캐나다 작가 앨리스 먼로의 단편집 Runaway에는 줄리엣이라는 인물을 주인공으로 하는 단편 세 편 “Chance,” “Soon,” “Silence”가 연달아 실려 있습니다.
“Chance”에서 줄리엣은 고전 문학을 공부하는 21살 여성으로 이제 막 세상을 알아가는 중입니다. 밴쿠버로 향하는 기차 안에서 줄리엣은 새로운 인연을 만나게 됩니다.
But here came the same message, from her teachers, who had seemed to value and rejoice in her. Their joviality did not hide their concern. Get out into the world, they had said. As if where she had been till now was nowhere.
Nevertheless, on the train, she was happy.
“Soon”에서 줄리엣은 겨우 돌이 지난 딸을 데리고 부모님 댁을 방문합니다. 엄마가 된 줄리엣에게 오랜만에 보는 부모님의 모습은 왠지 모르게 낯설게 느껴집니다.
She wished she had drunk a little of the whisky. She lay stiff with frustration and anger, composing in her head a letter to Eric. I don’t know what I’m doing here, I should never have come here, I can’t wait to go home.
Home.
“Silence”에서 줄리엣은 어느새 머리가 히끗히끗 한 중년 여성입니다. 장성한 딸 페넬로피는 집을 떠난 지 여섯 달이 넘었습니다.
All this time without her–and with no word from her, because Spiritual Balance does not allow letters or phone calls–all this time I’ve been in a sort of desert, and when her message came I was like an old patch of cracked earth getting a full drink of rain.
Hope to see you Sunday afternoon. It’s time.
Time to go home, was what Juliet hoped this meant, but of course she would leave that up to Penelope.
Athena's Owl 