This was a revolutionary sandwich for people who worried about diabetes. It would be fine to keep selling it from now on.
“Haetae. I’m going to put this salad between the morning rolls.”
Haetae’s tail stood straight up as if he was looking forward to it.
“It will taste good, right~?”
“Why didn’t Hyang-suk ever make something like this for me, nya.”
“Because it was a menu only I could eat.”
I brought the morning rolls that had been toasted golden brown and split them open to check inside. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft like a cloud.
“How did Hyang-suk think of using morning rolls, nya?”
“When there was no sandwich bread, Grandmother used the morning rolls I liked instead!”
Now I filled the toasted morning rolls with the prepared salad until they looked ready to burst.
“Done!”
I nicely arranged the salad sandwich on a plate and held it out in front of Haetae. Haetae pressed his nose against the sandwich and sniffed.
“…Nyaang!”
The savory smell of the bread and the sweet-and-sour smell of the cabbage salad mixed together and stimulated his appetite. His standing tail trembled slightly.
Haetae smacked his lips a few times and then opened his mouth wide. He took a big bite of the sandwich that was about the size of a human fist.
No, how could that much food fit into that small face.
Is this the mystery of a cat’s body?
“It’s delicious nyaaaaaang.”
Haetae seemed happy because his tail kept hitting my face hard without mercy.
“Wait, wait.”
“Nyaang.”
“Ah!”
I turned my head and rubbed the face that had been hit by the tail. Haetae seemed to have finished eating. He lifted his head and looked at me with round eyes.
“It’s delicious, nya!”
“Isn’t it? After you pass the crispy outer layer of the toasted bread, the moist inside and the crunchy salad texture burst out together. Don’t you feel many different fun things in one bite?”
“That’s right, nya! The texture is really good, nya.”
Haetae held my arm with his front paws and shook it as if asking for more.
“Give me more, nya!”
“I also want to give you more but the time is the time……”
“What time is it, nya!”
What time? It was already well past 10 a.m.
“It’s almost lunchtime?”
“Already, nya?”
“Yes. Not now. Let’s eat lunch later. By the way there is not even one customer and only flies are flying around, only flies……”
When I worked at the restaurant there were always customers without a break, but seeing such an empty shop made me feel empty.
At that moment Haetae pointed outside the window with his plump front paw.
“Look outside, nya.”
“Huh? What is there?”
I followed Haetae’s gaze and looked outside the shop. Right across from the shop, in front of a commercial building that was still being decorated for opening, a huge tourist bus slowly stopped.
“Huh? Why did a tourist bus come here?”
“That’s what I’m saying, nya. Still, maybe customers will come, nya.”
A short while later, as soon as the bus door opened, an elderly lady got off as if she had been waiting.
She was wearing colorful pretty hiking clothes and sunglasses, looking exactly like a stylish grandmother.
“Ah, it looks like the elderly people went on a trip together.”
I was about to think it was nothing special while she looked around the commercial building, but suddenly she turned and started walking toward our shop.
‘Huh?’
I hurriedly stood up from my seat to welcome her.
“A customer is here~?”
“Hello! This is Hyang-suk’s side dish shop. What kind of side dish did you come to buy?”
Because of the large sunglasses and the flower-patterned mask covering her face, I could not see her face properly. The grandmother answered in a voice mixed with laughter.
“Yes. I came to buy side dishes. Boss, when did the shop open?”
“It just opened today!”
“Today?! I came at the perfect time!”
When she said she came at the perfect time, for a moment I carefully looked above her head to see if some kind of ‘more information’ alarm appeared.
‘She is not a good-deed customer?’
The grandmother put her bag down on the floor, crossed her arms, and calmly looked around the shop.
“Why does the shop look so dark?”
I carefully pointed at the sunglasses.
“Um…. You are wearing sunglasses!”
“Ah~ That’s right! That’s right!”
The grandmother took off the sunglasses and mask, then carefully looked at my face with affectionate eyes and shouted.
“Wow~ Your face is exactly the same as our Hyang-suk’s! I didn’t know you had grown this much.”
Hyang-suk?
“Do you know my grandmother?”
“Well. I should introduce myself, right?”
The grandmother laughed loudly and introduced herself while turning around.
“I am Kim Myeong-ja, Hyang-suk’s friend.”
It was the first time I heard this so my head felt a little blank.
“My grandmother’s friend…?”
“You might have seen me briefly when you were very young. It’s natural that you don’t remember. We were hometown friends so we didn’t meet often, and I had gone away for a few months. That’s why I couldn’t go to the funeral. I’m sorry.”
Ah… so that’s why I had never met her.
“No. Just the fact that you came like this would make Grandmother happy.”
“Really… you have grown up so well.”
Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja stretched out her hand and stroked my hair.
“Um…, thank you.”
At that moment Grandmother Myeong-ja whom I faced up close was not ordinary. Her body looked thin but firm, and her hands and forearms were solid.
‘This person is my grandmother’s friend….’
Because of the strangely overwhelming energy I fixed my posture. Suddenly the feeling that I should treat her even better rose up.
“If you need any side dishes please contact me anytime. I will make them right away!”
At those words Grandmother Myeong-ja waved her hands left and right as if refusing.
“Oh my, how much help did I receive from Hyang-suk? Rather I should treat you well. But didn’t you hear any special words?”
Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja asked while looking around the shop.
“What words do you mean?”
“Before Hyang-suk left she contacted me separately. So I thought the granddaughter also knew everything, but it seems not?”
“I… am hearing this for the first time….”
At my answer the grandmother made a bitter expression.
“Maybe she tried to tell you but couldn’t in time. Hyang-suk asked me if I could help her granddaughter a little. She said when you return to the neighborhood after a long time you might feel lonely, and your grandmother’s empty place would be big so please fill it a little. There is also the neighborhood atmosphere.”
“Ah…, Grandmother said that?”
“Of course. You know best how careful and thoughtful your grandmother was, right?”
How far did she leave her warmth behind.
“…I know well. Thank you for coming to find me like this!”
I was grateful just that she did not forget the promise with Grandmother and came to find me.
Grandmother Myeong-ja looked at me like that and smiled proudly.
“You see the commercial building right across? I am going to open a bakery there. Now we will be able to see each other often. Originally my younger siblings also planned to come together, but each of them was busy so only I came first.”
“A bakery?”
“Yes, over there across the street.”
I carelessly turned my head and glanced at the commercial building across the street. Wires were still lying on the floor because they were putting up a new signboard, and beyond the glass windows workers were busily moving display shelves.
“Is the place being newly decorated over there the one Grandmother is doing?”
“It was called Myeong-ja Bakery and it was quite famous in our hometown. Later when the shop opens I will bring you some bread.”
We chatted about the bakery. Then Grandmother Myeong-ja clapped her hands and asked.
“Jigu. Are there any side dishes already made? I want to look around a little?”
“Yes! There are!”
I guided the grandmother to the refrigerator where I had already displayed the side dishes.
“Yes, here they are.”
The grandmother looking at the side dishes made a short exclamation.
“Oh? The side dishes look delicious?”
“Is there any side dish you especially like?”
“I liked everything your grandmother made. Sometimes when I came this way I bought and ate them, and Hyang-suk also sent them to me from time to time. After Hyang-suk got sick I couldn’t buy side dishes anymore… Do you know how much I missed them~?”
She spoke as if it was nothing, but the end of her voice was trembling a little. That trembling made even my eyes feel hot so I quickly spoke in a bright voice.
“Our grandmother’s hand taste was really good. Please choose quickly!”
The grandmother chose seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned radish, and seasoned chwinamul and held them in her arms.
“If I take these home I can eat bibimbap~? I also want to see Hyang-suk’s granddaughter’s skills a little?”
“To see the skills you need one more side dish. I will give it as a service so please take one more!”
Because she was Grandmother’s friend it seemed okay to give it for free. But Grandmother Myeong-ja firmly waved her hand.
“That’s the thing! Makgeolli! Huh!?”
“Yes?”
Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja shouted in surprise.
“Why do you think I came? I came to help you, not to receive something. And from the first customer you must definitely take money! Only then will customers come one after another like linked candy… And this.”
Grandmother Myeong-ja held out a white envelope. Anyone could see it was a cash envelope.
“No, this is okay. Just paying for the side dishes is enough…!”
I waved my hands and refused, but Grandmother Myeong-ja firmly pushed it deep into my apron with a decisive hand movement.
“How much did Hyang-suk help us? We cannot pretend not to know that kindness.”
Grandmother Myeong-ja’s voice contained both firmness and warmth. I tightly bit my lower lip. Tears felt like they would suddenly pour out.
“Now it is our turn to help you. You are not alone, Jigu.”
I lowered my head to hide the hot emotions rising up.
“This is something we are giving, but it also means Hyang-suk is by your side. So don’t feel too burdened.”
“Thank you. Truly….”
“There is no need to thank. If you need anything call me anytime, okay?”
I slowly looked at the grandmother. Her face was full of a reliable and warm smile.
“We will firmly hold this place and spread the neighborhood rumor widely. Don’t worry.”
“Rumor?”
Grandmother Myeong-ja patted her own chest with her palm as if it was obvious.
“Don’t you know how scary the word-of-mouth among the neighborhood women is? Soon people will line up to buy side dishes?”
“I was going to hand out flyers.”
“You don’t need flyers. In this kind of neighborhood word-of-mouth is the best.”
My nose stung and I nodded. Her confident expression and voice somehow made me feel relieved. It sounded like she was saying that rather than awkwardly handing out flyers and rushing around, I should go to the vegetable garden like today, harvest good crops, and make side dishes even more diligently.
“I will pack the side dishes…!”
I quickly packed the side dishes into a black plastic bag. For some reason a smile kept forming.
“Thank you for coming today.”
“We all live by helping each other, right~? What time do you open?”
“Every morning at 8 o’clock!”
“Okay, okay. I will go now!”
“Yes! Please go carefully!”
I followed her outside the shop, said goodbye, and as soon as I closed the door I let out a long breath.
At that moment Haetae peeked his face out from the kitchen side.
“Did you receive it, nya?”
I touched the heavy envelope settled in my apron pocket and quietly answered.
“Yes. I received it.”
Then Haetae jumped up and sat on the table.
“Why do you look so depressed, nya?”
“Me?”
“It is written ‘I am depressed’ on your face, nya.”
“Just… I was thinking how good it would have been if Grandmother could have seen all of this herself.”
“You mean Hyang-suk, nya?”
“Yes. There is something Grandmother always said to me.”
“What did she say, nya?”
“Good deeds go around and come around. If you give kindness to others, someday that kindness will definitely return. Grandmother often said that.”
I put the cash envelope into my apron pocket and stood up.
“It seems the blessings Grandmother gave are coming back to me.”
“That’s good, nya.”
“Yes. So now I also have to give kindness as much as I received.”
Haetae tilted his head.
“How will you give it, nya?”
“I have to make delicious side dishes, right? Because that is what I am good at, isn’t it? Haetae!”
“Oho, that’s right, nya.”
Haetae lightly tapped my forearm with his left front paw as if telling me to take him. I was about to pick Haetae up when—
Tak tak tak tak tak!-
An unusual sound roughly rang out from the kitchen side. And it felt like it was getting stronger and stronger.
I froze and met Haetae’s eyes.
“This is the sound from the refrigerator, right?”
“It seems so, nya.”
“Why does it somehow feel different from last time.”
With questions and anxiety mixed in my head I mindlessly ran toward the place where the sound was coming from.
When I arrived in front of the refrigerator the sound stopped as if it was a lie. Together with the cold air a strange tension filled the whole kitchen. It was a breath-holding silence.
