For two months during our 30yeas-marriage life, my wife and I took a long trip to my home country, Korea.
I met one of the best friends there and spent a week traveling together. He was an alumini who attended the elementary, middle, and high school with me and was Jukma-Ji-woo.
He was not so big or small, and he was handsome and good looking with a body shape.
When he was in the schools, he was well known as “a child who believes in Jesus.”
He was a very nice boy who spoke very little and couldn’t even tell good lies.
He paid his school tuition on time and wearing school uniforms neatly according to the school rules.
I had never seen his sloppy wearing, and he put his school hat in the place.
When he was a friend who walked with his shoulders wide open and looking straight ahead.
He wrote without wasting a piece of notebook or a corner and was a frugal friend who sharpened the pencil until he was no longer grabbing it in his hand.
His school grades always topped in the class.
Of course, he never did anything that offends the hearts of his peers or other students in his class, and he was a good-looking student.
Classroom cleaning when the duty day came, the other students on duty would run away without cleaning, but he would clean up the large classroom by himself alone and went home late after school. He did not criticize others and did at his best in whatever the teacher-directed.
He was told that he respected and loved by his parents and family and grown-ups and that he had strong friendships with his brothers and sisters.
There was a lot of praise for the quick and good personnel.
His teachers at school and the elders in the neighborhood liked him very much.
However, it seemed that his popularity was not so at his high school for his peers.
He was like a gentle and honest old man.
I liked him then and now.
45 years after graduating from high school we went together, I met him in my home country and started a trip to Korea from Chilgapsan Mountain in Cheongyang, Chungcheong Province.
The next day, we went to Buyeo.
The Baekma River flowing quietly while relaxing, and Mt. Buso, standing tall without any words, was also seen.
The next day, he drove through the Mangyeong Plain in the lower reaches of the Mangyeong River, passing through Gimje and Iksan, Jeollabuk-do.
When I passed the Mangyeong Plain and went to Gunsan City, I was reminded of Tolstoy’s Book “How much land does one person need?”
After that, we arrived at Byeonsan Peninsula, where the seafood is abundant and beautiful.
After taking some pictures of the scenery, I arrived in Mokpo City through Jeonju City and Gwangju City.
We had the opportunity to see the beautiful Mokpo City and Namhae from Mt. Yudalsan for the first time.
We visited Jindo’s Uldolmok, Jindo Bridge, and then Unlim Sambang.
After that, my friend guided us until we went to Haenam Land’s End, Jeong Yak-Yong Memorial Hall, Nageung Epseong Folk Village, Mt. Jirisan, and Haeundae in Pusan.
Next, my wife and I without my friend set up a two-week trip to Korea by bus, passing Pohang, Gyeongju, Donghae-Sea, Gangneung, Uljin, Sokcho, Goseong, Korea Unification Observatory, Mt. Seorak, Gyeonggi-do, and Seoul, and returning to the Dogo Oncheen in Chungnam.
I will go back to the story I spent with my dear friend.
The clothes he wore and his words and actions were modest, not much different from the old days when he attended elementary, middle, and high school with me.
Modesty, gentle, sincere, humble and loving deeds from him. Truly he was the real truth.
Both of his children are said to have succeeded.
He told me about the following to me and my wife.
Nowadays, he told a story that many men and women are separated these days in Korea. These days, in Korea, they ride a car only for 5-6 years and changed to a new car.
When going to Southeast Asia, 90% of the passengers on the plane are Korean travelers, and 90% of them them are Korean women.
When traveling to Southeast Asia, people from that country ride a lot of used Korean
cars bought from Korea. Korean used cars were driving without erasing Korean propaganda signs such as “Myeongdong Bingsu”, which were printed to cars before being sold to the country.
They were eating every day’s fruits or vegetables grown with insecticide, and the people died from insecticidal expose poisoning and then they were buried in the ground and the bodies can not become rot because of insecticidal contamination.
If the road is blocked by a big mountain, the tunnel will be made through the mountain, and if it is blocked by a river, a bridge will be built across the river.
It is said that Korea is the first country in the world to have a total road capacity per unit area after Germany.
As new roads are built in a super short period of time, residents nearby can not know when new roads was built and where and where they are coming and going.
He also explained the story of the Korean world to me endlessly.
I heard that half of the story was right and half would be wrong and turned it over. He was actually a friend who didn’t pretend to know.
When I lived in the United States for a few decades, the two of us talked about the history of the world in the East and the West, struggling with what we saw and heard.
So how about your living?
Difficult.
Why ?
Well I mean.
There are no strong people these days.
What do you mean?
You know it. A world that only I know, a world where neither parents nor siblings know, but only money.
I mean Mysm.
I only know.
You know it.
what?
That.
When we grew up, we could not eat because we did not have food. Those who lived in shacks, dirty work, difficult work, dangerous work, and there was a time when there was nothing to do with everything.
Where were the people in the world who could not eat because they have nothing to eat?
Nowadays there are some people who starve because they don’t want to put it in their mouth.
There are many empty houses where people do not live here and there.
Breaking such empty houses with national money is also a big deal.
I read a newspaper article like that.
Anyone hates to live in an old apartment building now.
Even in a new apartment that was just built, if you don’t like the interior equipment and decorations a little, the interior decorations will be removed and redecorated.
It is said to change to special building materials such as marble, cherry red flooring, and wood imported from foreign countries such as Indonesia and Italy.
No, when I was invited to one of the professor’s house in Korea, his apartment was decorated with high-quality building materials that I had never heard of or seen in my lifetime, and the high-quality wooden floors, luxurious and expensive furniture, a TV hanging on the wall, and a flat computer monitor were all over in the house. A story that cannot be found in the country.
I like to live the way it was.
I don’t know what a credit card is, I don’t have a cell phone or a car.
Why do you need that?
Yes, do you regret it?
No.
So why are you talking about that?
I don’t know why the world works like this either.
Just as 3,000 laddies lived in the Pakje nations fell like flower petals from Nakhwaam and died, just committing suicide and finding a rotten body a few days after death!
When spring comes, bodies float in the Han River in Seoul.
Sometimes the light of worrying about something was in his eyes.
Not all of them?
Sure.
Then I brought up with a ” False and Truth” story.
“There were two very close elementary school friends who lived in one neighborhood as a child.
The two friends accidentally met on the day on the street after a few years.
One friend’s name was “real( truth)” and the other friend’s name was “fake(falsehood).”
The fake was tall, handsomely and nice, wearing gold-framed glasses, an Italian made tie, and a nice luxury suit.
He wore a Gucci belt and Gucci shoes and a Rolex watch on his wrist.
Truly, he appeared to be one of the undoubtedly wonderful international gentlemen.
Contrary to that, the truth was wearing a yellow top suit and jeans with black and blue stripes. It was not washed for a while, the clothes smelled.
His suit didn’t fit at all and didn’t fit.
These days, the plastic watches that even children don’t take up well, the wrinkled shoes that have never been polished, and the sloppy face was pale as if they couldn’t eat it.
The most successful friend is fake!
How did you do that?
I’ll tell you later.
But you really!
How is your life?
I tried a lot to buy well.
I don’t know how difficult it is to live.
Why?
Really difficult.
Living is like that and sometimes it doesn’t.
But did you really have breakfast?
I don’t know if I ate it.
I fought every day on the battlefield for the problem of eating.
Why?
That’s it.
Then follow me.
Follow me.
I will.
Thinking about what to eat well after a long time…
Really, I have one request for you.
From now on, you must never say a word to anyone while you are with me.
You should not say even a word…
Understand.
I can promise.
Do what you tell me…
When I was in school, I walked side by side with him on the streets of the town for a while, as if walking as two people, and entered the best restaurant in the town.
Under the Italian-made crystal Sandler lanterns, the mahogany table was exceptionally flashy and sat on a chair with a gold frame.
The waiter was happy to see Fake and Truth to come to eat.
However, The waiter is seeing Truth, why did you follow him like this and asked him go out?
Fake pulls the Truth’s arm and let him sit on the chair and let him to eat together.
He looked at the waiter.
Of course, he didn’t even say a word.
Since then, Fake ordered the most delicious foreign wines, drank heartily, and drank cognac.
As soon as the foods entered our mouth, we ate a lot of charcoal-grilled beef ribs that melted away, and also had delicious steamed corn and bread, dessert, and a cup of tea.
Fake told the story of his life to Truth without even breathing.
Really, Truth just listened to and didn’t say a word.
Time passed quickly and the dinner came.
High-class peoples in the town began to gather from all over the town.
Fake took this opportunity.
Call loudly waiter!
Bring change money.
Why aren’t you giving me change money?
Again loudly.
The waiter whose face was washed out.
What change?
I ate 1000 dollars and gave me 600 dollars for change.
You have to give me $600 change.
No, when did you pay it?
What kind of waiter is?
You will me!
I gave it to you earlier.
You did not give me….
Really!
Hey! you saw me to give it.
Tell this kid what you see.
Truth didn’t say a word, but his eyes really blinking.
Precious people in the town started to begin to gather for the dinner.
I ate 400 dollars worth and paid 100o dollars, so give me back 60o dollars.
Where in the world is a restaurant like this.
Did you see it?
That I pay 1000 dollars.
Again, False asked Truth to tell out loud.
At this time, Truth was still without saying a word and with a blue face.
The owner pulled a wallet out of the pocket behind his pants and handed him $60o without saying anything.
After counting the 600 dollars, False put it in the Gucci wallet, and then put the wallet in the inner pocket of the suit.
Thank you.
As if saying hello, Fake took out a toothpick from the table and left the restaurant while picking his teeth.
Truth went this way and Fake walked the other way.
After that, it is said that Truth has never met Fake.
My friend who heard this story was silent for a moment.
And you know.
The world is full of such Fakes these days.
Our parents should teach their children to beware of Fakes.
This world where these fakes live is a prison and hell when they die.
Source-A story that turns Greek human tales into different stories,
Author. Content has been added, modified, and translated.