Haan

Chapter 4 - Death

We emerged from our small hanok with Ajoessi supporting me.

"Appa! Eomma!" Eun Ho ran up to his parents when he saw them. He was still clutching his little bag of crumbs which he had been feeding the chickens with.

People had gathered outside the butcher's house down the path. It was only about two hundred meters from ours so his weird keening baritone was loud. Slowly, we made our way there.

The strong burly butcher had collapsed to his knees. He was holding his lifeless wife who was laying motionless on the ground. The small crowd gasped and backed up several steps giving us a clear view.

The deadly plague had claimed another victim.

Kang Chul rocked his dead wife, almost engulfing her tiny frail body. We could see where the disease had blacken her bony hands and bare feet.

Although no one in the village liked her very much, we were sorry for the butcher. The big man clearly loved his wife very much. Where he was generous and easy-going, she was miserly and mean, a real shrew. Everyone tended to avoid her insulting sharp tongue and superior attitude. Children never ventured near her after being slapped and kicked for the most insignificant reasons.

"Bora was fine until three days ago," he sobbed. "I kept her warm and tried to scrub away the ugly marks. I thought she was getting better this morning when she got up, but then ..."

"Aiiiieeeeee!!!" he cried pitifully again beating his broad chest with large fists. "How come it killed her so fast? Doesn't it usually last a week? I could have found a way to save her if I had more time!"

Everyone knew that was not true. The plague had no known cure. Poor Kang Chul was in denial.

A few men, including Ajoessi went to comfort him. Later they would help him bury his wife at the fast growing cemetery. Social distancing was useless. Everyone knew close contact or lack thereof made no difference at all. The disease struck randomly. A person caring for the infected may remain healthy whilst someone totally unrelated who was taking every precaution was struck down.

I turn to see a girl standing a little away from the crowd.

Yoo Mi Rae, the village orphan.

"Go back first. Eun Ho must be hungry," I said to Ajumma. "I'll come back later."

Ajumma had noticed Mi Rae too. "Tell her I'll bring some food for her later."

"Araso. O'kay, I'll let her know."

Ajumma smiled at Mi Rae's direction. Then taking Eun Ho's hand, she led him back home.

I walked slowly over to Mi Rae. The poor girl was as white as a sheet. She must be shocked at yet another death. I wondered how she managed to stay sane all alone in her half burnt house. She must be so scared.

I first met Mi Rae after Ajumma saved me three years ago. When I recovered I had slowly gotten to know everyone in our small village. I though I knew everyone until Mi Rae showed up one day. She rarely came out in public because many shun her. The worst offenders were Byun, the Village Head, Dae, his wife and Bora, the butcher's wife.

According to rumors, a fire had killed Mi Rae's whole family one night and burnt down half the house. Once the richest and most influential family in the village, it was reduced to nothing overnight. Mi Rae had only survived because she had braved the fierce fire and jumped out through her bedroom window. She had sprained her ankle, unable to walk, she crawled away screaming for help. Both her parents had died in the raging flames trying to save her baby brother.

Since their large house was built away from the village proper, no one had heard her until it was too late. The villagers had pitied her and had taken care of her until they realized she was now just a poor orphan who had nothing to offer them. The most they could do was provide her with a bit of food ever so often.

Later, rumors spread that Mi Rae had started the fire. She was jealous of her newborn baby brother, the male heir who would inherit all of the family fortunes. Why else would she be the only one to survive? However, her 'vicious plans' did her no good. On the contrary, the ten year old was left with nothing, even having to beg for scraps to survive.

After that, although most ignored or quietly avoided her, Dae and Bora would viciously slander her loudly every time they saw Mi Rae. They would curse her calling the poor orphan an unfilial daughter, a conniving thief and a begger. They would also hurl stones at her as if chasing away a dog. Soon, the superstitious village head and other main pillars of our small community were swayed by them. Mi Rae was labeled a curse, an ill-omen and any association with her was discouraged. Her poverty and bad luck will only bring disaster to all.

Only Ajumma, the nameless haraboeji (grandfather) who weaved straw hats and shoes, Dohuyn, the baker and his wife, Sook had any sympathy for the orphan. Ajoessi was sympathetic too but could not do much other than provide her with firewood now and again. Between the five of them, they managed to keep her alive during her darkest days. Mi Rae gradually accepted her misfortune and learn to survive on her own, planting vegetables in her yard and foraging in the nearby forest so that she was not so dependent on them.

Others simply ignored and avoided the girl.

"It is not Mi Rae's fault," Ajumma told me. "She did not kill her family. In fact, I'm sure she had nothing to do with it. It was just an unfortunate accident. She is just a lost child who can't grieve properly because she has to suddenly cope with so much at a young age. We can't even take her in because Byun and Dae forbade anyone to do so. Anyone who defied them will be kicked out of the village."

Well, Byun the village head was dead now. He was the first to succumb to the plague. His wife Dae had followed him two weeks later. However, after six years of being alone, Mi Rae was used to living on her own and refused to move. Furthermore, she said that she did not want to inconvenience anyone. She was well aware of her social stigma.

As I approached the lone girl, I thought I saw a murderous glint in her brown eyes as she watched the scene behind me. But it disappeared the instant her attention shifted to me becoming neutral. Did I imagine it? Feeling a little disconcerted, I called out to her.

"Mi Rae."

By then, she looked like her normal self. A bit untidy, pale, malnourished and tired.

When I reached her, she greeted me in a soft sweet voice.

"Oppa."

"Let's get you away from here," I said turning her away by her shoulders from the gruesome sight. "The other's can help Kang Chul with Bora."

Unresistant, she turned to walk with me. Without another word we headed back to her house.