Seeing this photo on the Internet last week brought back a fond
memory of similar old house. Hyesuk and
I had only been married a few months when I left Korea to attend a school in
Mississippi before embarking on a new assignment. My beautiful young bride stayed behind for 4 months
and continued working until I’d finished my course and established our
household at Fort Meade Maryland. After
leaving Korea herself and spending a few days in California with my brother
Gary and Uncle Jim, Hyesuk boarded a plane to our new home in Maryland. I picked her up at the airport and we were
almost home when I noticed a house somewhat more dilapidated than this one. On impulse, I pulled into the driveway, shut
off the engine, turned to Hyesuk and said, “Well…, Honey we’re home.” After a few brief moments of gazing into her
deer-in-the-headlights eyes, I started the car, put it in reverse, declared
“Just kidding!”, and resumed driving the last few miles to our actual home. Having been given a good dose of contrast,
Hyesuk was more than pleased after arriving at our military housing and
inspecting the amenities. Over the next
four years, we drove by the house many times (It was on the way to Joann Fabrics.)
and Hyesuk, and eventually Bobby and Laura, would point it out as the “Ghost
House” each time we’d pass.
