Pachinko

A Letter Across Time

Dearest Reader, I come to you as a voice from the past, a whisper that has traversed oceans and decades to find you. My name is Sunja, and while my story may seem distant, the threads of life that connect us are strong and enduring.

I was born in a small fishing village in Korea, at a time when the world was not as small as it seems today. I have lived through moments of despair, but also times of great joy.

It is my hope that by sharing my story, you might see the reflections of your own life within mine. You see, my life began simply enough, with the salt of the sea and the warmth of my mother's love enveloping me.

But as I grew, life, as it does, presented me with choices that would shape my destiny. Some of those choices were made for me, and others I grasped with my own two hands, not fully understanding their weight until much later.

It is in these choices, I believe, that you and I are the same, for haven't you also stood at life's crossroads, feeling the gravity of the unknown?

The Seeds of Resilience

There was a time when the ground beneath my feet seemed to shift like the sands on Hapcheon Beach. My father had passed, leaving my mother and me to fend for ourselves.

The absence of his steady presence was like a gaping hole in our lives, an emptiness that echoed with the sound of waves against our modest home. Yet, in this void, my mother planted seeds of resilience that would one day bloom within me.

She taught me that we could endure, that we must endure, for the sake of those we love. Perhaps you, too, have known the sting of loss, the way it can hollow you out until you feel as though the wind might carry you away.

But you are still here, aren't you? Still standing, still fighting. It is a testament to your strength, a quality that does not diminish with time or distance.

It is the very essence of what it means to be human.

Love and Sacrifice

Love entered my life in waves—a gentle touch that soon became a torrent, sweeping me off my feet. His name was Koh Hansu, and he was as enigmatic as a moonlit path on the sea.

Our love was a clandestine affair that, like a hidden pearl, shone with a luster all its own. But sometimes, what glimmers in the night can lead a sailor to ruin, and so it was with us.

Hansu was not mine to keep, and the revelation of his true circumstances shattered the world I knew. It was then I learned the true nature of sacrifice.

To protect my family's honor and my unborn child, I left behind my home and the love I knew for a life of uncertainty in a foreign land—Japan. You, too, may have faced moments where love demanded more than you thought you could give.

And like me, you may have discovered that within the human heart lies a capacity for sacrifice that knows no bounds.

The Struggle of Belonging

In Japan, I was a stranger in a land that viewed me with suspicion and disdain. The language was a tangled web, and the customs, a maze in which I often lost my way.

Yet, within this labyrinth, I found a home and a family. My husband, Isak, with his unwavering faith, became a beacon of hope, and our children, a source of unending love.

But even amidst this warmth, the chill of being an outsider lingered, clinging to my skin like the damp fog of early mornings. Perhaps you, too, know the feeling of being an outsider, of yearning to belong and yet standing apart.

It is a universal struggle, one that binds us across the reaches of time and space. Belonging is not merely a place on a map; it is found in the connections we forge with others, in the shared smiles and silent understandings that transcend words.

The Pachinko Parlor of Life

Life, I came to understand, is like the pachinko parlors that dotted the streets of Osaka—full of noise and chaos, where luck seems to reign supreme. Yet, as I watched the small steel balls ricochet and tumble, I saw a deeper truth.

Our lives are not left entirely to chance. Each decision we make, each kindness we offer, sets us on a path, influences the trajectory of our journey.

My son, Mozasu, found his future in those parlors, not by leaving his fate to the whims of the machines, but by working diligently, shaping his destiny with his own hands. In your life, too, you may feel at the mercy of forces beyond your control.

But remember this: within you is the power to influence the game. Your actions, your choices, your determination—they all matter.

The world may seem indifferent, but it is waiting, waiting for you to leave your mark, just as I tried to leave mine.

Enduring Across Generations

My story is not mine alone. It is woven through the lives of my children and theirs after them.

As I grew older, I watched as my descendants faced their own trials and triumphs, each echoing the past while forging their own paths. The strength I drew from my mother, I passed to my sons, and they, in turn, to theirs.

It is a lineage of resilience, a testament to the human spirit's ability to endure. Through war, through discrimination, through the relentless march of time—we endure.

Your story, too, is part of a larger tapestry, one that stretches back through the generations and forward into the future. You carry within you the legacy of those who came before, and you will pass on your own strength to those who follow.

In this way, we are all connected, all part of something greater than ourselves.

A Farewell from Sunja

And now, dear reader, my letter must come to a close. I hope that in my words you have found a kindred spirit, a reminder that your struggles and joys are shared by many.

If you wish to delve deeper into my story, to walk alongside me through the pages of history, I invite you to seek out the book "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee. It is a masterpiece that captures not only my journey but the essence of an entire people's struggle and resilience.

Within its pages, you will find more than a tale; you will find a window into the human soul. As you turn the pages, as you immerse yourself in the lives of my family, may you find comfort, understanding, and a renewed sense of purpose.

For we are all pachinko players in this vast parlor of existence, our lives intertwining, our stories echoing in the hearts of those we touch. With enduring affection and the deepest respect, Sunja