중학교 영어 3 (동아출판 윤정미) 연계 글

When I was little, I caught a cold almost every winter. On those days, my grandmother cooked rice porridge for me. She made me stay under a thick blanket while the porridge bubbled on the stove. Her porridge was plain, with only rice, water, salt, and a little sesame oil. Before each spoonful reached my mouth, she blew on it gently so that it would not burn my tongue.

Last month, my little brother, Yechan, came down with a bad cold. Our parents were working late, and Grandma lives three hours away. Yechan would not eat anything, so I decided to cook my first pot of rice porridge.

I called Grandma so that she could explain the steps to me. She told me to keep stirring and never to leave the pot. I stirred for ten minutes, but then my arm grew tired. I walked away to answer a text and forgot about the pot. When I came back, the bottom of the pot had turned black. The smoky smell made Yechan cough in his room.

I washed the pot and started again. This time, I put a chair next to the stove so that I could stir without a break. Slowly, the rice turned soft and smooth. I carried the bowl to Yechan and blew on each spoonful before it reached his mouth. He finished the whole bowl and asked for more. His empty bowl made me forget all about my tired arm.

That night, I called Grandma and asked about her secret. She laughed and said there was no secret. Now I understand what she meant. Her porridge never needed anything special. It needed only someone who would stay by the stove. Next winter, I will cook a pot of porridge for her so that she can rest while someone else stirs.