There is a book mobile for the local library that drives around on a set schedule to each apartment. Once a week, for 30 minutes or so, the book mobile pulls up directly in front of our apartment. We have a schedule for when they are supposed to swing by, and my wife goes out and picks up a few books to read.
The only problem is that now her job requires her to miss the scheduled book mobile stop. She had some books she had borrowed, so I had to look out the window for the rolling library and return them. Either they didn’t come last week, or I missed them, so I was worried about returning the books this week because I thought I would have to pay a fine. The rental period is only a week.
I kept watch for the old retro-fitted bus, and when it pulled up, I grabbed my wife’s overdue books, my wallet, and headed for the door. I didn’t know the protocol, so I waited in line behind someone that got on the bus before me. The driver of the bus was sitting at a table, and there was a computer with a check out scanner entering in the books.
The woman in front of me handed him the books. The man scanned them, the results were green and cleared. She then went looking for something else to read.
I stepped up to the desk and handed over the books. The man looked at me in disbelief after a red flashing warning came up, and said, “Uh, are you [Wife's name]?”
I gave him a look like, you’ve got to me kidding right? “No, That’s my wife.” I pulled out my wallet. He got really confused then. I looked at the glowing red result and assumed I was being fined. I knew they were overdue, so I said, “How much do I owe?”
He misheard me, and thought I had said, “No, that’s my mother.”
My Korean isn’t terrible, and I know I can say this phrase correctly. No one has EVER thought that I was saying, “No, that’s my mother” before.
The man sort of waved me off, and I didn’t have to pay any money. (The library always loans out books for free. There are no fines.)
When I got off the bus, the man called back to me, “Tell your mom to return the books on time from now on, Okay?”
Sure thing.
I told my wife this story, and she thought it was hilarious. She even told it to her Mother-in-Law at dinner today, who ALSO thought it was hilarious. I’m still baffled by the entire exchange.
