At last, the national university entrance exam was held nationwide Dec. 5 with the extreme anxiety about the spread of Corvid 19. Reportedly, many countries, including US and France, postponed their entrance exams for next year or is trying to find new alternatives. But even the third great proliference of Corona virus didn’t stop the yearly big event in Korea again as did Apr. 12 general election. With the ending of it I lost my job of teaching since the number of patients diagnosed with the disease soared on a sudden. The government hurriedly announced the intensified prevention measures in three days. Now, the corona risk is leveled up to 2.5, which almost all economic activities should be stopped and both private and official gathering strictly restricted. This kind of frustration made me a good excuse of staying at home all day. Since my mother returned home from hospital, I have had to clung to her, because she can not move freely with her won feet. The side effect was much more serious than I had imagined, so she was not able to do anything by herself. Every morning I have to get up early and check her glucose( blood sugar level). Then, I hand her two different pills- one for curing the thyroid gland hormone and the other for curing high collestrol level. At 7. I start to set the table for breakfast with the food to enhance my mother’s appetite. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to make delicious and healthy side dish for her every day. I could not help appreciate my mother having made great efforts to prepare every good meal for my family through her life. Though we lived in extreme poverty for so many years, I think her recipe was second to none.
Even my friends would often admire her for a fantastic skill of making food. The reason I often avoid eating out is the food in the restaurant can not satisfy me too often, which made my wife angry at the early stage of marriage. After breakfast, I have to wash the dishes and vacuum the floor filled with dust. My apartment is on the top floor and more dust seems to rest on the floor which is beyond our common sense. After thirty minutes, I do the same thing as I did before breakfast. However, she needs to take different pills from the previous ones- antibiotics, brain nourishment. and medicine for diabetes. Now, from 1 PM until 4 PM, I can enjoy some free time watching a Budook program on TV or studying English. Sometimes, I went out for a walk in the park, but I tried to avoid any contact with folks due to whatever possibility of getting Corvid 19. Even a few days ago, I usually started to cook supper at 4.30 as I have to tutor my student at 6.30 PM. Of course, he was supposed to take the national entrance exam this year.
When back home around 9.10 PM, I had to check whether she take medicine and ensure that her blood sugar level is normal. I know that this exhausting routine will go on until my mom leave some time. However, there is nom way to get away from it. I say to myself, “If you cannot avoid it, you should accept”
I thank God for the fact that I have no job and it’s I that should take care of the rest of my mother’s life. In my childhood, I dreamed that my mother would stay with me for ever. I never envisaged a life without her. She has been my guardian deity all my life. It’s a commandment given to a human by Creator that we look after our sick and weak mother. My wish is never to cry on the day when we part on the earth for good, saying “I was happy you were my mother.”