be able to thank you enough,” Hyuk-jae said, holding back tears. “Just call that number I gave you if you ever want to see me perform. You’ll always have backstage access.”
            Darryl chuckled before saying, “You know I’ll never be seen at a K-pop show. Never!”
            They looked at each other and began laughing hysterically.

***

            When HJ’s train pulled out of the station, Darryl made his way back toward the New York Thruway. On his car’s dashboard was a folded piece of paper with an international phone number and the name Joon had been written on it. As he approached the thruway, he took a moment to consider his options: south to New York City, or north to Woodstock . . .





September 11, 2022