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내가 영어로 번역한 ■정조(貞操)와 약가(藥價)■
Korea Republic of 잠깐 0 260 2009-06-17 16:06:13
나는 이 아름다운 한국단편소설을 세계에 알리고 싶어서 영어로 번역했습니다.
I translated into English this beautiful short story from Korea in order to introduce it to the rest countries of the world.




■정조(貞操)와 약가(藥價)■
1929년 현진건

최주부는 조그만 D촌이 모시고 있기에는 황송할 만큼 유명한 의원이다. 읍내 김참판댁 손부(孫婦)가 산후증으로 가슴이 치밀어서 다 죽어가는 것을 단 약 세첩에 돌린 것도 신통한 일이거니와, 더구나 조보국댁 젊은 영감님이 속병으로 한 해를 넘게 고생하여 경향 각지의 명의는 다 불러 보았으나 그래도 효험이 없어 숱한 돈을 들여 가며 서울에 올라가 병원인가 하는 데에서 여러 달 치료를 받았으나 앙상한 뼈만 남아 돌아오게 된 것을 이 최주부의 약 두 제 먹고 거의 낫게 된 것도 신기한 이야깃거리다. 여기 저기 그야말로 궁둥이 붙일 겨를도 없이 불려 다녔고 서울 출입까지 빈번했다. 어떤 병이든 그의 손이 닿는 대로 마치 귀신이 붙어 다니는 것처럼 신통하게 효력을 내었다. 그의 탕약이야 말할 것도 없지마는, 무엇으로 어떻게 만들었는지 그의 고약이야말로 세상에 둘도 없는 명약이었다. 곽란을 만나 금방 수족이 차고 맥이 얼어붙은 것도 그의 침 한 대면 당장에 돌린다.
그중에도 아낙네 사이에 더욱 평판이 좋았다. 그의 빼어난 재주는 부인병--더우기 젊은 부인병에 더욱 빛난다. 대하증 오줌소태도 영락없이 고쳐 주고, 더욱 놀란 것은 임신을 못하는 여자라도 그의 약을 한두 제만 먹으면 흔히 옥동 같은 아들을 쑥쑥 낳는 것이다.
그는 금년에 갓 쉰 살이다. 그런데 머리에 흰털 하나 없이 검은 윤이 반지르하다. 시뻘건 얼굴빛과 둥글고 큼직한 코는 언제나 기운이 넘치고 혈운이 좋아 보였다.
본래 먹을 것 없던 그가 이제 와서는 볏섬이나 추수하고 허리띠가 길어져서 웬만한 환자는 잘 보지도 않는다. 그러나 젊고 예쁜 여자 환자에게만은 여전히 친절하다.
“망할 자식, 병을 안 보려거든 약국을 집어치우지.”하고 그에게 거절 당한 환자가 더러는 분개했다.
“약국을 집어치우면 계집은 뭘로 호리누.” 이렇게 빈정대는 사내도 하나씩 늘었다.
여름 새벽 부지런한 그는 일찌거니 논꼬에 물을 살피고 돌아오는데 마당 가운데 개처럼 쭈그리고 앉은 여자의 모습을 발견했다.
“누구야?” 얼떨결에 소리치자 그 여자는 놀란 듯이 몸을 일으키며 목이 메인 듯이 대답했다. “저 샌님, 좀 모시러 왔어요.”
‘또 왔구나!’ 그는 불쾌한 듯이 성큼성큼 뜰아랫방으로 들어가며, “요새 모심기에 바빠서 못 가겠는걸.”하고 뱉는 듯이 한 마디 던졌다.
그는 이런 청잣군에게 진절머리가 났다. 명의를 청하러 오면서 탈것도 안 가지고 타박타박 걸어가자는 이따위 예절 모르는 축들과는 정말 말하기도 싫었다. 더구나 오늘날은 당당한 지주님이 아니냐. 제까짓 작인 따위가 이리 오너라 가거라! 건방지기도 푼수가 있지 않느냐!
‘저희들 주제에 약이 다 뭐냐. 개발에 다갈이지!’
그는 이런 청잣군들 만날 때마다 속으로 이렇게 중얼거리고 제물에 욕지기가 났다.
“샌님! 한시가 바쁩니다. 아무리 바쁘셔도 잠깐 가서 보아주셔요.”
“글쎄 일이 바빠서 못 간다 해도 그래.”
“못 가시면 어떡합니까? 사람 하나 살리는 셈 치시고 짬깐만 가 보아주셔요.”
그 여자도 상상한 대로 끈적끈적하게 조르는 패다.
“그야 인명이 재천이니 내가 본다고 살고 안 본다고 죽겠소, 허허.” 벌컥 성을 내려다 그래도 체모가 있어 점잖은 투로 말했다.
“그야 그렇지요. 하지만 사람 앓는 것을 보고 어찌 약 한 첩도 아니 써봅니까?” 여인은 의원의 말을 그대로 시인하면서 솔직하게 제 맘먹은 그대로 실토했다.
“약 한 첩! 그러면 병증세를 말하오. 약을 지어주게.”
의원은 큰맘을 썼다. 식전 꼭두부터 졸리기도 싫고 거지에게 동전 한푼 적선하는 셈치고 약 한 첩으로 쫓아 보내는 것이 상책이라고 생각한 것이다.
의원은 그제야 영창문을 열었다. 아직 해는 뜨지 않았지만 여름의 아침빛은 신선하게 밝았다. 그 때장이 여자는 서슴치 않고 뚜렷히 얼굴을 내보였다. 얼굴빛은 핏기 하나 없이 핼쑥하다. 그러나 그 반달 모양의 새까만 눈썹, 그 밑에 새벽빛 모양으로 맑고 시원한 눈, 동그스름한 앳된 입모습은 아직 나이 스물을 얼마 넘기지 않은 것을 가리킨다. 청잣군은 의외로 젊고 아름다왔다.
“아녜요, 병자도 샌님을 한번 뵈옵기 소원이니 세상없어도 모시고 가야 돼요.”
조금도 꾸밈없는 말씨건만 그 목청이 새삼 곱고 보드랍게 느껴졌다.
“대관절 집이 어디요?”
“예서 한 십리 안팎밖에 안돼요.”
“십 리 안팎! 이 여름에 가깝지 않은 길인데!” 하고도 의원의 눈 가장자리는 스르르 풀리었다.
“그래 밤을 도와 왔어요. 낮에 가시자면 더우실 듯해서요.” 어여뿐 여자의 눈은 안심한 듯 해죽이 웃는다.
“아무래도 너무 먼걸.” 의원은 입맛을 쩝쩝 다시면서도 그의 눈길은 청잣군의 헤어진 적삼 속으로 군데군데 드러난 흰 살 위를 헤매었다.
의원은 몇 가지 약을 주섬주섬 집어 넣은 후 처음과는 아주 딴판으로 선선히 길을 나섰다.
훤한 광명에 쫓기면서도 실안개는 산허리와 논두렁에 어릿어릿하다. 처음 눈뜬 새들이 갖은 노래를 종알거릴 때 어미 찾는 송아지 울음이 무겁게 들려 온다. 느리고도 바쁘고 조용하면서도 시끄러운 논촌의 아침. 청잣군은 앞서고 의원님은 뒤를 따랐다. 걸어온 지 한참만에 그들은 고개 기슭에 다다랐다.
고개를 두어 모퉁이 돌았을 때, 여름해는 어느 틈에 불덩이 같은 얼굴을 나타냈다. 풀 끝에 맺힌 이슬들은 곧 스러질 제 운명에 마지막 광채를 발하는 것처럼 은가루같이 번쩍인다.
최주부의 눈은 아까부터 앞서 가는 여자의 잔등에 땀이 배인 것을 놓치지 않았다. 땀이 여러 번 거른 적삼은 땀에 대한 아무런 저항력도 없는 것처럼 살에 착 달라붙었다. 자꾸 번져가더니 어느새 그 둥그스름한 어깨에 커다란 살구꽃이 피었다. 의원의 가슴에는 불꽃이 이글이글 피어올랐다.
그러나 청잣군은 제 등에 땀 밴 줄도 모르고 뒤도 한 번 돌아보지 않고 잽싸게 종종걸음을 친다.
“여보시요 아주먼네, 우리 좀 쉬어 갑시다.”
사람의 그림자란 얼씬도 않는 고개를 네 모통이나 돌았을 때 뒤선 이는 숨을 헐떡거리며 부르짖었다.
앞선 이는 그제야 잠깐 얼굴을 돌린다. 구슬 같은 땀방울이 맺힌 발그레한 얼굴, 뒷등 모양으로 앞섶도 착 달라붙어서 뚜렷히 드러난 가슴의 윤곽, 한 옴큼에 쥐어질 듯한 가는 허리.
최주부는 눈을 슴벅슴벅하다가 그대로 풀밭에 주저앉았다.
“덥지 않아요? 이리 와 좀 쉬시우.” 그러다 갑자기 앉은 자리가 바로 길가라는 것을 깨닫자 “여긴 너무 덥군.” 하면서 그늘을 찾는 핑계로 산기슭 풀밭으로 휘적휘적 기어 올랐다. 사람 발자국이 밟지 않은 풀밭은 아름다왔다. 병꽃풀, 패랭이꽃, 백합화들이 제각기 다른 정취로 사람의 눈길을 끈다.
취주부는 앞으로 담쟁이가 얽힌 바위가 가리고 뒤로는 소나무 숲이 우거진 잔디밭을 발견했다.
“여기가 시원하군. 이리 와 잠깐만 쉬어 갑시다.”
청잣군은 얼마쯤 주저하다가 필경 올라오고 말았다. 의원을 못 미더워하는 기색이 조금도 없고 다만 갈 길이 바쁜데 쉬는 것이 민망한 눈치였다.
“웬 땀을 그렇게 흘리오? 너무 무리한 모양이구먼. 어디 맥이나 좀 짚어 볼까요.” 하면서 왼손으로 그 새새끼 같은 손목을 잡아 당기어 제 무릎 위에 놓았다. 여자는 앞이마 머리칼이 사내의 불덩이 같은 뺨을 스치며 앞으로 잠깐 쓰러진다. 문득 아귀센 두 손은 가늘게 떠는 손목을 움켜쥐었다. 그러자 여자는 벼란간에 독수리에게 채인 새새끼 모양으로 깜짝 놀라며 손을 빼려 할 겨를도 없었다. 솥투껑 같은 검은 두 손은 또다시 땀에 촉촉하게 젖은 여자의 젖가슴에 구렁이처럼 휘감았다.
여자의 얼굴은 어디까지나 맑고 깨끗했다. 한군데 흐린 점도 없고 흥분된 기색도 없다. 슬퍼하거나 분해하지도 않는다. 새파란 잎 새로 흐르는 햇발처럼 명랑하고, 바람없는 공중에 뜬 나비처럼 조용하고, 풀 끝에 맺힌 이슬 모양으로 영롱하다. 꼭 아까 모양으로 앞장을 서서 다시 종종걸음을 칠 뿐이다.
최주부가 도리어 겸연쩍었다. ‘조금 더 앙탈이라도 했더라면....’하고 혼자 웃었다. 정조관념이란 약에 쓰려고 해도 없고 아무한테나 몸을 맡기고도 눈곱만한 부끄러운 마음을 모르는 것이 불쾌했다. ‘이런 것들은 할 수가 없어---’ 하고 속으로 제법 개탄까지 했다. 가다가 심심하면 쫓아가서 손도 쥐어 보고 뺨도 만져 보았건만 그의 하는 대로 맡기고 눈썹끝 하나 움직이지 않았다. 물결치는 대로 떠나 가는 부평초와 같이 걸리면 멈추고 놓이면 또 흘러갈 뿐이다.
마침내 그들은 다 쓰러져 가는 오막살이 삽짝문 앞에 섰다.
의원은 제 지은 죄가 있어 머리끝이 쭈뼛쭈뼛하여 발 들여놓기가 서먹서먹했다. 문득 여자의 손가락이 사내의 손목에 쇠꼬챙이같이 박혔다.
“어서 들어가셔요. 우리 아범을 꼭 고쳐 주셔야지 그렇잖으면 큰일날 줄 아셔요.” 나직한 목소리가 의사의 등골에 찬물을 끼얹는 듯하였다.
의사는 허둥지둥 끌려 들어섰다. 방문을 열고 들어서니 시큼한 냄새가 코를 찌른다. 다음엔 파리들이 윙하면서 달려든다. 그다음엔 거미같이 마른 네댓 살 되는 발가숭이 계집애가 양촛자루만한 다리를 비비꼬는 듯이 쭈적거리며 “엄마!” 하고 삐죽삐죽 울기 시작한다.
방 아랫목엔 환자가 웃통을 벗고 누웠는데 만일 뚜룩뚜룩 움직이는 큼직한 눈이 없었던들 누구라도 해골 송장으로 보았을 것이다.
아내와 의사가 들어오는 것을 보고 상반신을 일으키려던 그는 아내의 보드라운 손길에 다시 누었다.
“고맙네, 그 먼델 갔다와서! 저 땀 좀 봐. 개똥아, 어머니 부채 갖다드려라.”
“괜찮아요.”하며 여자는 치마꼬리로 땀을 씻고 문득 제 얼굴을 그 해골이 다 된 남자의 얼굴에 문지르며 훌쩍훌쩍 운다.
“왜 울어? 이제 의원님이 오셨으니 나을 텐데!” 환자 또한 목이 메인다. 뼈만 남은 손으로 아내의 흐트러진 머리칼을 쓰다듬는다.
“세상없어도 나을 테야. 안 죽고 살아날 테야. 울지 말아요.”
그들은 몇 번이나 서로 울며 위로했다.
“그런데 여보, 내가 죄를....” 하고 아내는 더욱 느껴 운다.
웃목에 서성대고 있던 죄인은 그 소리에 속이 뜨끔했다. 방울 같은 코끝에 땀이 또 한 방울 맺혔다.
“저 샌님을 모시고 오다가, 저 샌님의 말씀을 들었어요. 집에 모시고 온대야 약값 드릴 거리도 없고 당신의 병은 세상없어도 고쳐야 되겠고....” 말끝은 다시 금 눈물에 흐렸다.
아까부터 바늘방석에 앉은 것 같은 최주부는 그 말에 회오리바람이 온몸에 휩싸고 뒤흔드는 듯하였다. 금시로 저 해골바가지가 이를 뿌드득 갈고 일어서며 날카로운 칼로 제 목을 푹 찌를 것 같았다. 그러나 그 환자의 대답은 천만뜻밖이었다.
“여보, 죄가 무슨 죄요. 잘했소.” 한 마디 하고 그 새새끼 같은 팔뚝으로 아내를 제 가슴에 쓸어안고 흑흑 느낀다.
“그것도 내 병 탓이지. 내 죄지 임자가 무슨 죄요. 임자 죄는 아니오.”
최주부는 제 눈과 귀를 믿을 수 없었다. 세상에 기괴한 일도 다 있다. 이왕지사 정조를 깨뜨렸거든 그 비밀일랑 제 속 깊이 감춰 둘 일이지, 그것을 샅샅이 남편에게 고해 바치는 년도 년이거니와 제 정부(情夫)조차 버젓히 데리고 온 계집을 잘했다고 위로하는 놈도 놈이 아니냐. 이윽고 두 남녀는 떨어졌다. 청잣군은 또 아무 일도 없었던 것처럼 환한 얼굴을 의원에게로 돌렸다.
의원은 간신히 가슴을 진정하고 맥도 짚어보고 병 이야기도 들어 보았다. 재작년 가뭄에 부치던 논 열 마지기가 다 타버리고 굶기를 밥먹듯 하였고 작년에는 그 논마저 떨어져 품팔이로 그날그날을 지내노라니까 점점 병이 더쳐서 이지경에 이른 것이라 한다. 그것은 갈 데 없는 부족증이다. 기혈 부족, 원기 부족에서 생긴 병이니 초제 몇 첩 가지고는 도저히 돌릴 수 없는 병이다.
의원은 이 병은 매우 뿌리가 깊으니 보통 낱첩으로는 낫지 않을 터인즉 가미한 십전 대보탕 한 제는 먹어야 되겠으며 그 약은 돌아가서 지어보내겠다고 설명했다. 이왕 지은 허물이니 손해는 보더라도 약 한 제쯤으로 삯쳐 버리고 한시 바삐 이 괴상한 자리를 떠나려는 배짱이었다.
그러나 그렇게 힘없이 제 팔뚝에 쓰러졌던 그 계집은 이제 와서는 여간 아귀가 센 것이 아니다. 고쳐주기 전에는 한 발자국도 여기서 움직이지 못한다. 한 달이고 두 달이고 얼마든지 약을 써서 병뿌리를 빼놔야 놓아 보낼 터이다. 약재를 적어 주면 몇 차례라도 가서 가져오겠다고 악지를 쓴다. 입맛을 쩍쩍 다시면서 쪽지를 적어주자 환자의 아내는 십리 길을 한숨에 뛰어가고 뛰어왔다.
밤이 되었다.
“난 샌님을 모시고 잘까요?” 아내는 서슴지 않고 예사롭게 남편에게 묻는다.
“참, 그러구려. 개똥이는 내 옆에 갖다 눕히고 임자는 그리로 건너가구려.”
남편도 제가 먼저 말할 것을 잊었다는 듯이 찬성이다. 수작이 끝나기가 무섭게 아내는 실행한다. 이번에는 의원의 몸이 오그라붙는 듯하였다.
“아까는 내가 환장을 해서 그랬지만 다시야 그럴 수 있소? 병자를 두고 딴 방에서 자다니.” 하고 제법 점잔을 빼 보았다.
남편은 마치 손님에게 밥이나 권하는 듯이 아내와 같이 자기를 권한다. 아내도 남편에 지지 않으려는듯 옷까지 훌훌 벗어 버리고 옆에 착 달라붙어 눕는다.
열흘 동안이나 최주부는 정말 땀을 뺏다. 감옥살이 고통도 이토록 지겹지는 않을 듯싶었다.
다행히 환자는 약발을 잘 받았다. 평생 약 한 첩 들어가보지 못한 위장에는 인삼과 녹용이 그야말로 선약 같은 효험을 드러냈다. 최주부는 하루바삐 이 고통에서 벗어나려고 이해타산도 모조리 잊어버렸다. 제 돈을 들여 닭마리도 사서 고아 먹이게 하고 나중에는 제 집 쌀까지 가져오래서 밥을 지어 먹이도록 했다. 환자의 회복은 하루가 다르고 한시가 달랐다. 열흘이 되자 기동도 맘대로 하게 되고 뼈만 남았던 몸에 살까지 부옇게 찌게 되었다.
마지막 날 새벽에 잠을 깨어 보니 제 옆에 누웠던 환자의 아내가 없었다. 옆방에서 그들이 속살거리는 소리가 들린다.
“참 이젠 가슴도 두룩하시구려.” 아내는 남편의 가슴을 만져 보는 모양이다.
“오늘이라도 농사일을 하겠는데, 허허.”
“아직 안돼요. 조리를 더 하셔야지 또 병환이 더치시면 어떡해.” 아내는 질색을 한다.
“이제 다시는 병이 안 날 테야. 두 주먹 쥐고 벌지. 그래도 안되면 도적질이라도 할 테야. 안 굶으면 병이 안 나겠지.” 잠시 말이 끊긴 것을 보니 젊은 내외가 으스러지게 포옹하는 모양이다.
“임자를 안고 나니 두 팔에 기운이 더 붙는 듯한데. 내일부터 임자를 업고 다니면 더 힘이 나겠지.”
“별소리를 다 하시는구려. 그래 조금도 꺼림칙하지 않으셔요?”
“뭣이 꺼림칙하단말이오?”
“제가 남의 남자하고 같이 잤는데도.”
“백 날을 같이 자면 무슨 일이 있나. 나 때문에 임자에게 귀찮은 노릇을 겪게 한 게 미안할 뿐이지.”
그들의 수작은 아침에 재잘거리는 새들 모양으로 명랑했다.
내외는 또 끌어안는 모양이다. 그때 개똥이가 자다말고 무엇에 놀란 듯 삐하고 운다.
그날 아침 최주부는 풀려났다. 환자는 개똥이를 안고 문밖까지나와 전송했다. 최주부는 얼마쯤 걷다가 고개를 돌이켰다. 때마침 떠오르는 햇발에 의좋게 서 있는 내외의 얼굴엔 광명과 행복이 영롱하게 번쩍이는 듯했다.
“저런 것들은 정조도 모르고 질투도 모르는 모양이지!”
최주부는 눈이 부신 듯이 얼른 고개를 돌리며 혼자 중얼거렸다. (끝)




A Woman's Honor & a Fee

Written in Korean by Hyun, Jingun in 1929
Edited and Translated in English by Lim, Sunjae in 2007

Mr. Choi was a general practitioner, a specialist in traditional Oriental medicine. He won great fame, and people said that it was at the same time an honor and pity for the small village to have such a noted physician.

Everyone knew how Mr. Choi had saved the life of a woman, the wife of the grandson of one of a high-ranking official. This woman had suffered a heart attack and nearly stopped breathing after a hard childbirth. Then, Mr. Choi revived her, rescued her from death, with a few herbs he had prepared by himself.

There was also in the village a very rich young man who had been suffering for years from a disease of the intestines. He consulted many a noted physician throughout the whole country, to no avail. Well-to-do, but suffering terribly, this young man even went up to the capital city to seek treatment in the hospitals there. He spent a fortune, but returned a mere bag of bones. Then, under the ministrations of Mr. Choi, he made a complete recovery. A wonder!

Mr. Choi was quite sought after. He frequently made a journey to and from the capital city.

He was a Hippocrates, indeed. His herb teas proved a good remedy for such and such troubles. The ointment he prepared worked wonders on such and such diseases. He quickly cured with a few acupuncture treatments the sick from an intestinal convulsion whose limbs were ice-cold.

His distinguished skill shone in women´s diseases, especially young ladies'. He cured them of such diseases as whites, urethral micturition and something like that very simply and quickly. The greatest wonder was that he often made barren women give birth to precious sons with a few cups of his herb tea.

He was barely fifty years of age and appeared to be in the prime of health; the hair on his head never came off, just lustrous with not a white one; a glowing complexion with a large ball-shaped nose.

Originally, he was born to the poverty and eked out a scanty livelihood. But he turned out to be very clever and greedy by nature. Needless to say, he required an exorbitant price for a fee. Since he became a big landowner, he refused or was reluctant to treat the patients who were not rich or respectable enough. However, he was very kind to pretty female patients all the same.

Sometimes, his such mean conduct aroused great indignation among the refused. They said,"You bastard! Should you refuse to give a medical treatment to common folks, you should close the clinic!" Some poked fun cynically, "Then, by what means could he seduce a fair sex!"

One summer daybreak, Mr. Choi, who was diligent by nature, made a thorough survey of his rice fields and returned at a still early hour. Suddenly in the middle of his courtyard, a woman was found squatting herself down like a dog.

In his bewilderment, he cried out toward her, "Who on earth are you?" Being taken aback, she sprang to her feet, responded with tears, "Please come and see a patient at my house."

"It's another bother! Sorry, but lately I am too busy planting the rice to visit a patient", he said disdainfully and walked with long steps into a room.

He was sick of such brazen requests. He hated the very sight of such a cheeky fellow who came to invite such a great physician as him on foot without a vehicle. He indignantly murmured to himself, "Now I am a splendid landlord. You, a pitiful sharecropper, have no right to be so cheeky as to make me come and go. It goes too far!

"You, nothing but a snob, don't deserve medication. It's shoeing a dog's paw!" Everytime he confronted such a beggar he would say such words to himself and felt vexed spontaneously.

"Your honor, sir, it's a matter of great emergency. No matter how busy you may be... Please spare some time and pay a visit to the patient."

Mr. Choi shouted, "I said I am too busy to do that!"

"Please, have mercy on a pitiful person and save his life."

She was quite a nuisance as expected.

He was on the verge of losing his temper but restrained himself to maintain his dignity and said rather gently, "Life and death are providential. Such a matter is beyond my ability."

"You may be right, sir. Yet, how could you be so unfeeling and just sitting around as not to give a dose of medicine to a person who are lying on a sickbed?", she disclosed her real intention, while admitting the apparent excuse of his.

"You said a dose of medication? Tell me the condition of his illness. I will prepare a medicine." The clever physician acted generously. He hated to be bothered from early morning. He wanted to get out of trouble as quickly as possible. He was ready to give her a few packages of prepared herbs as if he were practicing charities to a beggar.

At length the practitioner began to open the window. The sun did not yet come up but summer morning light was bright enough and let in fresh air. The insistent woman unhesitatingly showed her face; she had a haggard face with pale complexion but turned out to be a surprising beauty. Her eyes was big and bright with black crescent-shaped eyebrows, The pretty mouth, young and fresh, indicated that she was not over twenty.

"Sorry, sir, but these meager packages of herbs are far from being satisfactory. The patient himself earnestly desires to meet you. I have to escort you to him by all means." It was so frank and straightforward a request, but her voice fell on the playboy's ears, so sweet and soft.

"By the way, how far is it from here?"

"It's not so far, about ten miles."

"About ten miles! It's quite a distance. Besides it is very hot today!"

However, a gentle smile broke at the corners of his eyes.

Somewhat assured and relieved, she gave out one sweet smile after another, saying, "That's why I made a night trip. I thought it would be so hard for you to walk in the heat of the daytime."

“It's a hard job, after all." He gave out a tut-tut of disapproval but at the same time threw his eyes upon the fair skin bared at the holes in places on her torn and worn out summer blouse.

After packing some medicines one by one, the medical man, cheerfully started on a journey.

A thin mist, being expelled by bright light, was sluggish around the waist of a mountain and along a footpath between rice fields. Early birds were chirping and twittering. The mooing sound of a calf seeking after its mother met the ear heavily. In the morning, a farming village moved slowly or busily and quietly or noisily. The young woman walked ahead hurriedly and the physician followed her unhurriedly. After a good while, they arrived at the foot of a hill.

While they crossed over a few mountain passes, the sun was radiating hot air. Dewdrops on a leaf of grass looked to be glittering intently like silver dust just before their vanishment.

Since a while ago. Mr. Choi noticed that her blouse was thoroughly soaked with sweat and stuck fast to her back. He was giving it covetous looks. The part soaked with sweat was spreading and in no time a large round apricot blossomed upon her shoulders. A strong passion surged up in his heart. Obviously he got mostly aroused by the sight of the sweaty woman's blouse clinging to her shapely breasts.

Unaware of the perspiration streaming down her back, she hurried with quick steps. She did not once turn her face toward him.

When they arrived at a spot where not a shadow of human being was to be seen, the man treading after her panted out loudly, "Hey, my lady, let's have a rest at this point."

Only then, the one who walked ahead turned back for a while. Drops of sweat gathered on her ruddy face vividly. And now the contour of her full-bosomed bust was well defined. The slimness of her waist was just dazzlingly beautiful.

Mr. Choi, blinking his eyes, plumped down on the grass-covered ground. "Please come this way and rest." And then suddenly realizing that they were sitting by the wayside, he said, "It's awfully hot in here, isn't it?" Pretending to find the shade of a tree, he scrambled up a grassy place under a hill. A grass strip away from the haunts of men was beautiful. Various kinds of wild flowers were eye-catchers

Mr. Choi chanced upon an ideal spot; in the front lay a large rock covered with ivy; a pine forest backwards.

"Come on, this way, please. It is nice and cool here."

After some hesitation, she accepted the invitation.

She did not show the slightest sign of fear or distrust. But she seemed very sorry that they had to stop walking, while they still had a long way to go.

"Why! You are all in the sweat. Surely you overexerted yourself. Let me feel your pulse." saying this, he took her by the wrist and held it on his lap. She suddenly stumbled down, a lock of her hair brushing past his rosy cheeks. And then, both his powerful hands grasped her quivering hands. She was startled. It was too sudden to allow time for calm deliberation. It was such a horrible sight as if an eagle swooped down on its prey. His hands, which was as black as the lid of a kettle, wound her full breasts like a big snake did itself around a stick.

She pulled herself together, keeping her countenance. Her face did not show any emotion; there could be found not a look of surprise nor anger, nor shame, nor pain over her face. She just looked as splendid as sunshine filtering through new foliage, as peaceful as a butterfly flying in the windless sky, and as bright as a dewdrop glittering on a blade of grass. She just continued to walk with short and quick paces ahead of the man as she previously did.

It was Mr. Choi, not the young woman, who felt awkward. "She should have made just a little bit resistance ..." He grinned and bore it. "The young woman had a very weak sense of virtue. She would give herself to any man shamelessly." Mr. Choi suddently felt unpleasant. "Such a wanton whore is beyond any remedy..." He seemed quite deplored inwardly. He, as often as not, teased her without hesitation, just for the fun of it; he grabbed her hand; patted her on the cheek; kissed her on the lips. She placed herself at the man's disposal remaining mute and silent. She just left the matter to take its own course like a floating weed drifting on the waves.

At long last they stood before a twig gate of a dilapidated grass hut. The physician, feeling guilty about what he did to the woman, was very reluctant to step inside. All of a sudden, his hair stood up on end at the sight. The young woman poked him with her finger. It stuck into the man's wrist like a steel spit.

"Come on in. You must heal my husband until he regain his health. Otherwise, you will get into deep trouble with no impunity." Her subdued voice sent a cold shiver down his spine.

The physician was dragged along inside by force. As soon as he got into the room, the sourish stink assailed his nostrils. And He was attacked by flies swarming in clouds. A little naked girl about four or five years old cried out, "Mom!" and began to weep bitterly. Her body was as thin as a spider. She sat striving hard to cross her legs which were as thin as a couple of candlesticks. She was apparently fretful.

The patient himself, stripped to the waist, was lying down on the warmer part of an ondol floor. But for the ocular movements of his big keen eyes, everybody might have thought that it was nothing but a bag of bones.

Seeing his wife and the physician come in, he strained himself to sit up, but a soft hand of his wife made him lie down again.

"My dear, I am thankful to you for what you have done. By the way, you are all in the sweat. Hey, my son, go and get a fan quickly for your mother."

"I am all right," saying that, the wife wiped off sweat on her face with the hem of her skirt and started to rub her man' haggard face with her lovely face, sobbing.

"Don't cry, my dear. The great physician is here. I will be recovered from the illness and restored to health!", the patient himself also became choked with tears and started stroking his wife's dishevelled hair with his skinny hands.

"Please stop crying, my dear. I will never die. I will survive by all means, at all costs." They comforted each other again and again, trying hard to hold back their tears.

"By the way, Darling! I committed an unforgivable sin..." She cried more bitterly than ever.

At that, the physician, who was walking back and forth, uncertain what to do, felt a sudden prick at his conscience. Great beads of sweat stood on the tip of his nose.

"While escorting home this gentleman, I gave myself to him. I just wanted to save you from death for all the world. And I knew well that there is absolutely nothing to pay him as a fee for the treatment." she became choked with tears again.

For some time, the physician was feeling as if he had sat on pins and needles. These words from the woman gave him quite a start. He was all in a tremble. Just now the very skeleton itself seemed to spring to his feet abruptly, gnashing his teeth and fell on him to stab a sharp knife in the throat. The gentleman was horror-struck.

Now the patience's response was a greater surprise itself.

"You are the last to blame for this. Good for you!" With that, he held his dear wife in his arms as thin as a lath and clasped her to his bosom. He spoke with sobs, "My illness is the cause of all this. It's me, not you, to be blamed!"

Mr. Choi beggared belief. "Of all things! Now that a woman has already given herself to a man, she should keep the matter dark but this woman confided it to her own husband! And now his own wife came back home in company with an adulterer with perfect composure and the man comforted her! What a surprising couple!" Presently the man and his wife parted. Again the young woman turned to face the physician as if nothing special had happened.

The physician managed to calm himself down. He felt the patients' pulse and listened to what he said on how he fell ill. He had been sharecropping some small size of rice paddy. There was a serious drought in the area. It lasted for several months and dwarfed the crops. To make matters worse, he was evicted from tenancy because he could not pay the rent in time.

He had to work hard as a day laborer to survive. He was faint with hunger. Eventually he fell ill and became reduced to such a fatal condition.

Obviously it must be symptoms of serious shortages through lack of nourishment and what was worse. he was critically depressed for a long time. Of course, the physician knew well, it was absolutely impossible to heal such a patient and regain his health with simple treatments using some meager medicines.

The physician bluntly explained to them that it was such a serious case with a chronic disease that some very special and expensive restoratives and tonics were necessary and that he had to go back to his office in order to compound some medicines using the proper materials. He determined to suffer a small loss; he would provide them with some amount of medicine. And it would also redeem himself from his misdeed and at the same time compensate the woman for the damage of her honor. Above all, he eagerly wanted to get out of this strange place and weird people. He just wanted to wash his hands off the scandalous mess as soon as possible, once and for all.

The woman, who looked so feeble and weak-hearted when she fell down in his muscular arms, now turned out to be so strong and powerful. At least she had an unexpectedly strong grip. She declared that he could not get out of there, not on his life, until her husband made a complete recovery. She made a pressing demand the physician to write down the names of necessary medicinal stuff and give the note to her. The physician distastefully wrote down and handed it over to her. Holding it tightly in her hand she went to the physician' office rapidly and came back to her home all too soon with the necessary materials. And such busy comings and goings repeated countlessly.

Night fell. "Now, my dear, may I attend on the kind gentleman?", the woman asked her husband unhesitatingly and casually.

"Oh, I forgot! Please lay down our son beside me and go over there to the kind gentleman and serve him."

As soon as they concluded a show, the woman put it into practice without delay. Now it was Mr. Choi, the physician himself that shrank up. He behaved himself as if he were a find gentleman. He excused himself, "In the daytime I lost my wits for a while. How could I repeat such a misconduct? And how could you leave your sick husband alone and come over here to sleep with me!"

The husband encouraged his wife to do bed service to a strange man as if he were offering him some meal. At that the wife slipped off her clothes and lay down beside Mr. Choi. She clung to him and did her best to please him.

Mr, Choi had to undergo really terrible hardships for about ten days.

Luckily, the medicines Mr. Choi prepared had an excellent and immediate effect on the patient. The patient himself had never had a cup of ginseng or the young antlers of the deer in his stomach. And now such a wonderful remedy, so rare and valuable, did him good like a panacea. Meanwhile, in order to get out of this painful mess as soon as possible, Mr. Choi himself did his best; he completely left self-interests out of account. He began to feed his patient with boiled rice which the wife brought from his house. He even treated his patience with chicken soup several times at his cost. The sick man made a very quick recovery. He was regaining his health day by day. In less than ten days he was up and around. A mere bag of bones before gained some fat flesh all around his body.

At dawn of the last day, Mr. Choi awoke from his sleep to find that the woman was not beside him. The young couple was whispering in the other room. The sound was heard. "Oh, look! You grew fat and stout on the chest", the woman exclaimed while stroking over her husband's body

"I think I can start working this very day!"

"No way! Your are still just a recovering patient. You must take good care of you or I'm afraid you may have a relapse.", said the wife.

"I will never fall ill again, as sure as I am alive. I will survive at any cost. I will earn our living by all means. I will never suffer hunger again. I'd rather commit robbery than suffer hunger. No hunger, no illness." There was a pause. Perhaps the couple were embracing each other passionately.

"When I lifted you up in my arms, I felt my limbs strong and powerful. If I carry you on my back, I will be much more stronger."

"The things you say! You are sure not to feel leery?"

"I feel leery? About what?"

"You know I've been sleeping with a man other than my husband."

"What does it matter? I know you suffered greatly. I feel very sorry for you in the trouble."

Their exchanging words and actions were bright and cheerful like the twittering and chirping bird-songs in the early morning.

That morning, at long last, Mr. Choi, the noted physician got released and became free. His former patient, now a healthy man walked out of the door to see Mr. Choi off. At a distance, Mr. Choi turned back. Just in time, the rising sun was shining brightly on the faces of the happy and faithful couple.

"They are a couple of beasts who have no sense of chastity and no feelings of jealousy!", murmuring to himself, Mr. Choi turned around again, when the strong light dazzled his eyes.
(The End)
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  • 혁철이 2009-07-05 09:04:31
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역대대통령 호감도, 박정희-노무현 '팽팽'
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