Kim Hee Sun, Exercise 3.2, Tuesday 34

I went to a local library to prepare for the midterm exam. Also I thought there would be a lot of people so I can finish this assignment easily, which I have to observe many people. But unfortunately, everyone around me was expressionless. They looked worn out with their studies and looked so tired. Some people even looked like they were angry. Since they were all doing the same thing(nothing except for studying) I couldn't pick one person in particular to be the main character of my assignment.

In order to get rid of the stuffy atmosphere, I went down to the cafeteria to have late lunch. There were not so many people in the cafeteria since it was way past lunch time. As soon as I started eating my food, a couple came in. I wasn't paying attention to them until the man spoke to the working lady.

"Mom, are you free now? Did you have time for lunch?" The man said to the cafeteria worker. I could easily guess that he was her son.

That one sentence made me interested enough, so I kept watching trying not to let them notice that I am listening their conversation. I tried to look like concentrating on my food while glancing at their table. The couple sat down near me, so it was not so difficult to hear them talk. Soon, the cafeteria lady came with a plate on her hands. Maybe she skipped meal since it was too busy so she was having late lunch just like me.

I started observing them carefully. The man was about 172cm in height and looked somewhat pale. He was wearing a brown sweater and jeans. He wasn't wearing glasses. The girl next to him had long black hair and wearing stripped shirts. The man and woman both looked like they were in mid-20s. The working lady was wearing a red uniform with a pink apron. She was wearing a hat for sanitation. She seemed to be a middle aged woman, about late-50s. She was short, and had a typical body type of Korean middle aged women.

They were talking about normal things.

"I guess you've gained some weight?" The working lady said to the girl.

"Oh, I've been eating a lot than usual. Haha." The girl seemed rather embarrassed.

I wasn't sure about the relationship about the man and the young woman, but I guess they are pretty long-term couples because the man's mother seems to have known the woman from earlier times. Or they could be just old friends. Who knows?

During the conversation, the man suddenly stood up and stood behind his mother. Then he started to have her shoulders massaged.

"Mom, your shoulders are so stiff! You must have been so tired." The man said.

I thought he is a very polite, caring son. And the scene reminded me of my family. I'm not much of a friendly person so I haven't treated my parents like the man before. He made me regret about my behaviors towards my parents in the past.

After finishing my lunch and leaving the cafeteria, I felt something warm in my heart. Maybe it was because of the love of family they showed. This evening, I should give shoulder massage for my parents, too. :)