Chairman
"I still can't forget the day after liberation, when I visited for the first time Comrade
It was the first New Year's Day after the National Liberation.
The people across the country greeted the New Year's Day with hope and ambition for a new life, full of joy for national resurrection. One day, the great leader's grandparents in Mangyongdae were informed that the President was coming to visit the old native home with their granddaughter-in-law.
The atmosphere around the old native home got lightened up with vigor.
The President's grandmother longed for the day of reunion, imagining a picture of her granddaughter-in-law whom she had never seen, thinking she must have had suffered a lot of hardships fighting in mountains. It was the same for the grandfather. Every dawn a magpie sang on the ash tree, he would come out to the yard, looking outside through the opened gate.
"Soon my granddaughter-in-law who has been said to be the anti-Japanese heroine will come in through this gate with my great-grandson.", he thought. On that day, he also hung around the yard the whole day.
On that day, Comrade Kim Jong Suk, who was also filled with excitement, headed for Mangyongdae with the President and her dear son.
For her, Mangyongdae was a place dear to her heart which she had never stopped thinking about even in the days of fighting the Japs.
Even though it was her first time to visit Mangyongdae, the mountains and hills around it seemed very familiar, probably because that place was deeply etched in her heart.
It was when Comrade Kim Jong Suk got to the old native home with the President and her son.
The President's grandparents hurriedly walked out of the gate and embraced their great-grandson.
The grandfather looked at his granddaughter-in-law and great grandson for a while, feeling very emotional.
"My granddaughter-in-law has come with our great grandson. Today is our family's holiday."
Something warm glittered in the eyes of the grandfather.
The President's grandmother and aunt led Comrade Kim Jong Suk into the room.
On receiving the introduction of the President, Comrade Kim Jong Suk made a bow to his grandfather and grandmother. She also bowed to his relatives in turn.
Grandparents were pleased to see their granddaughter-in-law's intelligent face, bright eyes and special features of her countenance which was full of tenderness and warmth, and yet showed unusually strong and firm spirit. The neighbors also admired her tender and yet sagacious and intelligent appearance.
After finishing her greetings, she put forth her son, who knelt down and bowed to his great grandparents.
After a bow, grandfather embraced his great grandson, and stroked his face and shoulders with his thick fingers.
"He looks just like our general. What a resemblance! Even in treacherous times, our family was still blessed with such a hero-to-be." A hot stream ran down his cheeks again.
Then a simple congratulatory party was thrown at the native home. The table was accompanied by simple foods sincerely prepared by the President's family and neighbors.
"You have not yet received a wedding table yet. Think of this as your wedding table if you may.", said the grandfather.
She poured the wine she had prepared to her grandfather-in-law. While receiving a glass of wine, he stroked his beard.
"It is worth having been living through the harsh times! I have met my grandson, a general, and my granddaughter-in-law, bright like the moon, and I have on my knees my great grandson who will carry on my family's lineage.
On this happy day, those who passed away earlier will bear no regret. Thank you. Thanks to you for coming here. Your visit has made this house even brighter!", said his grandfather and drank his glass, feeling satisfied.
"Grandmother, Grandfather, you must have endured a lot of hardships. Now that a bright world has come, I wish you'd live a long life in good health.", said Comrade Kim Jong Suk.
"It's nothing compared to the hardships you have endured.", said the grandmother.
And she continued. "We still had a home with a roof and slept on a warm floor. It's you who really had a tough time. You have fought in the mountains for 15 years, taking a short and uncomfortable sleep on snow and eating grass roots."
Saying it, she stroked his granddaughter-in-law's hands.
The President smiled at his grandmother and said: "Grandma, you must have had a lot of trouble having been taken by the Japanese police and stooges."
"At that time, I had never thought of it as a trouble. The Japanese and their stooges dragged me around here and there, and forced me to say where my grandson was, but I never kneeled down to them. Though I hadn't received much education, I was determined. I became very strong whenever I thought of my grandson, the general. I told them that my grandson wouldn't forgive them and no matter how hard they might try, they would never find my grandson. Upon hearing my words, they were afraid to offend me. They must have realized that they were likely to be killed secretly by the guerrillas if they treated me in a wrong way.
Now it's all become the past. We are still alive. It's really resentful that those who had died early are unable to see today." she choked with emotion and wiped her tears. Many years passed since his first and third sons, whom had left the home to liberate the country, had passed away. A long time ago she heard that her dear daughter-in-law and second grandson had been buried in a foreign land. No amount of time could make her to forget it.
She really missed her family members on the day the President had come to Mangyongdae for the first time after the liberation, and even more now that she had her granddaughter-in-law and great grandson in her house. The grandparents, as well as all the relatives in the room, wiped their tears.
It was Chairman
His words made all the people look back upon the childhood of the President which were decades ago.
When the villagers asked him to sing, he rose without hesitation and sang "March of the Guerrilla Army". He received an encore and sang another revolutionary song. People applauded him who rose up boldly and sang to his heart's content.
"An eagle does not hatch a dove. Our great grandson, too, is a general-to-be." said the grandfather, feeling very satisfied. The native home in Mangyongdae was filled with great joy. That night the family members and villagers sang without being bothered by formalities. The aunt sang "Lullaby" which the President's mother often used to sing.
The aunt and villagers eagerly asked Comrade Kim Jong Suk to sing. So she sang "Nostalgia". The song left a deep impression on the people in that room.
The night of Mangyongdae got dark. The President had returned to Pyongyang that night. Even though he visited the native home after a long time, he wasn't able to spend a night there due to the busy state affairs. So Comrade Kim Jong Suk decided to sleep with her grandparents-in-law together with her son.
Some time had passed. When she opened her eyes, she realized her son's bed was empty. He looked up, and found out her grandparents-in-law sitting at her bedside with their great grandson in their arms.
"You are awake. It's still midnight. Sleep more." said the grandmother-in-law with great care.
"Grandmother, grandfather! Why aren't you sleeping?" she kindly asked.
"Old men are sleepless. Don't worry about us, sleep more. You have been sleeping on a rock in mountains, without never knowing the ease of sleeping on a warm floor, haven't you?", said the grandparents-in-law
When Comrade Kim Jong Suk still refused to keep sleeping, the grandfather said:
"You left home at such a young age and had experienced a lot of hardships. You were determined to live firmly with a single mind to liberate the country since you were very young.
When the destiny of the country was at stake, there was no peaceful house. We also sent a number of family members on the road to liberate the country and haven't lived a peaceful day ever since.
On the rainy days, we used to stay up all night, worrying and wondering whether they were shivering in the cold. Your grandmother-in-law used to turn an empty spinning wheel. When I asked her why she was spinning an empty spindle, she said she did it because she was anxious. But now it's all become a thing of the past.
You have brought our great grandson who will carry the patriotic blood of this family. Please make our family bright and bring this child up to carry on the future generation of the country".
Grandfather's words deeply impressed her.
At the native home in Mangyongdae, she felt the revolutionary and patriotic family tradition of the President's family and took his grandfather's instructions as the earnest request of the Korean people and the fellow countrymen.
That day she took on a noble mission she assumed before history as the eldest daughter-in-law of the revolutionary family.
