The Best Girls

by Min Jin Lee

I looked like Okmi, Sangmi, and Janmi. We don’t have a camera at home, and whenever the teacher asks us to buy a school photograph, Mama says that we don’t have the money for that. So when we do special things for Jaesung, I tell my sisters that this is for all of us.

Aunt told us that we were good girls, the best girls, because we never complained. Then Grandmother said that we must take good care of Jaesung, because a boy would protect and honor his family. This was something we had to remember. One day our brother would save our parents from dying on a lonely mountain.

I wanted Dad to boast about my marks and the foil stars next to my name. I wanted Mama to smile like those pretty-smelling ladies who talked about my dress in the auditorium. But Dad and Mama did not say anything about the high grades or the awards all during fourth, fifth, and sixth grade.

I realized then that I should not study too hard. Because people only dislike you for it. I hoped that Jaesung would study, though, because I felt sure that he would be more popular and his success wouldn’t make anyone mad at him.

grandmother is in the kitchen, I will place enough of this powder into my sisters’ and my porridge bowls. Mama and Dad will be sad, but it will be all right.