Here is another section of my novel that I managed to get written. It will likely be a small part of the full story, but is also key to the core of the narrative.
What do you think?
Feel free to write me here in comments or on Instagram or email! I look forward to hearing from you.
~ OSH 📖☀️❤️
——-
KyungSun had long learned to stay alert to signs from the universe. Often the signs came through the shaman he and his family had regularly visited over the years. Heeding the advice of shamans had gone somewhat out of fashion, but she had predicted KyungSun’s rise in the Myeongdeong gang and given him warnings when those in the Dongdaemon gang had planned attacks to try to remove him from leadership. Therefore, KyungSun had little reason to not trust her foretelling.
Although this visit was no different, the words of the shaman seemed so far-fetched that KyungSun’s faith was somewhat weakened.
“A blue-eyed monkey will put out the fire that keeps you from peace.”
KyungSun knew that the shaman spoke in parables or mysteries, like when she had told him that the beautiful feathers of a rooster would temporarily distract him from his goals with grave consequences. He had indeed paid a high price for his brief romantic interlude with ChoHee. Not only had he been distracted by love, he had left himself open to attacks by the Myeongdong faction on his mentor Lee-nim. The midnight battles between the gangs had nearly cost them both their lives.
Looking back, he knew he had no regrets for the few months of pure unadulterated love that he shared with ChoHee and the short weeks he had been able to spend with his daughter.
“You cannot afford to live in the past Park-shi”, the shaman spoke bringing him back to the present. “Until the blue-eyed monkey provides you with what you seek, you must continue to stay focused on keeping your gang together for the sake of the country.”
“Yes, mudang, I understand. Kamsahamnida.” KyungSun bowed with reverence, and passed over an envelope with his regular generous donation for her services. With a smile in return, the shaman put the envelope inside her wonsam, or outer coat.
Filled with skepticism, KyungSun headed back to his car pondering more questions than answers: How was a monkey going to put out a fire, and what kind of monkey had blue eyes? Even if he considered the parable aspect, only foreigners had blue eyes and those whom he knew were merely distant business partners with no possible connection to him or his business and family.
Feeling a bit disappointed with his visit, which was unusual, KyungSun drove back to his office pushing aside the words of the shaman for another time.
——
Somewhere in another neighborhood of Seoul
ChoHee was in a rush trying to pick up an outfit for her father’s birthday celebration that would not make her mother frown as much – there was no avoiding it altogether. Although she probably should have ordered a new hanbok made, she struggled to find the balance of being the required stern modern executive woman and showing a softer side as a mother, wife and daughter.
When the brief affair and incident on which no one ever spoke of passed, ChoHee locked away her feminine energies in a box leaving out just enough that was required for her to be taken seriously and fulfill familial obligations. She had almost forgotten that soft naive young woman that she had been, but the yellow hanbok in the store window reminded her of the night when Lee-nim and KyungSun had first visited her family home.
With that memory on her mind, ChoHee passed by a sign for a fortuneteller. Although her mother was a frequent visitor and believer in the sajus, she had hardened her heart to such mystical fantasies and focused only on what she could control. However, in this soft nostalgia, she glanced at her watch and decided she could spare a few minutes. At the very least, she would have something to talk about with her mother that wouldn’t carry an air of disapproval or disappointment.
Double-checking that the stall was advertising saju fortune telling and not one of the others that she knew her mother would not take seriously, ChoHee stepped into the stall. She bowed her head in greeting, saying “annyonghasaeyo”. The saju nodded his head back and motioned without words for her to take a seat in front of him.
With a scan of her face, the fortune teller spoke, “you have come with a question, yes?”
“Oh! Um, well, not really…um, …” she adjusted her seating position uncomfortably.
“I can see, you want to know if your suffering will ever end.”
“Uh…well, I guess so, yes. I mean, I don’t really think I’m actually suffering…” she tried to reason with him, but she stopped when he put his pointer finger to his lips as a way of signaling she did not need to speak so much.
“Your birth information.”
“July 4, 1969 at 3:45am.”
The fortune teller closed his eyes and nodded. Seemingly from nowhere, he pulled out a large book and deftly moved his fingers to find the page he was looking for.
“Mmhm…” he muttered and put his fingers in motion again to find another page. With each, “mmhm…” and searching fingers, ChoHee found herself more and more curious what he was discovering on the pages.
“Hmph,” the fortune teller exclaimed and just as the book appeared, it disappeared into nowhere. He closed his eyes again, took in a deep breath, held it for what seemed too long, and then slowly let out a gasping sigh.
Opening his eyes and looking directly into ChoHee’s, he spoke,
“You have been suffering for many years now. It is your destiny to suffer, but it will lessen when the blue-eyed monkey finds you. Then, you will be able to enjoy true love again. Also, you will continue to have success in your profession for the cosmos create balance for your suffering. The country will owe you a great sense of gratitude, though you may not ever benefit from it. A trip over the waters will be required of you for the health of someone close to you.”
Seeing ChoHee’s confusion and skepticism, the saju smiled. “Don’t worry, I only foresee that your suffering days may not be so long now.”
Slowly nodding her head and wondering what exactly her mother was going to make of the fortune-teller’s words, if she decided to share them, ChoHee tried to smile back as she got up from her chair.
“How much do I owe you?”
“120,000 won (90USD)”
Surprised by the amount, but not in the mood to negotiate and aware that he must have known who she was and that she could afford such a steep price, ChoHee took out four bills and placed them on the table.
“gomabseubnida. annyeonghi gaseyo.” ChoHee used the polite form to thank him and take her leave.
Just as when she entered, he smiled and nodded wordlessly in return.
