Chapter 133
Vienna International Airport.
"Call me as soon as you arrive. I've heard there are areas where phones don't work, so if that's the case, call me from a pay phone. Don't worry your sister, okay?"
Ji-ye, who handed him two large suitcases containing Soo-hyun's luggage, scolded him from the parking lot in front of the airport.
Although not a mother figure in terms of age, he was a mother figure to his three friends.
Ji-ye said after taking Soo-hyun's, Jaehee's, and Junwoo's luggage out of the trunk.
"Stay away from the danger zone as much as possible. Stay close to Abna. Okay? And call me often!"
'How many times have you talked on the phone?'
Junwoo said as he snatched the suitcase from Ji-ye's hands.
"Oh, come on. My sister is going to Korea too. Even if I call her, she'll already be on the plane. We only have a six-hour flight, but my sister has to fly for more than ten. We'll arrive much earlier than you."
Junwoo's words were correct. Ji-ye was scheduled to take a flight twenty minutes earlier, but her arrival time was still later.
"And he said the phone works there. Don't worry too much, sister," Junwoo said as he walked ahead.
If Soo-hyun had said he was going alone, he would have nagged him for two nights and three days, but he felt a little better now that Jaehee, who was smart, and Junwoo, who took care of himself even though he seemed stupid, were going together. However, Ji-ye looked at Soo-hyun, who was very excited, with concern.
"Soo-hyun, take care of your phone. Do you know that if you don't call me, I won't be able to sleep?"
Soo-hyun, who knew Ji-ye's heart, hugged him tightly. Now, Ji-ye's face was close to Soo-hyun's chest.
"I'll call you often. So don't worry and have a good trip to Korea, sister."
As they exchanged greetings, Junwoo, who had gone on ahead, saw Abna waiting in the lobby and greeted her.
"Abna!!!"
Junwoo and Abna didn't know each other, but after deciding on the trip, they quickly became close thanks to their characteristic friendliness during a meal together. They met thanks to Soo-hyun, but now Junwoo seemed closer to her than Soo-hyun.
Abna waved her hand, showing her white teeth.
"Are you here?"
Junwoo quickly ran over and sat down next to her.
"When did you come?"
"Me? About ten minutes ago?"
"I've been waiting for you."
"Haha, no. It's only been ten minutes."
Junwoo was a gentleman. He became even kinder to women. In addition, Abna was quite pretty and had an attractive body, which was even better.
As Ji-ye, who had a different flight schedule, said goodbye and went out to exchange boarding passes, Soo-hyun and Jaehee also approached the side where Abna was sitting. Jaehee stared at Junwoo, who was acting cute with her, and greeted him with his eyes. When everyone arrived, Abna looked at the time and stood up.
"Okay, shall we go then?"
The immigration office was crowded, but fortunately the departure procedures were completed quickly. Four people on the plane. When Jaehee sat next to Soo-hyun, Junwoo naturally sat next to Abna.
"But the capital of Ghana is Accra, right? But are we going to Tamale International Airport?"
"Yes, my house is in a place called Larabanga, in northern Ghana. It's a rural village."
"Ah! The best way to learn about a country's culture is through its landscape! But when you go there, are there only rice paddies, fields, and so on?"
Abna smiled at Junwoo's words.
"No. The most famous place in Larabanga is Mole National Park. My father works there."
"Ah, a park? A national park in Africa is a place full of wild animals, right?"
Soo-hyun's ears perked up as he sat behind them.
"Yes, it's a tropical rainforest that covers 357 km². It's home to 266 species of birds and 93 species of mammals."
"Wow! There are so many! What exactly is there?"
"Um… elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, and sometimes hyenas and lions."
"That's totally cool!"
Junwoo looked at Soo-hyun.
"Did you hear? There are elephants and lions!"
Soo-hyun's butt wiggled. He, who was sitting in the front seat, stuck his head out and asked,
"Are there many elephants?"
"Oh, there are a lot. And my dad works at an elephant sanctuary, so I'll be able to see a lot."
Soo-hyun's face lit up.
'An elephant sanctuary! I'm sure there are a lot of lovely elephants there.'
Tamale International Airport, Ghana, Africa.
As they left the small airport, a black man stood on a rusty truck, raising his hand and shouting.
"Abna!!!"
Abna, who was leaving the airport, ran towards him while Junwoo pushed her suitcase. Junwoo, who was suddenly in charge of Abna's travel bag, muttered,
'Wasn't that a popular thing in Korea a while ago? How does he know?'
Soo-hyun, who didn't know what he was talking about, looked at Abna.
'I think that's Abna's father. They don't look alike, do they?'
Jaehee stood to the side and spoke.
'I guess she looks like her mother. Let's go quickly.'
The man who had been hugging and stroking Abna spoke with a bright face as his three friends approached.
"Come on in. I've already contacted you. I'm Ignacio, Abna's father."
Junwoo, who was a friendly boy, spoke first.
"Oh! Sir, do you speak English?"
"Haha, Ghana is an English-speaking country. Come on, get in. I'll take your luggage."
Ignacio, who had gotten out of the car, looked at the large Soo-hyun with a surprised expression.
"Are you also a friend of Abna's? You're so big!"
"Hello, sir. I'm Soo-hyun."
"Ah, yes. You look like a good worker. Can you help me with the work?"
"Yes, sir."
Soo-hyun, who had been recognized for his hard work from the beginning.
'I think of him as the old man who will show me the elephant, so I want to help him and look good even if I have to make something up.'
A truck that left after being fully loaded. While driving, Ignacio talked nonstop about Ghana.
"African countries are mostly Muslim, but Ghana is said to be a Christian sphere of influence. The per capita GDP is around $2,100, and the national GDP is also $65.5 billion, making it one of the richest countries in Africa. Its main economic activity is oil, but it is also the world's second-largest producer of cocoa. Would you like to try it?"
Ignacio opened the truck's glove box and took out some cocoa beans, passing them to the back. Junwoo quickly took it and frowned after taking the first bite.
"What kind of cocoa is this? It's so bitter."
"Haha, the original fruit is a bit bitter. When it's processed, it becomes chocolate."
Soo-hyun and Jaehee also tried it carefully and frowned. It looked sweet, but the bitter taste was much stronger.
"It will take several hours to get to Larabanga, so get some rest," Ignacio said with a bright smile.
He had slept on the plane, but was quite tired from being in an uncomfortable place for a long time. But after about an hour of driving, the road became poorly paved and the car rattled so much that it was difficult to sleep. In addition, women and children would come to tap on the window to sell food in baskets, which made it even more difficult to sleep.
Finally, the group arrived in Larabanga without even being able to sleep. Abna's house was a single-story house, but it was quite spacious. Ten brothers and sisters, including Abna's mother, were sitting in the large living room doing something. As soon as the person who appeared to be Abna's mother saw her, she ran and hugged her.
"Abna! My daughter!"
"Mom!!"
"Haha, okay. How have you been?"
"I'm fine. How about Mom?"
"Mom, are you okay?"
Mom greeted his friends after seeing them.
"I'm Bhavna, Abna's mother. Nice to meet you."
"Hello, mother-in-law… No, Bhavna! I'm Junwoo," he said, running out.
"Haha, okay. Come on, sit down."
After Jaehee and Soo-hyun said hello, Junwoo quickly sat down among Abna's siblings and began to act like one of them, helping them with their work.
"But what is this that you're making?"
"A bag," said the girl next to Junwoo.
"Is this a bag?"
"Yes, sell it to tourists."
"Oh, I should buy one too. I should give it to my mom. My mom has a hobby of collecting bags."
"Hehehe, Junwoo is really funny."
"Really? I think I'm funny, but my friends think I'm pathetic."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Is it bad?"
"Yes, bad."
"Hehehe, you're so cute. Call me oppa."
"What's that?"
"Koreans traditionally call older men 'oppa.' Try it."
"Brother?"
"How cute! What's your name?"
"Afia."
"Okay, Afia. You have to call me oppa now, okay?"
"Huh."
The cute Afia, who seemed to be a little over ten years old, was busy teaching Junwoo how to make bags. After a long time of sharing the joy of reuniting with his siblings, Abna finally showed the group their rooms.
"My mom has been selling these bags since she was six. At first, they didn't sell very well, but with the increase in tourists, they became affordable. Now they cost three times more than my dad's income. They're 100% handmade. I'll give you one when you go back home. Ah, Jaehee uses this room, and Soo-hyun uses this one."
"Thank you, Abna."
"Thank you."
Jaehee, who was tired, went to his room first, and Soo-hyun went to another room and unpacked his bags. It had a large window so the outside was clearly visible. Soo-hyun's anticipation grew as he observed the natural surroundings. Looking at the time, it was already time for the sun to set.
'I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to go to the elephant sanctuary where Uncle Ignacio works.'
Although he was a little tired, Soo-hyun decided to take a walk around the house. The lawn in front of the house was so overgrown with bushes that it was embarrassing to even call it a lawn. The red sunset of the African sun was dazzling.
"Beautiful..."
'Will I be able to see elephants roaming such a vast field tomorrow?'
He couldn't help but laugh. Soo-hyun, who was taking a big lap around the house, tilted his head when he saw a place that looked like a barn behind the house. He intuitively felt that it was a place where animals lived.
'What kind of animals do Ghanaians have?'
The sight that caught Soo-hyun's eye the moment he opened the slightly ajar barn door aroused his curiosity. He saw an elephant much smaller than himself.
'It is said that African elephants are huge, so why are they so small? But who cares! They're elephants!'
Soo-hyun's eyes wavered as he ran excitedly towards the elephant.
"Trunk, elephant… what's wrong with you?"
A small elephant that rolled its black eyes and looked at Soo-hyun when someone entered. Numerous wounds could be seen on the elephant's face, trunk, and body. The sad eyes of the little elephant, which were full of old and ugly wounds that were torn, scratched, and pierced, also hurt Soo-hyun's heart.