The Piece Of His Heart Left Behind
Steven L Howard

 

Byron hated him. It was strange for him – he had never hated anyone else in his life, but this brother-in-law was different. This man who had married his sister-in-law had inflicted a hurt of the type nobody else could. It was a hurt that had never healed.

Now, he held a plain white envelope in his hand that begged in simple terms for his forgiveness. It came not from his brother in law, but rather from the only one whose plea could really break through the hurt to reach his heart.

His mind drifted back to a morning so many years earlier. It began like many mornings before. He awakened as a little hand slapped across his face.

A little round face hovered over him. Her cheeks were rosy as always, and her few teeth showed mischievously as she knew she was being ornery.

“Emobu,” she said calling him by the Korean word for Uncle.

He reached his hands and grabbed her under her arms. Lifting her above him, he rocked her gently left and right. She giggled and squealed. Her satin black hair fell around her face as she relished her uncle’s attention.

He lowered her to his face to “get your belly,” then quickly raised her away from him.

“Whew-wee!” he exclaimed. “We got problems this morning!”

He laid her on the bed beside him and made stinky face at her. Her almond shaped eyes, as black as cinders, danced as she giggled more at the funny faces he made.

“Emo’s been buying those diapers that get all messed up again,” he said using the Korean word for aunt. He nudged his wife and continued, “Emo, you’re supposed to buy those diapers that don’t get all messy and smelly.”

“Good morning!” his wife exclaimed childishly as she rolled over and looked at the cheerful little 18 month old girl between them.

“Achh!” she exclaimed, wrinkling her nose as she got closer.

She continued to speak playfully in Korean as she attended to the morning needs of her little niece.

“She is well named,” Byron thought to himself as he watched his wife change little Arum – the Korean word for “Beauty.”

The story had actually begun even earlier when Ok Sun’s sister came bruised and crying to her door. This sister lived over 200 miles away, so just getting to her house had been quite an ordeal in her condition. She wept as she told how she was pregnant, and her husband had beaten her and kicked her out of the house. Just months earlier he had a vasectomy, but she became pregnant. She cried as she insisted over and over that she had never been unfaithful to him.

Soon after, this brother-in-law had called and asked her to come back. He had been tested again, and had discovered that he had two vases on one side. Only one had been severed, so the vasectomy had not sterilized him. He took her back, but he was different when he brought her back into the home. He was now cold, and never looked at her quite the same.

Just two weeks after Ok Sun’s wedding, her sister returned to her door – again unable to continue with the impossible man she had married. This time she was very close to delivery of her baby, and in fact, just two days later the baby was born.

The baby’s father came to their house. He acknowledged the baby was his, but his attitude was still cold. He had only wanted the son they had, and to him this new baby was an unpleasant surprise for which he still did not wish to take responsibility, nor lose his family’s social benefits.

Against Ok Sun’s advice, her sister returned home with her husband. However; in the cruelest of manipulations, Ok Sun’s brother-in-law refused to allow the baby to come. In the ensuing fight, the issue was settled with the baby staying with Ok Sun and her new husband until her sister’s house could be “prepared” for a new baby. Yes, the brother-in-law had even thanked Ok Sun and her new groom for watching the baby until he could get everything ready.

Byron, Ok Sun’s new groom, had objected to this arrangement at first. As any husband would, he had wanted time alone with his new bride before bringing a baby into their lives. But he could not allow the baby to stay in the middle of the struggle that was continuing in her parents’ house, so no real resistance was offered.

As the weeks passed, new excuses came from the brother-in-law. Each excuse was a new reason why Arum’s rightful home was not prepared to give her her rightful place.

As each day passed, the impossibly beautiful baby girl in his house won Byron’s heart more and more. Her bright smile and her playful demeanor could have softened a witch’s heart.

Soon, Ok Sun became pregnant and bore them a daughter of their own, but Arum’s place in his heart and home was never diminished.

Orders came telling them that he would soon have to leave Korea. However; even with this news Arum’s father still could not make room in his house for Arum.

Byron tried to extend his tour, but his request was refused. No other options remained open, so he asked if he and Ok Sun could adopt Arum.

Arum’s mother shrieked as the question was asked. She could not bear the thought of her baby leaving Korea, but she was unable to convince the obstinate man she had married to allow Arum to come home to their house.

On this morning, as Byron watched Ok Sun tend to Arum, he knew this would be the last morning for a long time that he would be able to play with his beloved little almond eyed beauty. He didn’t realize just how long.

They packed their bags and caught the bus to Seoul. From there a Taxi took them to Kimpo airport. Ok Sun’s mother met them at the airport. She was aging and now lived by herself, but still had the resolute strength of so many of the elder ladies of this land. She had agreed to take Arum until Arum’s father would allow her in his house.

Everyone stayed together in the lobby outside of the international terminal until at last they could wait no more. Byron stood, and set all the bags aside. He held out both arms to Arum.

She ran into his embrace.

“Hug-ee squeeze-ee!” he said just as he had so many other times when they played together.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and held him for a moment, then let go.

He kissed her on her rosy round cheek.

She grabbed him again and gave him a wet kiss on his lips.

Ok Sun embraced Arum and spoke sweetly in Korean telling her to be good.

Arum’s grandmother picked her up.

Byron picked up their carry on baggage. Ok Sun picked up their daughter, and the three of them proceeded through the passenger check point.

Just as they arrived at the other side, Byron could hear Arum beginning to protest that she was not going with them. He dared not look back at her – the pain was already growing too great.

As he picked up the bags again, Arum’s protests turned to wails. “Emo! … Emobu! …” she called through her tears.

He put his arm around Ok Sun – still holding their two month old daughter – and urged her on.

Arum’s wails became shrieks as she continued to call “Emo! … Emobu! …”

Ok Sun stopped suddenly.

He looked at her. “I know,” he said softly – his voice cracking. “I want to too. But we have no choice.”

She stood silently for a moment, her eyes fixed on the face of the infant she carried. She sniffled, then nodded and continued.

Night after night the voice of his little dark eyed beauty calling “Emobu” after him haunted Byron’s dreams. A terrible anger began to burn deep inside him. News of continuing excuses from Arum’s father only aggravated the anger. Arum’s father would not be the father that his sweet little niece needed, but would not release her either. Little Arum was caught in the middle with nobody to belong to.

Upon reporting for duty at his next assignment, he immediately volunteered to go back to Korea – anywhere in Korea so long as he could get back to those rosy cheeks, that satin black hair, and that voice that had called so pitifully for him as he walked away in the airport.

Days dragged into weeks, and weeks into months, but no news came of an assignment back to Korea.

The anger within him became bitterness.

He tried to forget, but his dreams were still haunted by the cries of a beautiful little rosy cheeked girl calling “Emobu” as he walked down the halls of Kimpo airport.

Bitterness, left unchecked within him became hatred – he hated the man who had done this to Arum.

Finally, the assignment came. After two years away, he would be allowed to return to Korea. He counted the days until he could hold her in his arms again and give “hug-ee squeeze-ee.”

At last, he stepped out of the international airport. Ok Sun stood on one side of him and the daughter Ok Sun had carried the last time they were in Kimpo Airport walked by his other side. In Ok Sun’s arms was their second daughter – now six months old.

Byron saw his mother-in-law, and looked to her side. He could not help but smile as he marveled at how much Arum had grown since she had given him that last embrace in this same airport more than two years earlier.

He stooped to her level, his excitement bubbling over. He reached his arms toward her and called sweetly “Arumi!”

Arum looked at him with uncertainty for a moment, then ran scared behind her grandmother.

Byron was shocked. After endless nights of hearing her voice calling for him it had never occurred to him that she might not remember him! And it had certainly never entered his mind that she might be afraid of him!

As days passed, her fear faded, but the familiarity they had once enjoyed did not return quickly. Arum’s grandmother decided it would be best for Arum to stay with her.

Byron pleaded with Arum’s parents to allow him to adopt her, but they refused. Hearing the continuing excuses, he lost his cool during the negotiation. He never struck his brother-in-law, but he abused him with words that should not escape a Christian man’s mouth. He knew that was wrong, but in this case, he felt no remorse.

After two years on this tour, Byron left with his family and returned to the U.S. Arum still lived with her grandmother, and the latest version of the story from Arum’s house was that she would be welcomed home when she began school.

Soon, the news came that Arum had begun school, and at last her father had been true to his word. Arum’s father had finally brought Arum home after six years of leaving her with no family.

Byron made requests for pictures, but they were routinely ignored. Pictures came of Arum’s older brother, but never was a single picture sent of the little girl who had once been so near and dear to him.

Word came that Arum’s father had truly repented, and had become a kind and affectionate father for Arum. But after six years of dealing with this man, Byron was skeptical, and his bitterness over Arum’s treatment never subsided.

Years passed. The love for a little girl was never forgotten, nor was the hatred for her father for what he had done to her. But this day, a simple white envelope had appeared in their mailbox. The postmark was Pusan, Korea, and the name in the return address was that of the aptly named little beauty he had once loved in his home as his own daughter.

He wondered as he opened it if she really knew who he was. He wondered if anyone had ever told her about him, or about how he and Ok Sun had taken her in and loved her. He knew nobody could ever tell her of the times when she gave him slobbery kisses on his cheek, or had awakened him in the morning, or had ridden on his shoulders as they walked to the market - those memories now existed only within him and his wife. But, here was an envelope that had appeared from nowhere, with no warning, and it was addressed specifically to him.

He smiled as he pulled a single picture from the envelope.

He examined it closely.

“She has grown into an absolutely gorgeous young woman!” he thought to himself as he looked at the lady who Arum had become. “She actually looks a lot like Ok Sun when I married her.”

He fumbled for pins to put this picture up next to his daughter’s graduation picture. He cried a little in spite of himself as he looked at the picture another time. After all these years he had finally gotten that single picture he had so coveted.

“Wow! She is beautiful!” he thought.

For the first time, he turned the picture over. On the back, he found a short note neatly penned in Korean. He wept again as he read the quiet assurance:

     Emobu,

     They told me. I know.

     I thought you should know that daddy was a very good dad.

     I love you Emobu,

     Arum

      
      

 

 

Copyright © 2004 Steven L Howard
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"