“We were once living from rent to rent, but we eventually moved away. After my children grew up, they told me that they had once gone together to the house where we used to live. But there was a new building there and the house was gone. They came back and told me about how the woman who owned the house had truly been good to them. As I remember, she had separated from her husband early on and was raising her son alone. I always pried myself away from my children and went to work, so I suppose her heart went out to them and she gave them snacks. I was always away, so I didn’t know she took care of them like that. It would’ve been good if I had at least gotten her number…”

“예전에 세살이를 하던 적이 있었어. 그러다 우리가 이사를 갔고, 후에 우리 애들이 한참 크고 나서 자기네들끼리 그때 살던 집에 한번 찾아갔었대. 근데 거기에 건물을 새로 지어서 그 집은 사라지고 없었다네. 그리고선 나한테 돌아와서 말하더라고. 거기 살 때 그 집 아주머니가 참 잘 챙겨주셨다고. 내 기억엔 그 주인아주머니가 일찍 남편이랑 헤어지고 혼자 아들을 키우고 계셨어. 근데 내가 항상 애들을 떼어놓고 일을 다니니까 우리 애들한테 마음이 쓰이셨는지 간식도 챙겨주시고 그랬었나 봐. 난 항상 밖에 있으니까 그렇게까지 잘 챙겨주시는지를 몰랐었거든. 정말 전화번호라도 받아놨으면은 좋았을 텐데… ”