My daughter Amber is a tiggy (rhymes with biggie). Stripped to its essence tiggy is a Korean word meaning non-person, animal, or mixed race. That anyone could hate my child because of her gene pool is beyond me.   But in the end, tiggy has the same gut

punch value, as does the word nigger.

        Eighteen months after our daughter's birth, my wife Mi-Ra and I decide it was high time to mend the family fence and go back to visit Korea.  We had, after all, eloped and brought a tiggy into the world.  Would the two of them be accepted?  I could not make

it back with them because of my job.   I wanted to protect them from what Mi-Ra and I had suffered in Korea.  But even in multicultural California, things had not turned out too well for the three of us.

      Monterey, California, harbors a world-class bay and Steinbeck's Cannery Row, but even near flowing tides of opulence ignorance can run deeper than the submarine canyons hidden below the choppy waves.  In an Asian store, Mi-Ra had our infant daughter, Amber, bundled on her back, Korean style, allowing freedom of

movement for the mom.  Mi-Ra politely waited in line to check out a twenty-pound bag of glutinous brown rice.  She smiled with rosy cheeks, basking in the

glow of contented motherhood.  Two ancient Korean grandmothers shuffled behind her, stopped, and whispered…Tiggy, tiggy, tiggy.  A shattered Mi-Ra

later related this to me with a darkened soul.

      This is in the USA, my god what will happen to the two of them in Korea?  It made me reflect upon our own Korean incidents in the years before we were

married.  Like the time two middle-aged drunks staggered behind us as we walked the wharf of Pusan. I heard a thump.  Mi-Ra winced.

     "What was that?"  I asked.

     "Nothing." She replied as she stopped and rubbed her ankle.  I faced her sideways as two guys behind us barged past.  One of them snarled and I said "One of those

morons kicked you, huh!" 

     "No," she lied.

     "Which one?"  I demanded.

    "Don't make trouble.  There are two of them. They'll kill you."

    "They're drunk.  I'll kill them."

    "And the police will arrest US!"

    That was the first time. Twice I had been jumped in the center of town by

crazies.  Hundreds of people walked by.  Dressed in my suit, briefcase in hand, I had walked to my university job.  An arm grabbed me around the throat from behind

and wrestled me down.  As I lay on the concrete I watched a deranged old woman at my feet gesturing in all directions and screeching like a wounded banshee.

An old lady had tackled me!  Another time it was an old man.  Sure they were a couple vegetables short of a salad, but why me?  Foreign devil, that was why!  And

now my child would head back to that kind of mentality.

    But the worst of it was Mi-Ra's family. Her father had died long ago and her five brothers ruled the roost.   Once, her third brother had spotted us together.  No one knew we dated, I had thought.   The next day I couldn't recognize her.  Her lovely head

approximated the size of a pumpkin.  A bruise the color of a ripe plum underlined her left eye.  She walked with pain.

    "What happened?"

    "Bus accident." She lied.

    "Did you go to the hospital?"

    "Yes. Many people did." She lied again.  Years later she spilled the beans, but only after that brother had had a stroke. Her brother had seen us together in the town market.  He figured she'd dishonor the family by getting pregnant.  Then the white devil would abandon her like so many had done during the Korean War.  Then she'd have a TIGGY. So he beat the snot out of her, kicking her in the stomach and pummeling her face.

     Now she was returning home… with a TIGGY.  So, I was worried.

 

     The phone connection to Korea wasn't that good.  It crackled and there was a time delay. But I didn't care. " How's the flight?"  I asked as the acids in my stomach stormed.

     "Long."

     "How did our Amber do?"

     'O.K, but she has a cold I think. "

     I couldn't stand it any more, "So what's your family's reaction?  What did your mom say?"

    "They think Amber is beautiful."  Mi-Ra's voice was calm.  I almost believed her.

    "You're not lying this time?"  I asked.

    "No, I swear by the gods."

    That was good. - I swear by the gods.  That was our private code.  It meant the statement made was a truth to be believed at all costs.

    "By the gods?"

    "Yes, by the gods. My mother is holding her now."

    "What about wingnut number three brother?'

    "He has apologized many times.  He bought Amber lots of presents.  A gold bracelet and a gold ring.  Korean gold 24 karat, not American.  He cried."

    "I still think he's a bonehead and I want to kick HIM in the head."

    "Since his stroke he can't walk anymore.  These are not good thoughts you are having."

    "What else is going on?"

     "Oh, you will like this.  I walked in the market today with Amber strapped on my back and a street shoe vendor begged me to leave her with him."

      "Why?"

      "He said she is so beautiful that people would stop to praise her and buy many shoes from him."

       "Hmmmm… I'll call you in a few days. Sah Rang Hae.  Give Amber a kiss for me. Say hi to your mom." 

"Sah Rang Hae. Call in three days."

 

The connection was a little better, no crackling, but still a time delay.

     "So how's Amber?"

     "She has a cold, but a funny thing happened because of that."

     "She's sick and a funny thing happened?"

      "Yes, listen…yesterday I took her to the market strapped on my back.  She sniffled and sneezed.  I felt a strange movement and turned around quickly.  A young businessman had a tissue and he was trying to clean Amber's nose.  He turned bright red when I caught him.  I think things are changing here."

     "A businessman, huh.  You're not drinking sake, are you?"

     "Sake is Japanese. This really happened."

     "O.K. you were drinking Maek-ju." I teased.

     "Oh… here is another one. Today in the market a group of high school girls kept on following Amber and me from a distance.  Finally one of them ran up.  "

'Here auntie, we bought a bag of candy for your beautiful baby.' They all smiled and ran away.'"

        "You aren't making this all up to make me feel good?"  I asked.

        "It is all true.  I can't make it up."

        "Mi-Ra, I'll call in three days.  Same time.  Sah Rang Hae."

        "Sah Rang Hae."

                                        

    The connection was great.  Not even a delay.

     "Mi-Ra, how's things?"

     "I think I'm going to cry."

     The blood rushed to my face and a quick nausea nailed me.

      "Screw Korea!  Come home now then."

      "No." she whispered, "No, it is good. Amber and I were in the market for a long time.   I was really busy.  After three or four hours of shopping I went home.  Amber sleeps most of the time when I shop.  When I took her home I unstrapped Amber and I saw it."

     "You saw what?"

     "A kiss."

     "A kiss?  How can you see a kiss?"

     "A red lipstick kiss.  Somebody in the market kissed her.  I don't know who."

     I was quiet for a while, " You want to stay longer, huh?"

     "Can we?  My mother is very old now.  Your Tiggy

is safe."

     "I suppose.   I'll call you in three days.  Sah Rang Hae, you two.  Hi to your mom."  I said.

     "Sah Rang Hae." She replied.

     "Mi-Ra… say hi to that bonehead brother too."