UNTOUCHED

Contd

"Alasseyo(okay), you won, mueoseulyo(what). Whatdo you want?", he smiled proudly. Hye Soo ran to his side.
"I don't want anything but just the knowledge of something". Mr and Mrs Kim turned to study their daughter.
"What do you care to know about?", Mr Kim asked. Mrs Kim's stomach clenched. Just as both had feared, Hye Soo asked,
"Who is Shade?".
"I think its time we told her", Mrs Kim looked at her husband. He paused.
"Mum always mentioned the name and so do other people. I get the feeling that it has something to do with me, doesn't it?". She looked from her father to her mother. Mr Kim turned to her.
"We give up, Hye Soo". Mrs Kim had already began to sob. She got up and hurried to her room. Hye Soo would have followed her only, she wanted to know who Shade was and her father would tell her. Mother should wait. She could.
"Shade", he was fiddling with her fingers as he talked to her,"is your mother, your real eomma".
Hye Soo withdrew her hand. She stood up. The look on her face made Mr Kim frightened. He didn't know if she had accepted it or nlot. She ran her finger through her woven hair. And she ran to her mother.
Mrs Kim had heard everything or just the statement Mr Kim said to Hye Soo. Hye Soo stomped in to see her mother crying on the floor. She hurried and took her mother's hand, kneeing and crying. Mr Jim came in.
"Eomma?". A tear dropped. "What Abba said is not true, kichi(right). Neh. Ahneeyo(no). It can't be true". Mrs  Kim did not say a word. Hye Soo shook her. "Eomma?". She released her mother who was crying as bitterly as she was.
Hye Soo wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to the only person who could answer her now. "Appa?, you told me always that both of you are my Eomma and Abba. Wae(why)?. Abba, wae?". She was to go out when Mr Kim stopped her. She looked at her father. He couldn't face her and she knew it. "Wae Abba? You can't face me?. You can't look me in my eyes?. Wae?. All these years you have climbed the altar and preached against lying. Anytime I lied you punished me. Kilosoeyo(so) wae?". Mr Kim could tale it no more.
"I did not lie to you. We didn't. Who is a parent?. One who gives a child shelter, food, clothing, love, education, respect and above all, the knowledge if JESUS CHRIST. So, tell me, where did we lack?. I just quoted what I told the parents last Sunday. You were there so you shiuld know. Shade hsve birth to you but we rausd you. Youwabt to hear more?. Fine. Alasseoyo. Here you go, when we came fe Kore as foreign evangelists, only one pregnant woman took us in. She slept with a man who ran away. She discovered that he was married". Hye Soo held her mouth.