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평화를 사랑하는 세계인으로 1장 밥이 사랑이다 5. 한다면 하는 하루울이 고집쟁이 1 아버지는 돈을 빌려주고 떼일 줄은 알아도 받아올 줄은 모르는 사람이었습니다. 하지만 빚을 얻어 쓰고서 갚기로 한 약속은 소를 팔고 집안 기둥을 뽑아 팔아서라도 반드시 지키는 분이었습니다. 아버지는 늘 "작은 꾀로 진리를 움직이지 못한다. 참이란 작은 꾀의 지배를 받지 않는다. 꾀로 이룬 것은 몇 년 못 가 드러난다"고 말씀하셨습니다. 풍채가 좋으셨던 아버지는 볏섬을 지고 층계를 성큼성큼 올라가실 만큼 힘이 장사였습니다. 내가 아흔 살이 되도록 세계를 돌아다니며 활동할 수 있는 것은 아버지에게서 물려받은 체력 덕분입니다. 2 찬송가 중에서 '저 높은 곳을 향하여'를 즐겨 부르시던 어머니도 대단한 여장부셨습니다. 이마랑 머리가 두리두리하셨던 모습만이 아니라 곧고 괄괄한 성격도 그대로 닮아 나 또한 고집이 대단하니 그 어머니에 그 아들인 셈입니다. 3 어릴 적 내 별명은 '하루울이'입니다. 한번 울기 시작하면 온종일 울어야 끝이 나서 붙여진 별명입니다. 한번 울음을 터뜨리면 무슨 일이나 난 것처럼 크게 울어 잠자던 사람들이 다 깨어 나와봐야 할 정도였다고 합니다. 가만히 앉아서 운 것도 아닙니다. 방 안을 훌떡훌떡 뛰면서 난리를 쳐대 온 몸에 상처가 나고 살이 터져 방 안을 피투성이로 만들 정도로 울어댔습니다. 어려서부터 그렇게 성질이 지독한 데가 있었습니다. 4 한번 맘을 정하면 절대 양보를 안 했습니다. 뼈가 부러져도 양보를 하지 않았습니다. 물론 철이 들기 전의 일입니다. 내가 뻔히 잘못했는데도 어머니가 뭐라 하시면 "아니야! 절대 아니야! 하고 맞섰습니다. 잘못했다고 한마디하면 될 걸 죽어도 그 말을 입 밖에 내지 않았습니다. 그런데 우리 어머니 성격도 대단하셨습니다. "어디 부모가 대답하라는데 안 하는 거냐?"며 들이패셨지요. 한번은 얼마나 맞았는지 기절을 해서 나가 떨어졌습니다. 그런데도 나는 항복하지 않았습니다. 그러자 어머니가 내 앞에서 엉엉 우셨습니다. 그 모습을 보고도 나는 잘못했다고 하지 않았습니다. 5 고집이 센 만큼 승부욕도 강해 어떤 일이든 지고는 못 살았습니다. 오죽하면 "오산집 쪼끔눈이. 그놈, 한번 한다면 하는 놈이다"라고 동네 어른들이 다 인정할 정도였습니다. 몇 살 때이던가, 내 코피를 터뜨리고 도망간 아이의 집 앞에 한 달을 죽치고 기다린 끝에 그 부모에게 항복을 받아내고 떡까지 한 시루 얻어오는 것을 보고어른들도 혀를 내둘렀습니다. 그렇다고 생떼로만 이기려 든 건 아닙니다. 6 또래 아이들보다 훨씬 덩치도 크고 힘도 장사여서 동네에서 팔씨름으로 나를 당할 자가 없었습니다. 나보다 세 살 더 많은 녀석한테 씨름에서 진 적이 있었는데 도통 분해서 견딜 수가 없었습니다. 그래서 매일 밤 산에 올라가 아카시아 나무 껍질을 벗기며 힘을 길러서는 여섯 달 만에 그 녀석을 이겨버렸습니다. 7 우리 집안에는 아이를 많이 낳는 내력이 있습니다. 내게는 위로 형님이 한 분과 누나 셋, 여동생이 셋이나 있었습니다. 어릴 적엔 형제가 많아 참 좋았습니다. 형제들에 사촌들, 육촌들 모두 불러모으면 못할 일이 없었습니다. 그래도 세월이 지나고 보니 온 세상에 나 혼자 남은 기분입니다. 8 1991년 말 북한에 잠시 다녀 온 적이 있습니다. 떠나온 지 48년만에 고향에 가보니 그 많던 형제와 어머니는 이미 돌아가셨고 누님과 여동생 한 사람만 살아있었습니다. 어릴 적 어머니처럼 나를 위해주던 누님은 칠순이 넘은 할머니가 되어 있었고, 그토록 귀엽던 여동생도 이미 육십이 넘어 얼굴에 주름이 가득했습니다. 어릴 적에 그 여동생을 참 많이 놀려댔습니다. "효선아, 네 신랑감은 한쪽 눈이 째보다!"하고 달아나면 "뭐라구! 오빠가 그걸 어떻게 알아?" 하며 쫓아와선 조그만 주먹으로 내 등을 콩콩 때리곤 했습니다. 9 열여덟 되던 해 효선이는 이모뻘 되는 아주머니의 중매로 선을 보았습니다. 그날 아침 일찍 일어나 머리를 곱게 빗고 분단장을 예쁘게 한 효선이는 집 안팎을 청소하며 신랑감 될 사람을 기다렸습니다. "효선아, 너 그렇게 시집이 가고 싶냐?" 하고 놀리자 분 바른 얼굴이 발갛게 물들던 모습이 참 고왔습니다. 북한을 다녀온 지 10년도 훨씬 더 지난 지금은 나를 보고 그렇게나 섪게 우시던 누님도 돌아가시고 여동생 혼자 남아있다고 하니 어찌나 애달픈지 내 마음이 다 녹아버리는 듯 합니다. 10 손재주가 좋았던 나는 양말이나 옷 같은 걸 내 손으로 직접 짜 입었습니다. 추워지면 모자도 쓱쓱쓱 떠서 썼고요. 여자들보다도 솜씨가 좋아 우리 누나들한테도 뜨개질을 가르쳐주고 효선이 목도리도 내가 짜주었습니다. 11 곰발바닥처럼 크고 두터운 손으로 바느질하기도 좋아해서 속옷도 내가 만들어 입었습니다. 통광목을 갖다놓고 반을 척 접어 본을 뜨고 마름질을 한 다음 바느질하면 나한테 딱 맞게 만들어졌습니다. 어머니 버선도 그렇게 만들어 드렸더니 어머니가 "야,야, 우리 둘째가 장난삼아 하는 줄 알았더니 엄마 발에 딱 맞는구나" 하고 좋아하셨습니다. 12 효선이 말고도 그 밑으로 동생이 넷이나 더 있었습니다. 어머니는 열세 명의 형제를 낳으셨지만 다섯 자식을 먼저 보내셨습니다.그러니 어머니의 속이 시커멓게 타버리셨을 겁니다. 넉넉지 않은 살림에 자식이 그렇게 많으니 어머니의 고생도 말이 아니었습니다. 13 그때는 자식을 시집장가 보내려면 무명을 짜야 했습니다. 목화에서 빼낸 솜을 물레에 넣어 실을 뽑는 것이지요. 그걸 평안도 말로 '토깽이'라고 합니다. 스무 올을 한 세로 잡고 열두 무명사, 열세 무명사…. 자식들이 하나 둘 결혼을 할 때마다 광목같이 보드랍고 예쁜 무명이 어머니의 투박스런 손을 통해 만들어졌습니다. 14 어찌나 손이 빠른지 남들이 하루에 서너 장 짜는 토깽이를 어머니는 열 장, 스무 장씩도 짜 내셨습니다. 누나를 시집보내느라 정 바쁠 때에는 하루에 한 필도 너끈히 짜곤 하셨습니다. 맘만 먹으면 어떤 일이든 후다닥 해버리는 어머니의 급한 성격을 꼭 닮아 나도 무슨 일이든 후다닥 잘합니다. 15 지금도 그렇지만 어린 시절부터 나는 아무 음식이나 잘 먹었습니다. 옥수수도 잘 먹고 생오이도 잘 먹고 생감자, 날콩도 잘 먹었습니다. 이십 리 밖에 있는 외갓집 밭에 덩굴이 뻗어나가는 것이 있어서 무엇이냐고 물어보니 '지과'라고 했습니다. 그 동네에서는 고구마를 지과라고 불렀습니다. 16 캐서 쪄주기에 먹어보니 얼마나 감칠 맛이 나던지 고구마를 소쿠리째 가져다놓고 혼자서 다 먹었습니다. 다음 해부터는 고구마 철만 되면 사흘이 멀다 하고 외갓집으로 달려갔습니다. "엄마, 나 잠깐 어디 좀 다녀올게요" 하고는 이십 리 길을 단숨에 달려가 고구마를 먹고 오곤 했습니다. 17 고향에는 5월에 감자고개가 있었습니다. 겨우내 감자만 먹다가 봄이 되어 보리 추수를 하는 때가 바로 감자고개입니다. 요즘같이 먹기 좋은 납작보리가 아니고 통보리쌀이었지만 그래도 좋았습니다. 통보리를 이틀 정도 물에 불렸다가 밥을 하면 숟가락으로 꾹꾹 눌러서 떠도 밥알이 모래알처럼 흩어졌습니다. 그걸 벌건 고추장에 비벼 한입 집어넣으면 보리가 이 사이로 자꾸 삐져나왔습니다. 그래서 입을 꼭 다물고 우물우물 먹던 기억이 납니다. 18 청개구리도 많이 잡아먹었습니다. 옛날 시골에서는 아이들이 홍역을 앓거나 병에 걸려 얼굴이 홀쭉해지면 청개구리를 먹였습니다. 넓적다리에 살이 피둥피둥 오른 커다란 청개구리를 서너 마리 잡아다 호박잎에 싸서 구우면 시루에 찐 것처럼 말랑말랑하면서 참 맛이 있습니다. 19 맛으로 치면 참새고기, 꿩고기도 빠지지 않습니다. 뜸북뜸북하며 벌판을 날아다니던 뜸북새는 물론이고 알록달록 어여쁜 산새알도 많이 구워 먹었습니다. 이렇게 자연에는 하나님이 주신 먹을거리가 지천이라는 걸 산으로 들로 쏘다니며 알아갔습니다. |
平和を愛する世界人として 第一章 ご飯が愛である 5. やると言えばやる「一日泣き」の強情っばり 父はお金を貸して踏み倒されることはあっても、返してもらうことには無頓着な人でした。しかし、自分がお金の入り用があって借金したときは、返済の約束は、牛を売り、家の柱を抜いてでも必ず守る人でした。父はいつも、「小手先の企みで真理を曲げることはできない。真というものは、そんな企みに屈するものではない。小手先の企みで何をしようと、数年も経たずにぼろが出るものだ」と言っていました。父は風采が良かったばかりか、米俵を背負って階段をのっしのっしと上がっていくほど逞しい体の持ち主でした。私が九十歳(数え)になっても世界を股に掛けて活動できるのは、父から譲り受けた体力のおかげです。 讃美歌「あの高い所に向かって」を好んで歌った母も、並の女性ではありませんでした。真っすぐで、豪胆で、荒っぽいのが母の性格でした。額や頭のつるりとしたところに加えて、性格もそのまま受け継いだ私は、我が強く、この母にしてこの息子ありと言えそうです。 幼い頃、私のあだ名は一日泣き」でした。一度泣き始めると、一日中泣いてようやく泣き止むところから付いたあだ名です。泣くときは、一大事でも起こったかのようにわんわん泣いて、寝ている者が皆起き出してくるほどだったといいます。じっと座って泣いたのではありません。部屋の中で、ひっくり返って、跳ね回りながら騒ぎを起こして、体のあちこちに傷ができ、皮膚が切れて、部屋のそこらじゅうが血だらけになるほど泣いたそうです。幼い時からとても気性の激しいところがありました。 一度決心すると絶対に譲歩しませんでした。どんなことがあっても譲歩しませんでした。もちろん物心がつく前のことです。過ちを犯したのは私だと分かっていても、母が何か指摘すると、「違う。絶対違う1」と言ってぶつかりました。「間違っていました」と一言で済むのに、死んでもその言葉を口にしませんでした。しかし母も負けてはいません。「さあ、親が答えなさいというのに答えないのか!」と言って叩くのです。ある時などは、何回叩かれたか分からないほど叩かれて気絶してしまいました。それでも私は降伏しませんでした。すると今度は、目の前でおいおい泣き始めるではありませんか。その姿を見ても、まだ間違っていたとは言いませんでした。 我が強いだけに勝負欲も強くて、どんなことでも、死んでも負けるものかという気持ちでいました。大げさではなくて、「五山の家の小さな目。あいつは一度やると言ったら必ずやる奴だ」と村の大人の誰もが認めるほどでした。何歳の時だったか、私に鼻血を出させて逃げていった子供の家に一月も通い詰めたあげく、その子と会って、親からは謝罪を受け、餅まで一抱えもらってきたのを見て、大人たちも舌を巻きました。 だからといって、気力だけで勝とうとしたのではありません。同じ年頃の子供たちよりもはるかに体も大きく、力も強かったので、村には腕相撲で私にかなう者がいませんでした。ところが、三歳年上の子に相撲で負けたことがあり、その時はひどく腹が立って我慢がなりませんでした。そこで、毎日山に登り、アカシアの木の皮が剥がれるほど木にぶつかって稽古し、力を付けて、六カ月後にはその子に勝ってしまいました。 わが家は子供が多い家系です。私の上に兄が一人、姉が三人、下に弟と妹が八人いました。幼い頃は兄弟が多くいて、本当に良かったと思います。兄弟姉妹、いとこ、またいとこ、全員呼び集めたら何でもできました。それでも歳月が過ぎてみると、広い世界に私一人が残った気分です。 一九九一年末、北朝鮮に八日間ほど行く機会がありました。四十六年ぶりに故郷に行ってみると、大勢いた兄弟と母はすでに亡くなり、姉一人と妹一人だけが生きていました。子供の頃、母のように私の世話をしてくれた姉は七十を過ぎたお婆さんになっていたし、あれほどかわいかった妹もすでに六十を過ぎて、顔は雛だらけでした。 あの頃は、この妹をなんだかんだとよくからかったものです。「孝善、おまえの新郎になる奴は目が一つしかないそ!」と言って逃げると、「何ですって!そんなこと、お兄さんがどうして分かるの?」と言いながら追いかけてきて、小さな拳で私の背中をパンパン叩きました。十七歳になった年に、孝善が叔母の紹介で見合いをしました。その日、朝早くから起きて、髪をきれいに整え、美しく化粧した孝善は、家の内外を掃除して新郎となるかもしれない人を待っていました。「孝善、おまえそんなに嫁に行きたいのか?」とからかうと、化粧した顔が赤く染まって、その姿が何とも言えずかわいらしかったです。 北朝鮮を訪問して十数年が過ぎた今は、あの時私と会って、胸が痛くなるほど泣いた姉も亡くなり、妹一人が残っているだけというのですから、切なくて、心がすっかり萎れてしまうようです。 手先が器用だった私は、靴下や服の類は自分で編んで着ていました。寒くなれば帽子もすいすい編んで被りました。編み物の腕前は女たちよりも上で、姉にも教えてあげたし、孝善の襟巻きも私が編んでやりました。針仕事も好きでした。熊の足裏のように大きく分厚い手で、下着も自分で作って着たのです。「荒織りの木綿」を置いて、それをさっと半分に折って、型を取って寸法に合わせて裁断した後、裁縫をすると、自分の体にぴったりのものができました。母の足袋もそうやって作って差し上げたところ、母は「おやおや、二番目の子が遊びでしていると思ったら、母さんの足にぴたっと合ってるね」と言って、喜んでくれました。 孝善の下には妹が四人もいました。母は十三人の子供を産んで、五人の子供に先立たれています。母が憔悸したのは言うまでもありません。生活に余裕がない上、子供がそんなにも多くて、母は言葉で言い尽くせないほどの苦労をしました。 その当時、娘を嫁に出すとか嫁をもらうときには、木綿を織らなければなりませんでした。綿花から取り出した綿を糸車に入れて糸を紡ぎますが、糸車に入れる際のほぐした綿の固まりを平安道の言葉で「トケンイ」と言います。子供たちが一人、二人と結婚するたびに、「荒織りの木綿」のように柔らかく美しい木綿が、母の厚ぼったい手を通して作られました。人1 倍手際が良くて、普通の人が一日に三、四枚織る布を、母は十枚も二十枚も織り出しました。姉を嫁に出すというので、速いときは一日に一疋(二反)織ることもありました。決意すれば何でもさっとやってしまう母の性急な性格によく似て、私も何でもさっとやってしまう性分です。 今もそうですが、私は幼い頃からどんな食べ物でもよく食べました。トウモロコシもよく食べ、生のキュウリもよく食べ、生のジャガイモや空豆もよく食べました。二十里(約八キロメートル) 離れている母の実家の畑に蔓が伸びているのがあって、何かと尋ねてみたら「チクァ」という返事でした。その村ではサツマイモを「チクァ」と言ったのです。掘って食べてみると、後味が素晴らしく良くて、籠に入れて持ってきて一人で全部食べました。翌年からは、サツマイモの季節になると、しばしば母の実家に走って行きました。「お母さん、しばらくの問どこそこに行ってきますよ」と言って、二十里の道を一息で走って行き、サツマイモを食べたのです。 故郷では、五月はジャガイモの蓄えが底を尽きかける一番大変な時期です。冬の間はずっとジャガイモばかり食べて、春になって六月頃に麦を収穫するとジャガイモ暮らしは終わりを告げます。麦は最近のように食べやすくした平麦ではなく、丸麦でしたが、それなりに美味しく食べました。丸麦を二日ほど水でふやかしてご飯を炊くと、スプーンでぎゅうぎゅう押さえたとき、飯粒が弾けて散らばります。それにコチュジャン(唐辛子みそ)をさっと混ぜて一口食べると、麦が口の端からしきりに飛び出してきます。そこで、口をむっと閉じて、もぐもぐと食べた覚えがあります。 アマガエルもたくさん捕って食べました。昔の田舎では、子供たちが麻疹にかかるか病気になるかして顔がやつれていれば、アマガエルを食べさせました。太ももがぱんぱんに張った大きなアマガエルを三、四匹捕まえて、カボチャの葉に包んで焼くと、蒸し器で蒸したようにふかふかしてとても美味しいのです。味からすればスズメの肉、キジの肉にも劣りません。広い野原を飛び回っていたクイナはもちろん、まだらでかわいい山鳥の卵もたくさん焼いて食べました。このように、自然界には神様が下さった食べ物があふれていることを、山や野原を歩き回って知っていきました。 |
As a peace-loving global citizen CHAPTER ONE - Food is Love 5. A Stubborn Child Who Never Gives Up My father was not good at collecting debts, but if he borrowed money, he would honor the pledge to repay, even if it meant selling the family cow or even removing one of the pillars from our home and selling it at market. He always said, “You can’t change the truth with trickery. Anything that is true will not be dominated by a small trick. Anything that is the result of trickery won’t go more than a few years before it is exposed.” My father had a large stature. He was so strong that he had no difficulty walking up a flight of stairs carrying a bag of rice on his shoulders. The fact that at age ninety I’m still able to travel around the world and carry on my work is a result of the physical strength I inherited from my father. My mother, whose favorite Christian hymn was “Higher Ground,” was also quite a strong woman. I take after her not only for her wide forehead and round face but for her straightforward and high-spirited personality as well. I have a stubborn streak, and there is no doubt I am my mother’s child. When I was a child, I had the nickname “day crier.” I earned this nickname because once I started to cry, I wouldn’t stop for the entire day. When I cried, it would be so loud that people would think something terrible had happened. People sleeping in bed would come outside to see what was going on. Also, I didn’t just cry sitting still. I would jump around the room, injuring myself and creating an uproar. Sometimes I would bleed. I had this kind of intense personality even when I was young. Once my mind was made up, I would never back down, not even if it meant breaking a bone in my body. Of course, this was all before I became mature. When my mother would scold me for doing something wrong, I would talk back to her, saying, “No. Absolutely not!” All I had to do was admit that I was wrong, but I would rather have died than let those words out of my mouth. My mother, though, had quite a strong personality as well. She would strike me, and say, “You think you can get away with not answering your parent?” Once, she struck me so hard she knocked me down. Even after I got up, I wouldn’t give in to her. She just stood in front of me, crying loudly. Even then, I wouldn’t admit that I was wrong. My competitive spirit was as strong as my stubbornness. I couldn’t stand to lose in any situation. The adults in the village would say, “Osan’s Little Tiny-Eyes, once he decides to do something, he does it.” I don’t remember how old I was when this happened. A boy gave me a bloody nose and ran away. For a month after that, I would go to his house every day and stand there, waiting for him to come out. The village adults were amazed to see me persist until finally his parents apologized to me. They even gave me a container full of rice cakes. This doesn’t mean I was always trying to win with stubborn persistence. I was physically much larger and stronger than other children my age. No child could beat me in arm wrestling. I once lost a wrestling match to a boy three years older than I was, and it made me so angry that I couldn’t sit still. I went to a nearby mountain, stripped some bark from an acacia tree, and for the next six months I worked out on this tree every evening to become strong enough to defeat that child. At the end of six months, I challenged him to a rematch and managed to beat him. Each generation in our family has had many children. I had one older brother, three older sisters, and three younger sisters. I actually had four other younger siblings who were born after Hyo Seon. Mother gave birth to thirteen children, but five did not survive. Her heart must have been deeply tormented. Mother suffered a great deal to raise so many children in circumstances that were by no means plentiful. As a child I had many siblings. If these siblings got together with our first and second cousins, we could do anything. Much time has passed, however, and now I feel as though I am the only one remaining in the world. I once visited North Korea for a short while, in 1991. I went to my hometown for the first time in 48 years and found that my mother and most of my siblings had passed away. Only one older sister and one younger sister remained. My older sister, who had been like a mother to me when I was a child, had become a grandmother of more than seventy years. My younger sister was older than sixty, and her face was covered with wrinkles. When we were young, I teased my younger sister a lot. I would shout, “Hey, Hyo Seon, you’re going to marry a guy with one eye.” And she would come back with, “What did you say? What makes you think you know that, Brother?” Then she would run up behind me and tap me on the back with her tiny fists. In the year she turned eighteen, Hyo Seon met a man with whom one of our aunts was trying to arrange her marriage. That morning she got up early, carefully combed her hair, and powdered her face. She thoroughly cleaned our home inside and out and waited for her prospective groom to arrive. “Hyo Seon,” I teased her, “you must really want to get married.” This made her blush, and I still remember how beautiful she looked with the redness in her face showing through the white powder. It has been well over ten years since my visit to North Korea. My older sister, who wept so sorrowfully to see me, has since passed away, leaving just my younger sister. It fills me with such anguish. I feel as though my heart may melt away. I was good with my hands, and I used to make clothes for myself. When it got cold, I would quickly knit myself a cap to wear. I was better at it than the women were, and I would give knitting tips to my older sisters. I once knitted a muffler for Hyo Seon. My hands were as big and thick as a bear’s paw, but I enjoyed needlework, and I would even make my own underwear. I would take some cloth off a roll, fold it in half, cut it to the right design, hem it, sew it up, and put it on. When I made a pair of traditional Korean socks for my mother this way, she expressed how much she liked them by saying, “Well, well, I thought Second Son was just fooling around, but these fit me perfectly.” In those days it was necessary to weave cotton cloth as a part of preparations for the marriage of a son or daughter. Mother would take cotton wool and place it on a spinning wheel to make the thread. This was called to-ggaeng-i in the dialect of Pyong-an Province. She would set the width at twenty threads and make twelve pieces of cotton cloth, thirteen pieces of cotton cloth, and so on. Each time a child would marry, cotton cloth as soft and beautiful as processed satin would be created through Mother’s coarse hands. Her hands were incredibly quick. Others might weave three or four pieces of to-ggaeng-i fabric in a day, but Mother could weave as many as twenty. When she was in a hurry to complete the marriage preparations for one of my older sisters, she could weave an entire roll of fabric in a day. Mother had an impatient personality. Whenever she would set her mind to doing something, she would work quickly to get it done. I take after her in that way. Since childhood, I have always enjoyed eating a wide variety of foods. As a child, I enjoyed eating corn, raw cucumber, raw potato, and raw beans. On a visit to my maternal relatives who lived about five miles away from our home, I noticed something round growing in the field. I asked what it was and was told it was ji-gwa, or “earth fruit.” In that neighborhood, people referred to sweet potatoes as earth fruit. Someone dug one up and cooked it for me in steam, so I ate it. It had such a delectable taste that I took a whole basketful of them and ate them all myself. From the following year, I couldn’t keep myself away from my maternal relatives’ home for more than three days. I would shout out, “Mother, I’m going out for a while,” run the whole distance to where they lived, and eat sweet potatoes. Where we lived, we had what we called “potato pass” in May. We would survive the winter on potatoes, until spring came and we could start harvesting barley. May was a critical period, because if our store of potatoes was depleted before the barley could be harvested, people began to starve. Surviving the time when potato stores were running low and the barley had not yet been harvested was similar to climbing to a steep mountain pass, so we called it potato pass. The barley we ate then was not the tasty, that-grained barley that we see today. The grains were more cylindrical in shape, but that was all right with us. We would soak the barley in water for about two days before cooking it. When we sat down to eat, I would press down on the barley with my spoon, trying to make it stick together. It was no use, though, because when I scooped it up in my spoon, it would just scatter like so much sand. I would mix it with gochujang (red pepper paste) and take a mouthful. As I chewed, the grains of barley would keep coming out between my teeth, so I had to keep my mouth tightly closed. We also used to catch and eat tree frogs. In those days in rural areas, children would be fed tree frogs when they caught the measles and their faces became thin from the weight loss. We would catch three or four of these frogs that were big and had plenty of flesh on their fat legs. We would roast them wrapped in squash leaves, and they would be very tender and tasty, just as though they had been steamed in a rice cooker. Speaking of tasty, I can’t leave out sparrow and pheasant meat, either. We would cook the lovely colored eggs of mountain birds and the waterfowl that would fly over the fields making a loud, gulping call. As I roamed the hills and fields, this is how I came to understand that there was an abundance of food in the natural environment given to us by God. |
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