| It has been 12 years since I got married. I
had envied womenfolk at my age who enjoyed shopping with their
sisters-in-law. Finally, the unmarried brother of my husband
got married last November. As his wife is a Filipana, there
is a lack of understanding between her and the family. We have
been trying every way possible for communication, such as speaking
in English or using hands and feet, so called, body language.
On the day that the newly wed couple came back from the honeymoon,
I as well as the family was so impressive, for she has prepared
some presents not only for her father-in-law but for her nephews
with all her heart. They spent their honeymoon neatly, not
gaily. They were told to remind her hometown from the view
of sea and to eat delicious Susi during the honeymoon. When
they came back from the honeymoon, the newly wed husband said
that she refused to eat even some dishes with a fine flavor
aside from to eat Susi. He said she had been just busy shopping
for the presents of the family.
Looking at my sweet-hearted sister-in-law, I could see again
what love among members of the family is. Now, she calls me
Hyung-nim! in Korean (a name for ones elder sister-in-law)
so often. I feel satisfactorily about her. Whenever I look
at her, I think she looks so pretty. Anyway, she took a handkerchief,
which she had prepared for me, out of her handbag and handed
it to me.
When she came first, she used to eat bread and bananas for
her three meals. Rice was not agreeable to her. Now she can
cook rice quite well, and bean-paste pot stew and boiled rice
with assorted mixtures have become digestible food to her.
I made Kimchi with her several days ago. When Kimchi was well
dressed with stuffings for pickled vegetables, I offered a
piece of Kimchi to her. She said, Korean Kimchi is best. Good.
Delicious! Delicious! She ate two rice bowls for dinner of
that day, enjoying Kimchi. Whenever she sheds tears, looking
up at the sky, it seems that she misses her family so much.
I feel so sorry for her.
|
