할머니*

31 5 8
                                    

*Halmeoni=Grandma on the mother's side

I didn't choose to become a swimmer; the sea chose me

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I didn't choose to become a swimmer; the sea chose me.

I'm born in Pusan, my mother's city. My father, who worked at the prosecutor's office, got muted from Seoul to Pusan after a case that didn't end well.

He met my mother at the seaside here. Mom was an elementary teacher, and she sometimes worked at my grandmother's restaurant. Min Ho and I loved listening to the story my parents encounter. We were like to ahjumma's in front of a TVN drama when each of them took turns to explain.

It was love at first sight for my mother. As for my father, it was time that got the best of him. Mom didn't run after him, dad just came and ate at my gran's restaurant daily, and he fell in love little by little.

Dad would say love came in waves and swept him away.

They got married, and I was born. My parents would say I was special. I loved baths, and I would cry when they took me out. They told me that the first time I saw the sea, I ran to it. My favorite anime was 崖の上のポニョ [Gake no ue no Ponyo=Ponyo of the cliff], I would watch it all day again and again while complaining about how stupid Ponyo is to want to leave the sea. Then I decided to become a fish. I would hold my breath under the water in my bath tube. It drove my mom crazy.

I was seven when I got scouted, Min Ho was a baby, and mom was a full-time housewife, and she spent her time taking me to all my competitions. My parents and my grandmother made a lot of sacrifices so I could succeed.

On my father's side of the family in Seoul, they were just proud to say the national team would select me for the Olympics, and I'd become the next Ian Thorpe or Micheal Phelps.

At age 14, I moved to Seoul without my parents, who would come with dishes prepared by my granny; some teamates wouldn't even eat on that day, awaiting the words made by my halmeoni.

I discovered that my halmeoni, too, was a good swimmer and diver, so I guess I resemble her a lot.

When the accident occurred, my gran tried to help me, but I shut her out.

Still, gran asked people she knew who came to Seoul to bring me dishes. She's a brave woman, and she holds her restaurant like a captain.

Today, I came to see her; it's been a while; three years is long.

I'm ashamed, and my stomach growls with knots of anxiety. I wonder how she'll greet me.

"Omo, halemoni, halemoni, come quickly," Young Ae, one of my gran employees and friend, says.

"Why are you screaming, Young-Ae? You scared the life out of me. You know I don't want to die before seeing the face of my Tae ㅡ."

She stops when she sees me, the tears well in her eyes as she advances to slap her hands on my chest, " aigoo, you evil child, nappeun nomi [bad guy], aigoo, how can you leave me like, this, aigoo."

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