Chapter 93 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum
"It was so wonderful! I really wanted to see Haeundae Beach. So, that's what the sea looks like, an endlessly rippling water making such an immense sound. Thank you! I'm so proud of you, my brother."
After sending off the family and tending to the exhibition till late, I return home to find my brother waiting for me in the living room, excitedly chattering away.
"The kids who were curious about PUBAO were so happy to see your paintings. On the way home, the teacher held my hand and thanked me for inviting them to this exhibition. I felt like I was soaring to the sky because of it."
Mom, feeling lively for the first time in a while, smiles as she prepares fruit for us.
"Even with my sight, I found many beautiful paintings there. But it seemed like there were fewer visitors than expected at the exhibition, is that okay?"
Mom is always a mom.
Even while looking after my brother, she noticed the number of visitors at my exhibition.
I replied with a big smile.
"It's just the first day. Today is Friday, so we don't know yet. We should aim high over the weekend. According to the secretariat, over 20,000 people bought tickets online, so I think we'll at least break even."
"Tsk, tsk, just breaking even, after all those months of hard work."
That's why our elders put their lives into manufacturing.
Because they valued immediate, tangible money over intangible values.
Explaining to my old-school mom how this exhibition helps my company's operations would be too complicated.
"Ha ha, but it'll be great for our image and will bring progress in our business. Oh! All of my paintings were sold."
My brother shouts in surprise.
"Really?"
Mom also looks surprised, her eyes wide.
"Weren't there over 20 paintings? Other artists had at most eight, but you had over twenty. And they all sold on the first day?"
I grinned and nodded.
"The theater said they would buy all of them."
"Oh my, how thankful I am."
My brother quickly asks.
"How much for each painting?"
""
Wow, crazy.
I didn't set a price for my paintings. How much should I ask for? Goodness, I would have been embarrassed later if my brother hadn't asked.
"Well... maybe at least 500,000 won per piece?"
"Wow! Then that's ten million won for twenty pieces?"
"Yes."
"Awesome, my brother!"
Preparing for the exhibition took six months.
Others might say it's not worth it to prepare for six months only to earn ten million won. But my pure-hearted brother values the act of making money through painting. And so does mom.
"Our second child, keeping the promise with dad well, aren't you?"
".."
Dad. I think of dad.
How great it would be if dad were also here with us at this moment?
Not in the house where we had to do hand laundry in winter because the boiler and water pipes froze, not in the house where we had to live with mosquitoes, flies, and various insects in summer. How great it would be if dad were here in this warm house in winter and cool house in summer?
Did mom notice the longing on my face?
She holds my hand warmly and says.
"Shall we pray for dad for a moment?"
I smiled broadly.
I used to never go to church even when mom asked me to when I was younger.
But today, I want to pray for dad.
I nod, and mom holds my hands and my brother's in hers, closes her eyes, and recites a prayer.
Honestly, I don't even know what the prayer means, and I don't know if it reaches dad or some god taking care of dad. But I want to ask for him, to live well without suffering.
After the prayer, mom goes to get juice.
Alone with my brother in the living room, I take out a large square object hidden under the sofa.
Hearing the rustling sound, my brother, who has developed hearing, turns his head towards the sound.
I smile and joke.
"You always have sharp ears."
"You need sharp ears to survive. What did you take out?"
"A gift."
"For who? Mom?"
"No, a gift for you, brother."
"Me? I don't need anything."
"You don't buy a painting because you need it; you buy it because you want it."
Ha ha, actually, this is what Monica said when she was explaining about luxury goods.
I didn't understand the desire to buy overpriced luxury goods and wondered why people bought unnecessary luxuries. To that, Monica said this.
You don't buy it because you need it; you buy it because you want it. Hearing that, I felt as if someone had smacked me on the back of the head.
My brother opens his eyes.
Although they don't focus, sometimes when it's just the two of us, he opens his eyes like that.
Seeing my brother open his eyes, yearning to see despite being blind, tugs at my heartstrings.
"A painting? Like the ones we saw at the exhibition?"
"Yes."
"One with textures that I can feel?"
"Yes."
"Give it to me, I want to touch it."
"Here, let's hang it in your room."
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