Warmth and Feasts at Grandma's
I was popping the fruit slices Mom had cut for me into my mouth, savoring the adult palate that still felt a bit off in this little body. Coming to Grandma's house was always a treat—there was so much delicious food. There's that old saying, right? Grandmas never let their grandkids go hungry. If their grandchildren were starving, they'd trek to the ends of the earth to buy them something to eat.
"Tasty, isn't it, Sora?"
"Yes! It is!"
I took the fruit from Grandma's arms, nestled right in her lap like baby birds in a nest gobbling up what their mother brought. Sure, I was way too big for a nest, but in Grandma's eyes, I was probably still just a tiny baby.
I'd been a good smiler since infancy, all to win over Grandma and Grandpa. Never crying, always calm—that's probably why they adored me. Mom, Dad, and Grandma chatted away, the main topic being me, of course. They already knew about my trip to France. It had been all over the news; anyone not living on some remote island cut off from TV and internet would've heard that I'd gone to Cannes and snagged a screenplay award. Even island folks would know—it's not like islands are guaranteed to lack signal. Probably better connected than some rural mountain village.
"France was so amazing because..."
"Sora took such good care of us..."
Mom was gesturing wildly, recounting our France trip like a travel vlogger. I nodded along; we'd made great memories there. The outbound flight had been rough, but it was worth it. And coming back in business class? Pure comfort, no complaints.
"Sora-aaah~"
Mom grabbed my cheeks. I'd slipped out of Grandma's embrace into Mom's arms before I knew it. Dad was eyeing his chance too. Suddenly, I was the family's favorite teddy bear, passed around as everyone clamored for a hug. I didn't fuss or whine, just stayed quiet and content in their arms—that's why I was so popular. Other kids might've squirmed and shown they hated it, but not me.
Talk turned to debts and all sorts, but Mom and Dad's faces were bright; they'd paid everything off. Grandma beamed seeing them like that. Coming here used to mean awkwardness over the debts—nearly billions in loans, interest unpaid. A big-name trader could've doubled 200 million in eight years. If they'd given it to me, I could've multiplied it hundreds of times over. But graphic design startups? Too risky to bet on now. The future could shift, so no aggressive investments.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang. I hopped down from Mom's lap and raced to the entrance first. The door opened, and Grandpa walked in.
"Grandpa!"
I beamed at him. His stern face lit up brighter than mine.
"Aigoo, our Sora's here? Let Grandpa give you a hug!"
"Eek!"
Grandpa scooped me up effortlessly. Mid-50s was prime working age, after all. He carried me inside, and I settled quietly in his arms. Mom and Dad followed.
"Dad! You're back?"
"Father!"
"Oh? Tae-yoon and my daughter-in-law are here too!"
"Heh heh heh!"
Now the whole extended family was together. Grandpa noticed Mom and Dad's cheerfulness.
"What's got you all so happy?"
"Dad, actually..."
Dad repeated what he'd told Grandma earlier, word for word like a recorder. Grandpa nodded.
"Good for you! No need to pay that money back! Use it to get a nice place for Sora instead! A 20-pyeong apartment? How're you gonna raise her in that shoebox?"
"Dad...!"
We were stunned at Grandpa casually waving off 200 million. But Mom stepped in.
"Father, we have to pay it back. It's money you lent us—how could we not?"
Then Grandma intervened, and that settled it. She jabbed Grandpa mercilessly in the side.
"You damn old fool! It's not like 200 million grows on trees..."
"Aack!"
Grandpa sank. In the end, we agreed to repay just the principal—no interest, despite Dad's offer. Grandma wrapped it up with charisma: "Just buy our granddaughter some tasty treats!"
Maybe it was her teacher background, but she had this mature, commanding aura only she could pull off.
This visit to Grandma's felt good for the first time. Past trips were tense over loans and debts—impossible to relax. Or rather, outright awful. Sure, the 1 billion was meant for me, as Grandpa Seong-min had said. But I had no intention of hogging it. Without Mom and Dad's struggles, I wouldn't even be alive—probably in a cold columbarium or buried. So handing them that money? No regrets. It felt right. They'd saved my life; what was cash compared to that? Human life is priceless, irreplaceable. Money? You can always earn more. Lives? Not so much.
"Grandpa!"
Today, I decided to ham it up with the cuteness. For Grandma and Grandpa, it was easy. They grinned, delighted.
And that night, I even got to sleep sandwiched between them.
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"Mm-hmm..."
I opened my eyes. Clattering sounds came from outside. In the dim room, I groped around—nothing. I closed my eyes again, overwhelmed by sleep. When I woke next, Mom was poking my cheek.
"Mom...?"
"Ah, Sora, you're up?"
"Yeah..."
"Then let's eat! Grandma set everything out!"
"Okaay..."
I took Mom's hand and headed to the living room. The feast spread out there made me chuckle despite myself. Grandmas worldwide stuff their grandkids silly—it was universal. The table was groaning under the weight.
Grandma spotted me. "Aigoo, our cute Sora's awake? Grandma made all your favorites!"
"Whoa!"
Dad and Grandpa wore awkward smiles. Clearly, Grandma had orchestrated this solo. I sat delicately beside her; she stroked my hair.
"Hee hee."
"Hungry, right? Eat up, Sora! Sorry it's not much."
This is not much? It looked like plenty... But I kept quiet, not wanting to disappoint her. Best reaction? Devour it happily.
"I'll eat well!"
I grabbed spoon and chopsticks, digging in. At Grandma's, acing meals was key. Grandmas dream of grandkids scraping the plates clean. They live for that sight!
"Heh heh, tasty, Grandma."
"Yeah? Grandma made it all for you!"
"Nom nom!"
I sat by her, eating with gusto—not skipping rice or a single side. Other kids skipped veggies or refused them outright. As an elementary student, I knew kids' tastes were notoriously picky. No wonder nutritionists struggled. But not me. Adult palate here. Even tough ones like seasoned eggplant or lotus root—kid nightmares—went down easy.
"Aigoo, our Sora eats so well!"
Mom and Dad smiled watching me. Partly 'cause I was so good to Grandma and Grandpa. That's how we had a wonderful stay.