Friend

by Paek Nam-nyong

  Seok Chun took off his worn-out hat and started fidgeting with it. Jeong Jin Wu continued.

  “Since you couldn’t properly assess the changing times and only looked disdainfully at your wife with your nearsighted views, you criticized her for being vain. You think she’s been acting superior to you for recommending technical college. Comrade Sun Hee’s concern for you derived from your aimless life and technical stagnation. Can you really blame her after all? I believe that her demands are aligned with the demands of society, which is to raise the consciousness of the people in our country. She understood that the family is a unit of society, and that is why your self-improvement is absolutely required. You really have to correct your erroneous and ultra-conservative thoughts.”

  The hat in Seok Chun’s large hands became like a small lump of cloth.

  “Comrade Seok Chun, then, do you feel superior to Sun Hee? Yes, you do. It emerges from your narrow-minded pride. You act like you’re the only one working loyally for the factory and for society, and, in doing so, you’ve trampled all over her dignity. You have to acknowledge that your wife’s voice moves the hearts of the people. Your wife is our society’s cultural representative, an artist.”

  Seok Chun rested his chin on his fist like Rodin’s The Thinker, immersed in deep thought.

  Jeong Jin Wu took the hat from Seok Chun’s hand and dusted off the ashes. He returned the hat to its original form and put it on Seok Chun’s head.

  “Comrade Seok Chun, you’ve been criticizing Sun Hee. But for so many years, she’s been by your side, suffering with you, feeling your pain when your invention goes awry. She believed that you would progress the same way she has progressed. That is why she was frustrated with you. As a man responsible for the stability of his family, if your wife says things like that, can’t you just accept it? She wants to be proud of her husband because she truly loves you.”

  Seok Chun was at a loss for words.

  “I am advising you, not as a judge, but as your elderly friend. Starting today, try to think progressively like the youths of this generation and create your own path. Don’t be like an old factory worker set in his ways. Get your act together like an intelligent expert technician. Start by taking care of your appearance. Go to the Engineering College. On Sundays, take your son to the theater and watch your wife’s performances. You’ve been wrong to think that these things are pretentious. I know you can do it, and I look forward to that day.”

  Seok Chun covered his face with his dirty hands as if he had been hit. He bit his thick lips to hold back his frustration. He didn’t like what the judge was saying because he didn’t feel he was at fault. The judge’s words were too much for him to bear; they pained him greatly, and his bitterness toward his wife resurfaced.

  Judge Jeong Jin Wu knew that Seok Chun’s antagonistic feelings toward Sun Hee would not last much longer. This was because he knew that Seok Chun was honest, strong-willed, and a true man of character. Without these admirable qualities, he would not have been able to carry out his duties at the factory during this period of marital strife; he would not have been able to do the simplest and most ordinary task.

  “Ah, Judge Jeong Jin Wu. You’re back,” interrupted the old equipment manager.

  Jeong Jin Wu and Seok Chun stood up to greet the elderly man.

  “Here, take this,” said the equipment manager, handing Seok Chun a pot. “The old man said that you would be here.”

  Seok Chun’s face turned red with embarrassment as he received the pot. The soup in the pot gave off a deliciously rich aroma. Seok Chun spoke as if he were sorry about something. He bit his lip and mumbled his words.

  “Sir, starting from today, I will go home on time.”

  The old equipment manager looked at Judge Jeong Jin Wu in shock. Then the two smiled at each other.

  “Oh, I see.” The equipment manager nodded, and then added, “I need a cigarette.”

  Seok Chun humbly offered the old equipment manager a cigarette.

  Jeong Jin Wu put the wooden stick into the furnace, just as Seok Chun had done before. But when he pulled it out, the tip was burned even without a flame.

  The old equipment manager laughed and told Jeong Jin Wu the technique, “Comrade Judge, you have to put it in and pull it out in a flash.”

  Jeong Jin Wu did as he was told. The tip of the wooden stick lit up like a matchstick.

  13

  After a couple of days, Sun Hee came by the court. Judge Song noticed that she was lingering in front of Jeong Jin Wu’s office, hesitating to knock, so he opened the door for her.

  Jeong Jin Wu set aside the legal documents he was perusing.

  Sun Hee paused uncertainly at the threshold. Jeong Jin Wu warmly invited her in. She had her hands in front of her as if they were powerless, and her body curled in on itself as if she was cold. She quietly pulled up a chair and sat before Jeong Jin Wu.

  Jeong Jin Wu pulled out the file that had “Divorce File of Chae Sun Hee” written across the top and waited for her to speak. From the expression on her face, he did not think she was going to talk about her husband’s backwardness and refusal to change along with society. However, Jeong Jin Wu felt uneasy about the hopelessness and defeat he saw in Sun Hee’s face. Her eyes revealed her brokenness and many sleepless nights, very much as on the day she first entered his office.

  Jeong Jin Wu regretted not calling Sun Hee into his office yesterday after his visit with Seok Chun the day before. He thought she would come to him with the cheerful news that the divorce was off, everything was back to normal, and things were fine. He was wrong.

  There was no doubt that her colleagues and her husband had caused her much pain all these years. It was evident that she had many things on her mind, many complicated issues as convoluted and complex as a spiderweb with which she had been struggling, causing her to become emaciated and pallid. Jeong Jin Wu looked at Sun Hee with sympathy and tried to guess her thoughts.

  Sun Hee regained her composure and spoke respectfully. “Comrade Judge, I am really grateful that you are spending your time and energy trying to keep my family united. But I still can’t live with my husband. It’s my fault. That’s why, after the divorce—”

  Jeong Jin Wu lowered his eyes to the documents and said, “Comrade Sun Hee, it doesn’t seem that you’ve learned anything from your deputy director.”

  “I acknowledge my faults at my company. But that’s an entirely different matter from my problems with my husband.”

  Tears stifled Sun Hee’s voice.

  “Is Seok Chun behaving the way he used to again?” Jeong Jin Wu asked.

  “What’s the point of his changing now? A leopard can’t change his spots. I’m tired of living like this.”

  The tears that had welled up in her eyes streamed down her cheeks.

  Jeong Jin Wu closed her divorce file and stood up. He began to pace back and forth in the office.

  He stopped next to Sun Hee and said in a low, reproachful voice, “Your family discord will not be resolved with a divorce. I’m telling you this honestly. If you proceed with the divorce case, all you’ll do is lose money from paying the legal fees. There is not enough evidence for a divorce, you see.”

  “Comrade Judge, why can’t you help me?” asked Sun Hee, choking up with frustration.

  “Please, calm down, Comrade Sun Hee. While I was objectively investigating your family problems, I realized that you have the ability to lead your family toward harmony. However, somewhere along the line, you lost faith in yourself. Your fanciful idealistic ideas about your husband and family life are lingering somewhere, but you were unable to anchor those thoughts to reality.”

  Sun Hee lowered her eyes.

  “You cannot place those kinds of unrealistic expectations on your husband. Such fantasies create deep ethical problems in a family, wouldn’t you agree? Even though Seok Chun is behind the times and tactless in expressing his love for you, he is still your husband and the father of your child. That is why you cannot di
sregard the time when you guys first expressed your innocent love for each other. You have to consider that moment to be precious and build from there, renewing your love for each other and for your son. However, you, Comrade Sun Hee, keep looking down on your husband. You have left him standing by the riverbank in your home village.”

  Tears rolled down Sun Hee’s face.

  Jeong Jin Wu stood next to his desk. Even though he saw that the poor woman was heartbroken, he proceeded in the name of justice.

  “Comrade Sun Hee, you learned the trade of operating the lathe from your husband. The other workers recognized your singing talents and adored you. With the blessing of the grease-stained workers, you two got married and even found a nice place to live. The sincere emotions in your singing derived from your days working the lathe. Then, the factory recommended that you become a professional singer. But now, you have forgotten your roots. You have forgotten the very people who first loved you and supported you. Thereafter, you began to isolate yourself from the other singers at your company.

  Sun Hee dabbed the corners of her eyes with her trembling hands.

  “I hate to say this, but you’ve been looking down on your husband, to the extent that you’ve become arrogant and pompous. You must realize this. If you quit your singing career, then what’s left for you? You have abandoned the one person in society who’s closest to you—your husband. So what if he goes to the Engineering College and becomes a technical expert? So what if he one day becomes a foreman at a factory? Will it bring harmony to your family? Will it bring rhythm back to your family? Character does not derive from social position, occupation, or physical appearance. He who diligently carries out the Party’s directives is the true bearer of noble consciousness and character. Look in the mirror. You say that you are an artist. But you know very well that you don’t automatically become an elegant, sophisticated person just because you are a singer. In order for you to move the audience with the ideological lyrics of your music, you have to make the music yours. If you reprioritize and live the correct lifestyle, and if you have an affectionate relationship with your husband, then your goals will become a beautiful reality and your family will live in harmony.”

  Sun Hee could neither muster the courage nor find the words to counter the judge’s logic.

  Jeong Jin Wu sat down and pushed aside Sun Hee’s divorce file as if to dismiss it. He did not think it was necessary to pursue the case when it was clear to him that she was shedding tears of self-reproach.

  Sun Hee stopped crying, but she did not lift her head. She pulled an elegant silk handkerchief from her purse and dabbed the tears from her eyes. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh of despair. She pushed back her chair and stood up. With her eyes still lowered, she turned to leave the office.

  “You’re leaving without saying good-bye?” Jeong Jin Wu asked softly.

  It was not a question that indicated her lack of etiquette but a question that anticipated Sun Hee’s new beginning—bidding farewell to the past and welcoming a new day.

  Sun Hee hesitated momentarily and then realized that she had broken the code of etiquette. She bowed to Jeong Jin Wu. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her face was pale.

  “Comrade Sun Hee, what are you going to do this Sunday?”

  “I’ll probably do whatever I feel like doing that day. Actually, I’ll be leaving for Seong Gan District tomorrow for our tour.”

  Jeong Jin Wu was overjoyed because the deputy director had done as he had been told.

  “When will you return?”

  “Friday will be our final performance there, so I guess on Saturday. Why do you ask?” asked Sun Hee.

  “I’m asking because this Sunday is May 10,” said Jeong Jin Wu as he looked at the calendar. “Isn’t that your tenth wedding anniversary?”

  Sun Hee was shocked. She had her hand on the doorknob, but now she lost the strength to so much as grasp it. A shadow of remorse covered her pale face. She tried to avoid making eye contact with Jeong Jin Wu by focusing on one corner of the room. Tears began to fill her eyes again.

  “That day … those kinds of days are only meant for normal families,” Sun Hee replied.

  “Would it be okay for me to stop by your house on that day?”

  “Please, who can stop you, Comrade Judge?”

  “No, I’m not going to your house as a judge, but as a friend. It’ll also be fun to see my friend Ho Nam.” Jeong Jin Wu laughed.

  Jeong Jin Wu could not transfer his joviality to Sun Hee, who met his amicable gesture with seeming indifference.

  He went over to Sun Hee and opened the door for her.

  “Then have a great time on your trip. I wish you the best,” said Jeong Jin Wu, trying to be encouraging.

  Sun Hee left without saying a word. The clicking of her high heels faded down the corridor. Then there was silence.

  Jeong Jin Wu’s entire body was on the verge of collapsing. His throat was parched. Layers of fatigue and worry weighed his body down. He drank a cup of water and then sank deep into his sofa. As he closed his eyes, he thought about how Seok Chun’s family life contrasted with his own marriage. He had harbored various resentments whenever his wife traveled for her research, leaving him with the housework. He had expressed disappointment and indignation before showing patience and affection.

  Jeong Jin Wu missed his wife.

  Since the cold weather had lifted and the warmth of spring had come, his wife could also be on her way back home.

  The mountainous roads in that area were dangerously steep and windy. There was only one bus a day that came from that direction.

  If she missed the bus, then she would have had to hitch a ride on a truck. She’s probably sitting in the back of a bumping truck with a towel around her head, thinking about something. What was she thinking about?

  She had never once expressed her difficulties in doing her research to her husband but instead kept them to herself. The tall peaks, the bright blue sky, the magnificent evergreens, and the dark river flowing below the steep mountains made for a picturesque view on first sight. But since Eun Ok traveled this road often, they no longer had the power to refresh her. That was why she would close her eyes and doze to allow time to pass. However, the bumpy roads would prevent her from truly resting.

  What was she thinking now? Jeong Jin Wu thought.

  Before she got married, when she had traveled the mountain road, she probably had great expectations. But then disappointment followed her failed experiments, and her complaining husband added to her distress.

  Jeong Jin Wu recalled the last time he had greeted Eun Ok when she returned from her field research. He had been stern and cold, like an executive administrator. He had said things he should not have said to her. It was because he had been utterly fed up with what he considered her hopeless research. But even then, Eun Ok just smiled and caught up on the housework. How could he complain about such a saintly person?

  The phone rang.

  Jeong Jin Wu picked up the receiver. It was Chae Rim. He sounded like he wanted to pacify the judge.

  “Comrade Judge, will you be in your office for a bit?”

  “I will. In fact, I’ve been meaning to give you a call. Come by my office now,” said Jeong Jin Wu in an authoritative tone.

  “I’ll be there. Comrade Judge, I haven’t been able to sleep for the past couple of nights. I’m really sorry, and the more I think about my wrongdoing, the more I can’t sleep.”

  Jeong Jin Wu wanted to discipline him right then and there, but he held his tongue. Chae Rim had hindered the country’s technological advancement and trampled on the inventors’ sincere efforts. Did he think that a few sleepless nights would be enough to absolve him of his crime and guilt?

  “Comrade Judge, I am truly sorry before the law and I regret my misdeeds. This morning, I returned all the furniture that I had bought with the money meant for the cash prize. And then I decided that our administrative building does not need a metal fence and that a bric
k wall would do.”

  “Comrade Chairman, are you trying to exonerate yourself with a single phone call?”

  “No, not at all,” Chae Rim responded quickly. “I will be there soon.”

  Judge Jeong Jin Wu hung up the phone and pursued another line of thought. He needed to punish Chae Rim harshly for his illegal conduct. He had no choice but to consider Chae Rim’s misdeeds a crime. He had sabotaged the inventors for profit and was apathetic about the country’s technological advancement. He still was not completely truthful and remained a hypocrite, but he sounded as though he was prepared to rectify his mistakes. This was his first count of misconduct, and coming to the courthouse to confess his crime would be an amazing sight in itself if he carried it out. Jeong Jin Wu considered lessening the sentence if Chae Rim came to the courthouse to confess. Chae Rim would have to award the cash prize to the inventors after all, and then it would be up to the court to decide whether he would be punished for violating the moral codes and principles of his administrative work.