We Can Survive!

"Please don't do this," voiced a woman in a broken voice. Tears were pouring down all her face but her husband did not listen to her.

"My brother's wife is a nice woman. She will help us," affirmed the man to his wife. He was holding their daughter in his arms.

The woman gaped at her husband with utter disbelief. She yelled at her husband, "What are you saying? She didn't give you a single penny when our son was sick."

The man lost his temper and shouted at her wife. "Just shut up. I know you despise my family but it doesn't mean I will do the same. If you keep on nagging me then I'll throw you out. Our daughter will live with them and you and our son will live with me. We will do the work in our fields and household work."

The woman looked at her husband in despair. "How could you think such a thing about your own family? They want my daughter so that she can be her servant. I didn't give birth to her to be someone's servant neither I want my son to work in fields. I want something big for them. Your elder brothers live in the city and you expect that we should serve them as their servants??" The woman couldn't believe that her husband wasn't thinking a bit about their family.

The man growled at her and then slapped her hard which made her fall on the floor. "A woman shouldn't disrespect his husband. I'm your Lord so you should listen to me." The seven-year-old girl in his hands started crying hearing this.

Their eldest son Kim Yoon Shik who was 10 years old seeing the fight between his parents walked towards his father and snatched her sister from his hand. "We're leaving. I will never allow you to give my sister to those bastards. I don't want her to be their slaves," muttered Yoon Shik. The deadly glare in his eyes was indicating that he wouldn't listen and bear his father's nonsense talks.

Grabbing her mother's hand, Yoon Shik said, "Let's go, mother. I can't see you in this state."

The man started laughing. Putting his hands on his waist he muttered, "Yoon Shik do you think you can live all alone in this world? Because of me, you all exist. Come here and don't argue with your father."

Yoon Shik glared at his father with repugnance in his eyes and said, "My mother has raised me so well that we can survive in this world well." He then carried her sister on his back and took her mother's hand in his hand.

The grandmother of Yoon Shik with hatred in her eyes said, "Son, it's good. Let them go away. Moreover, this woman was never suited for you. It's just her brother begged me to take her with us else I would've thrown her out on the marriage day."

Hearing these words Yoon Shik's mother stepped out with her son and daughter from that house. She was crying profusely when she thought how would they be able to survive in that cruel world. So, she decided to go back to her husband and seek an apology because everyone will start pointing at her character if she raises two children alone. Turning to her son she said, "Son, let's go back. We have no one other than your father in this world."

"Eomma, they will take Hani away. I cannot see you be beaten by him every single day. They will make our life hell. We can also survive by doing the work," he said, trying to make her mother understand.

Yoona looked into her son's eyes and then thought, "Yoon is saying right. If he had loved us then this day never came." She carried Hani in her hands.

"Eomma, I can carry her," stated Yoon.

Yoona caressed her son's face and wiped her daughter's tears. "Let's go far away from here." Hani stopped crying when Yoona planted a kiss on her face.

They walked in the lone streets at night and found a cart at the end of the main road. Holding her daughter in her arms and holding her son's hand she went towards the bullock cart. A man was sitting inside the bullock.

"Brother, how much will you take to go to the kingdom city?" Yoona asked from the bullocky.

"2 silver coins," replied the bullocky. Yoona luckily had two silver coins with her as she was given by her mother so she always carried them with her. She took out 2 silver coins from the pouch which was on her dress at the waist.

"Brother, here is one silver coin. When we will reach there I will give you another," stated Yoona, handing him the one silver coin.

"Okay," understood the bullocky and told them to get in. He hit lightly on the bulls and the bullock began moving.

Tears were flowing from Yoona's eyes as the village left behind. Holding both children, she cried while thinking about the recent incident.

"Eomma, don't cry," consoled her son. She kissed his forehead and told him to sleep. She made Hani lay down on her lap and patted her arm lightly so that she could fall asleep. The sleep engulfed both kids in a few minutes while Yoona was worried about the future of her children.

~~~~~~~~~

The bullocky pulled the cart as soon as they reached the kingdom city. Yoona looked outside and then got off the cart along with her two children. She gave the other silver coin to the bullocky and thanked him.

"We will go to my mother's home," said Yoona looking at her both children. Yoon Shik carried her sister on his back and they started walking towards their granny's house.

An hour later, they reached the front of a house that was far better from their father's house. The wooden house has a wide-open space in front of which two wooden benches were placed. Hani got off her brother's back and scanned the area along with her brother. Two water pots were also placed beside the wooden table and two seating wooden benches were also made for those tables. On one table some grains were put on a large cotton cloth to dry them in sunlight.

An old woman came out of the kitchen and stopped seeing them at her place. Yoona ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Eomma (mother)," mumbled Yoona. Tears started flowing down her eyes.

Yoona's mother patted her back and then looked at the kids. She gestured to them to come. Both Yoon Shik and Hani ran to her and hugged her. "Halmeoni (grandma)," they both said in unison.

Yoona released her mother and told Yoon Shik to take Hani inside the house. Yoon nodded and holding his sister's hand he walked inside the house with Hani.

Looking at her daughter's face Yooki asked, "Why are you so pale? What happened? Where is your husband?"

"Eomma, I left that house," whispered Yoona while sobbing. "He was giving away my daughter to his elder brother," answered Yoona while crying.

"You did well that you came here. Don't worry I'm with you," muttered Yooki and embraced her in a warm hug. After sometime Yoona stopped crying and asked about her brothers.

"They left this place a year ago. They now live in another village. Let them be," said Yooki and sighed.

"You're living by yourself here," asked Yoona, holding her mother's hands. Yooki nodded and then wiped off her daughter's face. "Let's go inside. Look at your clothes," saying that Yooki took her daughter inside the house.

Yoon Shik and Hani were sitting inside a room that was quite spacious. A small table on which lampstand was placed along with some books beside it. It seemed like those books were not touched in a long run. Other than that, the mattress was put in layers and a white cotton sheet was put over that. Both kids were seated a few meters away from the table on the floor which was covered with a mat.

"Orabani (Brother), I'm hungry," said his little sister, Hani holding her stomach. Yooki came there and looked at both of them. She was hurt seeing their state. It seemed the two kids were not given food properly and their clothes were also torn.

She sat there and gave them clothes. "Yoon Shik, take a bath first, and then wear these clothes." Yoon thanked his grandma and walked out of the room. Yooki looked at Hani and then took her out from there.

After having a bath the two kids started gleaming in the new clothes. Yooki told them to eat the food while Yoona did not come outside to eat from her room. Yoon understood that his mother was going through a difficult time so, he preferred not to disturb his mother. Once they were done eating, Hani told her brother to take her out.

Yooki told Yoon to take Hani outside to look around the city. Yoon nodded and holding his sister's hand they both left the house.