ELEVEN YEARS AGO...

           Gongju Town

           

 

 

 

 

            Chief Village Beom-soo frowned when he saw several of Lee Sooman's henchmen. They were busy dragging rocks and logs in the middle of the river. They were building a dam that would divert the river waters away from the rice fields of the farmers of their town.

 

 

 

 

 

            "You have no right to do this, Byung-hun!" Beom-soo castigated the head henchman of Lee Sooman.

 

 

 

 

 

            "Be careful, Chief," murmured Hyun-min. Hyun-min was among the security officers of their small town that Beom-soo had brought with him to deal with Byung-hun and his men. "They have guns with them."

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo didn't give a even if Byung-hun and his men had brought a cannon. As the elected village chief in this part of Gongju, he had all the legal right and support of the law to stop all wrongful activities within his jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

 

            "The mayor has approved the building of this dam," Byung-hun arrogantly informed Beom-soo.

 

 

 

 

 

            "I may not have finished college, Byung-hun, but I know the law and the right of all the people in this town to use the waters of the river. No one has the right to assume ownership or control of the waters of the river. If the mayor had indeed approved the building of this dam, then he did something illegal. I would have to inform the Department of Interior and the Local Government. And you know what will happen after that? The mayor will be suspended! I am quite sure that whatever permission he had given you and your master would be instantly revoked. The mayor would prefer retaining his position in this town than having that dam built."

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "You act like you know everything just because you have read some books and pamphlets!" growled Byung-hun.

 

 

 

 

 

            "It is not my fault I understand and remember things that I read. I am not after all a dog like you who could only follow the orders of his master."

 

 

 

 

 

            Byung-hun's face grew dark. He rushed toward Beom-soo, pulled out his .45 caliber gun and pointed it at Beom-soo face. The security officers behind Beom-soo gave a collective gasp. Some even backed away.

 

 

 

 

            But Beom-soo remained where he was. He didn't show any fear or surprise, although the face of his son, Jaejoong, flashed before his eyes. If he died today, Jaejoong would be all alone. He would face a bleak future.

 

 

 

 

 

            "So, what are you going to do now, Chief? Could your book knowledge help you now?" Byung-hun said haughtily.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo did not intend to leave his son an orphan. He quickly grabbed the end of Byung-hun's gun and pointed it upwards. He followed this move by hitting Byung-hun's balls with his knee. Byung-hun doubled over. Beom-soo then seized the gun and pointed it at Byung-hun who was now kneeling before him. His face was red and twisted with pain.

 

 

 

 

 

            "The first one amongst you to move would get a bullet right into your asses!" Beom-soo warned as he pointed the gun at each of the other guys in Byung-hun' group. This wasn't the first time Beom-soo had used a gun. His father who often took him hunting into the woods, taught him how to shoot.

 

 

 

 

 

            " Hyun-min, confiscate all of their guns!" Beom-soo ordered his security officers. "We are going to file charges against all of them for attempting to murder me."

 

 

 

 

 

            With all the guns now secured in their possession, Beom-soo ordered Byung-hun and his men to demolish the damn they were trying to build a moment ago. Only after the waters of the river had started flowing again to its original path Beom-soo and his security officers brought Lee Sooman's henchmen to the police station.

 

 

 

 

 

            The farmers who went to Beom-soo's office this morning would be pleased once they see the waters of the river flowing back to their fields.

 

 

 

 

            Despite this initial victory, Beom-soo knew that whatever charges he Lee Sooman was too powerful in this town. He could easily bail his men out of jail and have the cases thrown out by the court.

 

 

 

 

 

            The powerful landowner was a perennial supporter of several politicians in this town. He had powerful friends who would do whatever he asked them to do.

 

 

 

 

 

            When Beom-soo was elected as the Village Chief, he knew there would come a time when he would have to deal with Lee Sooman in order for him to fulfill his duties and obligations. He accepted the job knowing this. Besides, his family never been accused of being a coward. Their family had been known for being among the bravest in their town. Maybe too brave since Beom-soo and his son were now the only left in the town of Gongju. Most of their relatives had died fighting the in the last war and the others had fearlessly pursued their luck in far off places.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo 's decision to have the dam destroyed and Byung-hun and his men sent to the police station was a clear warning to Lee Sooman that he was unlike the village chiefs and politicians who would bow down and follow the will of the rich landowner. Lee Sooman would become aware that Beom-soo would always uphold the law and protect the rights of the poor farmers and the downtrodden.

 

 

 

 

            "You are really so brave, Chief," commented Hyung-min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo laughed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "I was just pretending to be fearless, and it so happened that those idiots are just bullies who could easily be scared."

 

 

 

 

            "But even if we managed to stop them today, there is no guarantee that they won't try putting a dam again on the river. Lee Sooman would do everything he can to get the waters of the river flowing toward his own lands."

 

 

 

 

            "That is why I have called a meeting this Sunday. If everyone in Gongju would come together and fight Lee Sooman, he wouldn't be able to do anything. His money and influence would come to nothing once we get the media involved here. I have also read some laws that would support and protect us from the likes of Lee Sooman. He may be able to pay all the judges in our town but we can go to the Department of Agriculture or even directly to the president of the Korea. With all of this, we could win this fight."

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "You are really something, Chief. You have everything thought out even before we went to confront Byung-hun and his men."

 

 

 

 

 

            Upon entering the chief village hall, Beom-soo was shocked and pleasantly surprised when Miss Hwa-yeon, Jaejoong's former high school teacher, greeted him with a large cake!

 

 

 

 

 

            "Happy Birthday, Chief Beom-soo!" Miss Hwa-yeon said as she put the cake on Beom-soo 's table. The cake had forty-two candles.

 

 

 

 

 

            Everyone inside the hall began converging around Beom-soo. Even the villlage councilors were all present. Soon, all were singing the birthday song. It became clear to Beom-soo that this surprise party was planned when his secretary and the other security officers began bringing out food and drinks for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo thanked everyone, specially Miss Hwa-yeon whom he suspected was the one who baked the cake. Miss Hwa-yeon, according to his son, Jaejoong, was a good baker. And during one of his conversations with the lady teacher, she had mentioned that one of her dreams was to own a small bakery.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo made sure to set aside a piece of cake and some of the stir-fried noodles to bring home to his son, Jaejoong. After the surprise party, Beom-soo proceeded to their family's small farm. He had put Jaejoong in charge of their small farm after the latter's graduation. Beom-soo had required his son to plow and prepare the fields for the coming rainy season. It was also Jaejoong's punishment for the scandal he created during the after‑graduation party in his school.

 

 

 

 

 

            Jaejoong made Beom-soo proud when the former graduated with top honors, but that was quickly eclipsed by his subsequent behavior. Jaejoong had brought the principal's daughter into one of the empty classrooms while everyone was celebrating in the graduation ball. The principal himself caught Jaejoong and his daughter already on the floor.

 

 

 

 

            A lot of drama, begging and negotiation followed the incident. The principal's daughter kept crying and swearing how much she loved Jaejoong. She was eventually sent to her relatives in the city. Beom-soo meanwhile was able to make a deal with the principal. He promised the principal that Jaejoong would never again see or bother the principal's daughter. In exchange for that, the principal finally released Jaejoong's grades and diploma.

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo made the deal because he knew his son quite well. Jaejoong liked girls, but he was never serious with them. Jaejoong's reputation with women was well known all over the town. And since Beom-soo knew that Jaejoong wouldn't be heartbroken if he didn't see the principal's daughter ever again, Beom-soo punished him by making him work in their farm.

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo was also hoping that too much exposure under the sun would make his son so tanned that girls would lose interest in him. After all, the movie heartthrobs who were quite popular today were all fair-skinned.

 

 

 

 

 

            With the packed food in hand, Beom-soo walked to their small farm to see his wayward son. But instead of Jaejoong plowing the field, he found Seho, Jaejoong's former classmate.

 

 

 

 

 

            "What are you doing here?" Beom-soo scolded the young man. "Were you tricked again by that infuriating son of mine?"

 

 

 

 

 

            Seho began scratching his head.

 

 

 

 

 

            "I was just paying back a favor, Chief. Jaejoong said that if I plow this field today, he wouldn't ask me to pay for my debt anymore."

 

 

 

 

 

 

            He let out an exasperated sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "Where is Jaejoong?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "He told me he was going to his grandparents' grave. You have been nagging him to clean their gravesite for days so he‑"

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo didn't wait for Seho to finish. He marched off toward his parents' graves. He wanted to make sure that Jaejoong was indeed there and not gallivanting all over town. If he discovered that the graves were still overgrown with grass, that son of his would get a hard smack from him! Jaejoong was only sixteen years old, but he was already street smart and very cunning! Beom-soo wasn't sure where his son learned to become this way or was it just part of his nature?

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Upon reaching the gravesite of his parents, Beom-soo found himself smiling. The graves of his parents had been cleaned properly. Even the tombstones were newly painted. Each grave also had a bunch of wild flowers on them.

 

 

 

 

 

            Jaejoong must be back at their house and resting. Beom-soo was about to leave when he heard a horse snort. He looked around and found KoKo at the end of the cemetery where the mausoleums of the rich stood. KoKo was one of their two horses, and Jaejoong often rode KoKo because he was much younger and faster than their other horse, Brazil. Despite the mischief often caused by his son, Jaejoong always took care of their horses. He never once neglected them.

 

 

 

 

 

            With KoKo still here, it became clear to Beom-soo that his son was still in the cemetery. Jaejoong was probably resting in one of the mausoleums. All the mausoleums were locked and padlocked. But Beom-soo had found out long ago that Jaejoong was good at picking locks. As to how and where he learned such a skill, Beom-soo would probably never know.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo decided to walk toward KoKo. The horse neighed in greeting upon recognizing him. But as Beom-soo got nearer, he also heard another sound. A moan. A woman was nearby! And it wasn't a moan due to some mishap.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo facepalmed himself upon realizing the truth. His son was up to his old mischief again!

 

 

 

 

 

            "Jaejoong!" Beom-soo shouted at the top of his lungs. "Get out of here this instant or I would drag you out of that mausoleum!"

 

 

 

 

 

            He heard the rustle of clothes. A moment later, he saw his son's head poked out of one the mausoleums' gate. His hair was in disarray and he was sweating. He walked toward him.

 

 

 

 

 

            "What are you doing here, Father?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo didn't answer his son but walked inside the mausoleum from where Jaejoong just came out. To his chagrin, he found a young woman in her early twenties trying to put on her clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

            "H-Hello sir," she said shamefaced as her fingers tried to button her blouse.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo didn't know the young woman. And he knew most of the young women in town. Her accent also told him that she was an out-of-towner.

 

 

 

 

 

            "You should be going home now, young lady," he advised her.

 

 

 

 

 

            The young woman nodded and stood up. She hurriedly ran out of the mausoleum. Beom-soo went out to confront his son.

 

 

 

 

 

            "Who the hell is that young woman?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "I think her name is Catherine. She is Jinhee's classmate in college. She's here on a vacation."

 

 

 

 

 

            "Jinhee? Your girlfriend?" Beom-soo wouldn't be shock if that were the case.

 

 

 

 

 

            "No. Jinhee and I never had a thing. I respect her father too much."

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo sometimes didn't know what kind of moral compass his son was using.

 

 

 

 

            "When did you meet Catherine?"

 

 

 

 

 

            "Just a few minutes ago..."

 

 

 

 

 

            "A few minutes ago and yet you were able to convince her to go with you inside the mausoleum?" Beom-soo wasn't sure if he should be impressed or worried. His son wasn't even eighteen years old, yet he could charm an older woman already!

 

 

 

 

 

            "She was the one who started it. She's very liberated and I just couldn't ignore and embarrass her, so I suggested we go inside the mausoleum for privacy."

 

 

 

 

 

            "You son of a‑" Beom-soo  smacked his son on the head.

 

 

 

 

            But his hand never connected. Jaejoong dodged and backed away. When Beom-soo tried to punch him again, he sidestepped. They could go at this all day, but Beom-soo had a suspicion his son would always avoid his punches.

 

 

 

 

 

            "You are such a prude, Father," Jaejoong protested. "When a woman wants something from a man, it is hard for any man to say no. Even you can see how pretty Catherine is. Any man would be proud to be with her."

 

 

 

 

 

            "Idiot! Are you planning to spread your seeds all over town? What if you suddenly find yourself with dozens of kids claiming you as their father?"

 

 

 

 

 

            "That would be impossible. I always use protection," he said as he took out two packs of from the pocket of his pants.

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo was going to have a headache. Jaejoong always seemed to have an answer and a back‑up plan for everything!

 

 

 

 

 

            "And there is nothing wrong with what I am doing. This is just normal for a young man like me. Even you yourself went through this stage, Father. I have heard stories from grandfather that there were a lot of women who always come to your house looking for you when you were my age," he grinned.

 

 

 

 

 

            "We are not discussing about my life here!" Beom-soo raised his voice.

 

 

 

 

 

            "At least, I am not like Kwanghee."

 

 

 

 

 

            "Kwanghee?" Kwanghee was the oldest son of Hyung-min, one of his security officer. "Kwanghee is a kind and obedient son. He never goes around running after every girl he sees."

 

 

 

 

 

            "Because Kwanghee doesn't like girls. He prefers guys. And he already has a boyfriend."

 

 

 

 

 

            Beom-soo was dumbfounded.

 

 

 

 

 

            "Really?"

 

 

 

 

 

            Jaejoong nodded.

 

 

 

 

 

            "If you want proof, go to the corn field. Kwanghee and his boyfriend often go there for a date."

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