Van Gogh Reborn!

Grandpa did something on my phone. 

Thanks to that, NewTube and WebFlix are full of kids’ content. 

I think I should see this baby shark song until I find a way to solve it, which is to persuade grandpa or enter middle school. 

At first, I was very dissatisfied, but the more I listened to it, the more addicting it became, so now I play it all the time.

“Why are you watching this?” 

During lunch hour, Sihyeon looked at my smartphone screen and asked curiously.

“Do you know this?” 

“Yes, I saw it when I was a kid.” 

‘You’re still a kid.” 

“We’re only a year apart.” 

Sihyeon inflates his cheeks. 

He rested his elbows on the desk, and poked his lips out.

Then he stares at the workbook. 

“What?” 

“You’re working hard.” 

“Of course, we have an exam next week.” 

It’s a relief that I can keep up with the general subjects. 

If there was test even for the special subjects, these days would have been unbearable. 

Sihyeon, who was watching, stood up and said. 

“Then would you like to study together on the weekend? I’ll teach you something you don’t know.” 

“But, I’ve decided to plant sunflowers on the weekend.” 

“Sunflower?” 

“I told you I saw the land, right? I bought some seeds to plant them there.” 

“Is that fun?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Then why do you do it?” 

“Because I want to try.” 

Sihyeon was depressed like a hungry puppy. 

I was supposed to paint watercolors together with him, and it seems like he’s sulking because we’re not able to do it due to a lot of overlapping work. 

“Do you want to try planting sunflowers?” 

“I don’t know how to do it.” 

“I also don’t know.
I’m just trying.” 

I’ve seen it and heard about it, but I’ve never raised myself. 

“What if I can’t do it properly?” 

“We can try it again next year.” 

Sihyeon, who was thinking about it, nodded. 

“I’ll come if I don’t have to study for the exam.”

“You always study, so it’s okay.” 

Sihyeon thinks for a while and asks again. 

“Can I really? There are still many things that I get wrong.” 

“What’s wrong with getting something wrong?” 

Getting it wrong on the test doesn’t interfere with drawing. 

School is a place to learn and experience new things and knowledge, not a place to take exams. 

“Then I’ll go.” 

“Okay.
Come to my house on Saturday morning.” 

     

“Sihyeon wants to come by on the weekend.” 

“Good.” 

I talked about Sihyeon to grandpa on our way home from school. 

“He seems to be worried.” 

“What is he worried about?” 

“What if he can’t raise a sunflower? He’s worried that he should study for the exam.” 

Grandpa asked with a sneer of laughter. 

“What do you think, Hun?” 

“It’s okay if you’re not good at it.
It’s worth doing it once.” 

You can’t gain experience unless you give it a try. 

The same goes for growing sunflowers. 

There will be some touching moments that cannot be understood by text. 

It may be sad if the sunflower that has been raised hard withers, but it is an emotion that you will not experience unless you raise it. 

“That’s why freedom is good.” 

I turned my head because I didn’t know what grandpa was talking about, so grandpa added an explanation. 

“If you just do what you learn, you will get good results.
If Hun studies more for the exam on the weekend, he can get one or two more questions right.”

“Yes.” 

“If you plant sunflowers instead of studying, your score might be a little low, just like Sihyeon is worried about.
So which one is better?” 

“Planting sunflowers.” 

“Why?” 

I’ve never thought about why. 

Grandpa grinned and gave an answer. 

“That’s what freedom is about.
It’s not good because it always brings better results, but it’s good in itself.”  

Grandpa said that freedom is important in itself. 

It is meaningless for parents or teachers to inform the children of their experiences so that the children can enter a great university and have a respected job. 

The children get deprived of their freedom to experience since they did what they are told to. 

Aunt Mirae also said something similar in an interview. 

     

When I arrived home, the delivery company’s car was standing in front of the house. 

They took out something the size of my torso. 

It looks like a picture frame. 

“I got a text message that the package was coming.” 

It seems that they contacted grandpa. 

“What is it?” 

“Well, it’s said to have been sent by Henry Marceau.
Is it a picture?” 

As grandpa said, it looks like a picture sent in a frame.

The only picture Henry Marceau will send me is his self-portrait, and I don’t know where to keep it. 

Why does he keep sending me things like this? 

“Thank you.” 

I greeted the delivery staff and went inside. 

It was so big and heavy that grandpa held it for me. 

I brought a knife and carefully peeled off the wrapper. 

There were several canvases piled up. 

It looks like a 60F canvas. 

“……” 

It’s upside down, so when I turn it around, it’s a line drawing. 

It is a self-portrait of Henry Marceau, but it is not the original, but it is a self-portrait drawn only with lines like in a coloring book.
The same is true of other canvases. 

“What’s this?” 

“I don’t know.” 

Grandpa also tilts his head. 

I don’t know what he means by sending it to me. 

I found a card at the back. 

It looks like I opened it upside down. 

I opened the wax-sealed card. 

My plan went down the drain because of ran away to Korea.
I’ll forgive you because I have a big heart. 

“What did he say?” 

“Nonsense.” 

I kept reading. 

If you had stayed here obediently, you could have had one of my works. 

Still, I’ll give you a line drawing of my self-portrait as a gift since I heard you like coloring. 

Happy birthday Brat. 

I think it’ll be perfect to learn how to use paint, and I want to give it to Sihyeon. 

‘Happy birthday.’ 

“Birthday?” 

My birthday was June 1st, but it didn’t arrive until the 23rd, so it seems like it took a long time to prepare. 

It is understandable that he made it carefully so that there is no big difference from the original since he is very meticulous. 

“How did Marceau know your birthday?” 

“Today is not my birthday.” 

“It was on the 23rd.
I’m preparing to change it.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, grandpa.” 

“It’s a little complicated.”  

Grandpa scratched his chin and told the story. 

“When Hun was born, the Doctor said that you were in a critical condition.
You got put into an incubator as soon as you were born.” 

“What’s an incubator?” 

“You can think of it as a device protecting sick babies.
So that they can stay warm without bad bacteria.” 

Maybe it’s like a cradle. 

“Everyone’s head was filled with worry, so your father asked grandfather to register your birth.” 

“Grandpa?” 

“Not me, your father’s grandfather.” 

“Father’s grandfather…….Is it my great-grandfather?” 

“Yeah.
Hun’s great-grandfather was so bad that he didn’t register the birth because he thought you were going to die.” 

Grandpa said as if great-grandfather had made a very big mistake, but in the old days, it was common since there were many stillborn babies who died.

“Then I registered your birth on the day you left the incubator since I couldn’t remember your birthday.
Your mom and dad found out later and tried to fix it, but they were too busy to do it.” 

Hun’s mother must have written it down in her diary. 

” I thought If it’s a birthday you don’t even remember anyway, maybe I should take this opportunity to change it to your original birthday and remember it,” 

I nodded. 

“Grandpa asked many people now, so I think I will be able to fix it soon.
It’s all because of that old man.” 

I don’t care about the great-grandfather’s story. 

“So, was I sick for 23 days?” 

“Yeah.
It was chaotic.
Do you know how much your mom, dad, and grandma cried then?” 

I think Grandpa would have cried the most. 

“What’s the problem?” 

“As soon as you were born, you didn’t cry and if a baby doesn’t cry, it means that he can’t breathe.
It was fortunate that you were able to breathe, but your body was too small.
And we were  surprised when you had a seizure.” 

If a newborn child had a seizure without crying, anyone would be surprised. 

“But you got better and calmed down little by little.” 

I think this was the reason why Grandpa always asks me to brush my teeth, wash my hands, and apply lotion. 

With the help of grandpa, I moved the line drawings, a gift that can’t be called a gift, to the studio. 

I didn’t like it, but I thought I should say thank you, so I took my smartphone. 

I called Michelle Platini because I didn’t have Henry Marceau’s number. 

It took a while to connect, and soon her warm voice was heard.

“Hello, Michelle.
How are you?” 

– Fine.
How are you, Hun? 

“Great,” 

Michelle laughed softly. 

-What’s going on? 

“Marceau sent me a present and I wanted to say thank you, but I don’t have his number.
Can you tell me where to contact?” 

Hold on. 

Michelle Platini sent a message. 

It’s saved under the name ‘Connard’. 

Connard, which I used to know, has a different meaning, but now it seems to be used as a pet name for lovers. 

“Thank you.
I’ll call him.” 

– Yeah, happy birthday.