“참 좋은 곳에 살게 하시니 감사합니다. 그리고 더 좋은 동네로 손질해 주시니 감사합니다. 이제 곧 동네 길 500미터 공사가 끝난다고 하니 감사합니다. 다음 주 화요일이면 아스콘 포장을 하게 된다고 하니 6개월 동안 불편했던 모든 것이 끝난다는 생각이 들어 더욱 감사합니다. 공사 중이라고 불편을 감수하고 지냈는데 이제, 현장 책임자의 말로는 이렇게 아름답고 예쁘게 한 곳은 없다면서 시범마을이 될 것 같다고 합니다. 기도하는 것 이상으로, 소원하는 것 이상으로 일이 진전되는 것을 볼 때에 늘 감사합니다.” 며칠 전에 드린 기도입니다.
오늘이 12월 첫 주일이니 두산리 주민이 된지 내년 1월이면 꼭 5년이 되는 셈입니다. 마늘이 심겨있던 밭은 잔디로 입혔고, 그래서 어떤 택배 아저씨가 ‘잔디 깔린 집’이라고 부르는 것을 보면 우리가 붙인 ‘마실 안집’ 이란 택호보다 더 일반적인 호칭이 될 것도 같습니다. 하여간 이사를 와서 떡도 돌리고, 마을 잔치에도 참여하지만, 아직은 한 번씩 버스를 빌려서 구경을 가는 일에는 참여 할 여유가 없긴 합니다. 그래도 동네의 경조사에는 힘껏 참여하려고 노력은 합니다.
한 번은 가까이 사는 ‘신 사장’님이 텔레비전에서 시장님 곁에 내가 앉아 있는 것을 봤다고 마을에 올라오는 500미터 길을 넓혀달라고 그 때부터 조르기 시작했습니다. 글쎄, 여러분이 아시는 대로 혹 텔레비전에 한 번 같이 비취긴 했다손 쳐도 동네길 확장, 포장까지 시장님이 하실 일도 아니고, 저도 그런 일로 시장님을 괴롭힐 여유도 없습니다. 그러다가 작년 5월 어느 날, 시장님을 비롯한 교육감님, 경찰청장님, 법원지원장님, 몇몇 구청장님, 울주군수님과 국회의원님들, 기관장들이 저희 집에 오셔서 바비큐를 드실 기회가 있었습니다.
직접 ‘큰마을’이란 이름의 시골마을에 처음 들어오시면서 길이 얼마나 좁다는 것을 체험을 해서인지, 아니면 오비이락(烏飛梨落)인지, 하여간 올해는 하천을 정비하게 되었습니다. 공사 책임자가 “잘 해 달라”는 부탁을 받고 “이 골짜기에 누가 군수 빽이 있느냐?”고 동네에 와서 물었다는 후문도 있지만, 저는 아는 것이 아무 것도 없습니다. 다만 현장 책임자의 말대로 이렇게 잘 꾸며지는 곳은 없다니, 이번 수요일부터는 참 아름답게 넓혀지고 아스콘 포장이 잘 된 큰마을 동네길을 들어오실 수 있습니다. 차가 다니는 길 쪽에는 블록으로 잘 다듬고 솔잎국화와 창포를, 하천건너 길 반대편으로 운전할 때 볼 수 있는 쪽에는 자연석으로 단장을 하고, 사이사이에 연산홍과 사철나무로 단장을 했으니! 하지만 제대로 된 아름다움을 감상하려면 내년 봄에 벚꽃이 필 때겠죠? 하천 옆에 있던 큰 벚꽃나무는 하나도 손상시키지 않는 자연친화적으로 공사를 하는 자랑스런 대한민국에 사는 것이 정말 감사합니다.
“Thank You for letting us live in such a wonderful place. And thank You for tending and transforming it into an even lovelier village. Thank You that the 500-meter road construction in our neighborhood will soon be finished. With asphalt paving scheduled for next Tuesday, the thought that all the inconveniences we endured over the past six months are coming to an end fills my heart with even deeper gratitude. Though we lived patiently through the disruption, the site manager remarked that he has never seen a place landscaped so gracefully and beautifully, and that our village might become a model community. Whenever I witness things unfolding far beyond what we prayed or dreamed, my heart overflows with thanksgiving.” This was my prayer just a few days ago.
Today marks the first Sunday of December, which means this coming January will make it exactly five years since I became a resident of Dusan-ri. The field where garlic once grew has now been cloaked in lush green turf; hearing a delivery courier refer to our place as “the house with the lawn,” it seems this name might become even more common than the house name we chose: Masil Anjip (Inner Village Home). Ever since moving here, we have shared rice cakes with our neighbors and joined in local celebrations, though we still lack the leisure to join the occasional rented tour bus trips. Even so, we make every effort to share wholeheartedly in the village’s family milestones and celebrations.
At one point, Mr. Shin, who lives nearby, saw me seated next to the Mayor on television and began earnestly pleading with me from then on to have our 500-meter access road widened. Well, as you know, even if I happened to appear beside him on TV once, widening and paving village roads is hardly something the Mayor directly attends to, nor would I dream of bothering him with such matters. Then, on a day in May of last year, the Mayor, along with the Superintendent of Education, the Chief of Police, the District Court Branch President, several district heads, the Ulju County Governor, Members of the National Assembly, and other civic leaders visited our home for a barbecue.
Perhaps it was because they personally navigated their way into this rural hamlet named Keun-maeul (Big Village) and experienced firsthand how narrow the road was—or perhaps it was purely coincidental—but this year, a stream restoration and improvement project was initiated. Rumor has it that when the construction supervisor received instructions to “do an exceptional job,” he came into the village wondering aloud, “Who in this valley holds sway with the County Governor?” Naturally, I know nothing of such things. Yet, just as the project supervisor noted, nowhere else has been landscaped with such care; starting this Wednesday, you will be able to drive into Keun-maeul along a beautifully widened and smoothly asphalted road. The driveway side has been neatly paved with paving blocks and planted with fig marigolds and sweet flags, while the bank across the stream is trimmed with natural stones and interspersed with royal azaleas and spindle trees! To truly appreciate its full splendor, though, we will have to wait until the cherry blossoms bloom next spring. How deeply grateful I am to live in a proud Republic of Korea that pursues eco-friendly construction without harming a single large cherry blossom tree by the stream.
“Dankie dat U ons in so 'n wonderlike plek laat woon. En dankie dat U dit versorg en omskep in 'n nóg mooier buurt. Dankie dat die padbouwerk van 500 meter hier in ons dorpie binnekort voltooi sal wees. Noudat die teerwerk aanstaande Dinsdag aangepak word, besef ek dat al die ongerief van die afgelope ses maande tot 'n einde kom, en dit vul my hart met nog dieper dankbaarheid. Hoewel ons die ontwrigting van die konstruksie gelate verduur het, het die terreinbestuurder gesê hy het nog nooit 'n plek gesien wat so keurig en mooi afgewerk is nie, en dat ons dalk 'n modeldorpie sal word. Wanneer ek sien hoe sake vorder bo verwagting en verby dit waarvoor ons gebid of gehoop het, is ek altyd innig dankbaar.” Dit was die gebed wat ek 'n paar dae gelede gedoen het.
Vandag is die eerste Sondag van Desember, wat beteken dat dit aanstaande Januarie presies vyf jaar sal wees sedert ek 'n inwoner van Dusan-ri geword het. Die akker waar knoffel voorheen gegroei het, is nou met groen gras bedek; toe ek hoor hoe 'n koerier na ons huis verwys as ‘die huis met die grasperk’, het ek besef dat dit dalk 'n meer algemene benaming gaan word as die huisnaam wat ons self gegee het: Masil Anjip (Dorp-Binnenshuis). Van ons intrek af het ons ryskoekies uitgedeel en dorpsfeeste bygewoon, hoewel ons nog nie die vrye tyd gehad het om aan te sluit wanneer 'n bus gehuur word vir 'n besigtigingstoer nie. Tog probeer ons altyd om heelhartig te deel in die wel en wee van ons bure.
Op 'n keer het mnr. Shin, wat naby ons woon, my op televisie langs die Burgemeester sien sit, en van toe af het hy my aanhoudend gevra om toe te sien dat die 500 meter lange toegangspad na ons dorpie verbreed word. Nou ja, soos u weet, al het ek dalk een keer saam met hom op televisie verskyn, is die verbreding en teer van 'n dorpspad beslis nie iets waarmee die Burgemeester hom regstreeks bemoei nie, en ek het ook nie die vrymoedigheid of tyd om hom met sulke dinge lastig te val nie. Maar toe, op 'n dag verlede Mei, het die Burgemeester, saam met die Superintendent van Onderwys, die Polisiehoof, die Voorsittende Regter van die Streekhof, verskeie distrikshoofde, die Ulju-distriksgoewerneur, LP's en ander hoogwaardigheidsbekleërs ons huis besoek vir 'n braai.
Of dit nou was omdat hulle self vir die eerste keer die plattelandse dorpie met die naam Keun-maeul (Groot Dorp) binnegery het en eerstehands ervaar het hoe nou die paadjie werklik is, en of dit bloot toevallig was—hoe dit ook al sy, daar is vanjaar 'n aanvang gemaak met die opknapping van die stroompie. Volgens gerugte het die konstruksievoorman, nadat hy opdrag gekry het om ‘uitmuntende werk te lewer’, in die dorpie kom vra: “Wie in hierdie vallei het sulke goeie bande met die Distriksgoewerneur?” Ek weet natuurlik van niks. Maar soos die terreinbestuurder tereg opgemerk het, is daar min plekke wat so pragtig versorg is; van aanstaande Woensdag af sal 'n mens Keun-maeul kan binne ry op 'n lieflike, breë en netjies geteerde dorpspad. Aan die kant van die ryvlak is netjiese plaveiblokke gelê met middagblomme en kalmoes, terwyl die oorkant van die stroompie met natuurlike klipwerk versier is, afgewissel met berg-asaleas en kardinaalsmusse! Om die ware skoonheid daarvan te waardeer, sal ons seker moet wag tot die kersiebloeisels aanstaande lente oopgaan. Ek is werklik dankbaar om in 'n trotse Republiek van Korea te woon wat omgewingsvriendelike konstruksie voorstaan, sonder dat 'n enkele groot kersiebloeiselboom langs die stroompie beskadig is.