The chickens were restless again, according to her father, but to Jennie, they always sounded the same. She’d offered to check on them so her parents could get a good night’s sleep, and was now regretting it as she crossed the yard towards the barn where the chickens stayed at night. She had her father’s gun in one hand, and a flashlight in the other, sneaking around the building as if she were a burglar herself.

Jennie didn’t have a clue how to use the gun, and wasn’t even sure if it was loaded, but it seemed like the right tool for the job. The night was pleasant, and it was warm and quiet. The choir of crickets that always started singing at dusk had gone silent, and the only sound came from a lonely frog, calling from the pond behind the house. Jennie wasn’t scared, but she was cautious, expecting a fox or a wild dog to jump out of nowhere any minute.

She checked the broken window next to the barn door. It was too high. There was no way a fox could jump through there, she thought, despite her father’s claims. She walked over to the gap in the side wall of the old wooden building. Instead of patching it up, her father had put a plant pot in front of it. Although it looked misplaced, there were no paw prints or any evidence of digging. He’s just being paranoid. There was no sign of any predators and after having circled the parameters twice, Jennie lowered the gun and relaxed, before opening the heavy barn door. The chickens seemed fine. They were quietly congregating in separate areas of the barn, not remotely bothered when Jennie walked in. She held up a hand as a matter of greeting, then shook her head and rolled her eyes, wondering if she was starting to lose her mind.

She hesitated by the front door as she was about to go back inside. It was three am, but she was wide awake now, and knew she wouldn’t get any sleep for at least another two hours. She looked over at the hay bales next to the cornfields that she used to play in as a child. They were square now, instead of round, but they were still stacked up high like a flight of stairs. Drawn to them, Jennie let go of the door handle and made her way back into the fields. She pulled herself up onto the first hay bale, scratching her bare legs on the occasional twig. This used to be so much easier. Or maybe she was just getting older, less athletic and flexible.

That was a depressing thought. When she’d finally reached the top, she let herself fall on her back and looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. The scent of lavender hit her nostrils, and she closed her eyes, trying to picture Lisa's face. It became harder every day. She took the piece of soap out of the back pocket of her shorts and inhaled against it as she allowed memories to flood her mind. She cried, quietly at first. As the memories became more vivid, the pain became sharper and she shook as she let her tears run freely, curled up on her side, clenching the bar of soap in her hands. What have I done? Minutes passed, then hours.

Jennie fell in and out sleep, exhausted from the choking emotions that showed no sign of subsiding. She woke up when something rustled in the grass below her. Slowly, she sat up and grabbed the gun as she looked over the edge of the haystack. There he was. No. It’s a she. A fox crossed the field with four cubs on her heel. They were in the cabbage patch, playing and chasing each other. She put down the gun and tried to be as still as she could as she watched them. It was a beautiful sight.

They stayed there for a while until they slipped into the cornfields and disappeared out of sight. For the first time in years, Jennie appreciated the beauty of her surroundings, and she felt a lot calmer now, gazing up at the millions of stars, glistening in the darkness. The Busan skies were beautiful, just like she remembered. They lay over the flat fields like a dome, ensuring nothing ever changed. Not here. Not under these stars.

The Church bells would always ring on a Sunday, the seasons would always come and go, and the cornfields would never be replaced by high-rise buildings or shopping malls, at least not in a very long time. But they weren’t her stars. Feeling small and insignificant, loneliness struck her. She felt a need to belong, and it wasn’t here. She needed an anchor, something to hold on to. Home. I need to go home.
****

“Hey Marcus, it’s Jennie Kim calling.” Jennie paused. “You don’t know me, but I’d really appreciate a couple of minutes of your time to discuss some things.” Jennie always called people she did business with by their first name. It put her at the same level, and she’d found throughout her career that people were more likely to engage if she did.

“Okay.” Marcus Obermeier sounded guarded. “You’re not from the tax office, are you? Because if you are, you can speak to my lawyer.”

“No, I’m not.” Jennie tried to be as to the point as she could. People like Marcus rarely had time for small talk. “First of all, there’s an office I’m interested in. It’s in one of your Monaco developments. Are any of the small ones on the fifth floor still available? I’m particularly interested in the corner office, facing the south.”

There was a pause. “No, they’re not. Not unless you’re on the waiting list.” He sighed. “Anyway, you should talk to my sales team about that. I don’t concern myself with the details. How did you get this number?”

“Right, of course. I understand.” Jennie had no intention of giving up. “It’s just that the corner office is perfect for me, Marcus, and I don’t have time to wait for people to drop off the waiting list. I’m kind of in a hurry. I can pay cash if you like. Maybe we could work out a deal, you and me?”

Marcus was silent for a moment before clearing his throat. “I’m listening.”
Good. This was good. Jennie had never been corrupt in her life but she sure was grateful that Marcus was.

“How about you move me to the top of the list and I pay a years’ lease upfront, plus a little bonus for you, huh? Let’s say 10 percent? Nobody needs to know.” She waited for a reply. “Marcus? Are you still there?”

“Eh… yes. Miss Kim, was it?”

“Yes, Jennie Kim.”

“Okay Miss Kim, I think we can work with that. As long as we can keep it quiet. Can I call you back tomorrow?

“Yes, that would be great.” Jennie beamed in excitement. It was a big step, but she would do everything in her power to make it work. “But Marcus, she continued. There’s another thing I’d like to discuss with you…”