Chapter 9: Arriving Home with Family (2)

Since it could be cold, I had the kids sleep in the living room.

They had slept so much on the plane, but as soon as they lay on the sofa, they fell fast asleep.

Maybe they’re relieved to have arrived safely.

Carrying their parents’ urns in an unfamiliar environment, despite their cheerful faces, their hearts must have been full of anxiety.

“Ugh… it’s bitter. How do you like this stuff?”

“Then why do you keep drinking it?”

“Because free booze isn’t something you turn down.”

Ryan drank steadily from a tiny soju glass that looked comically small in his hands.

I let out a chuckle and poured more into his empty glass.

“Thanks for today.”

“Forget it, jerk. And why didn’t you tell me about this over the phone? I could’ve brought some snacks or something.”

It wasn’t the time for eating anyway. The kids seemed like they just wanted to rest.

It’d be better to prepare food for them after they’ve settled in.

I’ll make some jeyuk bokkeum with the meat you gave me.

“Oh, that… gochujang dish you make?”

“Yeah.”

“Man, I wish my wife could cook like you.”

When I first came to Canada, what shocked me most was the cost of living.

Even with a part-time job, most of my money went to food because restaurant meals were ridiculously expensive.

But ingredients were cheap, so I started cooking at home more often.

She’s… not improving her cooking, is she?

“She’s gotten better since the beginning. If you make jeyuk bokkeum tomorrow, save some for us. Bessie loves your food.”

“Alright.”

Ryan, who runs a livestock business, often brings me meat.

Since I feel bad taking it for free, I cook simple dishes for him in return.

Thankfully, it seems to suit the kids’ tastes too.

Tomorrow, I’ll go to the mart and buy what the kids need.

“Just make simple furniture yourself. Or want me to make it for you?”

Wood is plentiful around here, and lumber is cheap, so a lot of people make their own furniture.

No thanks. The rooms are too empty right now, so it’s better to buy what we need quickly.

“True. But won’t that cost a lot?”

I let out a laugh at that.

I’ve got plenty of money.

“…Yeah, yeah, you’re a big shot.”

Ryan muttered enviously and downed his soju.

“Ugh… I should get going.”

He set the empty glass on the table and stood up.

“Already?”

“Gotta work tomorrow. You think I’m a freeloader like you? Come help if you’re bored.”

“Get lost.”

“Heh… anyway, I’m off. Good luck.”

With that, Ryan left.

I quietly tilted my glass and looked at the kids sleeping on the living room sofa.

Good thing I bought a big sofa.

I hadn’t planned on getting a large one.

But Ryan and his family came over often, and they nagged me to buy a big sofa, so I gave in.

Suddenly, I felt grateful for Ryan.

Gulp.

I looked at the sleeping kids and sipped my drink.

Then, I raised my glass toward the urns placed in the corner of the living room.

I made a lot of money, didn’t I?

In the quiet house where everyone was asleep, I muttered softly, barely audible.

It’s all thanks to you, sis.

It felt empty.

In a space where no sound returned, I took another sip from my glass.

The bitter taste of alcohol without snacks made me miss those past times even more.

So now… I’ll give it back.

I was healthy because of my sister.

I succeeded because of her.

I grew up because of her.

Now, it was my turn to give back.

Sis, rest… peacefully.

I quietly set down my glass.

And so, the first day at home passed.

***

Saskatchewan has such harsh weather that even Canadians avoid it.

It’s a place foreigners steer clear of as a tourist destination, with winter starting in October and lasting until April.

That’s why, when winter begins, I often make warm, hearty soups.

Is this good enough?

I smiled as I looked at the gochujang jjigae simmering on the stove.

The kids were still sleeping.

They were at an age where they slept deeply, so I didn’t bother waking them.

I need to look into schools too.

There was a lot to figure out.

Unlike Korea, where school starts in March, Canada’s school year begins in September.

Still, it wasn’t like they couldn’t attend, so I had to start researching.

English… that’s another issue.

I did well in English at school, but when I came to Canada, those grades didn’t matter—I struggled to adjust.

Still, after about three months, the language barrier started to fade.

It’s gonna be tough.

When it came to language, there wasn’t much I could do to help.

I could provide textbooks, but learning a language required their own effort.

It’s done.

After tasting the jjigae, I turned off the stove.

I took out side dishes from the fridge and plated the jeyuk bokkeum I’d prepared.

I need to buy more dishes too.

I had some dishes since Ryan’s family occasionally visited, but it wasn’t enough.

There was a lot to buy.

“Kids, time to wake up.”

Shake, shake.

I gently shook the kids awake.

“Ugh…”

Surprisingly, Jiyu was the first to react.

I thought she’d be the deepest sleeper since she’s the youngest, so I was surprised when she woke up first.

“Uncle…”

“Yeah? What?”

“Something smells yummy… mmm…”

I made jeyuk bokkeum. Get up, let’s eat.

“Jeyuk bokkeum?”

At that, Jiyu shot up.

Even though she’d just woken up, her eyes sparkled.

“You really made jeyuk bokkeum? For real?”

Yeah. Uh… you like jeyuk bokkeum?

“I love it so much! I don’t like Mommy’s food, but I super love jeyuk bokkeum!”

Come to think of it, my sister wasn’t great at cooking, except for maybe one thing.

That’s probably why Grandpa disliked her even more.

But I guess she made good jeyuk bokkeum… or maybe it’s just a dish you can’t mess up.

Jiyu scrambled up and hurried to the dining table.

“Hey, hey, wake your sisters first.”

“Oh! Jiyu can wake them! They’re super hard to wake up, but Jiyu’s good at it!”

She rushed back to the sofa.

Then, she climbed to the top of it.

“What are you…”

“Juuump!”

Before I could stop her, Jiyu leaped off the sofa.

“Gah!”

“Ugh…!”

She landed right on the other kids’ stomachs.

It wasn’t a high jump, but a 10kg-plus kid landing on you would hurt.

“Cough! Cough!”

“J-Jiyu… ugh…”

The kids writhed in pain.

As if used to this, Hye-yeon and Yuri grabbed Jiyu to keep her from falling off the sofa.

“Hehehe! Unnie! Get up quick! Food time!”

Hye-yeon and Yuri hugged Jiyu and got up.

“Get up and eat. We’re going to the mart this morning.”

“Food…?”

“Food…?”

“Yeah.”

At that, the kids’ faces twitched.

Having eaten their mother’s cooking, they seemed to have some preconceptions.

I’m not a great cook, but I’ve never been told my food was bad.

“Come on, wash up and let’s eat.”

Blink.

The kids blinked, then picked up Jiyu and got off the sofa.

While they went to the bathroom, I scooped rice into bowls.

“…Oh.”

There was a problem.

We didn’t have enough chopsticks.

I had spoons and forks, but nothing safe for Jiyu to use.

What do I do?

Should they just eat?

What if they get hurt?

As I was pondering,

Ding-dong!

Someone rang the doorbell.

Who could it be?

No one was supposed to come.

I sent packages from Korea, but they’d take at least two weeks to arrive.

No one else would visit.

“Yo! It’s me! Open the door quick!”

“Oh.”

Hearing Ryan’s voice through the intercom put me at ease.

“What’s up?”

“Give me the jeyuk bokkeum!”

“Thought it was something serious.”

Since I make a lot at once, I already had some prepared.

I grabbed a container from the fridge and headed to the front door.

Whoosh.

When I opened the door, Ryan was shivering without a coat.

“You… no coat?”

“Ugh… it’s close, so I just came.”

…This guy.

Tch.

I handed him the container.

“Huh? More than usual?”

You gave me a lot of meat.

“Hey, you’ve got a bigger family now. You gotta eat tomorrow and the day after too.”

“Just take it. You guys eat a lot too. Especially you.”

“True enough.”

Ryan grinned and took the container.

“Oh, right. This.”

Suddenly, he pulled something from his pocket.

A long case.

“What’s this?”

“My wife said to give it to you. Said you’d need it.”

I opened the case to find a kid’s fork, spoon, and chopsticks made of safe plastic and silicone.

Perfect timing. I needed these. Tell her thanks.

“Alright. Enjoy the meat.”

“You too. Oh, and come over for dinner.”

“Cool.”

With that, Ryan headed home.

I closed the door, holding the utensil case, and went to the kitchen.

The kids were staring at the table with blank faces.

“What are you doing? Sit down.”

“Oh… yes!”

They quickly found their seats.

It seemed the head of the table was mine.

I placed the utensils Ryan gave me in front of Jiyu.

“Let’s eat.”

“Thank you for the meal…”

“Thank you for the food!!!”

Unlike the hesitant older kids, Jiyu eagerly grabbed her spoon.

As she’d said, she loved jeyuk bokkeum and went straight for it with her fork.

Hap!

She opened her mouth wide and stuffed in a piece of jeyuk bokkeum.

Munch, munch, munch, munch… gulp!

“Woooow! Uncle! It’s so yummy! Jiyu can eat it all!”

Her eyes sparkled as she kept moving her fork.

Seeing her, Hye-yeon and Yuri reached for their chopsticks and spoons.

“…”

“…!”

The moment they tasted the food, their eyes lit up.

…Sis, what kind of food were you making?

The kids shoveled food into their mouths.

They hadn’t eaten much yesterday except for in-flight meals, so they must’ve been especially hungry this morning.

“There’s more, so eat slowly.”

I chuckled at their enthusiasm.