Chonga of Korea

Chonga

I remember when my babysitter, Chong, used to tell me this story. I didn’t believe her. Not until the end. She would always say something, that made me believe it. And now, I know that it was true!

There was a young lady by the name of Ki. Ki met a very nice Korean man named Yang. They quickly fell in love and had two daughters. Sohe and Chonga. This is a true story about a young girl named Chonga.

Ki, Chonga’s mother, went crazy soon after Chonga was born. She took Chonga in a basket and left her on the veranda of her brother in law. Chonga was there all night and didn’t know what to think. When morning came, a man came out and yelled in surprise when he saw Chonga. “Hiya! Wife, come here! There is a little girl!”

He said. His wife, newly wed, nursed Chonga.

A few days later, Chonga’s father came for help. When he and Sohe saw Chonga, they knew they must find a mother to nurse and care for her. Chonga’s father found a woman that seemed nice, and married hastily.

Five or six years later, the father went out to his work. He said he would be back in a few days. Poor Chonga didn’t know what was coming to her.

Now, the stepmothers’ two precious little girls named Cho and Un were her prized possessions. Chonga and Sohe, Chonga’s elder sister, were not.

“Cho, Un, breakfast is ready! Come on girls, out of bed!” Called the stepmother. Chonga, still thinking that the stepmother was a nice woman, woke Sohe. “Sohe, wake up!!!” She said. “It’s time for breakfast!” said Chonga. “Oh, Chonga,” said Sohe. “I would’ve thought your hearing was fully developed by now from the way the Madame treats you,” she continued. “She called Cho and Un to the table, not us. But, very well. Let us go down and see what we get to eat.” Said Sohe. “Okay. Hurry!”

When Chonga got to the bottom of there large house, the stepmother said, “Here’s your bowl of rice, girls.” And that was that.

Chonga watched, hungrily as she saw the other girls eating delicious breakfast foods, while she ate the cold rice left over from last nights supper.

Chonga, having many times tried to run away years before this year, when she turned twelve, had scars all down her back. This year, she would try again.

Chonga was helping Sohe pick up leaves and sticks in the yard. Chonga walked away from Sohe, Un, and Cho. She snuck into the woods, when she felt a sharp pain in her back she fell.

“Hah! You will not get away so easily, my precious one!” said the horrible voice of the evil stepmother’s voice.

Many weeks later, Chonga heard the wheels of a car. She knew it wasn’t her father, so she looked out the window. There stood a scraggly old woman.

Chonga ran down the stairs. “Hiya!” she cried. “Who are you to intrude my father’s territory?”

“Chonga! I would never have thought you were so skinny. I will fix that. We just need to fatten you up a bit. And where is Sohe? Oh, poor Sohe, it has been 13 years since I have seen her.”

“Tell me who you are, and I will tell you where Sohe is.” Said Chonga.

“Oh my Chonga, I am your grandmother.” Said the old lady, and she smiled weakly.

“Grandmamma?” said Chonga. “Oh, Grandmamma, I knew some one would rescue me from this horrible place. I knew!!!”

Just then Sohe looked out the window. Her eyes widened. She ran down the steps.

“Grandmamma? Is it really you?” she said, tears coming to her eyes.

“Yes, Sohe. I have not seen you since you were two. You have grown, but not nearly enough around the middle.” Said Chonga’s Grandmamma. “Come, get in the car, I will rescue you!” said the woman.

Sohe and Chonga lived at their Grandmammas’ until she died. Sohe was twenty and Chonga was 16.

Sohe had just turned eighteen when she met an American man. They could not understand a word of what each other said, but they got dictionaries that told them how to talk to each other. When Chonga was Twenty years old, The mysterious American said, “I love you. Be my wife.”

They were married soon after that. Chonga, now “Chong” moved to America with Ronald Grubbs and had 4 children. 3 girls and 1 boy.

Chonga is now a Grandma. Nancy, the youngest daughter, married soon after she turned 18. She had a son named Domonic. Soon afterward, Theo, her husband left her with Domonic. And Chonga is taking care of Domonic while Nancy goes to school.

As Chong would say, “That little girl in the story is real. That little girl is me.”

Chong will soon be enjoying the Golden Years when she moves to Georgia after Nancy finishes college.

Thank you, Chong, for giving me a story to write, and thank you all, for reading.

The End

Dedicated to Domonic Grubbs