Let me tell you a little bit about myself...
I've always lived in Guryong village, Gangnam, in a little hut owned by an old Geezer named Damian. Even though I'm a little thankful to the old Geezer for taking care of me, lately the scolding is becoming unbearable.
Anyway, where was I at?
Oh Yes!, Guryong Village, an illegal encampment in Gangnam on private land in Seoul, the last so called Slum in Seoul's Gangnam district!
I was born in 1990, or so does that old geezer says, and apparently my mother was British, and my father Korean.
I don't really know what was the relation between both of them and the Geezer, he's never told me about it, even if I asked, so I just stopped doing it.
He did tell me they were killed on a shooting just after I was born, not that I really care, I never met them after all. The thing is, since then, the Geezer has been raising me, but Sargeant Damian, as he likes to be called, is a really Spartan parent!
At his 50s, his age is apparently just a number, maybe because of all the exercise he likes to do... and I'm forced to do as consequence....
The last 5 years, he's been teaching me some tricks he apparently learned in his time in the army, or whatever I don't really remember what he said!
With his teachings, my hands have been getting faster, and thanks to my good eyesight, it has allowed me to do some interesting things...
With that being said, I'm now precisely doing that interesting thing I'm talking about, I like to call it, "hunting".
And I feel it...
My "prey" is near right now....
While I was submerged in my thoughts in an alley in Cheongdam dong, still in Gangnam, I heard some heavy footsteps getting closer. Peeking from the corner of my eyes, I could see a fat man wearing a white suit, while wearing a purple beret covering his obviously bald head. As he came closer to the corner I was leaning in, I quickly turned the corner and bumped into him.
Just a second, that's all I needed!
—Damm brat, watch where you're going — he said while rapidly pushing me off him. He was really forceful, so I tripped, making me use my hands to stop my fall.
Immediately after that, I replied.
— I'm really sorry Mr. I was distracted, it won't happen again.
— You bet it won't — he said while clicking his tongue, and getting back on his original track.
I stood up and calmly started walking in the opposite direction. After 20 minutes of walking, I arrived in front of a big sign saying "Cheongdam elementary school". After assuring there wasn't anyone near, I took out a wallet from the back pocket of my pants and opened it.
— *Whistling* Jackpot!!, That fat bastard had a lot of money, I guess it was worth that fall.
Taking all the bills out of the wallet, I couldn't really count it, but I knew it was a lot of money.
I quickly discarded the wallet and put all the money back in my pocket. After that, I asked a nearby man for the time, realizing it was just 3:30 PM. Then, I went to a nearby bench and sat down.
– Well, it won't hurt to take a nap... — while saying that, I quickly rested my back on the bench, and after closing my eyes, I slowly fell entered a light sleep.
...
....
.....
— Hey!! Wake up!! — I heard, just before feeling a smack on my face.
I abruptly woke up to a hurting sensation on my cheeks, a bit disoriented, I noticed a pair of clear blue eyes staring at me.
Realizing who it was, a faint smile appeared in my face.
— You said you'll come to get me at school, not to sleep! — said the owner of the blue eyes while cutely pouting in front of me.
— Sorry Eimi, Damian worked me too much yesterday, I'm kind of tired. What about this, why don't I buy you a corn dog In the way home? — I answered.
Immediately after saying this, I could see how her face brightened up from her original pouting expression.
"It seems the corn dog blackmail still works on her" — I thought.
— I want two corn dogs, promise? — she said while stretching her pinky finger to me.
— Promise! The one who breaks it won't be able to marry — I answered and entwined my pinky with hers.
— Let's go quickly Oppa, or Ms Ong will sell all her corn dogs. Quickly! Quickly! Quickly!
She started pushing me until we finally arrived at the expected food stall. Only after she started to eat was I finally free of her hurrying.
After eating our fill of Corn dogs, and buying some extra to bring to Damian, we were walking towards home while chatting.
— Oh Eimi, I almost forgot about it, how much we have left ? Do you know?!
I handed her all the bills that were in my pocket, and I could see she started counting taking a few minutes.
— Oppa, where did you get all this money? I think there are still 150 thousand won here. — she asked with a skeptical look in her face.
Ignoring her question, I noticed I could already see the light of the candles inside our so called home.
— We are almost there, I know you're tired, but remember to change into some other clothes after getting there! — She nodded while I again hid the money in my back pocket.
We got in the hut, while entering we immediately heard some words in English coming from the inside.
— Welcome back little guys, how was school?
A tall, gray haired white middle aged man with blue eyes said in an enthusiastic tone.
— It was okay I guess, we started learning about multiplications, it was easy for me because I've already studied it by myself! — answered Eimi in perfect English using a self-conceited tone
— Oh really little genius? — Damian chuckled whike shaking his head— and Christian, what about you? How was school?— He asked while looking at me.
I sighed as I knew this was coming earlier or later. I extended my left hand that had a brown bag in it.
— What is that? — he asked while frowning.
—Corn dog, for you — I answered.
His frowning intensified and he asked again.
— I don't remember giving you any money this morning, just rice balls for your launch, so, answer honestly, Where... did....you...get...that? — he said, while slowly emphasizing each word.
I could see how his face morphed from his earlier smile to a clear frown. Unknowingly, I couldn't help but gulp some saliva.
— The lady from the corn dog place gave us some of them for free — i answered while looking directly into his blue eyes.
Suddenly, he hit the wall really hard and screamed.
— You dare to lie to me again? Do you think I don't know where did you get this money? How many times have I heard the same lame excuse? Haven't you learned anything? Didn't I tell you to not do it again? You didn't go to school today? How many times has it been?
I was bombarded with one of the worse scolding of this last week, though definitely not the worst. However, be it my tiredness, be it I was already fed up today, or be it the amount of money I could still feel in my back pocket I couldn't help but let my anger rise.
I snapped.
— WHAT IF I MISS SCHOOL, THERE'S ONLY COCKY BASTARDS THERE!!! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE LOOKED ON AS IF I WAS A DEMON!! WHAT ABOUT HOW DID I GET THE MONEY? IT DOESN'T MATTER, WE NEED THE MONEY, DON'T WE?
Damian also raised his voice while slapping the corn dog bag out of my hand.
— HAVEN'T I TOLD YOU? I PREFER TO STARVE TO DEATH THAN EATING USING STOLEN MONEY!!! DON'T YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT?
I was preparing to answer back but I noticed how Eimi's face was starting to wrinkle, as clear tears were starting to run down her face. Instead, I turned back to the door and quickly left the house, not forgetting to pick up the bag and throw it back to Damian before exiting.
He caught it without problems and calmly said while looking directly at my eyes.
— Take the shovel with you.
I clicked my tongue and slammed the hut's "door" really hard. I stopped at the front of the house.
Tears were forming on my eyes, but I fought hard to not cry...
Why can't he understand that we really do need the money? Is it so hard to forget about its origin? — I whispered, still not moving from the hut's door.
I started breathing and calming myself, unmoving. After a couple of minutes, I turned back to the door, and took a shovel that was resting just by the side of the so called door, which was just a wooden plank, no longer as sturdy as the big flat stone that we put at its feet so it doesn't fall.
Now that I think about it... I hate to admit it... but shoveling does really help me to calm myself, and he knows it.
Unconvinced still, I did manage to start walking towards a park nearby. Not really a park I would say it's just a zone full of sand where sometimes boys in the neighborhood play soccer. However, for me, it was my meditation place. Or the "it's about time you start listening to me" place, as Damian sometimes calls it. Still, it does relax me, not just the act of shoveling though. Just exercising a bit manages to relax me quite a bit.
As I was deep in thoughts, I went to a far corner of the so called park where there was a big hole and started digging without noticing time passing. After what felt like hours, suddenly I heard some female voice talking to me.
— Let me guess, another fight with Damian? — said the female voice in a rapid Spanish.
I turned back to the voice, and noticed a short middle aged lady with wide hips and dark suntanned skin looking at me with a teasing smile on her face.
— Claudia, I'm not In the mood right now — I answered back in the best Spanish I could muster.
Her original neutral face turned into a wide grin that threatened to break my serious façade. Her thick eyebrows raised on her wide face, while her eyes elongated and shrinked with a distinct teasing tone.
"This is not good" — Were the only thoughts in my mind while looking at her.
— Oh, you're too old now to talk to an old lady like me anymore? — replied the woman, with the same teasing tone.
— Claudia, you know it's not like that — I said, clearly frustrated by her teasing.
— Don't say any more... I understand..— she paused and feigned indignation while continuing — ...An old lady should not meddle with the business of a young man... — she interrupted while brushing the clearly fake tears she was improvising.
Sighing, I could only give up.
— Ok, yes, I fought with him... — I said, in defeat.
— Come over here — She said, while taking my hand and guiding me to an improvised stone bench, the only sitting place in the whole place, and sat me down while kneeling down — spit it out — in the so usual confidence tone I've como to know her for.
I told her all the story from the start, starting by how I got the money, and finishing with the argument we had earlier.
When I finished, she answered without thinking.
— You know what, Cristian? Both of you are really similar, that old Damian and you are really stubborn. You just have to remember that, even though we parents may sometimes seem cruel, there's no purer love than a parent's love. It's not up to me to solve this problem for you, just remember what I said — she whispered while hugging me — Now... it's getting late, you know I love gossip, but it's time to go home — she finished by standing up and softly cleaning the sand off her knees.
While still being a bit distracted pondering about what she just said, I managed to answer.
— Take care of yourself, say hi to Lucy for me.
Now that I think about it, she must have fought with Lucy too. Smiling, I waved at her.
"It must have been hard on Claudia since losing her husband the same day I lost my parents" — Was the first thought that came to mind when thinking about Lucy and Claudia.
Our houses were in completely different directions, so we separated with light kiss on each other's cheeks and I went back home. Not forgetting to put again the shovel by the side of the door.
After entering the house, I noticed a rice ball in the only table of the house, I approached it and saw a little letter attached to it. I slowly read the letter, trying to understand what he wrote, as his calligraphy hasn't gotten better with the years.
"Punk, sorry for screaming at you, we'll talk about it tomorrow, eat this and go to sleep".
I chuckled, and looked at the sleeping old man...
Maybe I was really wrong about him, so I ate the rice ball, and went to sleep...
It's really been a long day...