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I noticed there were some things inside a thin, transparent plastic bag - handkerchiefs, some notes, and makeup samples. 

I untied the bag. Grandmother probably tied the knot. 

I poured out the content. 

There were two handkerchiefs, which emitted a smell. It was the smell of my grandmother. 

It wasn’t the stink of perspiration, but an assortment of odors typical of an elderly person. 

얇고 투명한 봉투 안에는 얼핏보니 

손수건과 쪽지들과 화장품 샘플 같은 게 들어있었다.

나는 비닐 봉투의 매듭을 풀었다.

할머니가 묶은 것이었다.

내용물들을 쏟았다.

순수건은 두 장이었는데 희미한 어떤 냄새가 났다.

할머니 냄새였다.

땀내는 아니고, 이것저것이 뒤섞인 노인 냄새라고나 할까.

Ye-eun pulled out her grandmother’s plastic bag from her backpack. She took out the pieces of paper that had her uncle’s address, her cousins’ wedding dates, and her grandfather’s funeral date. Then, she spotted a larger piece of paper with a title that said, “A Prayer for Good Death.” 

I do not know now whether I would be able to use my wisdom freely when I leave this earth, so from now on I offer you all the pain and suffering at the time of my death.>

‘As far as I know, Grandmother isn’t able to survive even on the wisdom of others, let alone her own. I was mildly shocked at the thought that even the little-educated Grandmother had prepared for her last moment so beautifully like this when she was lucid. My heart sank heavily as I thought about my last moment for the first time in my life.’ 

 <나 당신의 마지막 숨을 흠승하오며

 나의 마지막 숨을 당신께서 받으시기를 간구하나이다.

 내가 세상을 떠날 때 내 지혜를 자유로이 사용할는지

 지금 알지 못하오니,

 이제부터 나의 임종의 고통과 모든 괴로움을 당신께 봉헌하나이다. >

‘내가 듣기로 지금 할머니는 지혜를 사용하기는커녕 남의 지혜로도 생존이 어려운 상태였다.

 별로 많이 배우지 못한 할머니도 정신이 있었을 때는

 이토록 아리땁게 당신의 최후를 준비했구나, 하는 생각이

 충격 비슷하게 다가왔다.

 생전 처음 나의 최후가 떠올라 마음이 무거웠다’

# Interview by SNU Korean literature professor Bang Min-ho

The author thought deep and hard about the grandmother’s problem in this story. Ye-eun, who was raised by her grandmother, should feel closer to the old woman than anyone but she is not interested in her affairs at all. People live so much longer these days and the elderly people accounts for a larger share of the population than ever before yet we are so indifferent to their problems. Very few stories deal with the issue of isolation in old age, a problem all of us are bound to face, better than “When I’m Sixty-four.” 

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Lee Chung-hae (Born in Gwangju, June 30, 1948)

: Debuted with short story “Hao” in 1991

Won the KBS Broadcast Literature Award in 1990, etc.