Korean Short Stories
Hwang In Suk Ran, My Former Cat 란아 내 고양이였던 Translated by Song Jaepyeong
Information This work was previously published in New Writing from Korea . Please contact the LTI Korea Library. library@klti.or.kr
Ran, My Former Cat I didn't know where you came from. Always all of a sudden you appeared at a time when nobody was around, at a time when time belonged to nobody, hanging about the roof of a rented house as if from inside my heart, as if from the edge of the moon with a small half-cry, you appeared. You ate as if for me only. In a china bowl, your food tinkled and then you lapped water a bit as if for me only. You used a sandbox. Though I wanted to seize and hold you, I couldn't do that. With small cries suddenly you hid yourself. While playing hide and seek, I felt drowsy but sleep didn't come. It was before day broke. By chance I saw the way you walked like a tired night on the long wall beyond two roofs. The wall had an off-limits sign on it. You stopped for a moment and glanced toward me.
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You looked for a moment, walking shakily. You looked so lonesome. But, oh, your body that embodied geometry lightly drew a straight line from where the wall curved and you disappeared instantly. In that moment cicadas chirred everywhere. In that moment, the day brightened. In that moment, tears welled up. You went away, over to a place where you couldn't invite me. From far beyond you came. You looked so lonesome; I was so lonesome. Copyright 2009 Literature Translation Institute of Korea
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