Lee Myungjae /My grandmother/ Mon12

My Grandmother

 

 

    I don't have many memories related to my grandmother. She passed away from cancer more than 10 years ago, so I remember her voice or look not very well. However, I cannot forget the short moment we had long time ago. When I was in elementary school, my family suddenly got a phone call that grandmother got cancer in her stomach. My mother ran to the hospital right after the call, but the rest of my family couldn't visit her for some time because we lived very far from her place. When the whole family finally came to visit her, the bad disease had already spread out most of her body. When we came in her hospital room, there were almost all relatives of my mother's side. I felt great to see my aunts and uncles who lived far away, but because I was so shy that time, I wanted them to welcome me and talk to me first. However, I soon got disappointed to find that they only took attention to my younger sister. They stroke her head and said, "You really pretty little girl. How have you been?", "I'll give you some money. Buy and eat some snack" Actually, she was the youngest girl among the whole relatives and since my parents had her quite late in their marriage, it was natural that relatives considered her very cute and precious. Even so, I didn't understand why all the people did so kindly to her but never found me beside her. So upset, I lay down on a sofa at one corner of the room and started to read a comic book. It wasn't funny at all, but I didn't want to show myself again. After a while, my mother found me and said loudly, "Oh! What are you doing there alone, my girl!" Suddenly my face turned red, and I came close to burst into tears because her words made me more frustrated. Then other relatives got the situation quickly said in embarrassment, "We gave money to your sister because she's younger than you. Don't be upset." I said, "I'm not upset." and the situation wrapped up there. But I still didn't understand their words. Some time passed by, and most relatives went out to have dinner. Then, my grandmother, lying in the bed, suddenly stood up and said to me in a small voice, "Let's go out." So we started walking along the corridor. When we walked some time, she suddenly stopped and slipped something into my hand from her patient's gown. That was a creased 5000 won bill. She said, "I'm sorry but that's all I have at the moment. Get something delicious." I realized that she had cared about me since she knew I was upset. I was so moved and felt like crying right away. On the way go home, in a car, I put out the bill and looked at it again and again thinking of her love. Few weeks later, my family was told that she was gone in the end. Now, 13 years has passed since her death, but her love always remains in my mind. I wish I could see her again, even a very short minute, and say that I really thank her and love her.