유난히 일찍 찾아왔던 올 더위는 끈질기기도 했습니다. 그래서 9월에 들어서서도 더위는 쉽게 물러나지 않았습니다. 가끔 일기 예보는 다음 주간이면 가을 날씨가 찾아올 듯했지만, 결국은 희망고문이 되고 말았습니다. 그러다가 비로소 9월 하순이 되어서야 아침저녁뿐 아니라 한낮의 바람도 시원하다는 느낌을 살짝 살짝 주었습니다. 마침내 10월 첫날이 되었을 때 바람은 말할 것도 없고, 푸른 하늘 흰구름이 가을임을 알려주었습니다. 어찌 하늘뿐입니까? 벼가 익어가는 들판에도, 감이 익어가는 동네에도 가을의 승리가 임박했습니다.
얼마 전에는 집 뒷편에 있는 감나무의 감까지, 아내와 처제, 두 여인이 수확을 했습니다.우리 집의 유일한 남자는, 아직도 목발 없이는 제 몸 하나 움직이지 못하니, 몸이 성한 두 여인이 결국 사다리까지 동원해서 거사를 했습니다. 뒷뜰에 심긴 감나무는 몇 그루되지만 단감들은 이미 사라졌고, 대봉감 스무나무 개를 따는 일도 그들에게는 큰 일이었습니다. 둘 다 각각 6, 7십대 후반의 나이인 그녀들에게는 모험임에 틀림이 없습니다. 앉은뱅이 용쓴다고 목발에 의지한채 감 따는 것을 바라보면서, 제발 높은 곳에 있는 감은 포기하라고 압박을 해보지만, 젊은 날처럼 씨알이 먹히지 않았습니다. “언양 장에 가서 감을 사 줄터이니 제발 그만 따라”고 소리친들, 제 몸 건사도 못하는 할아버지 말을 듣는 시대는 이미 아닙니다. 그래서 사고치지 않고 무사히 임무를 완수했던 것이 하늘 아버지께 감사한 날이었습니다.
더운 여름부터 가을바람 부는 지금까지 마실 안집에는 찾아오는 손님들이 줄을 잇습니다. 물론 다쳤다는 예배 시간의 광고를 듣고도, 병원으로 찾아오지 못한 사람들로부터 시작해서 얼마나 회복 되었나가 궁금한 분들까지 말입니다. 초여름에 주차장 부근에 새로 만든 <카페 느릅나무>에서 커피도 마시고, 헤어지기 전에는 찾아온 손님들과 기념사진을 찍기도 합니다. 그 사진이 외부로 유출되면 ‘아직도 목발을 짚고 있느냐’는 질문을 받기도 합니다. 일반적으로 수술한 지 석 달은 지나야, 뼈가 붙어서 도구 없이 다닐 수 있다니 7월 11일에 왼쪽 대퇴골 수술을 했으니 아직 며칠은 더 지나야 산술적으로 석달이 됩니다. 다음 주 화요일에 3차 외래 진료를 가면, 엑스레이 사진을 보고, 주치의가 판정을 할 것입니다. 어쨌든 지금은 가장 조심해야 할 때라고 합니다.
8월 13일 퇴원해서 집으로 왔을 때는 욕실 출입도 혼자서 하지 못했습니다. 워크에 의존해서 아내의 도움을 순간순간 받아야 했습니다. 그런데 지금은 거의 모든 것을 혼자서 할 수 있습니다. 사워는 물론이고 반신욕조 출입도 혼자서 거뜬하게 치루니 ‘많이 큰 것’ 같습니다. 비록 몸은 불편했지만 수십년 만에 에어컨 아래서 지낸 여름이고, 수 많은 성도들의 사랑을 듬뿍 받은 기간이었습니다. 수술한 첫 주간은 살아있는 사람 같지 않았습니다. 그 다음에는 정말 화장실 출입이 하루의 큰 역사였습니다. 병원에서는 만화책조차 읽기 힘들었지만, 퇴원 후에는 감사하게 <새롭게 하소서> <건축탐구 집>을 시청할 수 있었습니다. 지금은 영상만 아니라 책들도 읽고 있습니다. 차인표의 소설, <언젠가 우리가 같은 별을 바라본다면>, 존오웬의 고전 <그리스도의 영광> 을 독파했으니 감사할 뿐입니다. 성도들의 기도 덕분에 하루하루가 다르게 회복되고 있다는 것을 몸으로 느끼고 있습니다.
This year's summer heat arrived unusually early and lingered stubbornly. Even as September began, the heat refused to recede. The weather forecast would occasionally hint that autumn weather would arrive next week, but in the end, it only proved to be false hope. It was not until late September that a gentle, refreshing breeze began to touch us, not only in the mornings and evenings but even at midday. Finally, on the first day of October, the wind needed no explanation; the deep blue sky and white clouds clearly announced that autumn had arrived. And was it only the sky? In the fields where rice ripened and throughout the village where persimmons turned golden, the triumph of autumn was imminent.
Not long ago, the two women of the house—my wife and my sister-in-law—went out to harvest the persimmons from the tree behind our home. Since the only man in our household still cannot take a single step without crutches, the two able-bodied women mobilized a ladder to accomplish the great undertaking. There are several persimmon trees planted in the backyard, but the sweet persimmons were already gone, and harvesting around twenty large astringent persimmons (daebong-gam) was no small feat for them. For two women in their late sixties and seventies, it was undoubtedly quite an adventure. Like a helpless cripple straining in vain, I leaned on my crutches watching them harvest, pleading with them to leave the persimmons high up on the branches, but my words no longer carried the weight they did in my younger years. Shouting, "I will go to Eonyang Market and buy you persimmons, so please stop picking them!" fell on deaf ears; the days when anyone would listen to an old grandfather who cannot even look after himself have long passed. And so, it was a day of heartfelt gratitude to our Heavenly Father that they completed their mission safely without any mishaps.
From the scorching heat of summer to these days of autumn breezes, visitors have continuously streamed into our village home. There were those who had heard the announcement during worship that I had been injured but could not visit me in the hospital, as well as friends eager to see how well I had recovered. We enjoyed coffee together at , which was newly opened near the parking area earlier in the summer, and took commemorative photos before parting ways. Whenever those photos leaked out, people would ask, "Are you still on crutches?" Generally, it is said that three months must pass after surgery for the bone to knit properly so that one can walk unassisted; having had my left femur operated on on July 11th, arithmetically speaking, a few more days are still needed to complete three full months. Next Tuesday, when I go for my third outpatient consultation, the attending physician will evaluate the X-rays and give his verdict. In any case, they say that now is the time to be most cautious.
When I was discharged from the hospital on August 13th and returned home, I could not even go to the bathroom on my own. Relying on a walker, I needed my wife's help at every moment. Now, however, I can do almost everything by myself. Taking a shower as well as stepping in and out of the sitz bath entirely on my own makes me feel like I have 'grown up quite a bit.' Although my body was uncomfortable, it was a summer spent under air conditioning for the first time in decades, and a season filled to overflowing with the love of so many church members. During the first week after surgery, I hardly felt alive. After that, simply going to the restroom was the monumental feat of the day. In the hospital, reading even a comic book was difficult, but after coming home, I was grateful to be able to watch programs like and . Now, I am not only watching videos but also reading books. Having read Cha In-pyo's novel, If We Ever Look at the Same Star, and John Owen's classic, The Glory of Christ, leaves me with nothing but thanksgiving. Thanks to the prayers of the saints, I can feel in my own body that I am recovering day by day.
Vanjaar se somerhitte het buitengewoon vroeg aangebreek en was besonder hardnekkig. Selfs toe September aanbreek, wou die hitte nie maklik wyk nie. Die weervoorspelling het soms aangedui dat herfsweer die volgende week sou intree, maar dit was uiteindelik net valse hoop. Eers teen die einde van September het die briesie nie net soggens en saans nie, maar selfs helder oordag 'n heerlike koelte begin bring. Toe die eerste dag van Oktober uiteindelik aanbreek, was die wind vanselfsprekend; die blou lug en wit wolke het duidelik verkondig dat dit herfs is. En was dit net die lug? In die landerye waar die rys ryp word, en in die dorpie waar die persimmonvrugte goudgeel verkleur, was die oorwinning van die herfs op hande.
Onlangs het die twee vroue van ons huis—my vrou en my skoonsuster—selfs die vrugte van die persimmonboom agter die huis geoes. Aangesien die enigste man in ons huis steeds nie 'n enkele tree sonder krukke kan gee nie, het die twee gesonde vroue uiteindelik selfs 'n leer ingespan om die groot taak te verrig. Daar staan 'n paar persimmonbome in die agterplaas geplant, maar die soet persimmons was reeds weg, en om sowat twintig van die groot daebong-persimmons te pluk, was vir hulle 'n yslike onderneming. Vir twee vroue in hul laat sestigs en sewentigs was dit gewis 'n waagstuk. Soos 'n magtelose man wat tevergeefs spook, het ek op my krukke geleun en toegekyk hoe hulle pluk, terwyl ek hulle gesmeek het om tog die vrugte hoog bo te los; maar soos in my jonger dae het my woorde geen trefkrag meer gehad nie. Al het ek uitgeroep: "Ek sal vir julle persimmons op die Eonyang-mark gaan koop, hou asseblief op met pluk!", is die dae lankal verby dat iemand luister na 'n oupa wat nie eens na homself kan omsien nie. En so was dit 'n dag van innige dankbaarheid teenoor die hemelse Vader dat hulle die taak sonder enige teenspoed veilig kon afhandel.
Van die snikhete somer tot nou, terwyl die herfsbries waai, stroom die kuiergaste onophoudelik na ons dorpshuisie toe. Daar was diegene wat tydens die erediens gehoor het dat ek beseer is, maar my nie in die hospitaal kon besoek nie, asook vriende wat nuuskierig was om te sien hoeveel ek al herstel het. Vroeg in die somer het ons saam koffie gedrink by die pas geopende naby die parkeerterrein, en voor ons groet, het ons aandenkingsfoto's saam met die besoekers geneem. As daardie foto's na buite uitlek, vra mense dikwels: "Loop u nog steeds met krukke?" Oor die algemeen sê hulle dat drie maande na 'n operasie moet verloop voordat die been heg sodat 'n mens sonder hulpmiddels kan loop; aangesien my linkerdybeen op 11 Julie geopereer is, kort daar rekenkundig nog 'n paar dae voor drie volle maande verby is. Aanstaande Dinsdag, wanneer ek vir my derde buitepasiënt-ondersoek gaan, sal die behandelende geneesheer na die X-strale kyk en sy oordeel vel. Hoe dit ook al sy, hulle sê dat dit nou die tyd is om uiters versigtig te wees.
Toe ek op 13 Augustus uit die hospitaal ontslaan is en by die huis gekom het, kon ek nie eens op my eie badkamer toe gaan nie. Ek moes op 'n loopraam steun en elke oomblik my vrou se hulp vra. Nou kan ek egter byna alles self doen. Om sonder moeite self te stort en in en uit die sitbad te klim, laat my voel asof ek 'al baie gegroei het'. Al was my liggaam ongemaklik, was dit die eerste somer in dekades wat ek onder 'n lugversorger deurgebring het, en 'n tydperk waarin ek oorvloedig met die liefde van talle gelowiges oorlaai is. Die eerste week na die operasie het ek skaars gevoel soos 'n lewende mens. Daarna was 'n eenvoudige besoek aan die toilet die groot prestasie van die dag. In die hospitaal was dit selfs moeilik om 'n strokiesprent te lees, maar na my ontslag was ek dankbaar om na programme soos en te kon kyk. Deesdae kyk ek nie net video's nie, maar lees ek ook boeke. Ek het Cha In-pyo se roman, As Ons Ooit Na Dieselfde Ster Kyk, en John Owen se klassieke werk, Die Heerlikheid van Christus, deurgewerk, en daarvoor kan ek net dankbaar wees. Danksy die gebede van die gelowiges kan ek aan my eie liggaam voel dat ek van dag tot dag merkbaar herstel.