I'll Be Right There by Kyung-Sook Shin Read Free Book Online Page A

to find out more. Professor Yoon must have felt it, too, because his gaze kept drifting over to her during his lecture.
    Since it was the first day of the semester, we expected the class to just be a general overview of the syllabus. Professor Yoon told us which texts were required and which were recommended reading, and then he listed off the things we had to keep in mind while attending his class, most of which amounted to threats, such as if we were more than ten minutes late we should not even think of entering the classroom, or if we failed to turn in three or more assignments in a row then we would get an automatic F. Several other professors had already given the same speech, so everyone’s eyes were starting to glaze over with boredom. Some students even assumed class was almost over and were already packing up their pens and notebook.
    Professor Yoon adjusted his glasses and gazed out the window. The shouting of student demonstrators outside burst into the room. Nothing had changed since last year. Professor Yoon glanced around the room.
    “Have any of you heard about a man named Christopher?”
    Christopher?
    The name Christopher reminded me of a book I’d read in high school called Jean-Christophe , by Romain Rolland. It was a ten-volume fictionalized account of the life of Beethoven. It was the only book I had ever seen my cousin read, so I readit, too. I was deeply impressed by the main character, who becomes ever more positive in the face of increasing despair. Regardless of what happens, he never gives up on his quest for self-perfection. Filled with a sense of awe and admiration for the main character, I read every volume in a thrall of emotions and held those yellow books printed with his name close to my heart. I even wanted to see the Rhine one day because the title character was born in a small town on the banks of that river. I wondered if Professor Yoon was referring to the same person, but I was not confident enough to raise my hand and say that I had heard about him. I sat up straight and fixed my eyes on Professor Yoon. The walls of the classroom seemed to drop away and leave us all, professor and students alike, standing in the middle of an open field with the wind blowing over us. Nobody said a word, so Professor Yoon continued.
    “Christopher is the name of a medieval European saint. Some of you must be churchgoers. Has no one heard of him?”
    One student hesitantly raised her hand. She stammered, “I don’t know, but …”
    “Then tell us what you do know,” Professor Yoon quipped.
    Everyone giggled. The girl stood up and said that she had heard the story from her Sunday school teacher when she was young and therefore did not remember it clearly, but was he talking about the man who was saved because he carried Jesus across a river? It was more of a question than an answer. Professor Yoon nodded. When the girl sat back down, Professor Yoon cleared his throat, glanced around the classroom, and said in a low voice that there was indeed such alegend. The students who thought class was almost over and had begun clearing their desks stared at Professor Yoon. He gripped the podium and began his lecture.
    “This is the story of Saint Christopher.
    “According to legend, Christopher was a Canaanite. A giant, some say. A man of great strength who was afraid of nothing. He made up his mind to serve only the greatest, strongest man in the world. But no matter where he looked, he could find none worth devoting his life to. Everyone disappointed him. He grew weary of ever finding someone worth serving and became despondent. But here, I’ll spare you the boring details and get straight to the most important part. Christopher built a house for himself on the banks of a river and made a living carrying travelers across the water. He was very strong. He owned only a single pole, but he used it to pick his way through even the roughest current and carry people safely to the other side. It was just a