[Ladies and gentlemen, my dear fellow citizens.
Now I have a firm belief in the future of our country.
The deep-rooted conflict and insight among the people in the midst of the national crisis have brought about deep contemplation and anguish over the true mission of politicians.
Ellipsis.
First, by the ruling and opposition parties’ agreements, the const.i.tution will be amended to change the presidential election system to a direct election, and which will be followed by a peaceful government handover in February 1988.
The people are the masters of the country and should take priority over everything else.]
June 29th, 1987.
I heard this momentous announcement, on my way back home from school, eating yogurt in the car.
Roh Tae-woo announced that if the declaration was not accepted, he would resign from his public office and as presidential candidate. Afterwards, the ruling Democratic Justice Party announced it was its official position.
Which was followed by the inc.u.mbent president, Chun Doo-hwan’s special statement that he would accept the June 29th Declaration. It became the official declaration of the government and Chun’s April 13th, ‘Defense of the Const.i.tution’ was abolished.
The June 29th Declaration meant that the people accomplished the splendid feat of winning democracy, and the June Uprising would end with the funeral of patriotic student Lee Han-yeol.
Now the presidential election campaign of a new era began.
When I opened the gate, with a little excitement, the gardener who would at times do house ch.o.r.es and always beam at me, drew my hand with a stiff face.
“Your grandfather is inside the house,”
Alas!
This historic day, wasn’t he supposed to be with the board members?
And he obviously came to see me as there was no one he would like to see in the house, but me.
I went inside, beaming at the gardener.
In the living room, the grandfather had the two tutors seated and was deluging them with questions.
When he spotted me, he rose from the sofa and outstretched his arms.
I couldn’t run and throw myself in his arms, which might well be what he expected but I approached him and just nodded a greeting. He picked me up.
My mother prepared a pot of tea and a plate of fruit, and entered into the living room.
As the mother set them on the table and was about to turn back to the kitchen,
“Sit down there,” he said.
The mother gave him a startled look.
“What’s with the look? Got something to talk to you about,” he said.
She perched on the edge of the sofa.
“Why don’t you go into your room, Do-jun? Your mother and I need to talk. Alone,” he said, looking at the tutors.
As if on cue, the two tutors took me by the hand and drew me into the room.
What is he going to say? I thought to myself.
“How have you been?” he asked.
“I’ve been well, just doing housework. Nothing unusual…” she answered.
“Got something to talk about Do-jun, Don’t you think he is a little different?”
“He is mature for his age,”
“The tutors say, he is clever and diligent,”
“He would always stay up till late at night studying,”
“You better pay attention to him,”
“...?” she blinked her eyes.
“Supporting Do-junin in demonstrating his cleverness is your homework,” he continued, “If I’m happy with your homework, I will give you and Yun-ki some of my shares,”
She was speechless, could only stare at him.
“Do you understand what I’m…”
“Yes, I do,” she answered.
“But we do not want any of Sunyang shares, and we won’t,” she added.
“What?”
“I don’t know why you are saying this all of a sudden, but we want to support Do-jun to do what he wants to do,” she expressed her thoughts clearly enough to startle him.
“You can’t turn down the opportunity!” his voice rose dramatically.
“If you are thinking of helping Do-jun work for Sunyang, when he’s grown up, we’ll let him decide,”
He was taken aback by her determination.
“You better do what I say!” he yelled again.
An uneasy silence fell on the living room.
“We appreciate the help you’ve given us so far. You don’t have to give anymore if you don’t want to,” she said.
He clenched his fists and teeth in anger.
“We can afford to raise Do-jun, without your help,” she spoke stiffly and with an averted eye.
He couldn’t bear to hear her talk anymore.
When he lifted himself off the sofa and headed for the door, he found his grandson staring at him.
I was waiting for him upstairs as I thought he would come and see me after finishing the talk. However, the talk became disquieting.
I shook off the tutors hands and heard them talk, sitting on the stairs.
My mother’s determination in her eye brew my mind.
With a sullen look, I said to the grandfather,
“Please don’t be upset, grandfather,”
“No, I’m not, kid. Come here. Sit next to me,” he said, with a perplexed look flashing across his face.
As I walked past him and sat next to the mother, he looked a little disappointed.
“Grandfather and I were just talking, Do-jun,” the mother said in a soft, melodic tune, patting my head.
“Please don’t argue over me,” I said.
The grandfather hemmed and cleared his throat.
“Grandfather, like mother said, when I grow up, I will do what I want to do” I said.