#since1765
 

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Kwon Residence
City of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province

 

"Are you sure about this gramps? I mean... it all sounds so... ridiculous."

Kwon Jiyong was sitting across his 85-year old grandfather, also playing Korean chess with him. It was a hot summer day in one of the remaining traditional villages in the capital of South Korea. It had been eight months since he last visited his grandparents, last Christmas, to be specific.

"Best believe, grandson. If we do not obey the gods' orders, another deadly war will come upon our great nations. It shall be bloodier, deadlier, more ruthless... (Cough... Cough...) all the signs have come. It is the gods talking to us."

The old man was weakening, yet his war stories and aged mythologies only strengthened over time. Jiyong grew up hearing about the history of the country, thanks to his war hero of a grandfather. But during recent times, he noticed that the elder talked about a certain pact as if it wasn't just an ethnic myth.

According to his grandfather, The Great Pact was an unwritten part of Korea's history. Though not written in any books, it was an ageless story passed on from generations to generations. Not just told and retold, also enacted. Practiced. Adhered to. Growing up, Jiyong just thought it was one of those bedtime folklores for children. Suddenly, it became his turn to follow the custom. He just didn't know it, until now.

Thus, the numerous theories -- or as his gramps so called it: evidence -- about the gods' wrath was told over and over again, until Jiyong got sick of it. Allegedly, the evidence proved that the gods were angered because the last generation, the generation of Jiyong’s father, failed to practice the great custom.

"The disappearance of an avian body sustaining hundreds of life..."

Fine gramps, believe all you want that the Boeing MH 370 was the bird that disappeared.

"...the ground shaking from beneath, west of the Land of the Morning Calm..."

It just so happened that Nepal is west of South Korea, and an earthquake took place. It's Mother Nature, not the gods!

"...the appearance of two moons in the sky..."

The Mars-Moon sighting on August 27 is a hoax! How many times do I have to tell you?!

"...I have seen the signs one by one, and I am afraid the gods couldn't make the message any clearer. They
are not happy about one of our generations' blunt disregard of The Great Pact. The will shall be done, or war will come once more."

"War? Seriously, war?" Jiyong chuckled, now unable to control himself.

The old man was telling more and more hoaxes as he allowed him to. Obviously, his gramps took offense, because he cleaned up the chess board and stood up to walk away from Jiyong. He faced the garden of his home, his back on him.

"The Korean War ended just months after I married your grandmother. Because of our marriage, the bloodshed ended, the border was created, and the restoration of peace began."

Jiyong still couldn't be silenced. Now he was at the age where he could totally speak his mind, even to his elders.

"And you think it's because of your marriage? Never mind the millions of lives sacrificed, the hundred thousand of allies, the super power countries that helped us, our intelligent leaders, the prayers of our citizens, and many more. Those didn't matter in the Korean War, because it's your marriage that saved the republic?"

Suddenly, the meaning of the phrase Daehanminguk Manse! (Long Live the Great Republic) was redefined in his grandfather's war stories. Jiyong shook his head in disbelief, also laughing.

"Gramps... you're pushing this story too far. To be honest with you, I think it's greatly disrespectful to our heroes and countrymen--"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Jiyong jumped on his seat, shocked at the loud voice of the old man. His gramps now faced him, red and livid, the veins on his neck so vivid that it now scared him. He stood up to come to his aid, afraid that the elder's cane wouldn't be enough to support him.

"How dare you accuse me of treason Kwon Jiyong?"

Treason? What the ?! When did I accuse him of ing treason?!

"Father!" Jiyong's father called out, entering the living room from the dining room door.

"What happened?" now it was his mother who asked.

"What did you do?" Jiyong's uncle confronted.

"Gramps!" and so did Jiyong's sister, who looked at him with so much hostility.

His father and uncle came to their father's aid, holding him on both side. But the old man was infuriated, still attacking his youngest grandson.

"I served during all three years of the war. The Kwons sacrificed twenty-six of our own men. We fought for this republic! We fought for peace! And I did my duty as the gods called for me by marrying your grandmother!"

"May she rest in peace," Jiyong's mom and sister silently prayed.

"Enough of this father. Let's save this discussion for another day," proposed Jiyong's dad, supporting him towards the recliner. The elder sat down, catching his breath rapidly.

"You will marry the daughter of the North Jeolla line, as the gods demand of you!" the old man cried out, still addressing Kwon Jiyong from his chair. "If you have any ounce of love and respect for this country, you best believe that The Great Pact shall be enacted, or war will come!"

"Go now Jiyong!" his uncle urged him as they pacified the raging elder. "Just go, now!"

"If I die first, promise me you will marry your son off to the heir of the North Jeolla province!" Grandpa Kwon articulated to his elder son.

"Father I--"

"You disregarded the pact Kwon Younghwan! Because of you, a second war is coming! You owe it to me, to your ancestors, and to your country!"

Jiyong was in complete and utter astonishment as he watched his grandfather grip his father's collar, as if threatening him. Gramps is really serious about this. Dang.

"Let's go son," ushered his mom, pulling him inside the dining room, away from the angry elder.

"I say this with love, but gramps has lost it mom. He's having a psychosis or something--"

"Kwon Jiyong!" shouted the mother Kwon.

"Don't tell me you believe this too? How can that dumb pact control the universe? It's illogical! It's so stupid!"