We understood each other

On one of my trips, there was an old woman who was walking through the filled train. I stood so she could sit. She was both surprised and relieved. I had a large container of the kimchi I just prepared myself in my arms and she offered to hold it while I stood. I thanked her but told her it was no problem and to relax. She thanked me again in almost a whisper with a weak voice in English and very quickly closed her eyes and rested through a couple of stops.

When a seat opened up she told me to sit quickly but it was a seat reserved for pregnant mothers, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t sit there. I thanked her, we squabbled, her in Korean and me in English. It was not anger but very cute annoyance. She then jumped in the other seat grabbed my arm and pulled me into the seat I had given to her. Everyone around us was watching, all with stoic faces but at the same time maybe a bit amused at the two of us obviously not understand each other’s words but instead understanding each other’s sentiments.

After a few more stops, it was her turn to get off, she turned and smiled at me, I waved at her. She was so small. She showed every year she had lived in her face and curved back. I waved. She responded with a beautiful smile and said ‘Bye bye’. I wish I would have taken a picture of her.