ACJY C45
by soapaA dangerous offer had arrived. Were civil servants this bold? He was impressed. Taeheun planned to go to Seoul tomorrow.
“Mister! You can’t play with your food!”
Brought back to reality by the child’s scolding, Taeheun looked at the mangled fried egg.
The man sitting across from him looked at Taeheun with a worried expression.
“Um, doesn’t it suit your taste?”
“No. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Taeheun had been enjoying the kimchi jjigae the man had carefully prepared. Following the doenjang jjigae, the kimchi jjigae, which Taeheun usually disliked the most, went down smoothly. He had meant to compliment the man, telling him how delicious it was and how well he’d made it, but his mind had wandered elsewhere, and he’d missed the opportunity.
The man seemed to think that the food he had made wasn’t to Taeheun’s liking. Wondering if he had also messed up the fried eggs, he checked his own and the child’s.
“It’s really delicious. Truly.”
No matter how much Taeheun insisted, the man didn’t seem convinced.
“It’s a little salty. I think I didn’t add enough water.”
“Dad, it’s delicious! Not salty at all!”
The child chimed in. Giving her father a thumbs-up, she exclaimed, “Dad, you’re the best! Wow, this is so good!” Then she glared at Taeheun, her lips twitching as if she were about to curse. Taeheun winked at the child and mouthed, “Sorry.”
“Mister, why did you do that earlier?”
The child asked while watching TV with Taeheun in the main room while the man was outside in the yard.
“I was just lost in thought.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“A secret.”
The child pouted.
“Mister, did you not like the kimchi jjigae my dad made?”
Her voice was dejected.
“No, it was delicious.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Can you swear?”
“Absolutely. What should I swear on?”
Taeheun immediately held out his pinky finger.
“It’s okay.”
The child turned her attention back to the TV.
“Why? Do you think I’m lying?”
“Yes.”
“No, it was really delicious.”
“It’s okay. I like it.”
The child wore a determined expression.
“That kimchi jjigae, it was made with the first kimchi my dad ever made. He used to always get it from other people, but since last year, he’s been making it himself. He makes it with a secret recipe that the grandma who makes the best kimchi in our village taught only him. He says he’s going to make yeolmu kimchi himself next year, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This year, I’m going to make kimchi with my dad, too.”
“That’s admirable, Jihye.”
Taeheun was proud of the child as if she were his own. He smiled, imagining the man kneading the seasoning with pink rubber gloves on, surrounded by piles of salted cabbage.
“Um… do you want to join us, Mister?”
The child’s gaze was still fixed on the TV. He was about to ask, “Join you in what?” when he finally understood. He knew better than anyone how the child felt, looking straight ahead to hide her expression, afraid of a disappointing answer from Taeheun. Taeheun often did the same.
“Okay. Let’s do it together.”
Taeheun replied emphatically.
The child’s eyes sparkled as she turned to look at Taeheun. She threw her small body into a hug, then, seemingly embarrassed, ran out of the room. She came back and shouted softly,
“Promise!”
It was quiet enough that the man wouldn’t hear, but it resonated deeply.
Taeheun quickly wiped the smile off his face. He instantly regretted giving the child false hope so carelessly.
The man, oblivious, had taken out the iron and was sitting in the living room. Two shirts and the child’s dobok were laid out side by side on the floor. Even though her favorite daily drama was on, the child went and sat next to her father on the floor.
“Did you finish your homework?”
The man asked.
“Of course.”
“The iron’s hot, so sit further away.”
“Okay.”
The child scooted her bottom a handspan away from the man.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Can we play jacks after you finish ironing?”
“Sure.”
The man responded positively to everything the child asked for. He never showed any sign of annoyance, even though he took care of all the housework, including preparing the child’s meals, cleaning, and laundry, after a long day of work.
“Mister! Do you want to play jacks with us?”
The child shouted loud enough for Taeheun to hear in the main room.
“I don’t know how to play that.”
Taeheun shouted back.
“Oh, you can learn! It’s easy.”
“Don’t bother Mister. He must be tired.”
The man’s quiet voice could be heard gently dissuading the child.
Just because he was used to farm work didn’t mean it wasn’t tiring. He felt somewhat lazy for refusing the game of jacks that even the exhausted man was willing to play, just because he didn’t know how. Taeheun jumped up and went out to the living room. The child let out a silent squeal of delight and waved her hands. She was ecstatic. Taeheun felt his own mood lift.
He settled down next to the man who was ironing. The man placed a shirt on the ironing board and ironed it smoothly and efficiently. With each pass of the hot iron, the sound of the fabric straightening with a sizzle could be heard.
The child brought the colorful jacks and placed them in front of Taeheun.
“Watch me closely.”
She then gave a demonstration. Her small hands skillfully manipulated the jacks.
“Here. Try it.”
The child handed the jacks to Taeheun.
The jacks were tiny. Almost as small as beans, with a little exaggeration. It was definitely a game advantageous to the child. It was incredibly difficult to pick up the small jacks with his large hands. Every time Taeheun dropped a jack, the child giggled. The man, still ironing, glanced over and smiled.
“Seriously, these jacks are too small. Isn’t this too unfair to me?”
Taeheun whined playfully.
“Unfair? My dad is so good at this. Right, Dad?”
“Mr. Gibeom is good at this? I can’t believe it.”
He said dramatically, looking at the man.
“Dad, finish ironing quickly and come play with us.”
The child became impatient.
“Mr. Gibeom, do that later and come play with us.”
Taeheun echoed the child, urging the man.
The man just said he would, but didn’t stop his work. While he ironed, Taeheun made a bet with the child. The loser would get flicked on the forehead as a penalty.
“You’ll cry if I flick you.”
“Talk mussed up the fried eggs, he checked his own and the child’s.
“It’s really delicious. Truly.”
No matter how much Taeheun insisted, the man didn’t seem convinced.
“It’s a little salty. I think I didn’t add enough water.”
“Dad, it’s delicious! Not salty at all!”
The child chimed in. Giving her father a thumbs-up, she exclaimed, “Dad, you’re the best! Wow, this is so good!” Then she glared at Taeheun, her lips twitching as if she were about to curse. Taeheun winked at the child and mouthed, “Sorry.”
“Mister, why did you do that earlier?”
The child asked while watching TV with Taeheun in the main room while the man was outside in the yard.
“I was just lost in thought.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“A secret.”
The child pouted.
“Mister, did you not like the kimchi jjigae my dad made?”
Her voice was dejected.
“No, it was delicious.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Can you swear?”
“Absolutely. What should I swear on?”
Taeheun immediately held out his pinky finger.
“It’s okay.”
The child turned her attention back to the TV.
“Why? Do you think I’m lying?”
“Yes.”
“No, it was really delicious.”
“It’s okay. I like it.”
The child wore a determined expression.
“That kimchi jjigae, it was made with the first kimchi my dad ever made. He used to always get it from other people, but since last year, he’s been making it himself. He makes it with a secret recipe that the grandma who makes the best kimchi in our village taught only him. He says he’s going to make yeolmu kimchi himself next year, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This year, I’m going to make kimchi with my dad, too.”
“That’s admirable, Jihye.”
Taeheun was proud of the child as if she were his own. He smiled, imagining the man kneading the seasoning with pink rubber gloves on, surrounded by piles of salted cabbage.
“Um… do you want to join us, Mister?”
The child’s gaze was still fixed on the TV. He was about to ask, “Join you in what?” when he finally understood. He knew better than anyone how the child felt, looking straight ahead to hide her expression, afraid of a disappointing answer from Taeheun. Taeheun often did the same.
“Okay. Let’s do it together.”
Taeheun replied emphatically.
The child’s eyes sparkled as she turned to look at Taeheun. She threw her small body into a hug, then, seemingly embarrassed, ran out of the room. She came back and shouted softly,
“Promise!”
It was quiet enough that the man wouldn’t hear, but it resonated deeply.
Taeheun quickly wiped the smile off his face. He instantly regretted giving the child false hope so carelessly.
The man, oblivious, had taken out the iron and was sitting in the living room. Two shirts and the child’s dobok were laid out side by side on the floor. Even though her favorite daily drama was on, the child went and sat next to her father on the floor.
“Did you finish your homework?”
The man asked.
“Of course.”
“The iron’s hot, so sit further away.”
“Okay.”
The child scooted her bottom a handspan away from the man.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Can we play jacks after you finish ironing?”
“Sure.”
The man responded positively to everything the child asked for. He never showed any sign of annoyance, even though he took care of all the housework, including preparing the child’s meals, cleaning, and laundry, after a long day of work.
“Mister! Do you want to play jacks with us?”
The child shouted loud enough for Taeheun to hear in the main room.
“I don’t know how to play that.”
Taeheun shouted back.
“Oh, you can learn! It’s easy.”
“Don’t bother Mister. He must be tired.”
The man’s quiet voice could be heard gently dissuading the child.
Just because he was used to farm work didn’t mean it wasn’t tiring. He felt somewhat lazy for refusing the game of jacks that even the exhausted man was willing to play, just because he didn’t know how. Taeheun jumped up and went out to the living room. The child let out a silent squeal of delight and waved her hands. She was ecstatic. Taeheun felt his own mood lift.
He settled down next to the man who was ironing. The man placed a shirt on the ironing board and ironed it smoothly and efficiently. With each pass of the hot iron, the sound of the fabric straightening with a sizzle could be heard.
The child brought the colorful jacks and placed them in front of Taeheun.
“Watch me closely.”
She then gave a demonstration. Her small hands skillfully manipulated the jacks.
“Here. Try it.”
The child handed the jacks to Taeheun.
The jacks were tiny. Almost as small as beans, with a little exaggeration. It was definitely a game advantageous to the child. It was incredibly difficult to pick up the small jacks with his large hands. Every time Taeheun dropped a jack, the child giggled. The man, still ironing, glanced over and smiled.
“Seriously, these jacks are too small. Isn’t this too unfair to me?”
Taeheun whined playfully.
“Unfair? My dad is so good at this. Right, Dad?”
“Mr. Gibeom is good at this? I can’t believe it.”
He said dramatically, looking at the man.
“Dad, finish ironing quickly and come play with us.”
The child became impatient.
“Mr. Gibeom, do that later and come play with us.”
Taeheun echoed the child, urging the man.
The man just said he would, but didn’t stop his work. While he ironed, Taeheun made a bet with the child. The loser would get flicked on the forehead as a penalty.
“You’ll cry if I flick you.”
“Talk after you win.”
The child was brimming with confidence.
The child won all six games. Each time Taeheun lost, he offered his forehead, and the child flicked him without hesitation. The child’s flicks were surprisingly strong for a child, but honestly, they tickled. Holding back his laughter, Taeheun put on a show, yelling in mock pain and rolling on the floor, a classic Hollywood-style overreaction.
“Are you crying, Mister?”
“I am not.”
After the last flick, he pretended to sniffle, rubbing his forehead with his palm.
“Jihye, you should flick gently.”
The man interjected worriedly.
“Are you okay?”
He finally put down the iron and came over to Taeheun.
He was close enough for Taeheun to feel his breath. The man gently brushed aside the hair covering Taeheun’s forehead with his large hand and examined the spot where he’d been flicked. He carefully rubbed it with his thumb. It felt like a caress, and it was pleasant.
“Dad, come on. Hurry up.”
The child seized the opportunity and urged him to join the game.
However, even after he finished ironing, the man carefully hung each ironed garment on a hanger before joining them.
The three sat in a circle with the jacks in the middle. They decided the order with rock-paper-scissors. The man, as the child had said, was quite good. He skillfully picked up the tiny jacks with his large hands and flicked them with ease.
“Mr. Gibeom, you’re the best!”
Taeheun clapped excitedly, and the child folded her arms with a serious expression.
Even so, the man never beat the child. Without any sense of pretense, he knew how to lose naturally. Both the man and Taeheun got flicked on the forehead by the child. Flick. With a light sound, the man yelped. The child laughed out loud.
“Are you okay?”
Taeheun rubbed the man’s forehead with his thumb, just like the man had done earlier.
It was Taeheun’s turn, and the child flicked her finger mercilessly. It missed slightly and made no sound, but Taeheun pretended to be in great pain. Then he presented his forehead to the man.
“This kid’s flicks are so strong.”
The man naturally rubbed Taeheun’s forehead. They looked at each other and smiled.
A little later than usual, but still around 9:15, the child went to bed. The man saw to the child’s bedding and went into the main room to get ready for bed himself. Taeheun followed.
“I’m going to watch the news. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Should I lay out your bedding?”
“No, I’ll just watch the news and leave, so don’t worry about it.”
Without any sign of discomfort, the man took off his shirt and lay down on the bedding. He didn’t seem to mind that the fluorescent light was still on. He was such an easygoing person.
Taeheun turned off the fluorescent light for the man and lowered the TV volume. In less than five minutes, the man was asleep. The man’s steady breathing could be heard between the whirring of the fan. He looked down at the man. The man, who hadn’t shown any signs of tiredness, fell asleep with a weary face. He slept peacefully, though he occasionally tossed and turned, groaning softly.
Taeheun stared blankly at the news, then lay down next to the man. The small room felt crowded with two large men lying down. The breeze coming through the window cooled the heat radiating from their bodies.
He turned his head towards the man.
“Mr. Gibeom, the kimchi jjigae was delicious. Really.”
He whispered softly.
“Where did you learn to iron so well? And you’re a pro at jacks, too. Mr. Gibeom, you’re a man of many talents.”
He chattered on.
“I lied to Jihye. I told her I’d join in for kimchi-making this year. I really want to, but I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’m sorry. Please tell Jihye for me. Kids have good memories, they never forget.”
He confessed his sin and apologized.
He lay there for a moment longer before leaving the room. He stood tall in the living room, looking at the pitch-black darkness beyond the screen door. A sense of relief washed over him.
He retracted his earlier complaints about the countryside being boring, about being tired of the scenery filled only with rice paddies and fields. Even if someone dragged him, he didn’t want to go back to the city. It felt like a blessing to be able to live like a family with a kind and dependable father and a bright and cheerful child, and to meet his end with them.
Taeheun willingly reached out to the invisible rope.