Provence Lights and Political Mentorship
After seeing Grandma off and dropping the Women's Committee Chair at her place, he returned to the office close to 6 p.m. He hurried to the library in his car.
"Did I keep you waiting? I'm pulling into the library parking lot now."
"Yeah. I'll head down."
He lit a cigarette while waiting for her.
"Another smoke?"
"Yeah. You got here quick."
"When my honey's here, I gotta rush. But man, you really are swamped. You were late the other day, and now again today."
"Sorry. I had to get that schizophrenia patient we talked about admitted."
"You're not already losing interest, are you?"
"Pfft."
"As long as that's not it, I'll forgive anything."
"Aigoo, I'm so touched I'm about to tear up. But seriously, what am I gonna do if I keep being late like this? Big trouble."
"I heard your job's like that. So we agreed not to stress over it."
"What do you wanna eat for dinner tonight, Ara?"
"Whatever you want, honey."
"Pfft again."
"Hee hee~ Lately, every night I just think about doing it with you."
"Hang in there a bit. We'll go to the hospital Monday for the procedure and take it easy after."
"Got it. But what do you wanna eat?"
"I'm not picky about food. We can go wherever you like."
After dinner, they pondered where to go next and ended up on the New Daegu-Busan Expressway.
"Where we headed, honey?"
"Somewhere you'll love."
"Where? A motel?"
"You said no earlier, and now you're bringing it up again?"
"Hee hee~ I'm just curious since you said it's a place I'll like."
"Your prince will get you there safe, so just sit tight."
He exited at the Cheongdo IC, took the national road, and entered Provence Village.
"Where's this?"
"Cheongdo Provence Village."
"Whoa! Wow~ It's so pretty. How'd you know about this place, honey?"
From the parking lot up through the LED bulb tunnel, she couldn't stop chattering. She kept squealing in delight, arms linked with his, hopping around like a kid, full of energy. It was just lighting effects from LED bulbs, but women went wild for it—Gwangalli Bridge, Anapji Pond, or here in Cheongdo's Provence Village. He was her captive, following her lead, responding to her excitement, and occasionally falling victim to her selfie spree.
Exhausted from trailing her, they somehow completed a full lap of the village and headed back to the parking lot to leave. Even in the car, her face was still flushed with excitement, so he took her to the coffee shop at the Provence Village entrance. Sitting across from her on the second-floor terrace with warm coffee in front, her chin resting on one hand, she looked endlessly lovable.
"Honey, thank you. I had no idea a place like this existed."
"It's pretty famous, though?"
"Even if I knew, I couldn't have come without you. I can't drive, and I sure can't come alone."
"As long as you liked it. Better than a motel, right?"
"Hee hee~ What kinda talk is that."
"You'll still bring me to places like this after we're married?"
"If I'm not too busy."
"I did good turning you into my man."
"With just this?"
"Anyway. I love you, honey."
It was time to head back to Busan. He was a hot-blooded man too, aching to hold her and sleep together, but considering her age and her parents, he forced himself to restrain. Ignoring her constant glances back, he dropped her off at home.
The next morning at the office, he picked up the Women's Committee Chair and headed to Grandma's. With Grandma in tow, they stopped at the community center and district office to gather the documents the hospital required, then went to Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital.
They visited the admissions office, public medical support team, and other relevant departments for medical fee assistance, submitting the paperwork needed to reduce the costs for Grandma's daughter's admission. He had no idea how much they'd cut, but saving a life came first. Even if a strict staffer hounded them later for payment, admitting the patient daughter now wasn't wrong. Hospitals were full of folks suffering worse from poverty. Some families even discharged treatable patients against doctors' wishes because of costs, leading to death—harsh reality.
After submitting at the hospital, he grabbed coffee from Chief Kim in the radiology room, then drove back to Busan and revisited Grandma. Leaving her with assurances not to worry about the hospital anymore, he turned to go. Grandma bowed repeatedly, thanking him profusely. It was embarrassing. Politicians should handle this routinely, and the state should care for all Korea's extreme poor. Yet here was an elderly woman bowing to a mere errand boy like him—bittersweet. With that task checked off, a mix of pride and melancholy, he returned to the office.
After lunch, he held a meeting with the on-duty staff. Keeping the promise to the patient daughter required more than his solo effort.
"You all probably know, but yesterday we admitted a district voter to Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital. The thing is, there's no one around to care for the grandma left behind."
"Do we have to step in?"
"No other options given the circumstances."
"But she's a grandma—we men can't just look after her. What's your take, Congressman Park's secretary?"
"Women's Committee Chair, got any ideas?"
"I asked a few folks, but no one's jumping to help. So for now, me, Sin-ok, and Kim Yeosa's friend—we'll rotate visits and help out."
"That'll be tough on you. At least two months minimum."
"Something'll turn up by then."
"Let's go with that. Bring her sometime; my treat."
"Hee hee~ Congressman Park's secretary, you still owe me lunch from last time."
"I'll keep both promises."
"When should we do it?"
"Anytime works. Check and let me know. Not super busy these days."
At his words, the Women's Committee Chair chatted briefly with Kim Yeosa, made a call, talked for about ten minutes, then giggled with her before returning. Grandma's issue seemed sorted, more or less.
'Honey, can I call?'
'I'll step out and call you.'
It was Eun-mi. To avoid eavesdroppers, he slipped out to his car and called her back.
"Wait long?"
"Nah. What've you been up to?"
"Just office stuff. Dealt with a complaint in a meeting; wrapped up a bit ago."
"Okay. Can I come to Busan this weekend?"
"That guy'll hate it if you come down so often."
"No word yet?"
"What word?"
"He mentioned going to the States."
"Really? No need for that kinda update. He'd have called if I needed to know."
"You're a secretary too."
"Nah, Chief Kim would've looped me in if it mattered."
"Still bugs me."
"Life's full of annoyances. Overthink it, and you can't get anything done."
"Fine. Anyway, I can come?"
"If you wanna, come. I'll be waiting."
"Got it. Miss you. Love you~"
"See you weekend. Quick~!"
"Where'd you go? Girlfriend call?"
"How'd you know? Wow, Women's Committee Chair, sharp eyes."
"Why's a single guy taking girlfriend calls outside? No crime committed."
"Good point."
"Wedding soon? Caught ya?"
"No lightning wedding here. Not thinking marriage yet."
"At your age, nights must be rough."
"Women's Committee Chair!"
"Aigoo, our young secretary's blushing."
"That fun, teasing the bachelor?"
"At our age, gotta joke to lighten up. Right, Kim Yeosa?"
"He'll cry, Committee Chair."
"Kim Yeosa's hubby treats her right. Mine bolts if I get close."
"Everyone's the same."
"Lonely nights, Committee Chair? Call me—I'll help out."
"Hee hee~ Youth Committee Chair, save it for your wife. Don't get caught again."
"Aw, bringing up old stories."
"Enough idle chatter midday. Back to work. General election's not far."
The Office Manager's scolding sent the Youth Committee Chair and Women's Committee Chair to their desks.
"Secretary Park, a word."
"Yes, hyungnim."
"This is an office, man."
"Not a meeting."
He followed the Office Manager to the smoking room, sat opposite, lit up, and the manager spoke.
"What do you think's the biggest pitfall in politics?"
"Women and money."
"Right. So why just take the Women's Committee Chair's teasing?"
"We're family."
"Nah. Trouble brews close by. From experience, young guys like you crash from atmospheres like today's. Always watch the women."
"Got it, hyungnim."
"Not too stiff—learn to dodge smoothly."
"Yes. That why you called me?"
"Partly. Time to build your own crew."
"With the congressman here?"
"Push him to bigger politics."
"Already?"
"You and the staff make it happen. Then underlings grow too."
"True."
"Build step by step."
"With your help, it'll work."
"Start with current duty staff. Cultivate limbs—folks who treat your work as theirs."
"I'll do my best."
What a grateful man. First to extend a hand when he joined Congressman Hwang's camp, covering his mistakes. Never shared ambitions, yet he intuited them, offering guidance to achieve.