My uncle
200903756 Han Chan yeon
Sometimes when I got back from school, I could see my uncle was in my house, talking with my mom and eating food. After he kicked out of a company and lost his job during the IMF, he was working in the academy for people who want to be a public officers and teachers near my house.
He was always wearing a suit, and always carrying lots of documents.
"What are all these paper?" I asked him once.
"It's practical tests for my students," he answered."
He taught students in front of the classes, but he was more specialized in making tests, and so that he always had to make practical tests for his students. The man in his forties looked really tired and he got half bald, but I could see his eyes twinkling and he had full of passion.
I asked why he chose his job even though it's so tired.
"It is tired of course," he said, "but I like looking students' eyes eager to learn. That reminds my twenties."
I knew he was really passionate in learning. He was an excellent high school student. He applied for a Seogang university in Seoul and Jeonnam University in his hometown. He was accepted to both school, but my grandparents wanted him to go to the school near his hometown. Even though Seogang University was more famous, it's a private school so their tuition fee was much more expensive than Jeonnam University, which is national university. Moreover, he should get a room when he goes to Seoul. They wanted to let him go to the school that he wants to go but they also knew they have four children. His brother is already a college student, and his little sister and little brother have to go to a college in few years.
However, he couldn't give up his chance. He secretly ran away from home with tuition fee and cost of living for the first semester. My grandparents realized that they could not stop him anymore and supported him.
His passion was star in the midnight to us. To little girls and boy like us, teacher who teaches adults who must be experts in their fields looked so amazing. We really liked meeting him. He was willing to come to my house to meet his little sister and her daughters and a son even though he was busy. We didn't want to let him disturbed by us because we knew he's already exhausted. However, we were looking forward to see him again.
Since I was a middle school student, however, he couldn't come to my house again. He found out he got a cancer. He should quit the job and had a surgery.
At first, he seemed okay. He could not be an instructor again because it's too much burden for a patient, but we could meet him in family holidays such as New Year's Day and Chooseok, and he was always smiling.
But about 20 months later after the surgery, suddenly the cancer occurred again. From then, he had to stay in the hospital. My parents didn't want to take us there. We really wanted to see him but we couldn't. When we were claiming our rights to see our uncle, my father called me secretly and silently and explained me that we can't go and see him in the hospital because he didn't want us to see him suffering from pain. I couldn't say anything. He passed away a year after that. My mother cried a lot.
"He was the kindest one," she said, "you know, among my brothers." Losing someone close to me made me feel gloomy.
Now I'm about to graduate college and I'm planning to be a teacher. I'm attending to the academy my uncle once worked. When I walk into the lobby of the academy, I sometimes think of my uncle. He was a giant to me when I was a little girl.
"He could have helped you a lot if he was still alive," my mother said when I first decided to be a teacher. It is true. He could have shown me the way to go. I know he would have delightfully do that for me. I imagine me listening to his lecture. I miss him a lot.
My Uncle
ReplyDeleteSometimes when I got back from school, I could see my uncle in my house, talking with my mom and eating food. After he kicked out of a company and lost his job during the IMF, he was working in an academy near my house for people who want to be a public officers and teachers.
He was always wearing a clean black suit and he was always carrying lots of documents in his bag. The pile of documents was so thick and heavy so it looked like he is carrying a huge white brick with black letters.
“What are all these paper?” I asked him once.
“They are practical tests for my students,” he answered.
He taught students in front of the classes, but he was more specialized in making tests, and so that he always had to make practical tests for his students.
The man in his forties looked really tired. He got half bald. His shoulders were dropping and his step was heavy when he had to leave my house and go back to work. His appearance from the back looked so lonely. But I could see his eyes twinkling with full of passion. His eyes were the stars in the midnight.
One day, I asked him why he chose the job even though it makes him so tired. “It’s tired, of course," he said, “but I can’t ignore students’ dreams and passions.” Even though he was also struggling to earn money for his own family, he was willing to help poor students who are eager to learn. He couldn’t afford to give them money to take the course, however, he tried to eat lunch with those students and pay for them. He also told them that they could ask him any academic questions they got even though they don’t take his course anymore. He spent extra time to let them understand what they asked.
“I like looking their eyes full of dreams,” said my uncle, “That reminds me my twenties.”
I knew he was really passionate about learning when he was young. He was an excellent high school student. He applied for a Sogang university in Seoul and Chonnam University in Gwangju, near his hometown. He was accepted to both school, but my grandparents wanted him to go to the latter one.
Sogang University was more famous than Chonnam University; however, their tuition fee was too expensive for my mother’s family because it was a private school. Moreover, he should get his place near his school when he goes to Seoul. Unlike Sogang University, Chonnam University was a national university so it was much cheaper than Sogang University and he could take a bus to go to school. They really wanted to let him go to the school that he wants to go but they also knew they have four children. His brother is already a college student, and his little sister and little brother have to go to a college in a few years.
However, he couldn't give up his chance. He secretly ran away from home with tuition fee and cost of living for the first semester. My grandparents realized that they could not stop him anymore and supported him.
His life story was a fairy tale to me and my little sister and brother. Teacher who teaches adults who must be experts in their fields was a giant to the little girls and boy. We really liked meeting him. He was willing to come to my house to meet his little sister and her daughters and a son even though he had little time to rest. We didn’t want to let him disturbed by us because we knew he’s already exhausted but we were looking forward to see him again.
Since I was a middle school student, however, he couldn’t come to my house again. He found out he got a cancer. He should quit the job and had a surgery. “That hard work and stress made him sick,” my mother said, “I told him that he is too passionate. He worked too hard. He’s not a young college boy anymore.”
ReplyDeleteAfter his surgery, he seemed okay. He could not be an instructor again because it could be too much burden for a patient, but we could meet him in family holidays such as New Year’s Day and Chooseok. He wasn’t a falling leaf that I imagined. I could still feel the inner strength in him.
But about 20 months later after the surgery, suddenly the cancer occurred again. From then, he had to stay in the hospital. My parents didn’t want to take us there. We really wanted to see him but we couldn’t. When we were claiming our rights to see our uncle, my father called me secretly and silently and explained me that we can’t go and see him in the hospital because he didn’t want us to see him suffering from pain. I couldn’t say anything. Now I realized he wanted to remain as a big, strong guy to us, not a weak patient. He passed away a year after that. “He was the kindest one,” she said and cried, “you know, among my brothers.” Losing someone close to me made me feel like sinking into the deep, dark and cold lake.
Now I’m about to graduate college and I’m planning to be a teacher. I’m attending to the academy my uncle once worked. When I walk into the lobby of the academy, I sometimes think of my uncle. He was a big milestone to me when I was a little girl.
“He could have helped you a lot if he was still alive,” my mother said when I first decided to be a teacher. It is true. He could have shown me the way to go. I know he would have delightfully done that for me. I imagine me listening to his lecture.
I could still hear his voice telling me that I should study hard. “The desire to know is always important,” he said, “don’t forget that teaching and learning is the one of the most valuable things in the world.” I miss him a lot.