The Backpacker's Dream

22. Small World

My feet touched the soil of Colour's Community and its warm grass welcomed us with open arms. The air of this place had such a different taste that it would linger to your senses and made you hungrier.

It was not a proper city or a town. It was just a small community of maybe five to ten thousand people and I was standing right into the middle of this small world that was enriched with different colours.

'So, how is it?' Brayden asked.

'I am still trying to understand where am I.' I was exhausted and confused and had a backpack on my shoulders that was crushing my bones.

'I know this is always the first reaction of anyone who comes here.' He paused. 'Hey, let me show you a very cool place and make you meet cool people'.

His eyes had a twinkle of an adolescent youth and his energy vibrated the enthusiasm to show me the entire world.

Whereas I was dead as a ghost.

'Listen, you don't have to say anything to them. Just simply nod. I will do the talking.'

'What? Why? Any specific reason?'

'Because those people speak Korean but just for now keep in mind to simply nod.'

I nodded.

The more I stepped into this small world, the more different it seemed from the real world.

We stopped in front of a mud house and suddenly Brayden shouted foreign words while knocking softly on the door.

'Ahjumma, Ahjussi...'

Brayden used a heavy sentence afterwards and I was unable to understand even a single word.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man and woman came out and they brightened up when they saw Brayden. They hugged each other as if their son had returned from military service.

What if they are his relatives?

I was standing awkwardly there and was trying to grasp or understand any word that was going to and fro.

Then suddenly the lady said something and Brayden rapidly started shaking his head and my mind suddenly jumped to that word, "yeoja chingu."

Brayden chanted "aniyo, aniyo" like countless times and then looked at me.

I looked at the couple and nodded my head.

'Oh noo nooo!! You have to shake your head.' Brayden was silently whispering.

'First, you told me to nod now shake. What am I to you, a puppet?' I was smiling at the couple but my demeanour was killing Brayden.

And then the lovely couple started teasing Brayden since his ears got so red and his warmth was engulfing me. They were very lightly tapping his back and were saying one word, "geojismal jaeng-i".

Brayden patted my head and told them something about me since he was using my name but I caught the last word, "babo."

I looked at Brayden and then again looked at the couple who were looking at me mysteriously when I shook my head.

And the couple again lightly used a scolded tone for Brayden.

This is fun.

After standing for another few more minutes, Brayden bowed his head and said "gomabseubnida" and so I did the same.

'Who are these people? Where are we going now?' I asked Brayden.

'This is Mrs Chung-cha and Mr Jihoo, my favourite people in the world. They are taking you to one of the mud houses. Your stay will be there till tomorrow and you will be sharing it with a girl. We will meet in the evening and then after that, I WILL KILL YOU. '