The Letter

Winter came and exams were finally over bringing with it an end to the school year. I turned 18 years old that winter and my life changed in unexpected ways.

The night before my birthday as the clock struck twelve, Grandma came to my room to bless me as she did every year since I came to live with her.

"Eun Su, happy birthday my dear and may God's blessing be with you always" Grandma said as she hugged me tightly to her bosom.

"Thank you Grandma" I replied.

She sat by my bedside and holding my hand gently she continued "Eun Su, you are now an adult, so I think its time for you to learn the truth about your Mom and the circumstances of your birth. You may be shocked at first but I hope you'll understand her and comprehend the choices she made in life. Before your Mom died, she left something behind and had asked me to hold on to it till the time was right. I have been safekeeping it all these years and now that you are 18 years old, I think the time is finally right."

She took out an old letter brown with age and a small wooden box as she pressed the articles in my hands. "Read it and you will have your questions answered" she said as she quietly left the room.

I stared at the articles at hand, my heart beating away rapidly as with trembling fingers I open the letter.

"My Darling Eun Su,

When you are reading this, I'll be long gone but always know that you were loved. From the day you were born, every milestones you achieved had always been treasured in my heart. You were the best thing that happen to me and every second spent with you brought unimaginable joy into my world. You must have lots of questions and I'll try to answer them as truthfully as I can. My child, I hope you can find it in your heart to understand this mother of yours and the choices she made in her life.

Firstly, the truth is that you are an illegitimate child. Your Dad and I loved each other a lot. We were each other's first love and we thought that love would last through eternity, but in the end love was just not enough. Familial pressures and the realities of the world broke us apart. We parted ways but you were the fruit of our union. I'm sorry but your Dad doesn't know about you. I never got a chance to tell him. Please forgive me for depriving you of a father's love.

The only mementos I have left of your Dad are stored inside the wooden box. I'm sure he would want you to have it. He gave them to me as a token of his love but I never got a chance to use them. Use them well my daughter and I pray that they may bring you luck and happiness.

Always know I never regretted loving your Dad and I never regretted having you. My only regret is leaving you behind so early in your years never knowing the young woman you would have become. But I'll always be watching over you forever.

Thank you for being my daughter,

Your Mom,

Cha Young Soo

I held the wooden box in my hand as I slowly opened the lid. Nestled inside a velvet cushion, were a pair of exquisite blue gem stoned earrings in the shape of orchids. As I stared at them slowly my eyes filled up and I cried my heart out for the mother who died young, for the father I never knew and for the me who yearn for a normal family.