Even in Incheon’s Daldongne, where you have to walk for a long time, you have to climb almost to the top of the gray-white building.
It is our home. I returned home exactly after 7 years and 3 months.
“Nothing has changed.”
Looking at our house, it feels like time has stopped at that time. Actually, time didn’t stop, but I came back.
Find the key hidden between the window frames and open the door.
Kirik. Kirik. Kirik.
click.
Nothing has changed, even the front door lock is worn out and doesn’t work well.
When I opened the door and entered the front door, I was greeted by a pleasant, yet somewhat nostalgic landscape.
It was a small house with only one room, kitchen, and bathroom, but it was a very precious place for me and my mother.
Even after I got a job and moved into an officetel near the company, my mother lived alone in this house.
‘Because I’ve lived here ever since my father was gone… … It’s already been over 20 years.’
A yellowed refrigerator and an old but cleanly maintained electric rice cooker still retain traces of time.
A folding table in the corner was covered with a cloth.
When the wrapping cloth is removed, side dishes made by mother are revealed inside.
[Son, there is kimchi stew on the gas stove, so heat it up and eat it. You know rice is in a rice cooker, right? When you are sick, eat even if you have no appetite.]
It seems that I left the hospital today after leaving the hospital. I think it was good that I ate less meat and came here.
Following the note left by his mother, he warmed up the kimchi stew, scooped up a full bowl of rice from the electric rice cooker, and sat down at the table.
I eat rice topped with sesame leaves and put a spoonful of stew in my mouth.
“… … .”
Rice doesn’t go over well. It’s not that I don’t like the taste, it’s just that I’m a bit upset.
The tip of my nose is also frowning, and my eyes are blurry for no reason.
‘I thought I’d never eat this again… … .’
Shake your head to clear your thoughts before getting more sentimental. If you keep doing this, you may not be able to eat because your throat is sore.
Click.
After cleaning the rice and side dishes, he finished washing the dishes.
I opened the refrigerator to take out some water to drink, but I couldn’t see any proper food in it except kimchi.
I searched the cupboard just in case, but nothing came out.
‘What did your mother usually eat? Maybe because I wasn’t home, he didn’t even eat properly.’
The image of a mother consuming raw rice with water and making kimchi for a meal flickers in front of my eyes.
It’s really stupid. Where did you spend all your hard-earned money to live such a foolish life?
“Where did you write it? He has been living his life to the fullest to raise an ugly child like me.”
To think that my mother passed away after living like this, I regret it so much, I am so sorry, and I feel so pathetic that I am going crazy.
In that sense, I’m really lucky.
Because I got a chance to correct the mistakes and regrets of the past.
* * *
A shabby motel on the outskirts of Seoul.
This is my mother’s workplace. When he was young, he worked at a better hotel, but since he retired due to age problems, he has been working here ever since.
Looking at the exterior of the motel, it looks like it will be a business, but it is said that there are many regular customers because the accommodation fee is cheaper than other motels.
Awesome profit.
Entering the parking lot entrance, the old barrier rattles up.
When I park the car roughly and enter the building, an empty counter greets me.
These days, motels turn the counters unattended and only use people to clean, and it seems that this place is also operated in that way.
“I was looking for you, but where should I go now?”
I’ve never been to my mother’s workplace, so I don’t know where to go. It would be nice to receive a phone call, but he doesn’t answer even that.
I can’t help but take a closer look at the first floor, but suddenly I hear a shout from upstairs.
“Hey, sir! Can’t you find it sooner? Do you really want to go back?”
Anxiety creeps in. I spontaneously speeded up my pace and ran to the second floor where I heard a voice in a month.
“I distinctly remember leaving the watch off on the bed, but it disappeared somewhere.”
“Oops, I’m sorry. customer.”
“sorry? Can I grind a piece of bread and say I’m sorry? uh? Can’t you answer quickly?”
When a pig covered in tattoos screams, a skinny middle-aged man bows his head in front of him.
“I am sorry. I really don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t need an apology with a snout. Either ask for the money for my watch, or let’s get punched in the face.”
“Now, wait a minute. customer.”
The middle-aged man’s gaze turns to the side. Standing there was a restless mother with her head bowed down.
“Aunt Kim. Did you miss your watch while cleaning?”
“There was no clock in the room.”
“The person who entered the room at that time was Mrs. Kim. So whatever the auntie asks, solve it.”
“Me, me?”
It looks like something is missing from the room, but you ask the staff for the price of the item without looking into it?
I couldn’t watch any longer.
I go straight to the front of the room where they are gathered.
“What are you?”
The man with the tattoo looks at me and rolls his eyes. Even the mother next to her was belatedly surprised.
“Tongue, Hyukah. How did you come here?”
“I came to take you home. But there seems to be a problem to be solved before that.”
The man with the tattoo, who was listening, raised one corner of his mouth and intervened in the conversation.
“Oh my. Were you this cleaning lady’s son? Great. You ask for the price of the watch instead. Then it will end quietly.”
“If there is any negligence on our part, we will compensate. However, the first step is to check how it disappeared before that.”
I pick up my phone and start talking.
“Is that the police station? This is the second floor of Dream Dream Motel. There was a theft… … .”
“Is this bastard crazy!”
The man with the tattoo’s savage hand tries to steal the cell phone. I quickly pulled my upper body back and let my hands flow.
“Who wants to call the cop? Do you want to get behind?”
“Shouldn’t you call the police and report the theft first? And if you check the CCTV, you will be able to see who entered the room at that time.”
“Ah, Mr. X. Bastards these days know what I mean when I say it, and they don’t eat it.”
The tattooed man clenched his fists and made a cracking sound. Then, twitching his flesh, he approaches me and stares straight at me.
Seeing what he was doing, I laughed inwardly.
Having been in prison for over 7 years, I have seen a lot of so-called ‘real bastards’.
Organized thugs, murderers, drug dealers, etc.
To me, who had been living with such vicious criminals, the bully in my neighborhood was no better than dog poop on the street.
“Aren’t you covering your eyes? Ha, look at this bastard. I lost my coward head.”
The man with the tattoo raised his hand and threatened to strike.
However, as I continued to stare at him without blinking an eye, he seemed to sense that something was out of the ordinary.
“Hey. Today, I’m in a hurry, so I’m just going. I know it won’t be fun the next time we meet.”
The guy hurriedly jumps down with the last word. Judging by what he was doing, it seemed that he was not a bully in the neighborhood, but rather a scammer out to get money.
After the man with the tattoo left me, silence returned to the motel.
Only then does the owner of the motel, who has been paying attention since earlier, sneak up on me.
“I… … Is that Mr. Kim’s son? May I ask what you are doing?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
I walk close to the motel owner and make eye contact.
He reflexively lowered his eyes.
“When I heard about it earlier, they said they were trying to shift the responsibility for reimbursement to my mother.”
“No, not necessarily, but when something like this happens… … .”
“I have no intention of listening to your excuses. Please deposit all of your mother’s salary, unpaid balances for the 4 major insurances, and retirement pay by tomorrow.”
The motel owner turns to his mother with a puzzled face.
I grabbed his head with both hands and forced him to look into my eyes.
“If the deposit is not received by tomorrow, my younger siblings will come to collect the money. Do you understand?”
* * *
In the car on the way home.
My mother just looked out the window for a while, but didn’t say anything. You seem very surprised by your son’s sudden behavior.
I didn’t know how to get the words out, so I thought about it for a long time before finally opening my mouth.
“I… … Were you surprised? I think I overreacted.”
My mother slowly turns her head and looks at me. Then he said with a light smile.
“I wasn’t surprised, I was moved. I want my son to grow up to be this reliable. If your father had seen it, he would have thought the same.”
From noble mtl dot com
“… … .”
“When the thugs ran away, I felt relieved inside.”
Hearing these words puts my uncomfortable mind at ease. You might have said that on purpose.
“Hey, you did too much to ask for your salary. If you say that, how are you going to go to work tomorrow?”
“You don’t have to go out. Take a break at this point and go hiking with your friends.”
“Again, you say it that way again. Didn’t I say cleaning was because I liked it?”
Who would go out because they wanted to do the hard cleaning job?
I said as I opened the storage compartment on the passenger side.
“Get your shopping bag here.”
“What is this? gift?”
“It’s not a gift… … You will know when you see it.”
The mother casually opened the shopping bag and said in surprise, “Oh my!” he shouted.
Inside the shopping bag were 10 crisp bundles of 50,000 won bills from the bank.
“Did you borrow money from your aunt when your father left? I know you kept going out to work to pay it off.”
“How do you know that… … .”
At the time, I was completely unaware that I was in debt. Because my mother hid it until the end.
If my mother hadn’t passed away, I might never have known.
“Use it to pay off your debts and use the remaining money for living expenses.”
While driving, I sneak a look at my mother’s expression.
He didn’t say anything, but I could feel that he was worried. It was only natural that the son suddenly appeared with a wad of money.
“You know my friend Taesik, right? He works at Bank H.”
“Oh, did you?”
“It’s been a while since I went. Has it been 3 years this year? Anyway, I started a small business with Taesik, but it worked out well this time and I made quite a bit of money.”
Fearing that people would worry about investing in stocks, I vaguely referred to it as a business, and deliberately mentioned Park Tae-sik and H Bank.
Originally, for people of this age, the trust that banks give is great.
As if it had actually worked, the mother’s expression seemed more relaxed than before.
“And since we’re moving within this year, if there’s a place you like, let us know in advance.”
“Are you moving?”
“You’ve lived in your house for over 20 years now. It is time to move.”
“No, I’m fine at home now.”
I grabbed my mother’s hand as she was waving her hand. It was such a hand, hard and cracked like tree bark from long cleaning work.
He forcibly holds back the emotions that well up from the depths of his heart and continues his conversation.
“Since the money will be earned by the son now, the mother should do only what she wanted to do.”
Mother silently turned her head out the window.
After that, I heard quiet sobs until I got home, but I pretended not to notice and focused on driving.
Damn, who’s cutting onions…. T_T