💌 417. I Wanted to Live in the Countryside for a Long Time, But…

Two days after my husband and I promised to live in the countryside for a long time, I received a call from the director of the Yeongam Agricultural Guidance Center. " Ma'am, congratulations on your promotion to the Naju branch." I was so shocked that I doubted what I heard. "What? Will he be transferred? Director, what do you mean by that?" The county director said sarcastically, "Is it not a matter of congratulations that your husband will be transferred to Naju after lobbying?"

"Excuse me? Director, what do you mean by lobbying? That is absolutely not the case. We are not going to Naju. Just two days ago, my husband and I promised to live here for a long time. Something must have gone wrong. Please check again. “New personnel appointments were already announced." “What! When is the date of the relocation?" "Tomorrow." I could not believe it, but my heart was pounding. I spoke urgently.

"Director, please do not make fun of me. That cannot be possible. If the assignment were ever due tomorrow, there is no way we would not know it." "You really did not know that you were going to Naju?" "No, I really did not know. Director, should we go for sure? Then, please take some measures for us not to go, okay?" I said pleadingly and the director calmed down his excitement after realizing I did not know it.

“Huh… that is strange. It is true that Director Kim, your husband, will be working in Naju starting tomorrow.” I felt like such a sudden news was a lie. So, I asked Manager Yoon, who had worked with my husband in Naju and was, at that time, working with my husband in Yeongam. He also said it was true. Then, I asked him, “Why did you not tell me earlier?” I asked him.

“When we received the official document today, we were all surprised. There are so many things to do in Yeongam, but I heard you were lobbying to be transferred?” When I confirmed that the unbelievable news was true, I was engulfed in a sense of hopelessness. “Absolutely not, Manager Yoon, do you believe that? My husband and I already promised just two days ago that we would stay here for a long time. We cannot go to Naju. Can we do something about it?”

When I pleaded earnestly, he was quite surprised and said, “So, Director Kim does not know?” “No, he does not know.” “Then quickly find him and tell him.” Manager Yoon really wanted to go to Naju, so I thought that if it went well, he might go to Naju in place of my husband.

Then, with difficulty, I sought information from others to locate my husband, who was working outside his office. After finding him, we went together to meet the Yeongam County director who had initially contacted me and begged him as if pleading. As my days were numbered as a terminal cancer patient, I could not possibly leave this district with good air and clean water. But what could I say now?

When my husband said, “Director, please take some measure for me not to go to Naju,” he replied, “Did you really not lobby?” My husband said, “Director, where would I go even though I volunteered to do a lot of work here?” He said, “I see. But what can I do? The order has already arrived, so that I can do nothing now.

At first, I was very angry because I thought the person I trusted the most was lobbying. But since this is not the case, is it not something to congratulate on? Congratulations!” He said resignedly. “Director, I am sorry. I cannot believe I am leaving after so much unfinished work.” My husband also felt very regrettable. That evening, I was startled to hear from the Naju county director how we ended up going to Naju.

The Naju county director said, “Mr. Kim Man-Bok is the real deal.” He coveted my husband’s talent for doing a good job, so he personally asked the Jeonnam province director to transfer him to Naju to keep him by his side. When the Yeongam county director said he would directly ask my husband about his opinion, the Naju county director even lied to him that it was my husband who wanted it.

At that time, going from Yeongam to Naju was something all employees wanted, so the lie worked. Years earlier, when my husband had been promoted and transferred from Naju to Yeongam, those in Naju had said that the Yeongam county had taken the real deal from Naju. Now, in reverse, those in Naju tricked us to bring my husband back to Naju!

The Naju county director thought we would be happy that my husband was reassigned to Naju but I had mixed feelings. That was around March of 1980. Even my wish to spend the rest of my life quietly in the countryside went out the window, though it was my desperate and small wish at the end of my life with little time left.

For some reason, I had a sense of foreboding and kept begging my husband. However, despite my continued pleas to tell those in authority in advance so that he would not be transferred to another location, my husband did not take it seriously and continued to ignore my constant pleas only saying it would be okay. In the end, even though it ended up like this, my husband did not offer a single word of apology.

However, I offered it up with Semchigo as if I had heard him say sorry. Regardless of what it is, things didn't unfold as I wished, but I had to accept it, considering it is my destiny. What else can I do? At the time, I thought it was a big problem to go to the city of Naju because I had cancer and was about to die but later on I learned that the Lord had called me to Naju to use me as an instrument.