The Money-Burning Dream of Dreams and Hopes (1)
“So, you’re saying you want to own an amusement park?” At Yoon-gi’s question, Jung-ah tilted her head in confusion. “Is that something you can actually own?”
“I don’t see why not...?” Yoon-gi replied with an equally puzzled expression. A strange yet natural silence settled between them. However, Jung-ah soon broke it.
“I don’t know! I don’t want to own one, I just want to go to an amusement park with everyone for Christmas!”
“Santa Claus can’t go to the amusement park with us.” Yoon-gi gave a wry smile. While it was possible to leave a deed of ownership for an amusement park at the head of Jung-ah’s bed while she slept, going to the park with Santa was a different story. ‘Wait. Could I just dress up as Santa and play with her?’ Just as he was thinking this, words that shattered all dreams and hopes flowed from Jung-ah’s lips.
“But you’re Santa, Oppa!”
“Ah...”
Jung-ah giggled, hugged Yoon-gi, and spread her arms wide. “I like you more than Santa! So this Christmas, let’s all go to the amusement park together. Grandpa, Mom, Dad, you, and Merrill Unni—all of us!”
Jung-ah’s beaming smile was so adorable that Yoon-gi couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh my, our Jung-ah. How did you know I was Santa?” Yoon-gi lifted her up in his arms. Jung-ah would be turning eleven next year. She had grown a lot, but to Yoon-gi, she was still just his precious little sister, soft as down.
“I saw you changing into the Santa suit last year when I was going to the bathroom.”
“Last year?” Yoon-gi recalled the situation from the previous year.
“Oh...”
It wasn’t Yoon-gi, but Merrill who realized what had happened. Merrill, who had been watching the two of them, turned bright red, and Yoon-gi, seeing her reaction, wore a look of realization.
“Did you see for long?”
Jung-ah shook her head. “No. I was in a hurry to use the bathroom, so I just glanced for a second. And I was sleepy, so I went right back to my room.”
Both Yoon-gi and Merrill breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oppa, why?” At Jung-ah’s innocent question, Yoon-gi hurriedly shook his head. “Hm? No, it’s nothing. Nothing at all. Then, how about we go to the amusement park the day after tomorrow? All of us?”
“Yes!”
Yoon-gi made a mental note to make sure the doors were locked tight from now on.
As of 1987, the closest thing to a ‘modern amusement park’ in Korea was the ‘Natural Park’ in Yongin. The Natural Park, which would later be called Everpark. While names like Seoul World or Lotte Land might be familiar to people, they wouldn’t open until 1988 and 1989, respectively. Therefore, in December 1987, the only place they could go to fulfill Jung-ah’s wish was, in fact, the Natural Park. And so, the entire Yoon-gi family piled into a car and headed toward Yongin.
“Mom is riding with Dad, and Merrill Unni is riding with Oppa, so Grandpa has to ride with me. Okay?”
In amusement parks, the golden rule is to pair up in twos. Jung-ah clung to her grandfather’s side, acting cute, and Choi Ki-hyun laughed heartily, nodding his head. “Of course. Jung-ah, you mustn’t go anywhere else leaving this grandpa behind, okay?”
“Yes!”
The interior of the spacious luxury car allowed the six-member family to chat happily. There was a reason why car commercials boasted about their wide interiors. Especially during holidays or summer vacation seasons—how painful would it be to travel to a relative’s house or the beach in a cramped vehicle? If you’re in your thirties or older by 2010s standards, you’ve probably experienced it. The agony of a family of four trapped inside a tiny car for over ten hours. The torture of seeing a rest stop just 100 meters away, yet taking over 30 minutes to reach it. It’s hard to imagine these days, but there were people walking through the gridlocked highway selling squid and peanuts. It was also a time when it was common for heads of households to have to wash the inside of their cars immediately upon arriving at a relative’s house because of the ‘children’s accidents.’ Naturally, Yoon-gi’s family began to experience similar suffering.
“Hmm, it’s really jammed...” Choi Ki-hyun opened the window and looked outside. The highway was absolutely packed with cars. There were so many people trying to go out for Christmas that even though it was still morning, the road was overflowing with vehicles.
“It’s Christmas, so it can’t be helped. Isn’t this part of the fun?” Choi Cheol-ho said, acting relaxed as he pulled a canned beer from the limousine’s refrigerator and popped the top. Pshhh! A cheerful sound echoed around them, followed immediately by the sound of a hand slapping the back of his. “Honey!” At Park Yeon-ji’s sharp glare, Choi Cheol-ho looked as deflated as a cat with its tail tucked between its legs. “Is it not allowed...?”
“Of course it’s not! Are you going to walk around with Jung-ah smelling like alcohol?”
“But I already opened it...”
“Don’t worry.” Park Yeon-ji began pouring the opened beer into a 2-liter juice bottle she had prepared for ‘emergencies.’ The glass juice bottle, once used as a national water bottle, was also a handy item in the 80s for solving ‘emergency situations’ during holidays.
“What a shame...” Choi Cheol-ho smacked his lips and leaned back against the limousine seat. How much time had passed? It should have been enough time to have arrived, but they still had quite a distance to go before reaching the Natural Park.
“Mom, I need to go to the bathroom.” Jung-ah was clutching the bottom of her shirt with both hands and pulling it down. Park Yeon-ji instinctively realized that the situation was ‘dangerous.’
“Please head to the rest stop, quickly!”
“I can go, but it’s going to take about 20 minutes.” At the driver’s words, Park Yeon-ji stomped her feet. “It’s right in front of us!”
“It is right in front, but the traffic is completely deadlocked.”
“Ugh... this won’t do. Honey! Carry Jung-ah!” At Park Yeon-ji’s words, Choi Cheol-ho hurriedly scooped Jung-ah up. “Father, I’ll take Jung-ah to the rest stop!”
“Hm? Oh, yes. Go ahead.” It was an unexpected plan, but looking at the situation outside the window, it didn’t seem impossible, so Choi Ki-hyun nodded. Naturally, several bodyguards from the vehicles surrounding Yoon-gi’s limousine got out as well, and the group led by Park Yeon-ji moved quickly toward the rest stop. It looked almost as if men in suits were chasing an ordinary family.
‘Being a chaebol makes even ordinary daily life feel like filming a movie.’ As Yoon-gi gave a wry smile, Choi Deok-bae, who had been quiet until now, chimed in. ‘Ah, that certainly seems to be the case.’ If mobile phones existed, there would definitely be people reporting them to the police after seeing the situation outside.
And the next day, it would be plastered on the front page of the newspaper: [Family Crosses Highway Because Daughter Had to Pee].
‘Ah, come to think of it, we aren’t the only family doing this.’ Without the black-suited bodyguards in pursuit, there were actually quite a few parents heading to the rest stop with children who were desperate to pee. Most of the time, it was mothers taking their children, sometimes fathers, and on very rare occasions, the entire family would get out.
‘So that’s why the traffic keeps getting blocked.’ Cars left behind like barricades. Yoon-gi let out a hollow laugh and refocused on what he had been doing.
“Yoon, don’t do that...” Merrill whispered cautiously. Quite a bit of time had passed since they were married, but Yoon-gi and Merrill were still very much in the honeymoon phase. Even now, he was stroking Merrill’s hand with a happy smile. However, Merrill, the person in question, was enjoying it but was also blushing so hard her face had turned into a ripe tomato.
“Is it not allowed...?”
“Ah, no... it’s not that it’s not allowed, but...” When Yoon-gi made a sad face, Merrill fidgeted but eventually left him be. Of course, Choi Ki-hyun was still in the vehicle with them. ‘When are those two going to give me a great-grandchild...? I miss my wife, somehow...’ Choi Ki-hyun felt both proud and strangely irritated by their sweet display.
How welcomed were the people who returned from hunting in the primitive era? Park Yeon-ji proved it. “Father, I wasn’t sure when we’d arrive, so I bought some snacks.”
“Oh, I was feeling a bit peckish, this is perfect.” Choi Ki-hyun brightened and opened the bag Park Yeon-ji had brought.
“Ugh, udon is great.”
“Mom, I want toast!” Jung-ah took the toast, and Choi Cheol-ho picked out some baby potatoes.
“I’ll have a walnut cookie.” The item that was named after Cheonan, but wasn’t sold only in Cheonan. Before Yoon-gi popped a walnut cookie into his own mouth, he fed one to Merrill first.
“It’s a good thing to be so lovey-dovey even in front of your parents, but it’s also quite exhausting. Still, Yoon-gi is my son, but he’s truly fascinating.” At Choi Cheol-ho’s wry smile, Choi Ki-hyun chuckled. “He’s like that because he’s your son. Cheol-ho, don’t you remember how much you kissed your wife in front of me and your mother when you got married?”
“No, Father. That was ages ago...”
“To be honest, these days there’s the word ‘new generation.’ But back then, Confucian values were still strong, and it was quite something. No matter how much you loved your wife, you know.”
Park Yeon-ji’s face turned bright red for no reason. Yoon-gi delivered the finishing blow. “Jung-ah, how would you feel if you had a younger sibling?”
Food particles flew across the interior of the luxury limousine.
They had definitely left in the morning, but it was past noon by the time they arrived at the Natural Park. Fatigue began to show on Choi Ki-hyun’s face, and Park Yeon-ji let out a sigh as soon as she stepped out. For some reason, Merrill scurried to hide behind Park Yeon-ji instead of staying by Yoon-gi’s side, and Yoon-gi looked disappointed. On the other hand, there was one person here with the most energy. Jung-ah hopped and skipped, urging the adults on. “Mom! Mom! Hurry!”
However, arriving wasn’t the end of it. The line to enter the Natural Park was truly enormous. “Wow... this is longer than the food distribution line during the Korean War...” Choi Ki-hyun shook his head as if it were horrific, but there was no other way. They had to stand in line to get in. Jung-ah smiled brightly with anticipation for the first 15 minutes, but after 30 minutes, she seemed to grow tired and climbed onto her father Choi Cheol-ho’s back.
“Should I give you a piggyback?”
“Are you crazy?” Merrill looked startled, her expression a mix of 30 percent joy and 70 percent embarrassment. It was definitely boring, but as they chatted while waiting, they eventually succeeded in entering the Natural Park.
“Wow... there are so many people...” The words flowed from Choi Ki-hyun’s lips. That’s right. A long line was proof that there were that many people inside. The Natural Park boasted a density that surpassed even the most crowded swimming pools. “Dad, I want to ride that!”
Amusement rides didn’t really start appearing in earnest in Korean amusement parks until after 1991. However, there were certainly rides in the late 80s. “Whoa...” Choi Cheol-ho let out an exclamation as he saw the line for the ride Jung-ah was pointing at. The other people were the same. Yoon-gi was no different. ‘Ah, should I just buy the whole place?’