But First, Marriage

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For a stunned moment, Suzy said nothing. "You're teasing, aren't you, Halabeoji?"

"No," he said, lighting a second cigar. He paused to stare at the glowing tip, his eyes filled with mischief—and with something else, less easily defined. "I'm serious."

"But . . ." Suzy's thoughts were so jumbled she couldn't make sense of them herself, let alone convey her feelings to grandfather.

"I've been giving the matter serious consideration for some time now. Joohyuk's perfect for you and you're the ideal complement to him. You're doing to have beautiful babies."

"But . . ." Suzy discovered she was absolutely speechless. One minute she was listening to a touching story, and the next her grandfather was telling her about the husband he's arranged for her—and even the appearance of her children.

"Once you think about it," Halabeoji said confidently, "I'm sure you'll agree with me. Joohyuk is a fine young man, and he'll make you an excellent husband."

"You . . . Joohyuk talked . . . agreed?" The words stumbled over the end of her tongue.

"Do you mean have I suggested this arrangement to Joohyuk?" Halabeoji asked. "Heavens, no. At least not yet." He chuckled as if he found the thought amusing. "Joohyuk wouldn't appreciate my blatant interference in his personal affairs. With him, I'll need to be far more subtle. To be honest, I considered making this marriage part of my handing over the chairmanship, but after thinking it through, I changed my mind. Joohyuk would never have agreed. There are other ways, I decided, better ways. But I don't want you to worry about it. That's between Joohyuk and me."

"I . . . see." At this point, Suzy wasn't what she saw, other than one determined old man caught between two worlds. In certain respects, the old ways continued to dominate his thinking, but his success in America allowed him to appreciate more modern outlooks.

Halabeoji inhaled deeply on his cigar, his brown eyes twinkling. "Now, I realize you probably find the idea of an arranged marriage slightly unusual, but you'll get used to it. I've made a fine choice for you, and I know you're smart enough to recognize that."

"Halabeoji, I don't think you fully understand what you're suggesting," she said, trying to gather her scattered wits, hoping she could explain the ridiculousness of this whole scheme without offending him.

"But I do, my dear."

"In this country and age," she continued slowly, "men and women choose their own mates. We fall in love and then marry."

Halabeoji frowned. "Sadly, that doesn't work," he muttered.

"What do you mean, it doesn't work?" she cried, losing her patience. "It's been like this for years and years!"

"Look at the divorce rate. I read in the paper recently that almost fifty percent of all marriages in this country fail. In the old country, there was no divorce. Parents decided whom a son or daughter would marry, and their decision was accepted without question. First comes marriage, and then comes love."

"Halabeoji," Suzy said softly, wanting to reason this out with him. Her grandfather was a logical man; surely, if she explained it properly, he'd understand. "Things are done differently now. First comes, love, then comes marriage."

"What do you young people know about love?"

"A good deal, as it happens," she returned, lying smoothly. Her first venture into love had ended with a broken heart and a shattered ego, but she told Halabeoji little if anything about Jinguk.

"Pfft!" he spat. "What could you possibly know of love?"

"I realize," she said, thinking fast, "that your father arranged your marriage to Halemoni, but that was years ago, and in America such customs don't exist. You and I live here now, in the land of the free. The land of opportunity."