Sample Translations
Jong-ryul Kim The Lucky Pig on the Corner E ng l i s h
Book Information
The Lucky Pig on the Corner (길모퉁이 행운돼지) Darim Publishing corp. / 2006 / 35 p. / ISBN 9788987721866 For further information, please visit: http://library.klti.or.kr/node/772
This sample translation was produced with support from LTI Korea. Please contact the LTI Korea Library for further information. library@klti.or.kr
The Lucky Pig on the Corner Written by Jong-ryul Kim
page 9 “I can’t believe it’s still not open!” Mom came back complaining with an empty basket. “Does it make any sense that they’ll give you luck for free? It’s all a big lie!” Apparently she dropped by the new store that hadn’t opened yet. “I knew there was something fishy about it when all that fog came around as they put up its sign! It’s surely the work of some sort of con man!” It was a few days ago when the new store came into the building at the corner of the street. That afternoon, our village was covered with a thick fog. Due to the heavy fog people wandered here and there as if they were blind. Those who were surprised by such fog exclaimed, “This is the worst fog I’ve ever seen since the birth of the Azalea village!” page 10. “I don’t have a good feeling about the statue in front of the store either!” As soon as the fog cleared out, a large pig statue revealed itself, standing pompously in front of the store in the corner. It was wearing a navy vest which extended significantly forward due to its massive stomach, yellow overalls, and a slick swarthy top hat that might have been worn by no other than the great thief Lupin himself. His appearance was somewhat absurd, to say the least. “What kind of store name is ‘Lucky Pig’? And the store’s sign looks cheap and tacky with all the bulbs hanging around it!” The sign that read “Lucky Pig” in lipstick red hung at the top of a worn-out, ramshackle
1
building, and upon it flickered bulbs of all sorts of tarnished colors. “Oh, it’s probably just another useless little store like the ones before!” Mom complained without ceasing. She had a point, though. Before this new store came in, the building previously had two stores. On the first floor there hung a sign that read “Cheap Clothes,” and on the second floor an uncanny sign that went “Fixteeth Dentist.” page 11. Mom sometimes would buy clothes from “Cheap Clothes.” I don’t remember liking anything she brought for me to wear. As cheap as they were, their quality was so poor it wasn’t even funny. One of their clothes shrunk to half its size after one turn in the washing machine, and another faded from red to pink instantly. Mom would cry “Ah, I’ll never waste my money on these cheap clothes again!” but when she would turn the corner never succeeded in passing it by without glancing at the items displayed up front. Ironically, there were more middle-aged women shouting out complaints about their recent purchases than those who came to look around. But something even weirder happening in “Fixteeth Dentist.” When the police officer went to pull out a rotting tooth, the quack dentist failed to recognize it and pulled out a perfectly healthy tooth instead. This was a story hard to believe but since the police officer turned out to be the notorious Officer Catchall of Azalea Police Station it couldn’t be denied. Not long after that incident, “Fixteeth Dentist” closed shop. And not long after Fixteeth Dentist’s demise came the fall of Cheap Clothes. Ever since the two-story building lay bare and empty, with only dust gathering in its inner chambers. page 14 “I guarantee you this shop won’t be any different.” I agreed with mom. The sign dappled with color bulbs and covered with crudely red letters was not appealing at all, either in an aesthetic or commercial sense. It was surely to be one of
2
those short-lived shops like Fixteeth Dentist or Cheap Clothes. “Are they thinking of opening or what?” Mom let out a deep sigh after muttering heated complaints through her breath. It seemed like she took to heart the words that were written on the Lucky Pig’s fliers. The flier that was stuck in our mailbox read as the following. Citizens of Azalea City! Please come visit the Lucky Pig. Big fortune is here waiting for you. If you wish, you take with you whatever object you want in the Lucky Pig. We won’t ask a single penny for it. We promise you. -The Lucky Pig page 15 If the advertisement was true, then this was news. But mom said “Oh, as if I would believe this rubbish! It’s all part of marketing!” and threw the flier in the trash can. Although mom threw out the flier, it didn’t seem like the shop totally left her heart. I could tell because whenever she came back home she gave a deep sigh and grumbled, “It’s still not open!” “This is not the time to just sit and complain on and on! Who knows if it’s open right this moment? I can’t be the only one who’s missing out!” And with that mom ran out the door with her shopping bag. For these couple of days she has been lingering around the corner, waiting for the shop to open. She wasn’t only on this. When I would pass by the corner on my way to school, I would see a crowd of people hanging around in front of the shop. The middle-aged woman next door, Mr. Bong in his necktie, and a child with his backpack all eagerly stared at the shop with brightly shining eyes.
3
“Umph! I knew it! It was a fraud! The advertisement was all a lie! I ought to report this to the police!” page 16 Mr. Hollar from Bleachwhite Laundry began raising his voice after a series of knocks and banging on the store’s door. Mr. Catchall, the police officer who got an innocent tooth pulled out, inspected the store’s front before he made a suspicious face saying, “This just might turn out to be a hideout of the most hideous criminals this town has seen! I swear I’ll find out what this fishy place is all about!” Some people glanced at the store with quizzical looks similar to that of the police officer. But the majority lingered in front of the store, waiting for the store to open. Then one morning after three days had past, a big poster was posted on the steel door of the Lucky Pig. page 17 Dear Citizens of Azalea City! You have waited long. Finally tomorrow, the doors of the Lucky Pig open! -The Lucky Pig page 18 The day the Lucky Pig opened, the corner was packed with people. There were so many people it was hard even to get pass the street. Even the students who were on their way to school all took a glance at the store with curious faces. On its steel doors hung another poster. Only ten people a day will have a chance to enter into these doors -the Lucky Pig The crowd that was waiting in front all began to bustle and push each other to be first to enter. page 19
4
"Hey, you there! Don't cut in line! Wait for your turn, who doesn't want to go in?!" Mr. Hollar raised his voice against someone who tried to cut in line. This also enraged a middle aged woman who was standing next to him. "He's right! Do you think we're all stupid to wait for our turn? Get back in line!" "If you're late, get to the back of the line! Don't you have any conscience?" The middle aged man who received all this blame for cutting in line turned as red as a radish. "What are you people thinking, blocking the streets like this?!" bellowed Officer Catchall's voice, who came from nowhere. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. Nobody's keeping their turn! Even worse, all these crazy people are cutting in line to make it into the store first!" Mr. Hollar told Officer Catchall. "What's going on here? What's all this fuss about?!" "Well take a look for yourself. Read what the poster says on the shop's door. I was waiting here since hours ago to look around this stupid shop!" page 20 After reading the poster with a serious demeanor, the police officer cleared his throat before speaking to the crowd. "Citizens of Azalea City! To be blocking the street like this is not an appropriate attitude for civilized citizens like you. And what would the children of this city learn from your actions if we show all this chaos over this nonsensical poster!" As he said this the officer took a quick glance at all the innocent children who stood there peeping from behind the crowd. "I can't help from having a fishy feeling about this place, in many ways that is. As police officer of this city, I will make the first entrance and meet with the owner of this suspicious store. By any chance, if the owner turns out to be a felon, you don't know what you're in for if you enter this shop!"
5
Everybody paid careful attention to the officer as he drove his point passionately and persuasively. Having everybody's undivided attention and apparent approval, the officer haughtily turned around and began banging on the door with his fat fist. page 21 "Open the door this moment! I am warranted as police officer of Azalea City to make an investigation into your store!" Officer Catchall shouted at the top of his voice. A moment later, the steel door opened, as smoothly as an automatic door. "Ahem, all of you wait here as I make an investigation first!" As he cleared his throat again, Officer Catchall quickly made his way into the mysterious shop. That moment, the middle aged woman at the front of the line searched for the right moment and sneaked in right after the officer! That signaled the break of all order and soon all the people charged towards the door, which was instantly jammed with people stuck in between. "Hey, move! I came here first!" "What are you talking about? I came here before you!" "What?! You just cut in line!“ page 22 The corner of the street soon turned into total mess. To get in first people tugged on each other’s necks and clothes. Even the people at the back of the line fought with each other over their spots. The pandemonium was over only when Mr. Hollar went in as the tenth visitor and the door slid back shut. The woman behind Mr. Hollar also tried to make her way in but yelled “Aaghh!” and shook violently as if shocked by an electric current. As everybody took a step back, the steel door was firmly shut. The people who couldn’t go in all looked at the Lucky
6
Pig with flabbergasted looks. I wasn’t able to watch any longer what was going on in front of the Lucky Pig. Before I knew it, it was already time for the first class to start. I had run to not be late. When I started running, the other children also realized they were late and began running too. page 23 Chapter 3. All throughout the class, my mind was with the people who went into the Lucky Pig. I really envied the people who got the opportunity to earn a fortune for free. Mr. Quietyall was reading the textbook but none of it entered my ears. As soon as the class was over I ran towards the Lucky Pig. The number of people hadn’t decreased a bit from the morning. I could tell from overhearing the crowd’s murmurs that the people who went in the shop hadn’t come out yet. I stood waiting there along with the people but the tightly shut door hadn’t budged a bit, not showing any intention to open. One by one, people who were exhausted waiting finally began to leave. I was eager to know what the fortunes the first ten earned for free were, but when the wait became too much of a boredom I turned to head back home. page 24 That afternoon, I was playing games on my computer when Mom came barging in through the door making a big fuss. “This is absolutely amazing! How could this be?” Her voice was certainly elated. “I can’t just sit here like this. I need to make certain it’s true, with my two eyes!” Mom didn’t even take notice of me coming out to the living room and went straight out the door again. That was when I heard a racket outside the veranda. I went to the veranda and poked my head out to see what was going on. A stampede of Azalea Apartment’s residents
7
was rushing towards somewhere. The place they were heading for turned out to be Bleachwhite Laundry. There were people swarming about in front of the Laundry. And my eyes also caught mom standing in the middle of the crowd. Something interesting was apparently going on. I’m not all that good at keeping down my curiosity, so I also went straight out the door and ran headlong towards the buzz. Mr. Hollar’s voice was indeed loud. He wasn’t all that friendly to the children either. page 25 He especially had a particular disliking for children who chewed gum. Whenever children passed by chewing gum, he shouted, “You miserable brat! It’s because you just can’t quit chewing there’s always blotches of gum on your clothes! Do you know how annoying it is to get rid of all that gum stuck to trousers and sweaters? Ah, how would you kids know anything about it?” It was always this way. So even when I had gum in my mouth, I didn’t chew a single time when I would pass by the laundry. I dreaded Mr. Hollar would come after me hollering if he saw me chewing gum. I squirmed my way through the crowd and made my way into the laundry. “Look here! I’m telling you, this certainly is one magical iron! What was it... he told me it was the one used by some king of ancient Arabia!” Mr. Hollar suddenly held the iron high up in the air, as he made a very arrogant face. “In my view, it’s just an ordinary iron!” page 26 “You have no idea whatsoever what you’re talking about! Once you use this to iron out the wrinkles, your clothes will never need to be ironed out, ever again! And, once you put a crease in whatever clothes you want, the crease will never be flattened out, for however long!
8
This truly is an incredible iron!” “No way!” It really didn’t make any sense. The middle aged women who were silent until now all chattered amongst themselves that it couldn’t be. Sensing all this unbelief, Mr. Hollar opened his eyes widely and bawled at us, “If you can’t believe, let me show you!” Mr. Hollar came out carrying a tuxedo in his hands. Then all of a sudden he threw it to the ground and began stomping on it. In an instant it was crumpled and made into a mess. People were taken aback and clicked their tongues saying, “Oh, that’s too bad! He’s just ruined one fine tuxedo!” But Mr. Hollar’s face didn’t flinch a bit. He actually looked very, very confident. “Now! Look with your two eyeballs how amazing work this iron could do!” And even before he finished his sentence he began pressing his iron on the tuxedo here and there. page 28 It almost seemed as if the iron was dancing on top of the tuxedo. Whenever the iron made a flashy move the people exclaimed, “ooh!” And the tuxedo that seemed irreparable just a moment ago was magically restored, almost as if it was new! “It’s too early to be surprised. Now take a look at this!” Mr. Hollar then took the shiny tuxedo that he’s just finished ironing and threw it on the floor again, stomping on it wildly a second time. But this time something truly amazing happened, right in front of my eyes. The tuxedo wasn’t wrinkled a single bit. No matter how many times Mr. Hollar stomped on it, it didn’t lose either its shine or shape, not a bit. “It really is one incredible iron! I’ve never seen anything like it!” The people’s faces were all full of envy. But Mr. Hollar’s face told that he felt very unpleasant at the moment. It only made sense to be full of joy having such an item, so I
9
couldn’t understand why he made such a mean face. “From now on I will raise the laundry fee by ten times! Would it make any sense for me to receive the same amount with such an iron? Not unless I’m crazy!” There was a silence that said that his demand was quite justifiable. Nobody was even surprised by it. page 29 What more, there was even a man who took off his clothes right on the spot! This sort of thing not only happened to Mr. Hollar. It equally happened to all of the ten people who entered the Lucky Pig that day. That evening when dad came home from work, mom went on and on about the incident that took place at the laundry. “And it’s not only the incredible iron! Mrs. Cutty of Beautyful Hair Salon earned a pair of scissors that transforms the messiest hair into the finest sculptures! What’s more, they say they were used by none other than Cleopatra of Egypt!” “Oh, as if I would believe you. That actually sounds like good material for a novel.” Dad didn’t seem to buy mom’s words at all. I wouldn’t have believed this absurd story either if I hadn’t seen the incredible iron myself. But the objects from the Lucky Pig were indeed marvelous. “It’s not only that. Mrs. Yumyum of Droolpool restaurant got a pot that cooks whatever ingredient into the most delicate dishes your taste buds will ever find! It’s told that it was the very pot that the legendary cook of ancient China himself used.” page 30 “No really?” “I’m not done yet. Mr. Page of Novelprice Bookstore got a book that tells a different story every time you open it! They say it was the last book left from Hans Christian Andersen, and
10
it’s the only book you need in the whole world to read a new story everyday!” “Are you serious?” “But the most amazing of all is what Officer Catchall got!” As mom spoke this her eyes grew wide and her tone high. “Officer Catchall got a pair of glasses that could search out the real criminal, no matter how big the crowd is that surrounds him! It was used by none other than Sherlock Holmes himself!” page 31 “That doesn’t make any sense at all! Where in the world could you find that sort of glasses?” Dad was full of disbelief and wasn’t willing to give in a bit. “If you can’t believe all this, go to the police station and see for yourself how Officer Catchall arrested a man who was thinking of robbing a bank!” “What? You mean he arrested someone who didn’t actually commit a crime but only thought about it?” “Oh, it’s basically the same thing. If he thought of robbing a bank, there’s no doubt he would’ve done it! And it’s such a relief that Officer Catchall caught him before it happened, isn’t it?” page 32 “Hmph! This city is getting out of control, seriously!” But mom didn’t know how to stop. But since I knew she was telling the truth, I listened eagerly to all the remarkable stories she told. How wonderful it would be to have even just one of those objects! Even by just imagining such thing made my heart thump fast. “I promise you, I’ll make my way through those doors one day! Already people are spreading out their mats out on the street to spend the night there. If I hesitate any longer, there’ll be no more objects left for me in the end!”
11
Chapter 4 page 33 The next morning, there wasn’t a single person in Azalea city who didn’t know about the incredible iron. The stories of the spectacular scissors, prodigious pot, brainy book and genius glasses were also spreading quickly from household to household. When it was recess time in school, the kids would all gather around and shared stories about the Lucky Pig. “I heard there’s a chocolate bar that never disappears no matter how many times you bite into it! It’s from the house in ‘Hansel and Gretel.’” “And guess what I heard? Someone told me there’s a bike that runs on invisible wheels! It was once ridden by tomboy Pipi!” “I want to go into the Lucky Pig too!” I also wanted to see the store like the others. But the front of the Lucky Pig was always so crowded with people. page 34 And because of those mean and greedy adults, the children didn’t have a chance to stand even near the shop. If one of us would ever try to go near the shop the adults who would be fighting against themselves would then be united and shout in unison, “Get out of here, you little brat!” Everyday after school we needed to pass by the Lucky Pig anyway, but even that enraged the adults, who would glare at us and yell, “This is not where you kids belong!” This was ridiculous. Were they the owners of that street to yell at me for walking down the street I always walked from school?! The Lucky Pig was to blame for all of this. If it weren’t for that stupid shop we wouldn’t have to dodge all those glaring eyes on our way home from school. But that didn’t mean I wanted
12
the shop to disappear. Because if only I would get my own chance to enter those doors, I would also earn something lucky. But there was no chance at all for children like me. It seemed like we would get a chance, if there ever was one, only after all the adults of Azalea city got their own objects from the store. But I was sure the store would be empty by then. page 35 When I came back home mom was talking on the phone with a heated voice. She screamed into the receiver as if she was arguing with someone. “Did you hear that Mr. Dumbell from apartment building 8 got a pair of boots that never wear out? It was tailored by Geppetto from Pinocchio, and how she bragged about it! Arggh.. will there ever be a chance for me to get into the Lucky Pig?” Then again, mom wasn’t arguing after all. She was going through another of her rants about the Lucky Pig with Mrs. Allthat who lives a few blocks away. “I’m not going to wait anymore like this! I ought to spread out my mat in front of the Lucky Pig and wait in line starting from tonight! I’m going to get an item for myself too!” Her face told me that her determination was rock solid. “Oh, really? You want to join me as well? Okay well I’ll see you in front of the Lucky Pig after having dinner! See you in a bit!” As she put down the receiver my mom pursed her lips with a stern look on her face. page 36 Even though I was right beside her she ignored me as if I hadn’t existed. All that was in her mind now was the Lucky Pig. When dad came home from work she would chatter on and on about who earned what in the Lucky Pig. Unlike a few days ago, my father was showing more and more interest in her stories. He began responding with comments such as “What? He earned a cigar that isn’t harmful to the body at all?” or “Is that true? He got a bottle that never goes dry of whiskey?! I couldn’t
13
be more jealous!” and sometimes he made faces that made him seem even more jealous than mom. “This isn’t the time to be chatting on like this! I need to go to the Lucky Pig and get in line. This moment!” Mom went in her room and came out wearing a thick overcoat. She seemed seriously determined to spend the night out in the cold. “Mom, where are you going?” I couldn’t believe she was going out without even cooking us dinner. “Oh, whatever. Tomorrow I will make an entry into the Lucky Pig no matter what!” page 37 Mom hustled out the door just like that, without even turning back. An hour later, dad came hustling in. “Dear, who earned what from the Lucky Pig today?” Even my dad didn’t seem to notice me as I was watching television in the living room. Dad ran from room to room searching for mom. When he finally realized she wasn’t home, he was exasperated and came to me asking about her whereabouts. “Where is she?” “Why of course, to the Lucky Pig.” I answered rather bluntly. I heard my stomach growl, but tried to ignore it because I knew there would be no way we would have dinner by ourselves. My dad confirmed my thought as he hurried out the door in an instant. Mom returned at dawn. I was asleep but I woke up to the bell she rang. She hurried out so frantically she had apparent forgotten the door keys. I dragged my legs to the door as I rubbed my sleepy eyes. Mom returned alone. Her eyes were bloodshot from fatigue. I watched her as she went straight to her bedroom.
14
page 38 When I asked her “Why didn’t dad come with you?” she gave me a hasty reply, telling me she was annoyed even by talking with me, “I only have three hours to sleep before I have to switch spots with him.” A deep sigh came out of my mouth as I thought how absurd this whole situation was. I wouldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams that dad would be staying the night outside as well. From the next day onward, I always met mom outside on her mat in front of the Lucky Pig in the morning and there I told her “I’ll be off to school, mom.” It seemed mom was thinking of taking up residence there for good. Dad didn’t seem to be opposed to the idea either. When dad came back home from work mom would come home and take a catnap, and a few hours later when she would go back outside dad would come back yawning to take his. The way to school was really a sight you couldn’t miss. The line queued up for the Lucky Pig took up the whole street- there were at least a few hundreds, and they were all adults. The line that started from the Lucky Pig went all the day to the entrance of Azalea Apartment. People would cook their meals on the street, or even bring out their blankets to lie down and sleep. page 39 There were more and more children everyday who would shout out “Mom, I’m going to school!” passing by the street. More than half of Azalea Elementary was probably among these children. I couldn’t hold mom or dad back from doing this. Honestly, I didn’t even know if I wanted to hold them back from their life in line. I rather wished mom would get her own object from the Lucky Pig as soon as possible and be happy. I even dreamed a couple times of her rushing back home with a magical object in her hands.
15
A few days later mom opened her mouth as she came in through the door, with a sickly, greenish face. “Now, there’s only fifty left. I only have to wait five more days to get into the Lucky Pig!” Seriously, my mom and dad were the most persistent people I knew. I never imagined my mom could hold up for so long like this. After each day my heart beat faster as well. 16
Chapter 5 page 40 An
unexpected
series
of
events
took
place
when
mom
was
20thinturn.ItwasanotherdayofsayinggoodbyetomomonmywaytoschoolwhenIspottedagroupofp eoplewithhugecamerashoisteduptheirshouldersandsomewithmicsintheirhands,surroundingthef rontoftheLuckyPig.Theywerepeoplefromthebroadcastingstation,tobesure. A young female reporter holding a mic weaved in and out among the mats as she interviewed people. People didn’t seem all that comfortable with big cameras being put up to their faces. “I’m Reporter Inquisity of Azalea Broadcasting System. I’ve been told that you’ve been waiting a whole week outside the Lucky Pig. Is that true?” The middle aged man who had the mic thrust into his face made a wry face. page 41 “Oh, quit it. If this shows on TV, people from other villages will rush in, as if this city hasn’t enough human beings! Now get that camera out of my face!” Here and there people shouted similar things. One man even hustled the cameraman to the side. But Reporter Inquisity was willing to quit anytime soon. She went on asking people questions, poking her mic her and there. “What object do you want to get if you make it in the Lucky Pig?” “What has that got to do with you? Stop recording! What a stubborn reporter you are!” Reporter Inquisity ran here and there to ask people more questions. But she didn’t get she
wanted and only was scolded for it. Although in the end, she did succeed in getting some footage of the objects inside the Bleachwhite Laundry, Beautyful Hair Salon and Droolpool Restaurant. The street that stretched from Azalea Apartment to the Lucky Pig now had become one big hive swarming with people in line, bystanders, and cameramen and reporters from the Broadcasting Station. page 42 “Hey, you people from the Broadcasting Station! I don’t mean to interfere with your interviews but what do you mean by blocking the street like this?” Officer Catchall said as he stopped his motorcycle in front of the shop. With a stern face he took a scan of the people from the Broadcasting Station. “Wait, are you Officer Catchall, who got a pair of glasses that tells you who the real criminals are?!” Reporter Inquisity put her mic to the Officer’s lips without even finishing her sentence. Suddenly coming into the spotlight, Officer Catchall softened up a bit. “I heard you caught a number of criminals already with your glasses. Is that true?” “That’s right. Detective Holmes himself wouldn’t have caught more criminals than me!” Officer Catchall said very matter-of-factly. “What a fortune you’ve found in there! Oh, and I heard that you’ve made an investigation into the shop, could you tell us anything about the owner?” page 44 “All I have to say is that the owner is not a bad person. You could tell just by looking at all the wonderful gifts he’s given to the people, free at that.” “That perfectly makes sense, Officer. But why does the owner only allow ten people to go in a day? Isn’t that why so many people are out in the streets like the homeless? And isn’t it
17
illegal to be taking up the street like this? I’m sure it’s already causing a lot of trouble for the others.” “If I would have to answer that question as Police Officer of Azalea City, I’m sure that’s not a problem at all. Whether ten people or a hundred people receive an object depends on the owner himself. What can we blame him for when all he’s doing is giving out fortunes for free? It would rather be illegal to block these people from waiting for their turn to receive their fortune.” All throughout the interview Officer Catchall was puffed up with pride. Then a moment later, he took out his pair of glasses from his shirt pocket. page 45 “I need to go catch more criminals for today, so please excuse me!” Then he started up his motorcycle engine and was out of sight in a blink. That evening, exclusive news was broadcasted on TV. It was actually time for cartoons, but all they talked about today was the Lucky Pig. What they were talking on and on about was roughly as the following: One day an intriguing little shop called the “Lucky Pig” opened in Azalea Village. Who exactly is the owner of the Lucky Pig? And where is he bringing all these lucky objects that fill his shop? Mr. Hollar from Bleachwhite Laundry claimed, “I’m absolutely sure the owner is some sort of billionaire. Otherwise, he would no way have been able to fill his shelves with all those lucky objects!” What’s happening in Azalea City could not be named anything other a wonder. The veiled owner of the Lucky Pig, who could he possibly be? But what interested me the most was how people were shown on TV. page 46 When mom’s face covered the whole TV screen I just sat there, gawking at the screen. Mom screeched “Get that camera out of my face!”
18
As I was watching television, I had a sudden thought chillingly dawn upon me. The expressions of Mr. Hollar, Mrs. Yumyum and Mr. Page all overlapped into one mysterious face. It was a face I’ve seen before. Come to think of it, all the people who got something from the Lucky Pig had similar expressions on their faces. There was an unpleasantly smug and eerie smile thinly spread on their faces. It might be a natural result that they would have smiles on their faces after receiving such fortune. But there was something that made me uncomfortable about that smile. No matter how hard I tried to think why I felt uneasy about it, I couldn’t figure it out. But I sure something was going wrong, silently but steadily. Chapter 6 page 47 The day after the Lucky Pig went on the air, the citizens of Forsythia City and Sunflower City all poured into Azalea, heading straight for the Lucky Pig. Troops of policemen from Azalea Police Station had to line up along the streets with shields and clubs in their hands in case any unwanted riots were stirred up. The man hollering up in front, dominating the scene was Officer Catchall. “Citizens from outside Azalea City who are taking up the streets, I now issue a first warning that what you are doing is illegal! Because of you aliens Azalea’s traffic is completely paralyzed! Disperse right this moment, if you don’t want to be done so by force!” Then there was a tense standoff between the police force and the citizens from the other cities. But mom sustained her spot through such racket and finally made it into the group of ten destined for the next entrance. page 48 The people in front of the Lucky gave a sudden shout of excitement. The steel door that was firmly shut started to open, slowly.
19
“Oh wow, I can’t believe it’s my turn! My turn to enter the Lucky Pig!” The man with the big nose in front yelped with all his might. Then a silence fell that was so quiet I could hear the swallowing of someone’s saliva. The man who yelped with joy slowly rose up and made his way into the doors of the Lucky Pig. Then after him nine other people made their way in, all with elated expressions. Mom was the last of the ten to go in. Dad was who watching the scene gave out a howl of joy. “The last person who went in the Lucky Pig is my wife! That’s my wife, who went into the Lucky Pig!” Dad was as excited as could be. page 49 After the ten went in the steel door shut back again. The people who were left outside stared at the door with a heavy gaze of envy. They plopped back down on the mats they spread out in front of the Lucky Pig. “Tomorrow it’s finally my turn! Just one more day to go!” The man in front looked exhausted but there was determination and hope in his voice. But that sound decidedly set off the fury within the citizens from the other cities, who stood silent until then. “This is too unfair! Since until now only the citizens of Azalea got their chance to go into the Lucky Pig, we should now be given the opportunity to go in, do you not agree people?!” A man with a craggy face went up to the front and starting arousing the crowd. People shouted “aye, aye!” from here and there. “You totally have a point! We also have the right to get our share of this luck! Is there any law that states that only the citizens of Azalea should benefit from this? Now that would be what I call illegal!” “I agree! People, let us go into the Lucky Pig now!”
20
page 50 Then the next series of events took place in a flash. As a rubber band snaps, the line that held the group of foreign citizens broke loose and tides of people began pouring into the front of the Lucky Pig. “I reissue the warning! You people are committing an act of illegal nature! I repeat, disperse!” But the warning was of no use. That was when the front of the Lucky Pig truly became chaotic. The wave of foreign citizens pushed constantly against the line of policemen. I would have got run over by the stampede, if it were not for my father who pulled me out of the chaos and began darting towards our apartment. The spectacular yet startling scene will stay with me for a long time. page 51 Like the ebb and flow of tides, the ranks of the policemen and foreign citizens went back and forth. Here and there the cries of children broke out, and I even heard a woman call out her child’s name desperately. I don’t know how she got wind of this, but there she was again, Reporter Inquisity and her gang of cameramen. “This isn’t a scene for children to watch. Let’s go inside!” I wanted to watch from afar a little longer but dad grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside the house. But up in the veranda I could see it with a better view. page 52 The pulling and tugging of both sides was soon over. After a few were forcefully pulled away by the policemen, the momentum was lost and the crowd soon dispersed. The people who were arrested under Officer Catchall’s command were put on the police bus and sent away to the police station. As soon as the noisy ones were sent away, who to the very end tried to break free, the racket
21
in the street died down. At the end of the riot, there still was a group of twenty people waiting in front of the Lucky Pig. They were people as persistent as my mom. Mom came home a little bit past lunchtime. She came rushing in through the front door, trying to catch her breath. But on her face bloomed a smile that made her seem like the happiest person on earth. “Dear! Do you know what I’ve got? You’ll flip out when you get to know!” Dad, who was waiting desperately for her return all along, came out from the bedroom like the wind to greet her. page 53 “Really? Let me see! What is it?” “Come here, take a look. Guess what this is!” What mom set upon the living room table was an exotic looking object. At first sight, it just looked like an ordinary pot made of dirt. It also had a lid with handles. “What’s this? It’s just a pot!” “What do you mean just a pot? This is a pot that doubles whatever that you put in it!” “What? Is such thing possible?” Dad seemed a bit hesitant and doubtful of mom’s words. “Although it doesn’t have such a spectacular shape, it was... what was it, oh yeah, made by these little dwarves who received orders from some queen of the north pole. Whatever you put in here, it’ll duplicate itself in this pot!” page 54 “No way...” Mom actually seemed to enjoying his doubt. If mom was telling the truth, this would surely be the most extraordinary object from the Lucky Pig thus far.
22
“If you can’t believe it, why not see the magic for yourself?” And with that mom picked up the cordless phone on the table and put it in the pot as she closed its lid. “Now if you open its lid you’ll find two cordless phones.” After a pause mom finally opened the lid. And it was right that moment. Suddenly a cold wind blew out from within the pot along with a shrill laugh, but my parents didn’t seem to hear it. “Wow! You’re right! I can’t believe it!” Dad took out two cordless phones with an astonished look. Mom was right after all. And at the same time a smug, eerie smile spread thinly across her face. Dad heartily laughed out loud as he held up the twin phones. He didn’t seem to notice the smug and eerie smile that was hanging on her face. “See, look. I was right!” Mom beamed at him and clapped her hands like a seal. I was gazing at her blankly when my eyes grew large with shock. My mom’s nose had become big and blunt. It was as flat as a snub nose. Dad also felt something was wrong as he stared into her face. “Dear, what’s wrong with your nose? It looks like a pig nose.” But mom didn’t even answer to his comment. “What are we doing duplicating useless things like this cordless phone? Go bring me some valuable things to duplicate!” “Sh... Should I?” Even though dad knew something was wrong with mom’s face, he didn’t concern himself too much about it. page 56
23
All dad was concerned about was the pot. I was a bit scared now because mom looked more and more like a pig. “You also bring something, anything! Why are you just sitting there doing nothing?” Mom suddenly yelled at me. She wasn’t the mom I used to know. After a moment of hesitation, I hurried into my room. My heart was beating so fast nothing came into view. My own mother was wearing a smile that looked as smug and eerie as the people I’ve seen on television. At that moment I thought it may be that those people just happened to have similar faces, but I now came to grasp what was really going on. All the people who got something from the Lucky Pig were slowly taking on the looks of the pig statue in front of the store. I slightly opened my door to see what my parents were doing in the living room. “Hm.. now I have two watches. What should we duplicate now?” page 57 I couldn’t believe it. As my dad took out the twin watches with delight, I saw the same sort of eerily smug smile on his face. He was becoming like mom as well. I was freaking out. This really couldn’t be. Whenever she took out two of the same object from the jar, my mom’s nose turned bigger every time, like a pig’s nose. And it wasn’t only her nose that was changing its shape. Her ears were also growing more and more elongated and floppy. Her face was puffing up bit by bit. My dad who was by now completely absorbed by the pot’s magic was changing likewise. “What’s taking you so long?!” After letting out a high-pitch screech at me, my mom rose up furiously and made haste towards my door. “Find the most valuable thing you can find and put it in the pot right now. We’ve earned something that’s better than all the objects from the Lucky Pig combined! We’re going to
24
make history, and a very fortunate one at that!” Then mom grabbed me by my wrist and dragged me to the living room. My body started trembling wildly. If I put something in the pot I might turn like a pig like them! I might become a small little piglike child resembling the hideous statue in front of the store! Just thinking about it made my hair stand on end. “No! I don’t want to. If I put something in there my face might become like a pig just like you and dad!” page 58 I said that with all the courage I could find. But all my parents did was stare blankly at me and tilt their heads sideways. “Dear, could you tell me what he’s talking about? What does he mean by saying that our faces are turning like a pig’s?” “For crying out loud, how would I know? He’s still probably in the mood to play around when we’re serious about our business!” I felt like I would black out any moment. The situation was worse than I thought. My parents didn’t have even the slightest hint of the change that was coming upon them. Chapter 7 page 59 Ever since the citizens from Forsythia and Sunflower made a riot in our town and mom came back home with the magical pot, strange things began happening back-to-back in Azalea. At first it started with just a few pigs being spotted in the streets, then little by little the number of pigs increased every day. Pigs clothed like human beings were nonchalantly ordering food in restaurants, getting on local buses, and going to work, as if nothing happened. I even spotted some small pigs going to school with their backpacks strapped to their backs.
25
What I couldn’t understand more was the people’s reaction to all this. No one stared at them with a surprised look in the slightest sense. They talked with them, exchanged greetings and shook hands with them as if they’ve lived with pigs all their life! page 60 People who came to the laundry seemed quite unconcerned about leaving their clothes with a giant pig holding the iron. I couldn’t find a single trace of Mr. Hollar in the beast avidly stamping the iron this way and that. It was already surprising to see pigs walking around in human clothes, but what alarmed me even more was the emergence of petty thieves who only targeted objects from the Lucky Pig. They roamed the streets as if it were their living room. A few days ago someone who was disgruntled about not having had the chance to enter the Lucky Pig jumped over someone’s wall. Fortunately Officer Catchall caught sight of the scene and got the thief arrested, but day by day the number of thieves rose without limit. And that was just the prelude. The Azalea Police Department declared a state of emergency as a rumor spread that one of the thieves held a child hostage demanding an object from the Lucky Pig in ransom. With all sorts of grim news hanging above our heads, my classroom couldn’t be more gloomier. Mr. Quietyall talked on and on about dark and heavy subjects, as if he’d forgotten all about his job to teach us about fractions. page 61 “If a stranger approaches you, call out for help as loud as you can. Even if he tempts you with sweets or toys, don’t ever follow him! Do you all understand?” But when the children all replied with a loud voice. I thought a heard an oink somewhere. When I glanced sideways, sure enough, there were some young piglets chattering here and there. Neither Mr. Quietyall nor the other students seemed to care about the piglets in the
26
room. “That’s it for today’s class. When the bell rings, don’t go anywhere but home. The safest place is your home. And in the afternoon the mayor of Azalea will make an important announcement. That’s one of the reasons they’ve requested that the students be sent straight home. I haven’t been informed of the specifics. So when you get home make sure to turn on 27
the television and watch the mayor’s announcement with your parents, okay?” The children made clueless faces and murmured worriedly amongst themselves. Only a few gave a shout of joy for early dismissal. page 62 As Mr. Quietyall stepped out the door, the students immediately rose from their seats to head out as well. There were some who put their arms around the piglets’ shoulders as they went out. As the children slipped out through the door, I just sat there blankly in my seat. I
didn’t
want to go back to where my parents were slowly turning into pigs. But then again, I had nowhere to go other than home. It would be even scarier to be kidnapped in the streets. I came out of the classroom only after a long while. I thought everybody had gone home but our class president Simon Smallheart was apparently still here, standing still in the middle of the hallway as he stared at me vacantly. “Uh, you see...um...So what I want to say is...” page 63 Class President Simon Smallheart started talking to me with a shy and squeaky voice. He looked as if he was about to cry. His wide and watery eyes were on the brink of pouring down a stream of tears. “T-Those herd of p-pigs... its s-seems like nobody notices them!!” I stared hard into Simon’s face. Did this mean I wasn’t the only one who’d been noticing this
eerie turn of events?“ “You could also see them, right? The people who’ve turned into pigs, I mean!” I inadvertently raised my voice why speaking to Simon. Simon’s face suddenly turned green. “N-no, I can’t see anything!” The class president made a sudden yelp and began running away from me, all the way to the end of the hall. I couldn’t forget the face he made when he’d realized he wasn’t alone in noticing the pigs. page 64 The class president didn’t want to believe what he was seeing, just like me. He also would know well the fear from having to keep a scary fact to oneself. I felt depressed and heavy-hearted when I stepped inside my house. Mom and dad looked like anxious people who were hiding all the treasures of the world in their own little cave, afraid of getting it stolen. Dad stopped going to work ever since mom brought the pot home. Mom, who would’ve otherwise scolded him for doing so, only repeated, “You thought well. What’s the need to go to work when you have this treasure in our very living room!” All I did until it became afternoon was watch my parents as I crouched down the sofa. Mom gave me a scary stare time to time but didn’t force me to bring valuable objects any longer. There were only petty programs being broadcasted on television. It was rather interesting to look at the building pile of duplicate objects in the corner of our living room. page 65 “Azalea Station will stop our regular broadcasting schedule to bring you breaking news! Don’t turn your channels, for in just a few seconds the mayor of Azalea city will be making an important announcement, live here on Channel Azalea!” The screen went black for a second before bringing the assembly chamber of the city hall into focus. I could hear the noise made by all the people who filled the hall.
28
A moment later, the mayor of Azalea city made his appearance as he walked towards the podium. After a shower of flashes from here and there, the hall quieted down. Pulling himself up to the mic, the mayor cleared his throat and made a serious face before speaking. “Eh, ever in the history of this peaceful city of Azalea hasn’t been such a chain of incidents. A few days ago, there was a riot in our streets that was caused by foreign citizens. Through close cooperation with their mayor I have brought the matter to a close, and I trust that this sort of happening will never take place on our ground again. But despite the continuous effort of our police department, we have failed to completely eradicate the growing gang of thieves from our city. page 66 And at this point, when rumors of violations and violence abound, I have made a hard decision as mayor of Azalea City to address the problem.” The mayor’s forehead was already dripping with beads of sweat. “From this point on, I declare state of emergency for the City of Azalea. Every school in our city will be closed indefinitely. All citizens, especially children, are strongly advised to stay inside their homes. The Azalea Police Department will put all its force in ensuring the safety of our city.” Even before the mayor finished his sentence, questions from here and there flew at him. “I’m Reporter Findout from Azalea Daily. Isn’t the story about the kidnapper just a false rumor? Is it right to close the schools just because of that?” “We have verified information on that. Either way, it is my responsibility as mayor to protect our citizens from danger in all circumstances.” page 67 “If you have information on it open it to the public! Don’t the citizens have the right to know as well?”
29
As the buzz of the reporters soon turned into pointed questions, the mayor’s face turned red as he gave a terse answer. “There was a report from Officer Catchall. Isn’t it an evident fact to all citizens of Azalea that he is a superb and trustworthy police officer?” Pandemonium instantly broke out in the assembly hall. Loud cries were heard everywhere and flashes constantly lit up the hall. Even as the news was showing this sheer bedlam, my mom and dad were still engrossed in duplicating objects with their pot. Chapter 8 page 68 It’s been a few days since I haven’t gone to school. The schools have already been closed, so I couldn’t go in even if I wanted to since the front gates would be firmly shut. Mom and dad were crazy about multiplying things through the pot. They were certainly not the people I used to know about. They now looked like pigs in human outfits. Whenever I went out into the living room my mom and dad glared at me with fierce eyes. “Don’t ever think of going outside. Do you know how dangerous it is out there? Someone might kidnap you, knowing that we have this pot inside our house. Do you understand what I mean?” I couldn’t say anything in response. It was already a scary world out there. page 69 After taking a few glances at my parents I went to the veranda. After blackly staring outside for a while I let out a deep sigh. All my parents cared for now was what they could duplicate with the cursed pot. I had become a ghost in my household. “What use is it to duplicate such a small, golden ring like this? Fetch me something more bigger and expensive!” Dad hollered at mom like a madman.
30
“We tried everything in the house now. And what do we have that could be more valuable than the golden ring?” Now mom was yelling angrily at dad. “Oh! How could I have missed that!” After pondering hard for a while my dad slapped his lap with excitement. “Let’s try putting in money into the pot. We’ll be rich in seconds!” Mom clapped her hands hysterically and screamed with joy at dad’s suggestion. “Oh, dear! Why haven’t we thought of that before!” page 70 Mom and dad found a paper bill in one of their pockets and put it in the pot. A moment later when dad turned the pot upside down, there fell up two paper bills! “This time, we’ll put in the two bills at once!” Two became four, four became eight, and soon there were bundles of money bills stacking up on the floor. Dad couldn’t close his opened mouth and started counting his bills with tears in his eyes. Mom was busy filling the pot up with money bills and doubling it as much as she can. page 71 “We’re rich! We’re rich!” I was being freaked out by the sheer amount of money that was being poured out of that jar. Mom and dad were right that we were rich. But I wasn’t happy about that at all actually. It gave me the goose bumps to see them turn into pigs. I took a step of courage to escape the living room. The front door closed with a thud but mom and dad didn’t seem to care a bit. page 72 I slipped out of my apartment complex and walked hastily towards the shopping street. Police armed in wire mesh helmets and colossal shields were deployed throughout the street. They
31
were prepared to block out citizens from Forsythia and Sunflower cities in case they came intruding into Azalea’s streets again. Not surprisingly the police force was most heavily concentrated in front of the Lucky Pig. The police were deployed in two lines that completely blocked out the street from the store so that nobody could approach it. I passed by the corner as I took a glance at the pig statue standing in front of the store. Although I spotted a few people passing by, the street was deserted for the most part. There were more police than civilians. The police who were paired in twos time to time stopped adults to check their identification cards. The people who were being checked by the police seemed nervous like children who were getting their homework graded by their teacher. “Hey, kid! Why are you walking around alone?” Just when I was about to turn the corner and escape this place, Officer Catchall got in my way and wrinkled up his brow. page 73 “Tell me you’re not out here to steal objects from the Lucky Pig.” Officer Catchall scrutinized my face closely with his pair of glasses on. “N-No, I’m... d-definitely not.” My voice thinned out with fear. “So it seems you don’t intend to steal anything... anyways, it’s highly dangerous to be wandering around alone like this. These streets have turned into a playground of petty thieves. And I’m constantly getting heads ups on people who might try kidnapping children to get a hand on one of the Lucky Pig objects. But no one could escape the omniscient scope of my glasses!” Officer Catchall said with a haughty look on his face. “I order you, go back to your home this moment. Nobody is allowed to be going about the
32
streets like this without my permission!” The officer’s eyes that shone beyond his spectacles looked cold and fierce. I slowly moved backwards. I had to give up on the idea to go see what had become of my school. Even if I did have the chance to go to the school, I wouldn’t be able to go in anyways. A deep sigh came out of my mouth. Now I wasn’t free to even visit places I used to go to everyday. page 74 The only place I could go to was home. And the last place I wanted to be in was home, ironically enough. I turned around and headed back towards the corner where the Lucky Pig was. As I was just turning the corner, I heard the surprised shout of a policeman. “The fog is coming!” I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I saw a thick cloud of fog gathering the other side of the street. There was nowhere I could escape to, because the fog was simultaneously rising from all sorts of places. The fog soon gathered into one big snaky cloud and began slithering through the alleys. Surprised shouts of the police were heard from all over. Frantic footsteps constantly clicked the pavement as policemen shouted out “Ouch!” as they often ran into one another. In an instant pandemonium broke out on the street with cries and calls for help. Soon after the fiendish fog took over the streets, it then began swallowing the buildings as well, one by one. I couldn’t see a thing. Leaning against a wall, I could only hope that it would go away soon. But even after a while the fog would not retreat. I was afraid someone would jump out of the fog to kidnap me. page 75
33
My legs began shaking wildly. As I groped for the wall, I felt my way through around the corner. If I only succeeded in turning this corner I would find myself in front of the Lucky Pig. I slowly made a few steps sideways while putting out one hand to feel the wall. Then when I was just about to turn the corner, something got in my way. I rubbed my eyes in the fog to get a better view. It was the statue of the pig. I heaved a sigh of relief as I continued walking. I still didn’t like the look on the statue’s face, so I tried walking forward while standing abreast to it. But that moment, the statue that had been standing still like a stone slowly turned its head towards me and stared at me right into my eyes. Its nostrils were flaring fiercely. I was so surprised I couldn’t breathe for a moment. I was wrong to think that this pig was the statue. What was before my very eyes was a gigantic, living pig- the Lucky Pig himself! And as if to prove that it was him, his replica casually stood right beside him. Frozen from fear, I couldn’t move my limbs. The Lucky Pig stared down at me with his eerily smug smile for a prolonged moment. page 76 His eyeballs were so big I could almost imagine them making sounds if the pig would roll them left and right. It was a definite fact that he saw me, but for some reason he turned his face away as if he wasn’t all that concerned. Just like how my mom and dad treated me. The Lucky Pig then held up his cane and pointed it towards the vest the statue was wearing and pressed the bottom button with it. That made the steel door slide open. With that, the Lucky Pig slowly made his way into the store. After the steel door closed shut again, the fog that blinded the streets slowly began to
34
disappear. One by one, the people who were faltering came into view. Everyone looked around themselves with a look of astonishment. page 77 I couldn’t believe what I just saw a moment ago. I doubted my memory of seeing a living pig exactly like the statue walking right into the store. But I knew it wasn’t a dream. I had to face the fact that I have encountered the Lucky Pig.
35