Anahera

Selflessness and Selfishness

Flashback

“Is it not enough?!” Her younger sister’s yell vibrates in the living room. “Is the pain you already gave us not enough? Why you still give us more? Why you still give her more?”

Jisoo doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t even have courage to look at her sister.

“And why are you still here? To make our mother even more miserable?” Jisoo keeps mum. “If no, then go see her! Or are you too scared to even show your face to our own mother?”

Silence is the answer that Jennie got. The younger girl waits for a minute but when it’s obvious the older girl won’t say anything, frustration clearly visible on her face. Jisoo watches her sister puts one of her hands on her face and mumbles against it. Even with that hand, Jisoo still can make out some words that come from her sister mouth. Still can hear the word.

“Coward.”
“Good at nothing,”
“I hope anahera eats you.”

In normal situation Jisoo will roll her eyes at the last thing. Anahera doesn’t exist. But now is not a normal situation so she keeps her mouth shut.

A sound of cough catches their attention. Both of them quickly turn their head to the source of the sound and come face to face with their mother. The sisters blink while the mother simply smiles softly. Since when is she here?

Jennie is the first (and the only) one that rushes to her mother. Jisoo simply watches as her sister makes a fuss over her mother, telling her she’s not supposed to leave the bed yet, telling her to take it easy. Jisoo simply watches and heaves a sigh. With quiet steps she turns around, about to leave, but then she hears her mother voice.

“Where are you going, Sooya?” Jisoo keeps her back at her mother but she knows the woman still has that smile on her face. “Are you in a hurry? If not, can we talk? You too, Jennie.”

Jisoo gives them a glance as Jennie helps her mother sits at nearby couch. With a second of hesitation she changes her direction and takes a seat on another couch across them. “What is it you want to talk about, Mom?” Jisoo ask carefully.

“I want to tell both of you a story,” the mother answers. The sisters give each other a confuse look but they let their mother continues, “Your grandfather told me a story when I was much younger. A story about a prostitute that goes to heaven.”

The sister still doesn’t say anything but their mother knows she has their full attention.

“I’m sure both of you know what are they doing for living, right? They sleep with other people, sometimes with those that already in relationship. Most of people think that job is a filthy job. Most of people think those that have that job are as filthy as their job. Some people, maybe even themselves, think they don’t belong in heaven. But there’s this one prostitute that goes to heaven when she’s die. Do you know why?”

Her daughters just look at her.

The mother keeps her smile and continuing her tale, “On one early morning, when she’s on the way home after doing her job, she sees a dog lies on the side of the road. A thin dog that doesn’t eat for days. A thin dog that doesn’t have energy to even lifts its head. A dying dog. This prostitute then takes this dog home and feeds it. She takes care of it until it’s strong enough to stands on its own feet and she takes care of it even after that.”

“She goes to heaven because she saves a dog?” Jennie asks.

The oldest Kim turns her head to the youngest Kim. “She saves a life. It’s only a dog, yes, but it still a life. Human, animal, plant, all of us have lives and rights to live. Saving a life is not as easy as it sounds either. It takes courage and there’s something more.”