Note: This was originally taken from the famous South Korean Newspaper 조선일보 (Joseon Ilbo), and I have included the link above (all rights reserved to them). I wanted to share this with everyone because I found the story of Oshihara Eriko-San as told in this article to be really moving. We all really need to open our hearts to the people in Japan who are still suffering the effects of the tsunami and its continuing aftershocks. Just because it happened awhile ago, does not mean that the victim's struggles are over. I have a lot of friends in Japan and have heard about how devastated the affected area was and seen pictures of the ruins. I hope you can take the time to look at this article and think about how lucky we all are to be alive and say a prayer for all those stills suffering....
"반지, 천국에서 보낸거죠?" 아내를 울린 마지막 선물
"Ring, did you get sent from heaven?" The last gift that made his wife cry
잿더미 日 게센누마, 어떤 부부의 이야기
The day of heaps of ashes Gesennuma, One couple's story
떠난 남편의 가방 속엔 화이트데이 선물 반지가…
A ring for white day lies inside the bag of the husband who left...
오하라 에리코(大原枝里子·33)씨는 18일 미야기(宮城)현 게센누마(氣仙沼)시의 영안실에 누워 있는 남편 요시나리(良成)씨의 뺨에 묻은 진흙을 쓸어내렸다. 그는 남편에게 입을 맞춘 다음 귀에 대고 "사랑해요"라고 속삭였다. 남편의 뺨과 입술, 그리고 귀는 얼음처럼 차가웠다.
On the 18th at the Miyagi Gesennuma mortuary, Oshihara Eriko wiped her husband’s mud-stained cheeks. She kissed him then whispered in his ear "I love you". Her husband's cheek, lips, and ear were as cold as ice.
20일 오하라씨 부부의 이야기를 보도한 요미우리신문에 따르면 오하라씨 가족이 사는 미야기현 게센누마시 모토요시초(本吉町) 데라타니(寺谷)는 이번 지진과 해일에 가장 큰 피해를 입은 지역 중 하나다. 11일 오후 지진으로 집이 흔들리고 해일이 온다는 소식이 들리자 오하라씨는 대피소에 가기 위해 두 딸 리오(2)와 리아(5개월)를 안고서 차에 올라탔다. 차에 타기 직전, 운송회사에서 운전사로 일하는 남편으로부터 전화가 왔다. "괜찮아? 이제 연락이 안 될지도 모른다"는 남편의 말에 오하라씨는 제대로 대꾸도 못하고 전화를 끊었다. 울부짖는 아이들을 두 팔에 안은지라 얘기할 정신도 없었다. 남편과의 마지막 통화였다.
On the 20th the report of Oshihara's story in the Yomiuri Newspaper follows the Oshihara family's lives in one of the biggest earthquake and tsunami to hit the area. On the 11th the earthquake shook the house and flooding entered, hearing the news Oshihara brought her two daughters Rio(2) and Ria (5 months) to the shelter holding them as she got in the car. Just before she was about to get in, she got a call from her husband who was working as a driver at a shipping company. "Are you okay? I don't know if we can get into contact from now on" he said. But, she could not respond properly to the call and the phone hung up. With two crying children in her arms, she was not able to speak her mind. That was her last phone call with her husband.
오하라씨는 근처 초등학교에 대피하기로 했다. 출발한 지 20분 만에 도로는 피난 차량으로 가득 찼다. 차들이 움직일 기미가 안 보이자, 오하라씨는 반대편 차선으로 차를 돌리고 액셀을 밟았다. 이때 바로 앞에 있던 차 두 대가 해일에 휩쓸려갔다. 필사적으로 50m 정도 후진해 겨우 시커먼 물폭탄을 피했다. 차가 서자 옆자리와 뒷자리에 앉은 두 딸부터 챙겨 안았다. 그날 밤은 휘발유를 아끼기 위해 난방도 켜놓지 않고 아이들과 차 안에서 밤을 새웠다.
Oshihara decided to evacuate to a nearby elementary school. Only 20 minutes into her departure, the road was filled with vehicles evacuating. When the cars showed no signs of movement, Oshihara switched onto the accelerator and turned the car so it went into the opposite lane. The two cars ahead of her were swept away by the tsunami. At the same time, she barely avoided the water bomb and massive wave by her desperate efforts to drive backwards about 50 meters. She gave her two daughters sitting in the passenger’s seat and back seat a hug. That night, they spent together in the car without the heat on in order to conserve gas.
다음날 목적지를 바꿔 바다와 더 멀리 떨어진 대피소로 갔다. 물자가 부족한 가운데서 오하라씨와 두 딸의 힘겨운 대피소 생활이 시작됐다. 그 중에서도 가장 고생한 건 생후 5개월 된 리아였다. 지진과 피신의 혼란 통에 젖병이 다 깨졌다. 스트레스 때문인지 모유도 나오질 않았다. 이온 음료에 끓인 물을 섞어 줘봤지만 리아는 도리질 치며 울기만 했다. 기저귀를 제때 갈아주지 못해 짓무른 엉덩이에 딱지가 앉았고, 딱지가 벌어지면 피가 흘렀다.
The next day they changed their destination to a shelter more distant from the seashore. Because she lacked materials, Ohara and her two daughters began their uphill shelter life. The most troubling of the matter was 5 month old Ria. In the confusion of the earthquake and their evacuation, all of her bottles broke. Because of stress, She was also not able to breastfeed her. She mixed a sports drink with boiling water but Ria only shook her head and cried. There was never any time to change her diaper so she got scabs on her bottom, and they went on to bleed.
17일 게센누마시 근처에서 배달작업을 하던 남편이 해일에 쓸려 사망했다는 소식을 남편의 직장 상사에게서 들었지만 실감이 나지 않았다. 다음날 밤 아이들이 대피소에서 잠든 것을 확인하고 오하라씨는 영안실로 향했다. 관 속에 누운 벌거벗은 남자가 남편인 걸 확인하자 그제야 거짓말처럼 눈물이 솟구쳤다. 남편에게 깨끗한 옷이라도 입혀주기 위해 집으로 돌아갔다. 해일이 집을 부수지는 않았다.
On the 17th around the vicinity of the Gesennuma area, she received news from the head of the delivery company that her husband had died while being washed away by the tsunami, but the news did not sink in. The next night, making sure her children were asleep in the shelter, Oshihara then went too the morgue. Naked man lying in the coffin, Oshihara confirmed it was her husband, then as if it was a lie tears welled up. She then returned home in order to get her husband some clean clothing. The house had not been broken by the tsunami.
집에 와서야 비로소 회사에서 돌려준 남편의 짐가방을 풀어봤다. 여성용 반지가 그 안에 들어 있었다. 오하라씨는 얼마 전 남편에게 했던 말이 떠올랐다. “가끔 나도 반지 같은 게 갖고 싶을 때가 있어요. 당신은 선물 주는 남자는 아닌 것 같네요.” 화이트데이(14일)를 앞두고 남편이 준비한 마지막 선물. 그녀는 반지를 꼭 쥐고 다시 울었다.
It wasn’t until she returned home that she at last saw her husband's suitcase that the company had returned to her. Inside there was a woman's ring. The time came back to her when she had said to her husband, "Sometimes I also want to have something like a ring. But you don't look like a present giving type of man". Ahead of White Day (14th) her husband had prepared a last present. She could only cry clutching the ring.
오하라씨는 두 딸과 함께 여전히 대피소에서 살고 있다. 이곳에 얼마나 더 있어야 할 지 모른다. 다만 앞으로 닥쳐올 어려움을 혼자 이겨내야 한다는 것만은 분명했다. 기저귀가 없어서 오물이 묻은 애들 옷은 그냥 바람에 말린다. 오하라씨는 가끔 주머니 속에 있는 반지를 매만지며 혼잣말을 한다. “이 아이들은 내가 꼭 잘 키울게요.”
Oshihara and her two daughters are still living together in the shelter. How many more alone in that place is unknown. But the challenge of going through this by herself in the future was clear. They did not have diapers, so the kid's dirty clothing was just left to dry in the wind. Oshihara, tugging at the ring in her pocket sometimes, said "I will make sure these children grow".
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