추운 날씨에도 불구하고 봄은 어김없이 찾아오는 것 같습니다.마당에 수선화도 올라오고 목련은 언제부터인가 봉오리를 맺고 터트릴 날을 기다리고 있습니다. 마당을 돌아보며 손녀들이 지난 구정 때 와서 꽂아놓은 막대기들을 보았습니다. 감씨며 사과씨를 심어놓고는 막대기를 꽂아 ‘감나무’, ‘사과나무’라고 표를 해 두었더군요. 바쁘기도 하고 워낙에 무심해서 좀처럼 손녀들이라고 보고 싶어 하지도 않는 사람이지만 갑자기 구정 때 다녀간 식구들이 생각납니다.
명절 때마다 온 가족이 다 모이는 바람에 지난 구정에도 밥쟁이인 나는 밥 하느라 정신이 없었지요. 어머님, 형님 내외분, 우리 아들 식구들, 결혼한 조카들까지 모이니 방이 모자랐지만 이번에는 동서네가 올 상황이 아니라 빠지는 바람에 그나마도 좀 여유가 생겼습니다. 게다가 한 주 전부터 내려온 서울 아들 식구 다섯 명이 몽땅 독감에 걸렸지요.
비교적 심한 아이들 때문에 소아과를 갔었는데 원장 선생님께서 바로 검사를 해 보시더니 둘째가 신종플루라는 것입니다. 식구들에게 옮기면 안 되니까 다시 서울로 올라가는 것이 좋겠다고 말씀하셔서 어떻게 해야 할지 의논을 하기로 했습니다. 아무래도 면역이 가장 약하신 어머님과 편찮으신 형님이 제일 문제가 되겠다 싶어 여쭈었습니다.
아이들을 보내기 싫어하셔서 그런지 괜찮다고 주장하시는 우리 어머님께 제가 좀 심하게 말씀드렸습니다. “어머님 이거 무서운 것이거든요. 작년 겨울에 사람들이 죽기도 했잖습니까.” 용감하신 우리 어머님, “아이고 나야 걸리면 죽으면 된다. 천국 가면 되지. 안 그래도 천국 빨리 가는 법이 없나 했다. 어디 돈을 주고라도 갈 수 있으면 그리 하겠다만…” 연세가 아흔 둘인데 아직도 정정하시고 안경을 끼지 않고도 성경을 보시는가 하면 귀도 밝으시고 정신도 여전하셔서 말씀은 우리들보다 더 잘하십니다.
하지만아무래도 연세가 연세이신지라 몸이 예전 같지는 않아 불편한 데가 한두 군데가 아니다 보니 어떤 때는 그리 말씀을 하시기도 합니다. “별 말씀을 다 하십니다. 어머님. 하나님께서 어련히 알아서 데려가실 텐데 뭘 그리 서두르세요. 아직 어머님 하실 일이 많이 있거든요. 목사 큰 아들 목회를 위해서도 기도하셔야 되고 나이가 서른여섯인데 아직도 장가 안간 둘째 손주도 기도제목이고 둘째 아들네 집 손녀도 어머님 기도를 필요로 하는데 말입니다.” 어쨌거나 어른들이 모두 반대를 하는 바람에 그냥 올라가지 않기로 결정했습니다.
그래도 기특하게 신종플루에 걸린 녀석은 증조할머님과 고모할머님 곁을 슬슬 피해 다녔습니다. 그 날 밤에는 열이 많이 올라 고생을 좀 했지만 타미플루를 먹고 다음 날 부터는 빨리 회복이 되었습니다. 작년에 입양한 손자 녀석은 내려올 때는 기는 모습이 좀 서툴더니 며칠 사이에 실력이 아주 늘어서 가고 싶은 곳은 다 기어 다니는 모습도 예뻤지요. 누나들이 서로 동생 곁에 자겠다고 해서 순번을 정해야 하기도 했고요.
설거지 선수인 우리 동서가 없었지만 아들이며, 조카며 남자들까지 설거지를 거들어 주어서 고마웠습니다. 조카며느리는 제 곁에서 음식하는 것을 배우겠다고 열심히 거들고 조카사위는 오래된 우리 집 식탁 의자의 헐거워진 나사를 조여 주느라고 한참 부산을 떨기도 했습니다. 뿐만 아니라 형님이 화장실에서 나오다 말고 갑자기 의식을 잠깐 잃어버리는 통에 응급실로 달려가야 하는 일도 생겼습니다. 아마도 혈압이 떨어진 줄도 모르고 혈압약을 먹어 저혈압이 되었던 것 같습니다. 그래저래 난리를 치르고 사람들이 다녀갔습니다.
모처럼 조용한 시간을 내어 생각하면서 미소를 짓습니다. 우리에게 가족을 허락하신 좋으신 하나님이 생각났기 때문입니다. 아파도, 힘들어도, 늘 곁에 있어주는 사람들, 가족 말입니다.
Despite the lingering cold, spring seems to arrive unfailingly. Daffodils are already peeking through the soil in the yard, and the magnolia buds, formed who knows when, are quietly waiting for the day they burst into bloom. Strolling around the garden, I noticed the little sticks my granddaughters had planted during their Lunar New Year visit. After sowing persimmon and apple seeds, they had marked the spots with sticks labeled “Persimmon Tree” and “Apple Tree.” I am usually too busy and rather indifferent to pine for my grandchildren, yet suddenly my heart is filled with fond memories of the family who visited over the holidays.
Whenever a traditional holiday arrives, the entire family gathers, and this past Lunar New Year was no exception; as the family cook, my hands were constantly full in the kitchen. With Mother, my elder brother-in-law and his wife, our son’s family, and our married nieces and nephews all gathered together, rooms were in short supply. Thankfully, my sister-in-law’s family could not make it this time, which gave us just a little breathing room. Even so, all five members of our son’s family, who had arrived from Seoul a week early, came down with the flu.
Because the children had rather severe symptoms, we took them to the pediatrician. After running tests, the doctor informed us that our second grandchild had contracted swine flu. Advising that it would be best for them to return to Seoul to prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of the family, we gathered to deliberate. My greatest worry was Mother, whose immunity is frail, and my ailing sister-in-law.
Perhaps because she could not bear to send the little ones away, Mother insisted everything would be fine. I spoke to her quite sternly: “Mother, this is a dangerous illness. People even passed away from it last winter.” But our courageous Mother replied, “Oh, if I catch it, I will just die and go to heaven. That is fine by me. In fact, I have been wondering if there was a quicker way to get to heaven. If money could buy my way there sooner, I would gladly pay it…” At ninety-two years of age, she remains remarkably healthy—reading her Bible without glasses, blessed with sharp hearing, a clear mind, and eloquence that puts the rest of us to shame.
Yet, given her advanced years, her body is no longer what it once was, and with aches and ailments here and there, she occasionally makes such remarks. “Mother, what a thing to say! God will take you home in His own good time; why be in such a hurry? There is still so much for you to do here. You must pray for your eldest son’s pastoral ministry, for your thirty-six-year-old second grandson who is yet to be married, and for your second son’s daughter who needs your prayers as well.” Ultimately, because all the elders strongly objected to sending them away, we decided they should stay.
Commendably, the little grandson with the flu kept a gentle distance from his great-grandmother and great-aunt. That night he suffered quite a bit with a high fever, but after taking Tamiflu, his recovery began swiftly the following day. Our grandson, who was adopted last year, had been rather clumsy at crawling when they first arrived, but within a few days his skills improved so remarkably that it was a delight to watch him crawl everywhere his heart desired. His older sisters even had to take turns because they both insisted on sleeping beside their baby brother.
Although my sister-in-law, the master of dishwashing, was absent, my son, nephews, and the other men readily lent a hand, for which I was deeply grateful. My nephew’s wife stayed close by my side, eager to learn and help with the cooking, while my niece’s husband bustled about for quite some time tightening the loose screws on our old dining chairs. To add to the eventful gathering, my sister-in-law momentarily lost consciousness right after stepping out of the bathroom, and we had to rush her to the emergency room. It turned out that her blood pressure had dropped without her knowing, and taking her medication on top of that had triggered hypotension. Amidst all this commotion, the holiday passed, and everyone returned home.
Now, enjoying a rare moment of quiet, a smile spreads across my face. I am reminded of our good God, who blessed us with the gift of family. Through sickness and hardship, they are the ones who always stand by our side—our family.
Ten spyte van die voortslepende koue breek die lente sonder versuim aan. Narsings verskyn reeds in die agterplaas, en die magnoliaknoppe, wat lankal gevorm het, wag rustig op die dag wanneer hulle kan oopbreek. Terwyl ek deur die tuin gewandel het, het ek die stokkies raakgesien wat my kleindogters tydens die afgelope Maannuwejaar in die grond gesteek het. Nadat hulle persimmon- en appelsade geplant het, het hulle stokkies ingedruk met bordjies: “Persimmonboom” en “Appelboom.” Ek is gewoonlik te besig en van nature te afsydig om na kleinkinders te verlang, maar meteens loop my hart oor van herinneringe aan die familie wat oor die feesdae kom kuier het.
Elke vakansie kom die hele familie bymekaar, en hierdie afgelope fees was geen uitsondering nie; as die huiskok was my hande deurlopend vol in die kombuis. Met Moeder, my oudste swaer en sy vrou, ons seun se gesin en ons getroude niggies en nefies almal bymekaar, was daar skaars genoeg kamers. Gelukkig kon my skoonsuster se gesin nie hierdie keer kom nie, wat ons darem ’n bietjie asemhalingsruimte gebied het. Nietemin het al vyf lede van ons seun se gesin, wat ’n week tevore uit Seoel afgereis het, siek geword met die griep.
Omdat die kinders se simptome taamlik erg was, het ons hulle na die pediater geneem. Ná die toetse het die dokter gesê dat ons tweede kleinkind varkgriep onder lede het. Hy het aanbeveel dat hulle liewer terugkeer na Seoel sodat die res van die familie nie aangesteek word nie, en ons het bymekaargekom om te beraadslag. My grootste bekommernis was Moeder, wie se immuniteit die swakste is, asook my sieklike skoonsuster.
Miskien omdat sy dit nie oor haar hart kon kry om die kinders weg te stuur nie, het Moeder volgehou dat alles reg sou wees. Ek het nogal streng met haar gepraat: “Moeder, dit is ’n gevaarlike siekte. Mense is immers verlede winter daaraan dood.” Maar ons moedige Moeder het geantwoord: “Ag, as ek dit kry, gaan ek sommer dood hemel toe. Dit maak nie saak nie. Ek het juis gewonder of daar nie ’n vinniger manier is om in die hemel te kom nie. As ’n mens met geld ’n vinniger pad kon koop, sou ek dit dadelik gedoen het…” Op die geseënde ouderdom van twee-en-negentig is sy nog merkwaardig gesond—sy lees haar Bybel sonder ’n bril, haar gehoor is skerp, haar verstand is helder, en sy praat met groter welsprekendheid as enigeen van ons.
Nietemin, gegewe haar hoë ouderdom, is haar liggaam nie meer wat dit was nie, en met pyne en ongemak hier en daar maak sy soms sulke opmerkings. “Moeder, wat ’n ding om te sê! Die Here sal u immers op Sy eie tyd kom haal; waarom so ’n haas? Daar is nog soveel werk vir u om te doen. U moet bid vir u oudste seun se bediening as predikant, vir u ses-en-dertigjarige tweede kleinseun wat nog nie getroud is nie, en u tweede seun se dogter het ook Moeder se gebede nodig.” Uiteindelik, aangesien al die oudstes daarteen gekant was, het ons besluit dat hulle nie sou terugkeer Seoel toe nie.
Tot ons verligting het die kleinseun met die varkgriep pligsgetrou ’n veilige afstand van sy oumagrootjie en groottante gehou. Daardie nag het hy baie swaargekry met ’n hoë koors, maar ná die Tamiflu het hy van die volgende dag af vinnig herstel. Ons kleinseuntjie, wat verlede jaar aangeneem is, kon skaars behoorlik kruip toe hulle hier aangekom het, maar binne ’n paar dae het hy so fluks gevorder dat dit ’n vreugde was om te aanskou hoe hy na hartelus oral rondkruip. Sy ouer sussies moes selfs beurte maak omdat albei langs hul boetie wou slaap.
Al was my skoonsuster—die onbetwiste skottelgoedkampioen—nie daar nie, was ek innig dankbaar dat my seun, nefies en die ander mans dadelik hand bygesit het. My nefie se vrou het getrou aan my sy gebly om te leer en te help met die kosmaak, terwyl my niggie se man vir ’n hele rukkie besig was om die los skroewe van ons ou eetkamerstoele vas te draai. Boonop het my skoonsuster, net toe sy uit die badkamer stap, skielik haar bewussyn verloor, en ons moes haar inderhaas na die noodsaal neem. Dit blyk dat haar bloeddruk gedaal het sonder dat sy dit besef het, en die inname van haar bloeddrukpille het toe hipotensie veroorsaak. Te midde van al hierdie woelinge het die feesdae verbygegaan en het almal weer vertrek.
Nou, in hierdie seldsame oomblik van stilte, glimlag ek terwyl ek nadink. Ek dink aan die goeie God wat vir ons die kosbare gawe van familie geskenk het. Deur siekte en beproewing is hulle diegene wat altyd getrou aan jou sy bly—ons familie.