The God's Messenger
Mike likes the window seat and I prefer the aisle seat. For many years, when we fly between the US and Hong Kong, we always book our respective seats on the same row and leave the middle seat open. Almost every time, nobody takes that seat and we end up with a little extra elbow room. Keyword: ALMOST.
About ten years ago, one time, we were on our way back from Hong Kong after visiting my family. We happily settled into our seats, getting ready for our long flight home. It was not quite a full flight. Just as I thought our scheme was going to work once again, a Korean young lady came down the aisle. With her boarding pass in her hand and a not very happy face, she pointed at the middle seat and announced, "That is MY seat."
I got up to let her get to her seat, and I sat back down. But then, Korean young lady hopped back up from her seat and said,"Are you together? If so, I don't want to sit between you. I want to sit by the aisle." Her demeanor was such that I felt I would start a fight if I were to say no. Mike showed no intention of getting up. So, I reluctantly gave up my aisle seat to sit in the middle . . .
It is a long slow journey from Asia to North America. It always feels like the flight has no end. The three of us kinda took turns to read and fall asleep. After many repetitions, we were still not there yet.
Somehow, Korean young lady was interested in talking to me. Her English was not very fluent, but adequately understandable.
Her: Are you on honeymoon? I saw him kiss you earlier. Where are you going?
Me: What? Honeymoon? Oh, no! We have married for many years. We are going home after visiting family in Hong Kong.
Her: Really? You have married for years and he would still kiss you like this? I thought it only happens with newly weds.
Me: (I turned to glance at Mike. I had the feeling he was pretending to be asleep . . . 😪 ) Well, it depends. I don't think it is necessarily over once you are married.
Her: Really . . .
Korean lady became quiet for quite a while. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.
And then she started the conversation again.
Her: I am going to see my boyfriend in Toronto.
Me: Oh, really? That's nice. (I tried to be polite.)
Her: Actually, nobody knows he is my boyfriend.
Me: ??? 😳
Her: He is Canadian. He came to my country to study. He likes me. I like him, too, but I don't want anybody to know that we are going out. You know . . . People talk 😌.
Me: Mmm. So, does he know he is your "boyfriend"? 😳 Do you know if he feels the same way?
Her: Of course, he know he is my boyfriend. He invited me to come visit him. He wants me to come see the country and find out if I like to live in Canada with him.
Me: (Wow! 😦 That is serious!) So, you are boyfriend/ girlfriend, but nobody knows? How does this work?
Her: When we were in Korea, we usually went out with a group of friends -- men and women. I always walk and sit with the women. We don't go out alone much, but when we do, I try to find places where we won't run into people I know. I don't even let him hold my hands. This way, nobody knows. I can't let people know that I am going out with him unless I marry him.
Me: 😕 But if you don't go out with someone, how do you know you want to marry him? It does not make any sense.
Her: You don't understand! It is like that in my country. If people find out I am going out with him, I will be finish!
Me: Really? 😳 But, you are now going to Canada to see him. And that is ok?
Her: Oh, I haven't told anybody I am going to see him. I only told people I am taking vacation. 😌 But, I am really a bit worried. 😔
Me: You are going to see your boyfriend now. You should be very happy! What are you worried about?
Her: Oh, first of all, I am Christian, and he is not. He does not go to church. Also, he drinks! I don't drink, and I don't like people who drink.
Me: Have you ever invited him to go to church with you?
Her: Of course not! If he comes to church with me, everybody will know we are going out!
Me: But, if you do not invite him to go to church, it is not fair for you to criticize him for not going! If being Christian is so great, why don't you let him experience it himself? Instead of complaining about him, you should set a good example. Maybe you would inspire him to become one.
Her: . . . . . 😓
Me: And you said he drinks. How much does he drink? Is he alcoholic?
Her: No, no, no! He is not alcoholic! He drinks beer. A lot.
Me: A lot? How often? How many? All day long? A dozen at a time????
Her: No! He drinks one or two beers in the evening everyday. Isn't that a lot?
Me: No, not really. For happy hour or during meals, that is pretty average. He doesn't get drunk, does he? So, what else do you not like about him?
Her: He likes to hold my hand! He wants to hug me and kiss me! I don't want to do that because . . . what if we don't marry? 😩
Me: So, has he kissed you?
Her: Of course not! I won't even let him hold my hand!!! He keeps writing to me after he returned home, and he offered to pay for my trip to come see him in Toronto. So, I thought I will give it a try.
I have no idea who this Canadian boy is, and how his parents raised him, but he sounds like a very patient and saintly Romeo! 😇
Me: Is that it? It doesn't sound so bad to me.
Her: That is not all. Actually, I am very worried now.
Me: Worried? What about?
Her: When I arrive in Toronto, he is going to meet me at the airport.
Me: Yeah, that's great! So?
Her: What if he hugs me and kisses me? There are so many people at the airport! They are going to see it. People will find out I go out with him and I kiss him, and my reputation will be shot! 😱
Me: Oh, I see. So, let me ask you this: Are you some kind of celebrity? Are you very famous in Korea? 😏
Her: No. Why?
Me: It's true that there are a lot of people at the airport, but I doubt they go there because they want to see YOU. They are there to pick somebody up. Why do you think you are so important to everybody else? Only your sweet boyfriend is going there for you. Only him, okay? One person. Nobody else cares about who you are and what you are doing!
Her: . . . 😓
Me: (I rubbed my face with my hands and took a deep breath . . . ) Listen to me: I have been buying these tickets -- window and aisle seats for many years. Nobody ever put their butt down between us. Somehow, YOU have to sit here today. You know why? Because God wants me to talk to you. There is no other explanations. I am God's messenger for you. Let me tell you what: Go to Toronto. Get out of the plane. When you see your boy, you don't have to hug him if you don't want to. All you have to do is to walk up to him with your arms wide open. He will take care of the rest. If you don't want to kiss him, that's okay, too. However, if he kisses you, do not resist. He knows what to do. So, if anybody sees you and recognizes you, you can say you have not hugged or kissed that boy. He did it. Okay? Am I clear enough?
Her: But . . . 😥
Me: But what? Just do what I say. This is what God wants me to tell you. Just do it.
Her: . . . Okay. 😌
Before we said goodbye, Korean young lady asked for my email address. She said she would email me about how things go.
Sure enough, about two weeks later, I got an email from her. She said she did what I said, and everything went well. She liked Canada and her boyfriend had been good to her. We did exchange a couple more emails, but I have not heard from her again.
Since then, Mike and I have flown between the US and Asia many more times. Nobody else has bought the middle seat again.
About ten years ago, one time, we were on our way back from Hong Kong after visiting my family. We happily settled into our seats, getting ready for our long flight home. It was not quite a full flight. Just as I thought our scheme was going to work once again, a Korean young lady came down the aisle. With her boarding pass in her hand and a not very happy face, she pointed at the middle seat and announced, "That is MY seat."
I got up to let her get to her seat, and I sat back down. But then, Korean young lady hopped back up from her seat and said,"Are you together? If so, I don't want to sit between you. I want to sit by the aisle." Her demeanor was such that I felt I would start a fight if I were to say no. Mike showed no intention of getting up. So, I reluctantly gave up my aisle seat to sit in the middle . . .
It is a long slow journey from Asia to North America. It always feels like the flight has no end. The three of us kinda took turns to read and fall asleep. After many repetitions, we were still not there yet.
Somehow, Korean young lady was interested in talking to me. Her English was not very fluent, but adequately understandable.
Her: Are you on honeymoon? I saw him kiss you earlier. Where are you going?
Me: What? Honeymoon? Oh, no! We have married for many years. We are going home after visiting family in Hong Kong.
Her: Really? You have married for years and he would still kiss you like this? I thought it only happens with newly weds.
Me: (I turned to glance at Mike. I had the feeling he was pretending to be asleep . . . 😪 ) Well, it depends. I don't think it is necessarily over once you are married.
Her: Really . . .
Korean lady became quiet for quite a while. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.
And then she started the conversation again.
Her: I am going to see my boyfriend in Toronto.
Me: Oh, really? That's nice. (I tried to be polite.)
Her: Actually, nobody knows he is my boyfriend.
Me: ??? 😳
Her: He is Canadian. He came to my country to study. He likes me. I like him, too, but I don't want anybody to know that we are going out. You know . . . People talk 😌.
Me: Mmm. So, does he know he is your "boyfriend"? 😳 Do you know if he feels the same way?
Her: Of course, he know he is my boyfriend. He invited me to come visit him. He wants me to come see the country and find out if I like to live in Canada with him.
Me: (Wow! 😦 That is serious!) So, you are boyfriend/ girlfriend, but nobody knows? How does this work?
Her: When we were in Korea, we usually went out with a group of friends -- men and women. I always walk and sit with the women. We don't go out alone much, but when we do, I try to find places where we won't run into people I know. I don't even let him hold my hands. This way, nobody knows. I can't let people know that I am going out with him unless I marry him.
Me: 😕 But if you don't go out with someone, how do you know you want to marry him? It does not make any sense.
Her: You don't understand! It is like that in my country. If people find out I am going out with him, I will be finish!
Me: Really? 😳 But, you are now going to Canada to see him. And that is ok?
Her: Oh, I haven't told anybody I am going to see him. I only told people I am taking vacation. 😌 But, I am really a bit worried. 😔
Me: You are going to see your boyfriend now. You should be very happy! What are you worried about?
Her: Oh, first of all, I am Christian, and he is not. He does not go to church. Also, he drinks! I don't drink, and I don't like people who drink.
Me: Have you ever invited him to go to church with you?
Her: Of course not! If he comes to church with me, everybody will know we are going out!
Me: But, if you do not invite him to go to church, it is not fair for you to criticize him for not going! If being Christian is so great, why don't you let him experience it himself? Instead of complaining about him, you should set a good example. Maybe you would inspire him to become one.
Her: . . . . . 😓
Me: And you said he drinks. How much does he drink? Is he alcoholic?
Her: No, no, no! He is not alcoholic! He drinks beer. A lot.
Me: A lot? How often? How many? All day long? A dozen at a time????
Her: No! He drinks one or two beers in the evening everyday. Isn't that a lot?
Me: No, not really. For happy hour or during meals, that is pretty average. He doesn't get drunk, does he? So, what else do you not like about him?
Her: He likes to hold my hand! He wants to hug me and kiss me! I don't want to do that because . . . what if we don't marry? 😩
Me: So, has he kissed you?
Her: Of course not! I won't even let him hold my hand!!! He keeps writing to me after he returned home, and he offered to pay for my trip to come see him in Toronto. So, I thought I will give it a try.
I have no idea who this Canadian boy is, and how his parents raised him, but he sounds like a very patient and saintly Romeo! 😇
Me: Is that it? It doesn't sound so bad to me.
Her: That is not all. Actually, I am very worried now.
Me: Worried? What about?
Her: When I arrive in Toronto, he is going to meet me at the airport.
Me: Yeah, that's great! So?
Her: What if he hugs me and kisses me? There are so many people at the airport! They are going to see it. People will find out I go out with him and I kiss him, and my reputation will be shot! 😱
Me: Oh, I see. So, let me ask you this: Are you some kind of celebrity? Are you very famous in Korea? 😏
Her: No. Why?
Me: It's true that there are a lot of people at the airport, but I doubt they go there because they want to see YOU. They are there to pick somebody up. Why do you think you are so important to everybody else? Only your sweet boyfriend is going there for you. Only him, okay? One person. Nobody else cares about who you are and what you are doing!
Her: . . . 😓
Me: (I rubbed my face with my hands and took a deep breath . . . ) Listen to me: I have been buying these tickets -- window and aisle seats for many years. Nobody ever put their butt down between us. Somehow, YOU have to sit here today. You know why? Because God wants me to talk to you. There is no other explanations. I am God's messenger for you. Let me tell you what: Go to Toronto. Get out of the plane. When you see your boy, you don't have to hug him if you don't want to. All you have to do is to walk up to him with your arms wide open. He will take care of the rest. If you don't want to kiss him, that's okay, too. However, if he kisses you, do not resist. He knows what to do. So, if anybody sees you and recognizes you, you can say you have not hugged or kissed that boy. He did it. Okay? Am I clear enough?
Her: But . . . 😥
Me: But what? Just do what I say. This is what God wants me to tell you. Just do it.
Her: . . . Okay. 😌
Before we said goodbye, Korean young lady asked for my email address. She said she would email me about how things go.
Sure enough, about two weeks later, I got an email from her. She said she did what I said, and everything went well. She liked Canada and her boyfriend had been good to her. We did exchange a couple more emails, but I have not heard from her again.
Since then, Mike and I have flown between the US and Asia many more times. Nobody else has bought the middle seat again.
Credit: Poem by Dr Michael Martin when he was in third grade
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