He was a boarding house student who had hid his mother’s whereabouts the night before she had disappeared. Because of that, he and some other guys were falsely accused of hitting her even before she was buried in her grave. Jang and the speaker spread the rumor when only two people and relatives gathered. Mr. Jang and the narrators spread rumors, and when the locals and the relatives got together, they chattered until they foamed at their mouths.
‘The Houseguest and my Mother’ is a lovely story about a young widow and a boarding house student, but the story of the young widow Chung-mu and the boarding house student has become ugly as the days went by.
The Houseguest left the town on the train. Okie’s mother locked the harmonium (kind of piano). and said that, ‘She does not have anyone else except for Okie.’ The Houseguest left the town by train, with the intention of running away at night. Okie’s mother hugged her, and then she disappeared with her eight-year-old daughter.
Lee Kang Chul has not forgotten this moment in the past 16 years. Lee Kang Chul, who made childhood and boyhood into a muddy gutter, is a name that you remember as clearly as you would your own name. As soon as he heard the name, his eyes sparkled as if he had been electrocuted by a high-voltage wire.
‘Is it the same name?’
He put a lantern up to illuminate Lee Kang Chul’s face. He had been imprisoned underground for seven months. His face was covered with dirt, so his eyes were the only thing visible even in the light. Even his teeth had turned black. There was no trace of the Lee Kang Chul that was a boarding school student in his memory.
“Mum!”
Even Khanma of sahel, the Angel of Death, cannot be free in front of the title of mother. If you take this title off, you are an ordinary Korean woman with soft skin. And If we go back a dozen years, would not it be the incomparable mischievous boy! It was heartbreaking.
A Mother, who became a young widow at the age of 30; a mother who was unusually weak; a mother who had to prepare meals for three boarding house students and 20 workers until she had no time to dry her hands. A mother who had been lying down late at night after washing dishes, and a mother who woke up at dawn to prepare the father’s durumagi (traditional Korean overcoat). A mother who shed tears on her sleeping son’s face, a mother who fell into the abyss of sadness at the most splendid time of a woman’s life.….
He felt sorry for his mother, who must have suffered from the questioning of grown-up men and women in the neighborhood. Lee Kang Chul was also unusual among the men who annoyed her. Considering the shower of presents and the efforts he put into his young self to win his favor, he still laughed.
“Wakir, there are several patients who urgently need treatement.”
Samdi called attention to this. Black Mamba came to his senses and checked the time.
It was 05:30 sharp, and the sunrise time was 45 minutes away. The outside world was bright with twilight, but Kadanka was still dark. If someone sent the report now, the helicopter would arrive in time for sunrise. The evacuation of hostages was urgent.
“Samdi, satellite phone! Now!”
Samdi opened the parabolic antenna with a skilled hand and then opened the phone. Black Mamba pressed the encrypted communication button and called the basecamp.
– the mother bird is a snipe, the baby bird is also a snipe.
– The baby snipe bird does a great job. Any problems?
– They cleared 596 Dambala guerrillas at Kamuge. and secured 15 hostages.
Paul’s response was suddenly cut off. He must have been surprised.
– Hey, buddy, are you hurt?
Paul’s voice was full of worry.
– Nothing to worry about. It was just a lousy guerrilla. Is there a Gazelle (some kind of French aircraft) in Benia?
– Huh… You’re making me a bit speechless. The Gazelle’s squadron is on standby in Bucav. There is one that is used for emergency at the Basecamp.
– It’s an emergency now. I’m out of weapons. Send me some ammunition. Also, I need an automated external defibrillator (AED) and medical staff in a hurry.
– Copy that. I’ll launch a medical helicopter and a support helicopter for Bucav right now. They will be there in 40 minutes. I will send the supplies immediately, and I will be there myself within 30 minutes.
– The coordinates are of the river island at the point where the Ituri River and the Eflu River merge, and they are 100-16-97, 28-39-41-47.
– Do you need anything else?
– I need a girl.
– Ha ha ha, should we send for a chimpanzee and a female gorilla?
– I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need your help, roger.
Black Mamba ended the call and laughed. He needed a real woman, but Paul thought it was just a joke. This is why only those who have eaten meat before can enjoy it.
Lee Kang Chul did not know a single word of French. He looked with envy at Black Mamba, who spoke French fluently. The official language of West Africa and Central Africa is French, and English was of little use.
“Public official, how old are you?”
Lee Kang Chul was being unpleasant. Why was his age important? Mercenaries tend to have hostile feelings towards the people that re presumed to be Korean. The giant standing next to him had a face that looked like he was going to hit him.
“I’m forty-seven”
Lee Kang Chul answered calmly. The man he was talking to was his savior who had rescued numerous lives. Also, Lee Kang Chul has just witnessed him defeating hundreds of fanatic soldiers. He had no intention of angering this man and bringing trouble upon himself.
“Forty-seven, you said?”
Black Mamba’s facial expression became strangely wrinkled. It was roughly the right age. When Lee Kang Chul was annoying his mother, he was probably in his early thirties.
“You worked at the construction site of Gyeongbu Expressway 16 years ago, right? I think it was in the middle between Chilgok District and Gumi city.”
“Haha!”
Lee Kang Chul, who was frightened, had hiccups. He had no idea where he was right now after he had been kidnapped from Bucav. This was a remote area deep in the jungles of Africa, and yet, here he is with someone who actually knew him from the past.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Black Mamba couldn’t help but laugh. Lee Kang Chul’s reaction was enough to confirm his suspicions. It was Lee Kang Chul, the boarding house student from ‘Malsoon the small restaurant’ on the bridge. He looked absurdly at humans who had to look for him until they were exhausted in their iron shoes. As the master said, If we are meant to meet, we will definitely meet.
“From now on, I’ll ask the questions, and you answer. If you question me, or if you don’t answer truthfully, there’ll be serious consequences.”
As soon as Black Mamba’s words were over, Samdi put his face in front of Lee Kang Chul’s eyes and smiled.
“You may not have any fingers left, but you still have your toes,” he threatened.
This was a terrible situation. When would Lee Kang Chul, an ordinary public official, meet a deadly evil person like Samdi? He was terrified just by looking at his bloody eyeballs rolling like cartwheels.
“Oh, okay. No need to be so scary. At that time, I worked as a supervisor in Chilgok, District 12.”
Black Mamba closed his eyes. As expected, the sky net never misses even if it is loose. Lee Kang Chul was a guy who held evidence of his mother’s disappearance. The situation that night had been analyzed hundreds and thousands of times. The conclusion was that the uncle and Lee Kang Chul were the guilty parties.
“Do you remember Malsoon’s small restaurant in Junggokma? The boarding house you have been to.”
“Gasp!”
Lee Kang Chul screamed again. He had managed to live normally these last few years. He worked hard in his own way, got married like others, had children, and lived that way. Why was his heartbreaking past popping up in a place like this?
“Tell me! Who the hell are you?” he asked, desperately.
“We don’t owe you anything. From now on, if you talk back to us, I will cut off your toes if you ask back. If you lie, I will cut off your arm. If your toes are not enough, I will choose another part and cut it. You must have experienced what Africa is like. If you do not want your penis and tongue to be cut off, answer sincerely and without lies.”
Lee Kang Chul shuddered. The mercenary’s body was cold like dry ice. Whenever he said a word, it felt as if a piece of ice was piercing Lee Kang Chul’s heart. He was so tired of it that he did not dare to protest. He did not even notice that the other person’s tone changed to informal speech.
“Okay, I remember. I will remember.”
“The story will get longer.”
Black Mamba muttered.
“Wakir, this conversation needs a comfortable sofa.”
As Samdi spoke, three people picked up a sofa-sized rock and put it down next to Lee Kang Chul. It was larger than the foundation stone of Mahavira Hall of Jogyesa Temple. Black Mamba kicked the rock, turned it around, and sat down.
“Oh, my.”
Lee Kang Chul groaned unknowingly. There was no way a regular human would be able to kick those rocks, not unless they were made out of styrofoam.
“Do you remember the dorm’s ma’am?”
Lee Kang Chul’s face was wrinkled. He was sorry for his wife, but Kim Mal Soon is the woman who had lived with him in his heart his whole life.
“Of course. I never imagined there would be such a beautiful woman like her in the countryside, as she suddenly packed up and moved her lodgings.”
“It must have been love.”
“I fell in love with her at a glance. I was a single man, and she was a widow with a child, there were no limits. She had an outstanding beauty, but she was still in love with her dead husband. If I had not made that kind of mistake…”
Black Mamba interrupted Lee Kang Chul, who was babbling.
“Stop!”
Lee Kang Chul flinched and swallowed his words. Black Mamba grinded his teeth when his mother was mentioned in another man’s mouth. If Black Mamba had not been able to clear his mind using his teacher’s guidance, he would have pulled out Lee Kang Chul’s ears. On the other hand, it wasn’t something that he didn’t understand. His mother was a woman who would be a catch for any man with a good eye.
“What was the mistake you have mentioned?”
Black Mamba caught the end of Lee Kang Chul’s words.
“Why do I have to say that? I do not know who you are, but you have no right to ask about personal privacy.”
Lee Kang Chul overcame the fear and protested. The indiscreet passion and courage of the youth left a lifelong regret. It was a heartbreaking story that he did not want to tell anyone.
“You ignored my warning. You lied down in an African jungle with neither morality nor law. I can remove your skin without killing you.”
Fit Fit- The Kukri knife was sparkled in the light. The beard that covered his face dropped to the ground.
Lee Kang Chul could only stammer in surprise. He opened his mouth as if to speak. If the blade had moved incorrectly, his neck would have been cut off. The past seven months after giving up his life have passed like a flash. It was a life that felt like a lifetime. He gave up, but public officials do not give up. Since he had worked for more than 25 years, he also had a pension. His attachment to life had become stronger.
“There is no legitimate reason for violence. I have the ability to differentiate between true and false. If you do not want to die after suffering for a long time, you have to tell the truth. I will do an experiment first. How many children do you have?”
“I do not have any children.”
“It is a lie.”
“One daughter and two sons.”
“It is the truth.”
Lee Kang Chul felt pathetic and stupid even though he was afraid.
“How old is your father?”
“He is seventy.”
“It is a lie.”
“He is seventy three.”
“You are lying again.”
“My father died in a car accident 10 years ago.”
“It is the truth.”
Lee Kang Chul opened his mouth. He heard that lie detectors would have a misjudgment rate of more than 30 percent. Black Mamba really had the ability to differentiate between true and false.
“Every time you lie, I will remove a part of your body. Eventually, you will die. Bodies abandoned in the jungle are eaten by leopards and hyenas, and the leftovers enter the stomachs of white ants and burying beetles within 24 hours. A dog’s death is not really that important. Did you love Kim Mal Soon?”
“Yes, I loved her with all my heart.”
Lee Kang Chul answered proudly. There was no shame in loving her.
“Did you rape Kim Mal Soon?”
It was a question that Black Mamba couldn’t ask as a child. Black Mamba’s face was deeply distressed
“What are you talking about? Why would I rape her?”
Surprised, Lee Kang Chul suddenly lost his temper and yelled loudly. He did not know that a single misjudgment would hamper a person because he said he could not commit a crime. Who the hell is this person? He wanted to check his face, but it was covered by goggles and a boonie hat, so he could only see the lower part of his nose.
Black Mamba was confused. Brain waves were stable, but blood flow had become faster and breathing became rough. This meant that the answer was both tru and false. Black Mamba looked down at the arms of Lee Kang Chul. There were no more fingers to break. His extremely weak body seemed like it would shatter if it were hit one more time.
“16 years ago, you suddenly disappeared from your boarding house. You raped Kim Mal Soon and ran away. Is this true?
“What? Who are you? How do you know all of that?”
Flit! The flash of the Kukri knife sparkled again. The knife cut Lee Kang Chul’s little toe and was deeply shoved into the ground.
“Oh, my!”
Samdi, who was standing silently behind Black Mamba, sprayed him with Chitosan (coagulant) and then tied it with a bandage. Lee Kang Chul shaked out of fear. That person is the devil.
“I said I would cut your toes if you asked back. I killed 598 people today. If possible, I do not want to put blood on my hands. Tell us what you did on that day.”
Lee Kang Chul struggled to turn his head and lay down straight. He looked up at the sky with blank eyes. Darkness was coming from the east side. A very long darkness passed while the sun was up.
Things happened at a time when he was obsessed with the construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway. It was hard, but he liked it then. A dark dawn still brought hope like any other dawn. He raised his arms and looks at his wrists, where his hands had been cut off. He lost both his hands because of the failed deputy. His life was over, but he did not want to give up his family. Even if he died, he wanted to die when he went back to Korea.
“At that time, I was a 32-year-old single man who worked as a public official at the end of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Kim Mal Soon was close in age to me. She had a child, but she was a beautiful and mature woman. I truly loved her. I did everything I could to get her attention. It was like hitting a rock with eggs. I have never heard of her anything other than the word ‘bon appetit’. The full moon rose that day, but it was a cloudy day. I still vividly remember it.”