The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi

Author:Lee Geum-yi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

“Aboji, later on we’ll lay you to rest beside Omoni and your son. Rest in peace here for now.” Willow stood crying in front of the old man’s gravestone.

Her father-in-law had made her feel a father’s affection. If she had not been warmly welcomed and treated so affectionately by him, she might not have been able to face the hard times she had to endure. It was as though someone who had been firmly planted in her heart, like the tree at the entrance of her home village, had been uprooted. Willow was overwhelmed with loss and mourning. Taewan, who had thus lost the entire family with whom he came to Hawaiʻi, was also deeply saddened. Songhwa stayed as a close as a shadow to Willow, and took care of her.

Willow had only to glimpse the chair under the papaya tree, where the old man used to sit, and she would burst into tears. Whenever she looked at the baby’s clothes and the cot in their room, tears blinded her. There were more tears over her father-in-law’s now-unused rice bowl, chopsticks, and spoon. Everything that Willow laid her eyes on reminded her of his absence. She was so depressed she couldn’t bring herself to go to work.

A couple of days later, Taewan came back from work and sat down opposite Willow at the supper table prepared by Songhwa. After Taewan pressed a spoon into her hand and put some grilled fish on top of the rice, Willow gratefully ate a few spoonfuls. Once he had finished eating, Taewan said, “This Saturday evening, we’ve been invited to a party at the Puerto Rican camp. Let’s go together.”

The Puerto Rican camp was the camp closest to Camp Seven, but they had little contact. According to Dusun’s mother, who once lived in the same camp as the Puerto Rican workers, they were a lot of fun.

“By ‘we,’ do you mean everyone in our camp?”

“No, I was thinking that we and Jaesong with his wife, James’s family, and a few younger people. Let’s go, it’ll be a good change for you.”

Whenever she felt the child in her womb kicking actively as if trying to rouse her, Willow would start to think that she should pull herself together and resume her daily life. Still, it wasn’t long since her father-in-law had passed, so she was reluctant to go to the party. If this were Korea, she would have to spend at least a year in mourning.

“It might be better if we lived Korea-style,” said Taewan, “but here people go back to work the day after burying parents, siblings, or children. Aboji surely wants you to cheer up quickly and have a healthy child.”

Willow decided to go.

Everyone working in the communal canteen was glad to see Willow when she arrived to help with the food for the party. The Kaesong ajumoni tapped Willow on the back. “It’s good you’re here. The dead are dead, and the living have to go on living.”

Dusun’s mother said, “You’ve grown so thin.

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