201202631 Lee, Eunyoung/ First draft of Chaper 5/ Narrative composition Tue 3-4

That's the way that mop flops

201202631 Lee, Eunyoung

 

"Can't you just right anything you want? I don't know what to say. My life has been too tuff"

It was the first sentence my grandma on my mother's side said to me when I asked her about her life. She was born in 1938 according to a family register but her real age might be about 80 years old. In earlier days, people didn't register their babies right away after birth because lots of them didn't survive. So, they wait until the babies become 2-3 years old and then put their name on family register. My grandma experienced both the period of Japanese occupation and Korean War.

"Grandma, do you remember the Japanese colonial era? Did Japanese bully you because you are Korean?"

"Um…… Korean became independent when I was second grade of elementary school. So, I don't remember things well because I was young at that time. I used to use Japanese and I was quite good at it, but now I can't remember well. I forgot everything. What I remember is that, the school distributed one shoes for each class and I got one. So I remember that. And…and… when it was the New Year's Day, I got one white bread one red... was it red..? It was mochi in Japanese. I got two breads, two. "

She was recalling her memory. She sounded so nostalgic. She also said how she cleaned school restroom and other tasks that she was asked to do for school. She was traveling back to her youth memory. Then suddenly her voice turned into blue.

"It was that year when my older brother passed away. I can't avoid telling this story when I have to say about my childhood. Korean War occurred when I was about to graduate elementary school. That summer of the year, I even couldn't eat meals well because I was so afraid of the bombs from the plane. I couldn't eat things well. I was so scared. I was too scared. That time my brother didn't go to army because he was a police. He just got married that time. At then, the soldiers from the north stayed in the mountain after the war was just over. During the night, the north soldiers went down mountain looking for foods. They came to village and often took foods or cows away. That day, my brother got the scramble order to go to the village because the soldiers came down the mountain again. And there he was killed by the north soldiers."

I didn't know what to reply after this story. I didn't know she had an older brother. I felt so sorry about her story. After the death of her brother, her father also passed away because he was so depressed and angry about the death of his son. Her brother was the only son of three generation. Her mom fortunately lived little longer than that.

"Grandma, I'm so sorry that I let you recall about the saddest memory."

"No no no, it's okay. It's a story that already happened. What can we do about it? It's okay."

After that, she married with grandpa when she was 23 years old and had 4 children. Her life was still very tuff after getting married with grandpa. She got married with him because he so loved her that he begged for a marriage. However, after marriage, he turned out to be very dissolute. He used to be a one of the wealthiest people in the village, but because of his wrong personality, he blew whole asset away. My grandma had to work a lot to take care of four kids.

Her life was too tuff to even mention. I felt that I have to thank for what I have. I'm so thankful to my grandma that she is still alive and heathy. I love you, my grandma.