

Escape

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.

B. Matthew Scudieri

Escape.

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.

By B. Matthew Scudieri

© 2020 by Bart Matthew Scudieri and Mattie Love Publishing. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

Published by: Mattie Love Publishing. New Jersey, USA.

e-mail: mattielovepublishing@yahoo.com

Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mattielovepublishing

Interior Design by: B Matthew Scudieri  
Cover Design by: B Mathew Scudieri  
Editing by:  
ISBN: 9781005344528  
First Edition: © 2020

When I was in young student I had struggled greatly academically. My teachers and fellow students would make fun of my slowly developing mind. It was a very difficult twelve years of government schools for me. I was often told I would never succeed. This haunted me for many years.

It was a cold winter's night in the desert of Saudi Arabia in January of 1991 when I decided I wanted to write a book. The laugh of my fellow marines echoed in my mind for the next twenty-five years.

For the next twenty-four years, I never had the courage to write the book I had dreamed of.

But one night about twenty-four years after I announced that I wanted to write, at the International Pub in Changwon, South Korea a friend Hendrik Erasmus told me he wrote a few books. I then told him I always wanted to write a book. He replied "why don't you?" I asked him for advice about writing a book. He paused for a minute then said, "write, instead of playing video games or watching TV, you can just write". "And who cares if anyone likes it, as long as you are happy with what you wrote it doesn't matter".

Well, here's my book. Thanks Hendrik!

Matt Scudieri

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter I

It was a warm spring morning when Matthew "Mattie" Forde woke up in his room at St. Joseph's Medical center in Paterson, New Jersey. The room was a rather depressing place, as hospitals can often be. Multiple beds and patients, plain white walls and a few windows with a view of the neighboring building. There was a lot of noise coming from the hallway, the hospital was busy. It was a very confusing and busy place. Mattie felt lonely, despite all the activity and would much rather be home with his family. Furthermore, Mattie woke up alone for the first time in twenty years. Every morning Mattie woke up with his lovely wife Jinn by his side and quietly got up to prepare a cup of tea for her, just the way she liked it. He was lost with this minor disruption in his life. It was only one days after the doctors found a large brain tumor and diagnosed him with brain cancer. Head shaved and almost ready for surgery Mattie was very calm when Jinny and their twin daughters walked into his room. Mattie's girls, his wife Jinny Kim and their twins, Nina and Jenny were the center of Mattie's universe. Everything Mattie did over the past twenty years, was for them. His life revolved around them, they were all he cared for and all he wanted was the best for his girls.

With sad faces and tears in their eyes Mattie's girls knew the chances of him surviving the operation he was about to have, was a longshot. The craniotomy he was about to have is a long six plus hours and very risky surgery and the recovery, arduous. They did not expect this sudden illness and were unsure how they would survive without Mattie. Just two days ago they were happily celebrating his fiftieth birthday. His fiftieth birthday was the joyous celebration. Mattie with his girls beside him laughed, danced and told stories about his young girls and how they have turned out to be such respectful and strong young ladies. He was so proud of his girls and everyone knew it, it was all he talked about for the past twenty years.

"Girls" Mattie said. "I don't want you to worry about me, I'll be fine". "I taught you girls enough, now it is time to think for yourself." "Remember, there is nothing worse in this world than a coward and please, never give up you dignity". "I love my girls." Mattie sat up and gave his girls a kiss on their foreheads. "I am so proud of you girls". "You are the best thing that happened to me".

Mattie's girls then watched the nurses wheel him down the hallway and into the waiting area for his craniotomy. The short journey down the hallway seemed as though it was a mile long. Jinny, a tough lady stands firm with her twin daughter. As sad as Jinny is, she doesn't want to show here girls how worried she is. The girls ask their mother, "mom; do you think dad will be ok?" Jinny replied, "of course, your dad and I have had a few challenges in our life, he is a strong man". "He will never leave us". After sitting down in the waiting room the twins asked "Mom, how did you meet dad?" With a smile on her face Jinny tells the twins, "you were alive when I met your father, you don't remember, you were too young."

Nina and Jenny, with a confused look on their faces ask "what do you mean Mom? We were there?"

Jinny then sat back and said "you are about to hear the story of how I met the greatest man you have ever known".

"You mean dad" Nina said.

"Yes" replied Jinny. "The greatest man you will ever meet".

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter II

Mattie Forde was born on October, 7th 1970 the only child of Matthew Sr. and Jill Forde in Haledon, New Jersey.

Mattie was the second-generation of the Forde family born in America. His grandparents on his father's side emigrated from Scotland. Hard working immigrants were in high demand in the early 1900's and Mattie's family has a long history of being hardworking and honest people. Mattie's grandfather, Mason Forde, landed in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1915 at the ripe young age of 15. He made his way to Paterson to meet up with his cousins who have arrived a few years earlier. Shortly after arriving in Paterson Mason got a job working in an old textile mill as an apprentice / mechanic. His hard work was greatly appreciated by the management on the mill and he accelerated quickly in his career. By the time America started sending troops to Europe to fight in WWI, Mattie was 17 years old. He felt that it was his duty to serve in the country he now calls home and lied about his age to join the Marines. After attending boot camp and infantry training in Parris Island, South Carolina, Mason was shipped off to the Western Front to fight alongside the US Army and the French Army. Before Mason knew it he was in the middle of the legendary battle of Belleau Woods. Valiantly fighting in this deadly battle Mattie was seriously wounded and shipped home. For his valiantly during battle Mason was awarded the Navy Cross and medically discharged from the Marines. He returned to Paterson New Jersey and immediately went back to work and met his future wife Yevheniia, a Ukrainian immigrant working as a seamstress in the same factory Mason did. This young immigrant couple enjoyed the roaring twenties and all America had to offer. They married and started a family and became proud Americans.

Mattie's father, Matthew Sr., was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1933. Growing up in the great depression Matthew St. learned what tough times were. His father instilled the same work ethics he had into his son. As soon as he could Matthew Sr. went to work to help his parents put food on the table and pay the rent. Shortly after graduating Paterson Central High School in 1949 Matthew sr. followed his father's footsteps and joined the Marine Corps. He attended boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina and advanced infantry training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Matthew was then sent to Guam where he flourished as a young and hardworking infantryman. Soon, Matthew's unit, the 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, was sent to Korea and he participated in the amphibious landing in Incheon during the early stages of the Korean War. Matthew showed great leadership potential and was a fierce worrier during battle. He was quickly promoted to Corporal and became a squad leader at the young age of 19. After one year of fighting he found himself in charge of three marine fire teams consisting of a total of twelve Marines. During the Battle of Hwacheon Matthew St. valiantly lead his Marines into combat and was seriously wounded. For his valiant leadership under fire Matthew Sr., like his father in WWI, was awarded the Navy Cross. Do to his wounds Matthew Sr. was medically discharged and sent home.

After arriving home Matthew found a job in a Machine Shop in his home town of Paterson New Jersey. He was a hard worker and great apprentice. After a few years of work and attending the local trade school, Matthew started making enough money to start a family. One night while bowling with the company bowling team Matthew met Jill Mercandino, the daughter of Italian immigrants and a supervisor in the same factory he worked in. In 1965 they married in a small ceremony at the local VFW hall in town. The venue simple. The wedding was small and bare by today's standards. Only close family and a few friends. The brides dress was made by family members and the wedding cake was also homemade. This was a time in America when life was simple. All were happy, especially the couple getting married. It was a joyous event. They purchased a home in Haledon New Jersey and started their family.

Haledon, New Jersey is a small blue collar working class suburb of Paterson. During the roaring 20's and 1950's building booms many families' moves out of Paterson and into suburbs like Haledon, NJ. Newer single family stand-alone houses on larger lots, Haledon became a picturesque small-town American suburb. Almost all of the families in Haledon worked in the trades and took pride in being homeowners. Known for their work ethics, diversity and family values, Mattie's parents were proud of their small town. Living in a 1920's style modest house on Morrissee ave. they decided to have a family. Their only child, Matthew, "Mattie" Ford was born on October 7th, 1970.

When Mattie was a young man and a student at Manchester Regional High School in Haledon, New Jersey, he was not very interested in academics. An average student who enjoyed industrial arts more than the academic subjects. This was the 1980's and most High Schools in America had Industrial Arts programs. These programs were great for the small industrialized communities like Haledon, NJ. It was a pathway for middle class factory jobs, a gateway to the trades. There was enough training in the Industrial Arts to give students and taste of the trades and to discover what they would like to do after graduating High School. The shop classes that Mattie took were wood shop, metal shop and mechanical drawing. This gave the students a taste of what it was like to work with wood and metal or make mechanical drawing, a trade of the past. Mattie enjoyed these classes, he liked making things and was most interested in working with metal. By the end of his senior year he knew he wanted to work with metal as a trade. These programs didn't train the students enough to make a middle class job as soon as they graduated High School but gave the young students a head start.

Mattie was a good kid and liked by many of his fellow students and teachers. The one thing that Mattie liked the most about school was wrestling. Wrestling was a big part of Manchester Regional High School and the community of Haledon was proud of its history and all the great wrestlers who wrestled there. Many of wrestlers had attended Manchester and continued to Universities and made their way to the Olympic teams. The halls of the school and the walls of the field-house the wrestlers trained in were lined with photos, trophies and medals of past champions. Mattie continued the reputation of the wrestling history in Manchester, he was a great light-heavyweight wrestler feared by his opponents and respected by his team and his coaches. Every day after school Mattie went to the weight room to train of the fieldhouse to work on his wrestling skills. The weight room was a small classroom with a bunch of weights and a few machine. Simple but just what they needed to build the strength the athletes needed. The fieldhouse that the wrestlers and their cloches used to train was a small room in the basement of the school. It was a dark and damp room with a place to hang your coats and shower. The floor was wide open with mats on the floor. Cold and damp in the winter, hot and humid in the summer toughened the wrestlers up. There was not much there but enough to get the job done. Mattie had a passion for wrestling and dreams of wrestling at Ohio State University, like many wrestlers form Manchester had. He also wanted to make the U.S. Olympic team as many wrestlers from Manchester's wrestling teams have done over the years, this was a tough act to follow.

Every match that Mattie competed in was attended by his family and High School sweetheart, Sue Olsen as well as many people from the community. The gymnasium was always packed with very proud locals. Sue and Mattie's family were his biggest fans cheering him on from the start to the finish of every match he competed in. It was Mattie's senior year and near the end of the wrestling season when a tragedy would change his dreams forever. Mattie was wrestling in the last match of the season and undefeated. Mattie's opponents that evening was one of the fiercest opponents he had ever faced. None the less, Mattie fought like he had never fought before. He was well ahead of his opponent halfway through the second round and had plenty of stamina and intestinal fortitude, his tank wasn't even close to being empty. The crowd was roaring and the roof of the gymnasium was about to be blown off. Sue and Mattie's family were leading the crowd, as they always did. Mattie, full of sweat, goosebumps and adrenalin was preparing to make his legendary finishing move, the high armpit takedown. As Mattie delved towards his opponent, he suddenly he heard a loud snapping sound. Mattie collapsed to the mat. The gymnasium was suddenly as quiet as a mouse, you could hear a pin drop. The crowd immediately knew that something was wrong. Sue and Mattie's family became extremely worried and ran from the bleachers to attend to Mattie. Lying and in excruciating pain the entire gymnasium was stunned. His left knee swelled like a balloon and the pain started to set in, the look on his face showed it. Sue and Mattie's parents made their way to the mat along with the school nurse and local volunteer emergency medical technicians. He was rushed to the hospital in the back of an ambulance, Sue and his parents following closely behind.

It was his anterior cruciate ligament. It had snapped clear through, like a dry and frozen twig in the middle of the winter. That was the moment that Mattie knew his dreams were crushed. After surgery and nearly a half a year of rehabilitation, Mattie was never able continue wrestling. The wrestling season was over and it was too late in the year to start the wrestling season at Ohio State University. His dreams of being an Olympic Gold Medalist were over.

After graduating Manchester Regional High School in the spring of 1988 Mattie was happy to be free from school and his teachers. After a few weeks off Mattie followed the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He joined the Marines and attended boot camp at Parris Island South Carolina and infantry training in Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Mattie eventual went to Camp Johnson in North Carolina and was trained to be a truck driver. After training Mattie entered the active reserves. His unit was Headquarters Company for the 6th Motor Transport Battalion. At first Mattie liked being there and was proud to be a Marine and proud of his unit. While working in the same factory as his father Mattie had to train one weekend a month with the Marines and attend trade school at night. It was the 1980's and there were still many good paying jobs in the Paterson, New Jersey area. There were also good apprenticeship programs available and Mattie would eventual become a machinist.

In December of 1990, Mattie's unit was deployed to Saudi Arabia to fight in Operation Desert Storm. He was attached to the second tank battalion as a truck driver. After the war was over Mattie was sent back home and discharged from the Marine Corps and went back to work as a machinist.

The summer of 1991 Mattie married his High School Sweetheart, Susan "Sue" Olsen. Sue was the daughter of a Manufacturing Engineer and an excellent softball player in High School. After High School Sue attended William Paterson Collage and worked at the local supermarket. She and Mattie continued dating and eventual got married. Mattie worked hard and had a good job. He and Sue were able to buy a home in Haledon, New Jersey, around the corner from the house he grew up in and got married. Happily married and dreams of having their own children one day. After a decade of marriage and happy homeowners things were about to suddenly and radical change this quintessential couple's life.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter III

It was late summer of 1996 when Mattie and Sue were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary at Colucci's restaurant, a legendary cozy Italian restaurant in Haledon. Happy as can be and plans of having children soon it was a romantic evening for them. They were happy homeowners and very content with their lives. Little did they know that their lives were about to radically change turning their world upside down.

Outsourcing and globalization became popular in America, and life that many Americans became accustom to was starting to change. Before he knew it, the machines shop Mattie was working at shut down. Nearly all their customers had outsourced their jobs to China and there was not enough work in the area for the business to operate. Mattie was in the same shoes of thousands of manufacturing workers in America. He became a displace worker at 26 years old. Mattie, feeling depressed, immediately started looking for work. With so many factories in the area closing the only work available he could find was working in construction. Spending the last eight years of his life mastering a trade, he was lost as what to do in the immediate future. As much as Mattie did not want to do that type of work he had to do. With a wife and mortgage, Mattie refused to quit bit the bullet and took on any job that would pay him. He worked in construction and went to school at night as Sue continued to work. Their plans of having children were put on hold until they could get this life changing situation past them and get back on their feet. This was a very difficult time in Mattie's life. He did a labor intensive job all day sometimes ten-hours a day and attended school at night. There was little free time between class, work and studying. Despite this Mattie's wife, best friend and true love, Sue, Supported him. She knew he was strong enough to overcome this trying time.

Mattie was forced to make a career change and decided that he wanted to become a teacher. At first Mattie attended Passaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey at night after working all day. After a few years working construction jobs and attending a community college, Mattie was able to transfer to the University. Mattie eventual graduated from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey with a degree and a teaching certification in History. After many month of job hunting with no luck Mattie was confused, he also had tens of thousands of dollars in student loans to payback. He had been working low paying construction job and going to school for the past four years. Throughout Mattie's time in collage he kept borrowing money to pay for tuition and books. He was struggling to get buy and now his debt is due. These times were tough for Mattie and Sue. They were constantly struggling to pay the bills falling further and further behind. Mattie was also working long days and going to school at night, he was burnt out. Very deep in debt and burnt out Mattie was unsure and concerned about the future. They were approaching a bankruptcy and a foreclosure on their house. As if this was not enough stress on their lives, things were about to get much worst.

It was the holiday season of 1999 when Mattie was waiting at home for his wife to return from work when he heard the doorbell ring. It was the local police who he invited in and sat down with at the kitchen table, Mattie grew up in Haledon and knew most of the police officers in town. They had concerned look on their face and Mattie had sensed that they did not want to be there. Sitting across from them Mattie grew concerned, why were they here? What do they want? Mattie asked himself. There was a moment of silence when Mattie knew they were there to deliver bad news. They had informed him that his wife and High School Sweetheart, the only person he truly loved had been in a very bad car accident. Mattie immediately got into his car and rushed to the hospital. He made his way into the emergency room where his life lied in a gurney, eyes closed, and machines attached to every part of her body, she lay motionless. He looked into her eyes as he held her hand, she couldn't move or even blink her eyes. Mattie knew that she knew her true love was beside her. Her eyes open and filled with tears, Mattie knew that she could see him, she knew her man was beside her. Suddenly alarms sounded and doctors rushed over to attend to her, chaos erupted in the emergency room, Mattie grew concerned. Doctors and nursed feverously work on Sues lifeless motionless body, Mattie watched motionless and in silence.

The doctors and Nurses did everything they could to save Sues life. With decades of training, experience and millions of dollars in equipment, medicine and technology, it just wasn't enough to save her life. The injuries Sue had sustained were just too severe. Sue, Mattie's wife, High School Sweetheart and best friend was dead right in front of his eyes.

Broke, alone and lonely Mattie moved in to his parents' house and was forced to go bankrupt. He lost his house, wife and future all in the blink of an eye. Mattie was broke, down and out, out of luck and at the end of a dead-end road.

Unsure of his future and broke Mattie decided to look for a teaching job overseas. Finding a job as an English Teacher in Sokcho, South Korea Mattie started a new chapter in his life. He enjoyed his time teaching and traveling. He made a lot of new friends from all over the world and found a new career. He was happy with his decision and starting to save money and pay off some of his student loans. He caught the travel bug and every chance he had he would travel to different countries in Asia and many Cities in South Korea. It was late 2000 and Mattie's one year contract to teach English in South Korea was about to expire. He had plans to travel more and then go home to visit his family before starting a new job teaching English at the Far Eastern University in Vladivostok, Russia.

Like many of the chapters in Mattie's life, his plans were about to change do to an uncontrollable unforeseeable event. The last few years of Mattie's life were like a rollercoaster. Highs and lows, starting a trade and then losing his career and having to start over. Marrying his High School Sweetheart and then having to bury her. Going bankrupt, losing his house and having to move overseas to get a job that can pay enough for him to get back on his feet. Mattie was finally getting ahead in life and happy again. He met many new friends and was able to travel, something he always wanted to do. Nonetheless, something was about to happen that would once again radically change his life.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter IV

It was a cool and dark spring evening in Vladivostok, Russia when Mattie was walking home to his apartment. It was Mattie's last day of work at the Far Eastern Federal University located in Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia. Mattie was an English teacher working for the Russia government on a one year work visa. Vladivostok, Russia is a small city in far eastern Russia located at the Golden Horn Bay and close to the Russia, China and South Korea border. Being on the coast and approximately 880 miles across the Sea of Japan from Sapporo Japan, Vladivostok is a small fishing community and former naval port that was essential to the Russians during the Sino-Japanese War and the Cold War. Vladivostok is also the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, a key transportation hub for the Russian Economy. After the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1989 the new Russian government opened trade and the City of Vladivostok eventually exploded. Many goods are transported through Vladivostok with Russian trading partners such as North Korea, China, Japan, The Philippines and America. This created a demand for many things including native English teachers to teach government officials and business personal the international language, English. Many native English teachers did not want to teach in remote areas is any country, especially Russia for that matter. Nevertheless Mattie saw this as a great opportunity to travel and experience the new Russia, far away from and major city. Vladivostok became Mattie's home for a year and he was happy to learn a lot about Russian culture and its people.

Mattie's boss, Oksana Jin and his Russian friends and students had just thrown a farewell party for him. Oksana had created the English program at the University a few years ago and it was a very popular and successful program. Russian students and business professionals from all over Eastern Russia attended classes' there and were taught by Russian English teachers and Mattie a Native English Teacher. Mattie enjoyed his time working in Russia and had made many friends. He found the students to be extremely smart and dedicated to learning as much as they could. They enjoyed Mattie's classes and will miss him dearly. He liked living there but after a year he wanted to get back home to more familiar territory, visit family and friends back home and spend more time traveling during the summer break. He was also excited to have a new job he had lined up at Changwon University in Changwon, South Korea. Mattie had worked in Korea for a year not long ago, and was looking forward to seeing some friends there he had not seen for a while.

As Mattie was approaching his small Soviet Style apartment not far off campus he noticed an unusual noise coming from a normally quiet alleyway. Upon investigation, he noticed a young lady curled up in a fetal position in the corner, freezing cold. She was wearing traditional Korean peasants Hanbok. Her cloths were tethered, body shaking to try to stay warm and she was on the verge of hypothermia. Her body, soaking-wet from head to toe with small cuts, bumps and bruises covering her body, face, head, arms and legs. She had mud allover her. Mattie knew that if she did not get into dry clothing and a warm place soon, she would get hypothermia and possibly die. Mattie tried everything he could to help her, he tried speaking English at first then he tried the little Russian he knew. To no avail, Mattie could not communicate with her. Knowing that she desperately needed help Mattie grabbed her and carried her into his apartment. Mattie knew she feared what he would do to her but he did not want her to freeze to death. After getting her into his apartment he gave her some dry cloths and a blanket. He showed her to the tiny bathroom and closed the door. Not sure what to do, due to the lack of ability to communicate with her, he called his friend and boss, Oksana Jin and left a message on her voicemail. Mattie patiently waited in his small studio apartment. On one side of the apartment was a small kitchenette consisting of a two-burner gas cook-top, small one piece stainless steel combination sink and drain board. On one side of the sink there was a small front-load washing machine, no dryer. On the other side, a mid-sized refrigerator / freezer. A small armoires and couch with a coffee table and a full size mattress made up the rest of the furnishing in Mattie's apartment. Very simple compared to western standards but what Mattie had grown accustom to. It was not much more then what he had in his apartment in Korea one year ago. Nonetheless, he was happy to have what he had and had grown to appreciate a simple lifestyle.

Oksana was a very smart lady. Born and raised in Chekhov, Sakhalinskaya Oblast', Russia to Korean-Russian parents. She was raise bi-lingual speaking Russian and Korean fluently. After graduating the University, she moved to Vladivostok, Russia. She started teaching at the University shortly after arriving. She was also fluent in English and taught Russian, English and Korean as a second language.

After a few minutes, Oksana returned the phone call from Mattie, surprised to hear from him. As Mattie explained the situation Oksana thought he was joking. Once Mattie convinced her that he was not joking she thought he was crazy. "What are you crazy" said Oksana. "You can't just take a strange lady into your apartment in the middle of the night." Mattie explained the situation again and told Oksana that he could not communicate with her and that she is Asian. Oksana asked him to give her the phone. Mattie handed her the phone through the bathroom door and Oksana tried speaking Russian to her. After a few minutes Oksana realized that the lady was from North Korea. After speaking with the lady in Korea for a few minutes the lady handed the phone back to Mattie. Oksana explained to Mattie that she had just escaped North Korea and needed to get back. With a surprise look on his face Mattie was unsure as to what he got himself into. He also knew that if the authorities found her they would return her back to North Korea and ship her to a work camp where she would eventually starve or be worked to death. Oksana told Mattie she will be over in a minute and help sort out the situation.

As Mattie waited for Oksana to show up the young strange lady in his bathroom took a shower in his tiny wet bathroom. The bathroom in Mattie's apartment was typical in Eastern Russia and Asia. A toilet and pedestal sink, no bathtub, just a drain on the tile floor and a hand held shower device that was attached to the sink faucet. As you showered the water would fall on the tiled bathroom flood and slowly go down the floor drain. After showering you would have to use a squeegee and towel to dry the bathroom floor. She finished, dried and got dressed using some cloths that Mattie gave her. Mattie threw her dirty and tethered clothes into the washing machine. She was still frightened and did not know what to do. Mattie was thinking if he made the right decision and that Oksana could not get here fast enough. As soon as Mattie's doorbell rang the young lady had jumped under Mattie's bed. Confused, Mattie answered the door and immediately knew why she was hiding. It was the police, and they were not happy. Mattie, knowing a little Russian was able to understand that the police were looking for a Korean who escaped the North and was hiding in town. He had lied to the police and said he knew nothing. There was a sigh of relief when the police left, both from Mattie and Oksana who had just arrived.

After the police left and Oksana walked into Mattie's' apartment she was able to convince the lady to come out of hiding and they sat down on Mattie's couch. Oksana spoke Korean with the lady and translated for Mattie. With a strange look on their faces, Mattie and Oksana could not believe what this young lady, named Jinny Kim was able to accomplish. Moreover, they were shocked to learn what she wanted to do next.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter V

Jinny Kim was born on May 1st. 1980 in a small shanty in the town of Rajin-Sŏnbong, North Korea. Rajin-Sŏnbong, commonly referred to as Rason, is a small town on that borders  China and Russia along the Tumen River to the North and the Sea of Japan to the East. There is not much in Rajin-Sŏnbong, just a small fishing port, a shipping port and The Friendship Bridge, which crosses the Tumen River into Russia. Not much traffic over the bridge, or in the shipping port do to the small economy of North Korea. Only one or two trains a week go over the bridge to and from Russia and one or two ships a week in and out of the port. Occasionally, the Korean government adds wooden boards over the rails of the Friendship Bridge to allow a few trucks a week to cross over the river. Fishing is the big part of the community there and a small North Korean navy base that patrols the area and keeps an eye on the local North Korean fishing boats to prevent anyone from defecting to Russia. The area to the south and west of Rason is mountainous and quiet, dotted with a few military bases and labor prisons. Not much happens here, just some military training and patrols to keep North Koreans from escaping into Russia or China.

Jinny's parents were also born and raised in this area. Jinny's mother was a stay at home mom and her father was a peasant fisherman. With little money Jenny's childhood was difficult, they, like all other families in North Korea, were dirt poor. The family had little money and most of the fish her father caught was taken by the North, Korean government. Many people in their family and community died a young age, mostly from preventable diseases and starvation. Most homes in this area of North Kore had little to no electricity, no running potable water and sewage systems. These living conditions were all they knew. They were isolated from the outside world. As terrible as their living conditions were, it was all they knew. After finishing primary school in the North Korean public schools, Jinny worked with her father on his fishing boat.

She eventually met her husband and shortly after the two were married they had twin girls, Nina and Jenny. Jinny's husband was a north Korean Government Official. Her life became slightly better marrying an official working for the government. A few months after the twins were born Jinny's husband was taken away by the government. He was accused of stealing rice. In fact, he did take a little rice to feed his starving family and he was also trying to help his newborn twins who were sick. Jinny's husband was sent The Hoeryŏng concentration camp, also known as Camp 22, in Hoeryŏng, North Korea for life. Camp 22 was a penal labor camp known for its brutality. Surrounded by a high voltage electric fence with razor wire, guarded by troops who were loyal the North Korean Government who were heavily armed with automatic rifles, machine guns and hand grenades and assisted with trained guard dogs, it was nearly imposable to escape. Thousands of North Koreans were send here labeled as political dissidents. Shortly after he perished to starvation, as many North Koreans have.

Jinny's twins, Nina and Jenny were only a few months old at this time. Still breast feeding Jinny could not work and food was a scarce commodity. What little they had Jinny would eat to have enough breast milk to take care of her precious children. The twins were as cute as a button and very tiny as most children in North Korea are. With limited food and health care the people of North Korea are much shorter and thinner than normal. Children are often born grossly underweight and sick. The infant mortality rate is bewilderingly high. Many children die before their first birthday do to preventable disease and starvation. There is little parents can do with their children with limited healthcare, medicine and nutritious food. When Nina and Jenny were only four months old they were sickly and on their deathbed. Jinny and her parents knew that they were about to take their last breath any day now and there was not much they could do.

Jinny with two sick newborn children became very desperate. She did receive help from her parents but at the time most people in North Korea were very poor and many had starved to death. After dropping her two sick twins off at her mother's shanty with some breast milk in a small jar for the twins, Jinny left. She was on a mission to save here children, they were in desperate need of food and medicine. She did not want to tell her parents what she was doing for fear that the government would find out. If the government knew where Jinny was going and what she was doing, there would have been some serious problems. What would have happened if the government found out? No one knows for sure, but here children defiantly would have been taken away. Her parents could have also been punished and sent to The Hoeryŏng Concentration Camp where her husband had died. Jinny then packed her pockets with a hand full of rice and headed off on a mission to save her twins. A mission that would radically change their lives forever.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter VI

It was a cool spring evening when the 20-year-old Jinny Kim set off to save her children. All she had was a pocket full of rice, a set of old and worn tradition Korean Hanbok and an old map of the area that she borrowed from her father. Jinny was a mother on a mission to save her children and there was nothing that was going to get in her way. Under the cover of darkness Jinny went on her way north towards the Tumen River near the Friendship Bridge. Her plan, to cross the river from Rason, North Korea into Khasan, Russia. Then get some medicine and food for her children and return. With a nearly impossible mission in front of her, Jinny knew the dangers. For years Jinny, her friends and family had heard rumors and horrific stories about people trying to escape the North. Jinny knew that if she got caught in North Korea trying to escape, her children and her mother and father would be sent off to a labor camp to never be seen again. She also knew that if she was caught in Russia she would either be sent back to North Korea or would spend the rest of her life in Russia separated from her children, used in the sex trade business or used as an indentured servant. The punishments, as severe as it would be did not deter her from setting off on this nearly impossible mission. She had one thing in mind, her children. Jinny was willing to do whatever she had to do to save her children. She was a mother on a mission.

Jenny's first challenge was to avoid the locals. She was fearful that if anyone found out what she had planned they would notify the local North Korean officials and would be caught. North Koreans feared their government and knew that they would be punished, severely, if they didn't tell anyone that they knew someone was escaping. Jinny did not want to put anyone she knew in that situation. The military guard in the border communities of North Korea were the most loyal hardcore soldiers they had. They were handpicked by the generals and had shown tremendous loyalty to the North Korean government. These soldiers were incorruptible and had no feelings for human life and had no remorse for what they did to anyone they caught trying to escape. These soldiers were the most fit marksman and experts in hand-to-hand combat, they were given the best equipment North Korea had. They took their job serious and also took great pride in catching North Koreans who tried to escape. They would often abuse the escapees, physically and sexually prior to turning them in. Once the soldiers made their way to Camp 22 with an escapee they were rewarded with praise and food. The government felt that these soldiers were very important to their motives and wanted them to continue doing their job in the most loyal way. They, and their family was taken care of. They were given nice houses and plenty of food. Their families got the best healthcare in North Korea, the same the politicians got. Their children also had an opportunity to follow in their father's footsteps. These soldiers were not willing to take any chance of losing what they had, their lives were much better than the people they were preventing from escaping North Korea.

As Jinny was walking north towards the Russian border under the cover of darkness she was hungry and tired. Nevertheless, she continued. She was sneaking around the town careful to not get caught. She could not trust anyone knowing that she would be turned in to the authorities if anyone knew what she was about to do. Jinny continued to head north hoping to cross the Tumen River into Russia under the cover of darkness. With the darkness of night on her side, Jinny made it through town and into the countryside. Making her way through cold and wet rice paddies, often crawling on her belly to not be seen, Jinny started to get very cold. She was aware of the issues of getting wet in the cold night in Korea. Nevertheless, Jinny knew this was not going to be easy and continued with her mission. She also knew that if she were seen by anyone, it would be all over. Continuing North through and around rice paddies, cabbage farms and small hamlets that dotted the area she knew she would eventually get to The Tumen River. Sure enough, after many hours navigating in the dark, Jinny made it to the river. Once she reached the river she knew this nearly impossible mission would only get more difficult. The river is heavily guarded by North Korean soldiers loyal to the government. She also knew that these soldiers could not be bribed, even if she had money. To make the situation worst, it started to rain. The temperature had dropped suddenly to near freezing and Jinny was already wet from head to toe. Feeling as though hypothermia was about to set in and she felt as though she could not go on anymore. Suddenly, Jinny reached deep down inside and found the will power to continue. Perhaps it was her desire to keep moving so she would not freeze to death. Or maybe it was the motherly love for her children. Either way, Jinny was determined to continue and save her children.

Once Jinny got to the Tumen River she made her way east towards the Northern Pacific Ocean. She was not sure exactly where she was. But she did know she was west of the Friendship Bridge that crossed over the Tumen River into Khasan, Russia. If she were to head east, eventually she would make it to the bridge, an unmistakable landmark. Slowly moving East Jenny was constantly conscious of the spotlights the North Korean Soldiers used to spot escapees. The guards were constantly moving the spotlights around. It was relentless and it took Jinny a long-time to move. She would move as fast as she could while keeping an eye on the lookout towers manned with loyal soldiers, machinegun in hand. As the spotlights rotated towards her, she would crouch down and hide under the bushes. It was a trying two-hour walk / crawl to the Friendship Bridge, all the while feeling as though it took an eternity. As Jinny approached the bridge she could hear the voices of the North Korean soldiers manning the guard post at the foot of the bridge. She grew concerned as she got closer as all the brush in the area was cut short making it easier for the guards to see anyone who did not belong in the area. She was amazed at the unexpectedly large number of soldiers in the areas. She had heard accounts about the border crossings in the area and now the reality of the accounts was setting in. She knew that one wrong mistake would end the mission, her life and possibly the lives of her children.

As Jinny made her way closer to the bridge she grew more determined. First, to save her children, second to not get caught and finally, to not die of hypothermia. She was able to hide under trucks waiting to cross the bridge as many trucks were waiting in line to cross the bridge. The North Korean soldiers were putting boards down on the bridge. The Friendship Bridge was made as a rail bridge and they were converting it to a vehicle bridge. Close enough to the guards, yet far enough away to not get caught. She spent about twenty minutes observing the guards and taking a mental note of their routine. The guards were patrolling the area relentlessly looking for escapees. This grew more and more difficult as time went by. She was wet and cold; her body was naturally shaking to try and keep her from freezing to death. The temperature of her body was rapidly declining and her extremities growing numb. This arduous situation only added fuel to the fire. She was growing more determined as time passed by. She had observer the guards as they were searching trains, trucks and cars that were waiting to cross over the bridge and into Russia. For whatever reason, it was a busy night and there were many cars and trucks. The guards were also bi-lingual speaking in Russian and Korean. As the trucks moved closer to the foot of the bridge more guards would move in to inspect them thoroughly looking for contraband and escapees. They were looking for stowaways trying to escape Korea. Jinny saw this as an opportunity to make a move. With less guards checking cars and trucks in the back of the line she knew her chance of safely getting into the back of a truck was her best option. Jinny slowly moves south towards the end of the line of trucks and cars. Under the darkness of the night and crawling on the ground under the trucks. Jinny slowly arrived towards the end of the line. She had noticed that there was a Russian truck with its driver sleeping in the cab behind the wheel. Jinny saw this as the only opportunity to get into the back of a truck and hide. She slowly approached the truck crawling on the ground being very careful not to make any noise. She knew that the slightest noise would alert the guards in the area or awaken the sleeping driver. Once the area was clear of guards, Jinny made her move. She slowly and quietly made her way towards the back of the truck. She discovered that it was a large tri-axle dump truck full of raw salt fresh out of the local salt mine. She quickly climbed the ladder on the back of the truck with a plan of lifting the plastic cover then jumping into the back before any guards would arrive. As Jinny started to climb the ladder she had noticed it would not be as easy as she thought. The rain and the freezing cold air had turned the wet ladder into ice. She was able to make it about three-quarters of the way up the ladder before slipping. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, she was on the ground. She had hit the ground falling like a ton of bricks knocking the wind out of her. After a brief moment, she gathered herself and tried to get up. As soon as she got up she noticed the flashlights of two guards approaching the truck. She knew she needed to get into the back of the truck now, or she would be caught by the approaching guards. As she quickly and quietly started to get up she realized she wasn't going to make it. Thoughts of her getting caught and taken to a forced labor camp raced through her head. Her life and children had passed through her mind. She thought she would be caught. Quickly, she did the only thing she could think of. She crawled under the truck and climbed onto the top of the axles. She shimmied over the back axle of the truck and then onto the middle axle and froze. Knowing that her chances of getting caught were great, her heart started racing like a freight train through the middle of the night. She was so nervous that she nearly threw up. As she was nervously waiting for the guards to show the thoughts of their routine were racing through her head. She knew that the guards used mirrors and flashlights to thoroughly check the underside of each truck.

As the voices of the guards grew louder and the brightness of their flashlights grew brighter, Jinny became more nervous. Her heart started to jump out of her chest and it was becoming more difficult to not throw up. Scared and uncertain about the near future, Jinny thought this was the end. She could see the boots of the soldiers as they approached. The mirrors were next. Then the glow of their flashlights. As soon as the ray of light hit her face she heard a loud voice. It was another solider yelling for help. The other solider had seen another Korean trying to escape the North. The two soldiers inspecting the underside of the truck stopped and ran to catch the other Korean trying to escape. With a sigh of relief, she felt an eerie since of quietness. At first happy it was not her that got caught, then a feeling of sadness that someone else got caught trying to do what she was doing. She then felt awkward thinking that if the other person did not get caught, she would have and her mission would have been over.

Shortly after the soldiers left Jinny heard the truck make a loud noise, it sounded like the truck was releasing air. Suddenly the truck started to move and Jinny panicked. She could not imagine what was going on. Here she is lying on to of three axles underneath a very large and heavy truck and now it is starting to move. She was hanging on for dear life. The drive shaft was inches from her face as it started to rotate. She feared that her cloth would get tangled up in this mass of machinery and pull her under the tires. She continued to hang on for dear life and the truck moved faster and faster. The road was bumpy and making it very difficult for Jinny to use her cold numb hands to hang on. She was avout to fall when the truck stopped. The driver had moved the truck as the line was shortening and getting closer to the bridge. Jinny relaxed as best she could and caught her breath.

Once the soldiers went away and were distracted by the commotion of a person getting caught, Jinny shimmied her way from under the truck. Then, she carefully climbed the ladder making sure she did not make the same mistake twice. Once onto the top of the truck she moved the cover aside. Then she climbed into the back atop the salt and pulled the cove over herself.

Once she was under the cover, she burrowed her way into the salt. What had seemed like a good idea at the time turned out to not be. The back of the dump truck was full of salt. Once she burrowed her way into the pile of salt, she started to feel very uncomfortable. She had cut herself a few times on sticker bushes hiding from the soldiers. Soon the open wounds were full of salt. The feeling of salt in an open wound was excruciating. She had salt all over her, in her eyes, ears, nose and mouth. She wanted to jump from the truck immediately to relieve the pain. Thinking for a minute she learned that the pain was only temporary and began to grin and bear it. She knew if she didn't, she would get caught. She also knew that if she got caught, the labor camp she would be sent to, was permanent. Suddenly, the pain didn't feel that bad and she realized this was more problematic then she had anticipated.

As Jinny waited for the truck to move she did start to dry and warm up. Burrowing herself into the salt, as painful as it was, helped warm up her body. She was still cold but not as cold as she was when she was hiding under the truck. Soon she was able to close her eyes a get some sleep. Then the truck started to move. Her heart started to race again and she became more nervous. As the truck started to creep closer to the foot of the bridge, Jinny, was hoping that the guards would not thoroughly inspect the load. Once the truck stopped moving she could, again, vaguely hear the voices of the guards. Trying to listen to what they were saying was very difficult as her ears were full of salt. Soon one of the guards climbed to the top of the truck. Quickly the guard lifted the cover. He shined his flashlight around the back of the truck. Then the guard took a long narrow pipe and started prodding it deep into the payload. On several occasions, the pipe narrowly missed Jinny. Jinny kept wishing he would fall, as she did just a few moments ago. After a thorough inspection of the payload the guard placed the cover back in place and climbed down. Soon the truck started to move again. Jinny felt a sigh of relief and started to relax, she thought she would be over the border soon. As soon as Jinny stared to feel more comfortable the truck stopped. She was unsure as to what was happening and could not see or hear anything. She started to hear some voices in an unfamiliar language. The guards were talking to the truck driver and reviewing his paperwork. Jinny realized she had crossed the border and she felt more at ease. The truck started to move again. This time it was really moving, very fast, over the bridge and down a highway. Jinny thought she would be ok. She climbed up from under the salt. She then pulled the cover aside. Slowly, she stood up to see what she could see. In the dark of the night she couldn't see much but did realize the scenery was different. She knew she was in Russia and the pressure of getting caught had lessened. A smile appeared on her face. She then rose her arms in victory. Then reality set in, she started to get cold again. She knew if she got caught she would be in trouble, but not as much as if she got caught in North Korea. She suddenly got a second wind and she felt a sense of accomplishment. Then suddenly she felt lost. What to do next was the question running through her head. The next chapter in Jinny's mission just started. She had no Idea what to do, or what was going to happen next.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter VII

Back in Mattie's apartment, Jinny Kim, Oksana Jin and Mattie were confused. They did not know what to think. This was an unusual situation and all knew that if they were caught they would be in deep trouble. Both Mattie and Oksana knew that if Jinny didn't get help her sick children would suffer more than they already were and possibly die. They also knew that what Jinny wanted to do was nearly impossible.

Oksana started to ask Jinny questions in Korean and then translated what they were saying into English so Mattie would understand what was going on. Oksana and Mattie were told what Jinny went through. What happened in the days leading up to her ending up in an alleyway freezing cold before Mattie helped her. They could not believe what she went through. They both heard stories about North Korea and now the reality of those stories was setting in. They both had a tremendous amount of respect for the chances Jinny took. Also for her toughness, many people had tried to do what Jinny did and many of people have died trying. Mattie knew Jinny was not your average person. He believed that there was something special about Jinny and he wanted to help. When Mattie told Oksana that he wanted to help her she was shocked. Oksana knew that Mattie had to leave Russia soon before his visa expired. The Russian government is very serious about foreigners and their visas. It is nearly impossible to get away with an expired visa in Russia. All port of entries methodically check the visas of all foreigners when the leave to see if anyone overstayed their allotted time. If so you would be sent to a Russian Gulag for about six months. It would take some time to help Jinny and both Oksana and Mattie knew it could take more time than they had. They knew that if Mattie overstayed his visa, it meant jail time for him.

Mattie sat down on his couch and thought for a moment. He then told Oksana that he would help Jinny. Also, Mattie would need some help from Oksana.

Mattie quickly devised a plan. Both Oksana and Mattie knew one of their students was a pharmacist. Mattie asked Oksana to contact the student to see if she could get them the medicine that Jenny's children needed. Oksana ran off to gather the medicine and Mattie hastily packed a bag. Oksana knew it would be difficult to get the medicine but she was determined to help Jinny. She drove to Svetlana Pliuta's apartment and told her what had happened. Svetlana could not believe the story and thought that Mattie and Oksana were crazy. Svetlana told Oksana that there was no way she would be able to get the medicine from the pharmacy she worked at. The inventory at the pharmacy is very accurate and constantly inspected by the government. If anything was missing they would know right away and Svetlana would be fired and possibly sent to jail. Svetlana also knew that the medicine the needed was at the local veterinary hospital and their inventory was not inspected by the authorities. She called her friend Doctor Yuliia Vivdych who was a veterinarian and asked for help. The two jumped in Oksana's car and headed to see Svetlana's friend Doctor Yuliia Vivdych. Once the two arrived at Doctor Yuliia Vivdych office they explained what had happened. She too thought they were crazy for helping and could not believe Jinny's story. Doctor Yuliia Vivdych then reached into her bag and gave Oksana and Svetlana some medicine a few syringes and a few needles. Doctor Vivdych then told them the amount of medicine to put into the syringe and how often to give the children the medicine. Oksana and Svetlana the jumped into the car again and headed back to Mattie's apartment.

Mattie had packed his bag in a flash and he and Jinny waited for Oksana to return. Jinny was tired but a shower and some fresh clothes with the excitement of getting help gave her the energy and break she needed. They tried to relax the best they could as they waited for Oksana to get back.

Soon Oksana and Svetlana arrived at Mattie's apartment with the medicine. Both Oksana and Svetlana were concerned about Jinny's children and wanted to help. Svetlana explained to Mattie what they had to do with the medicine and wished them luck. Mattie thought that it would be best to wait until night to cross the border and they both rested the best they could until it was dark. Later that day all four were in Oksana's car on their way to the Russian, North Korean Border. For Mattie, the short ride close to the border seemed like an eternity. But they arrived and were soon off on their mission. Oksana and Svetlana wished them luck as Mattie and Jinny walked off into the darkness of night.

Mattie and Jinny had started a nearly impossible mission. They near the border of Russia and North Korea with a plan to cross over into an evil and ruthless place. This, beyond any doubt, would be the biggest test that Mattie had ever taken. Getting into North Korea was of little concern to him, the problem was; how would he get out?

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter VIII

It was a cold evening in Khasan Russia when Jinny Kim and Mattie Forde started walking towards the North Korean border. With some rest and clean warm cloths, Jinny was ready to tackle another nearly impossible mission. She was also happy that she got some medicine for her children and that she had the help of Mattie. Mattie, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical, he was unsure of what he got himself into. Nevertheless, he continued with a desire to help an incredible lady in desperate need of help. Off in the distance was The Friendship Bridge with a long line of rail cars lined up and ready to cross. The land surrounding the was desolate, a few rice paddies and a quiet shipping port to their east. The North Korean guards had just finished their inspection and boarded the train to cross into North Korea. As the train slowly departed Jinny and Mattie noticed something rather disturbing. There was a North Korean refugee running behind the train with a rope around his neck. As the train slowly accelerated the North Korean Refugee started to walk, following the train along the tracks. Before he knew it he was running as fast as he can to keep up with the accelerating train. He hung in there as long as he could running faster and faster. Soon he had all his energy sapped out of him and fell, the train drug him the rest of the way over the bridge and into the totalitarian country of North Korea. This was an eye-opener for both Jinny and Mattie. Looking back north towards Russia they saw Oksana and Svetlana off in the distance driving back home. Right then and there they understood that their mission was a high stakes mission that would define ability to overcome difficultly and define them for the rest of their lives.

As Mattie and Jinny moved closer to the boarder the started to devise a plan. This proved to be very difficult as Mattie did not speak Korean and Jinny did not speak English. The two used gestures and Mattie, knowing that Jinny did this before, followed. They moved off the side of the road and used the trees and bushes that lined the road for cover. The closer they got the more nervous they became. Soon they were close enough to clearly see and hear the guards along the border. Jinny notice that the security on the Russian side of the border was more laxed. It is unheard of for anyone to sneak into North Korea. With a sigh of relief after witnessing the laxed security Jinny felt more comfortable. Both of them, crouched down and quiet, moved as close as they could to the foot of the Friend Ship Bride that crossed into Rason, North Korea. After they got very close, without being noticed, they started to head west. They wanted to get further away from the bridge where all the guards were. After traveling about one mile west they stopped and took a break. Jinny looked over the Tumen River into North Korea. She realized the after a few days of very cold weather the river was frozen. Both Mattie and Jinny crawled onto the ice river to test the thickness of the ice. After feeling that the ice was thick enough to support them they started to cross. They crawled across the river on the freezing cold ice staying on their bellies to keep a low profile. Dusk was turning into nigh, it was getting darker and quieter and there were no guards in sight. After getting half way across the river and feeling confident that they would make it across their plans took a turn for the worst. After crawling on the ice both Mattie and Jinny started to get very cold. To make things worse, they were moving very slow. They were both getting cold and felt like standing up and running across the ice. They knew that if they did it would be easy for the North Korean guards to see them and they would get caught. They also knew if they did not hurry they would just get colder. And getting colder than they were would make the situation a whole lot worst. Soon they started to hear a creaking sound. They both felt a sense of eeriness as the night was dark and quiet. They were not sure what the sound was and where it came from. The two paused for a moment and looked at each other. Confused and unsure as what to do they started to get more nervous and panic started to set in. Then suddenly a loud cracking sound again and then splash and Mattie fell through the ice. He had disappeared in the blink of an eye right in front of Jinny. There was no sign of Mattie, he was gone. Jinny started to panic as she became afraid of falling into the ice as Mattie did. She did not know what to do. Should she continue without Mattie and leave him there? Should she try to help? She froze as tears came to her eyes. One moment there was a nice man trying to help her, then he was gone in the blink of an eye. Jinny felt guilty. First that she dragged Mattie, a stranger, into this messy situation. Then she felt even more guilty when she realized that Mattie had the medicine in his bag and he is now gone. The night felt colder and was again eerily quiet. Jinny started to sob and thought the mission was over.

Then, suddenly out of nowhere she heard a noise. Mattie then came up from under the water. He was out of breath, wet and cold. He frantically tried to get out of the water. He was panting, kicking and scratching at the ice. Mattie would put his cold hand on the ice and try to pull himself up. As soon as he started to get out of the water, he would slip and fall back into the water. Mattie and Jinny thought it would be impossible to get him out of the water. Mattie grew colder and more desperate. So did Jinny as she felt helpless. Jinny then crawled on the ice closer to Mattie. She tried to grab Mattie's hand to help him get out of the water. This did not work, Jinny was so petite and just slid on the ice towards the hole. If Mattie did not let go of Jinny's hand, they would both be in the freezing cold water. The situation grew grimmer as time went on. Mattie was getting colder and running out of energy. Hypothermia was setting in and it became more difficult for Mattie to think or move. They both thought that it was over for Mattie. More tears came to Jinny's eyes, only this time they started to freeze. She was heartbroken. Mattie went back under and the sounds grew silent.

Unexpectedly, once again, Mattie came up out of the water. This time he had his belt in one hand and his bag in the other. He threw them both at Jinny. Jinny hastily looped the belt around one of the straps to Mattie's bag. She them moved back and threw the bag and belt at Mattie, hanging on to one end. This time Mattie had something to grab onto. Jinny did everything she could to help. She eventually was able to set the heal of her shoes into the ice. Slowly Mattie emerged. He was shaking radically, as his body naturally tried to warm itself. He was in deep trouble and needed to do something right away before he froze to death. Both Mattie and Jinny started to crawl as fast as they could to get off the ice. This time they spread apart to not be so close to each other in an effort distribute their weight and to not fall through the ice again. They kept moving faster and faster, it was a matter of life or death for Mattie. Soon they arrived on dry land this time they were on the North Korean side of the river.

Mattie and Jinny were happy to be off the ice but still in deep trouble. Mattie was wet and cold and he needed to get dry clothes on as soon as possible. If not the wet cloths would freeze and make him colder. As if this was not enough of a problem, the dire situation was about to get worst.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter IX

Now on the North Korean side of the Tume River and in dire straits Mattie and Jinney knew that their mission was not close to being over.

As Mattie was frantically trying to get his wet clothes off when things took a turn for the worst. They started to hear North Korea soldiers and they were getting louder. Then, they saw the glow of the soldier's flashlights, they knew they were in trouble. Quickly Jinny grabbed Mattie and they started to run. They were able to find some cover behind a rock surrounded with bushes. They crouched down in the cover and hung onto each other. They were hoping that the soldiers would not find them. If so, they would both be sent to labor camps to never be seen again. As the soldiers came closer they became more nervous. Mattie was still wet, cold and shivering uncontrollably. He found it more and more difficult to stay still, they both thought they would be seen or heard. The soldiers came closer and closer to them. Soon they were standing in front of them looking around to see if they could find anyone. After what seemed like an eternity, they turned and walked away. With a sigh of relief Mattie started to take his clothes off. Soon Mattie was naked but still very cold. He had the wet clothes off and knew he would start to dry. Mattie then frantically went through his bag. He had packed some cloths in plastic bags to stay dry. Mattie quickly unpacked his bag and got dressed. He immediately felt a little better getting the wet clothes off. Leaving the pile of wet cloths, including his jacket, Mattie and Jinny continued. Both cold and startled from Mattie's near death experience and their close call with the border guards they were hoping the worst part of this mission was behind them.

Mattie and Jinny started heading south. Jinny knew that going south would eventually get them closer to her village in Rason, North Korea and her children. The night was dark and cold, over cast sky's with no moon or stars in the sky made it more difficult for them to see and navigate. Mattie felt a little better after getting out of his wet clothes but he had no jacket and was still cold. They both started to move as fast as they could to try and stay warm. They felt a sense of accomplishment getting over the border. As happy as he felt Mattie was still unsure as to how long and how difficult it would be to get to Jinny's family. To make the situation worse, Jinny was not sure where they were. After about forty-five minutes of roaming through the forest they finally saw and smelt the glow of a small fire. In Rason, North Korea most people heat their houses and water with wood stoves. Jinny smiled and felt good and start to walk faster to the sight and smell of a fire, soon they saw the city lights. As Jinny pointed to the lights Mattie started to feel more relaxed, he wanted to get somewhere warm. They started to run towards the town. Soon they were so close that they had to be careful to not get caught. Mattie, being an American, stood out like a sore thumb. The last thing Mattie and Jinny wanted would to have Mattie seen by one of the locals. If he were seen the locals would instantly know he was a foreigner. They did not want to draw attention so Mattie would walk behind Jinny and look down. They were both happy that it was still dark. Shortly after arriving in town Jinny realized that she was not in her hometown. She grew more nervous and was confused as to where she was and what direction they needed to go to get to her family. Mattie noticed the concerned behaver of Jinny and became nervous. They both had no idea as to what to do.

As Mattie and Jinny continued to quietly roam around town trying to find out exactly where they were they became more uncertain. The night was still dark and cold, there were very few people on the street. As they turned a corner to see what they could see, Jinny became startled. There was a strange man walking down the street and they bumped into each other. Mattie was also surprised and looked up right into the man's eyes. The man had asked Jinny, in Korean, for a light, she replied back saying doesn't smoke. The strange man then looked to Mattie and asked for a light. Mattie did what he could to be inconspicuous. Jinny told the man that he doesn't smoke. The man then looked at Mattie again and saw that he wasn't a foreigner. Worried that they would cause an incident and alarm more people in the community they both started to run. As they ran the strange man started to run after them. They did not want to get caught. The strange man followed and yelled repeatedly, foreigner, foreigner. Mattie and Jinny ran as fast as they could. Finally, they saw a small cargo truck stopped at an intersection. As they approached they saw that the engine was running and the cab was empty. Mattie grabbed Jinny and pointed towards the small truck. They jumped in, Mattie at the driver's seat Jinny by his side. Mattie started driving as fast as he could to get out of town. Looking in the mirrors Mattie and Jinny saw the old man and the owner of the truck franticly running after them. Slowly they grew smaller in the mirror and eventually disappeared. As they got towards the edge of the city Mattie and Jinny looked at each other and smiled, they were both happy. First to have gotten away after nearly getting caught again. Second, because the truck had heat. As the continued to drive away from the strange city they started to feel warm and comfortable for the first time in a long time. Unsure as to what direction to go they had no idea as to what to do next.

Soon they arrived in another town as the sun started to rise. Once in town Jinny noticed that people were awake and moving around. Soon they saw a vendor on the side of the street. They were both hungry and in need of directions. Jinny pointed and Mattie drove towards the vendor. There was a little old Koran lady selling Kimchi Kongnamul Guk a traditional Korean soup made with Soybean Sprout and Kimchi on the side of the street. Once they stopped Jinny ordered some soup for her and Mattie. She started to talk to the lady in a very friendly manner. Jinny then asked the lady for directions to Rason. After Jinny got the directions she pointed in the direction she wanted Mattie to drive. As soon as Mattie started to drive, the little old lady on the side of the road started to yell and run after the truck. Jinny had no money and could not pay her for the soup and that lady was furious. Mattie took off and started to drive as fast as he could to get out of town. Soon they were in the countryside and heading to Jinny's village in Rason to save Jinny's children.

Eventually they got the edge of Rason in a stolen vehicle. Mattie was wondering what to do with the vehicle but he knew they had to get rid of it. Jinny kept pointing in the direction she wanted Mattie to drive. Soon Jinny smiled and jumped out of the moving truck. Mattie assumed that she was home and drove the stolen truck into an alleyway around the corner from Jinny's home.

Jinny's home was a traditional Korean hut made of mud as rice straw. The walls were a mixture of mud dried in the sun. The roof was layers of straw that was left over from rice harvest. There were pieces of glass held in openings with small logs holding them in place. The door, rough sawn wood with a primitive handle. Inside the floor was mud and heated with a wood burning stove. The wood burning stove was used for cooking and heating the house. Next to the stove was a large bucket holding about fifty gallons of water, to fill the bucket one would have to walk to the creek and shuttle small buckets of water into the house. This water was used for cooking, drinking and bathing. The furniture consisted of a few small tables, one for preparing the food and one for eating and studying. A blanket hanging from the celling separated the main room from the only bedroom. The bedroom was small with three sleeping pads on the ground. The interior of the house was dimly lit with a few candles. No electric in this neighborhood, just some candles and wood to heat and light the house. Bathrooms? Only outhouses with no running water or heat. This was all that Jinny knew, Mattie's apartment was the only other place she stayed in. Mattie was dumbfounded with the amount and extent of the poverty in the area, he had never seen anything like it.

Happy to have finally gotten to Jinny's home and feeling a sense of relief Mattie started to walk towards Jinny's home. He walked into the front door and noticed that it was silent. The light was dim and Jinny was holding her motionless children. She had tears in her eyes. Mattie was unsure as to what had happened when Jinny was gone, but he knew it wasn't good. As Mattie approached Jinny who was still hugging her children he saw what Jinny was crying about. As he got closer he saw that Jinny's mom and dad were lying motionless on the floor. There was a small bed where Jinny's children were lying all wrapped up to keep warm with what was left of the rice. When Jinny arrived her parents were hugging her children to keep them warm. When Jinny grabbed her children she realized her parents had starved to death, as so many Koreans did during that time. They ate what little food was available and left a little for the children. Jinny's children were so hungry that they did not move, they could not even shed a tear or cry, they were so hungry. Jinny started to cry. Both had never seen such a grave situation and weren't sure if the children were going to survive. With Jinny's parents lying dead on the floor and her two children barely alive Mattie felt sad. Mattie then added some more wood to the wood burning stove that Jinny's family had to warm up the house. He felt as though he had let Jinny down. He was unsure as to what to say or do. Moreover, he was not sure how he would ever get out of North Korea.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter X

Quickly, Jinny started to breast feed her children. She knew they were malnourished and in need of nutrients. Mattie immediately went through his pack looking for the medicine that Doctor Yuliia Vivdych gave them when they were in Russia. He then prepared the syringes and administered the medicine as Jinny was feeding her children. As soon as Mattie was finished he added some more wood to the wood burning stove to make the home warmer. They were all cold, tired and hungry. Mattie knew he needed to make the place warmer and get some food for everyone. He also knew he had to do something with Jinny's dead parents'. After Jinny was finished breast feeding her children she put them to bed and started rummaging through the home and her parents' pockets. She was able to dredge up a few hundred Korean won, about three dollars. Jinny then ran to a local street vender and purchased some more soup. Mattie ran to the truck he hid in the alleyway and got what was left over from the soup they stole earlier that day. They warmed up the soup on the wood stove and ate. Mattie made sure that Jinny ate all she could knowing that she would eventually have to feed her children again.

After Mattie and Jinny were finished eating they took a break. The original plan was to help Jinny and then go back to Korea alone. Now Mattie realized that if he left Jinny and her children they would be alone. Mattie was not sure what to do, he thought of staying, going alone or bring Jinny and her children with him were running through his head. He knew it would be more difficult to return alone. He also knew that it would be even more difficult returning to Russia with Jinny and her children. He also knew that eventually they would have the grim task of doing something with Jinny's parents. Knowing that no matter what the decision would be, it would be a very difficult one. Mattie tried to rest but couldn't, he was never more unsure about his future. The only thing that Mattie had going for him was that his friend Oksana and Svetlana were not far away on the other side of the North Korean, Russian border. Knowing that there were two people he could trust knowing where he was and what he was up to give him a good idea. He had packed a cell phone and an extra battery in his bag. He reached into his bag and turned his phone on. Being close to the Russian boarder, he was able to get a connection. He started to text Oksana and asked her for some advice. As soon as Oksana knew they were in Jinny's house, warm and safe, she felt relived. Oksana and Svetlana were deeply concerned for them. Mattie explained the situation to Oksana. He told her about Jinny's parents' and now if he leaves she will be all alone. He also explained to Oksana that it would make the nearly impossible mission of crossing over the border from North Korea to Russia would be much more difficult with two children. Oksana asked Mattie to then hang up the phone so she could call. After calling, Oksana asked Mattie to hand the phone to Jinny. Jinny and Oksana had a conversation in Korean. After the conversation, Jinny handed the phone to Mattie. She explained to him that Jinny did not want to stay in Korea with her children alone. She also did not want to leave her children in Korea. Jinny desperately wanted to take her two twin infant children out of North Korea. After a brief pause and moment of silence Mattie grew deeply concerned. He knew this would be nearly impossible. On the other hand, he did not want to leave Jinny and her children behind. Mattie had started to like Jinny. She had saved his life when he fell through the ice. He also had so much respect for her courage and love for her children. Mattie did not want to leave her behind, he had fallen in love with Jinny. As Mattie told Oksana he was devising a plan to take Jinny and her twins back to Russia and wanted her to meet them at the border, they lost the connection. After losing the connection Mattie found it very difficult to tell Jinny he wanted to return to Russia with her and her children. Mattie tried desperately trying to contact Oksana again so she could explain to Jinny what he wanted to do. To no avail, Mattie decided to put more wood on the fire, give the children more medicine and take a break. Curling up in bed with Jinny and her children to stay warm, Mattie started to think. Will he be able to get everyone over the boarded safely? Once over the border, what would they do? Will Mattie be able to get them to South Korea, or home to America? If he could accomplish this, how would Mattie be able to support Jinny and her children? As difficult as it was to get the medicine from Russia to North Korea, what was to happen next would make their last journey seam very easy. Mattie then looked into Jinny's eyes and noticed that there was a combination of looks. He knew Jinny wanted to get her children out of there. He also sensed a glow in Jinny's eyes, a glow of love. Yes, Mattie and Jinny fell in love. They cuddled in bed with Jinny's children between them. They kissed and went to sleep. They both knew that they need rest to start their next challenge in a few days at night fall.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XI

After a few days of rest, Mattie, Jinny and the twins prepared for their next challenge. A nearly impossible task of crossing the North Korean border into Russia and with two infant children to boot. With the sun setting and the weather getting colder, Mattie and Jinny sprang into action. They could not communicate but there was a special connection the two had, they knew exactly what was going to happen next. It was as if they could read each other's minds.

Jinny immediately started to breast feed the girls. She knew they needed food and it would be more difficult to feed them latter when they are on the move. Mattie then prepared the syringes with more medicine. He administered the medicine and then loaded up some more syringes to make it easier to give them more medicine while on the run. As Jinny was preparing the girls for the trip Mattie ran outside. Jinny wrapped the twins into some blankets and plastic to keep them warm and dry. Under the cover of darkness, he checked the gas in the truck they stole earlier. He had noticed it had hardly any gas and they were out of food. Mattie then snuck into another farm house in the area. He was able to scrounge up some kimchee and rice for their trip. He was also able to siphon some gas out of the neighbor's tractor. With some food and gas Mattie was ready to start a nearly impossible mission. As pulled the stolen truck to the front of Jinny's house. Jinny was ready and she jumped into the truck, children in her arms, and they were off.

Both excited and worried about the near future, Mattie and Jinny headed north. Their nearly impossible mission started. Under the darkness of night Jinny directed Mattie where to go. Off into the night they went.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XII

Jinny used gestures to direct Mattie North towards the Tumen River near The Friendship Bridge into Khasan, Russia. Mattie, Jinny and the twins were feeling much better after getting some rest and food. With confidence, they quickly got out of town with the stolen truck and into the countryside. The roads in this part on North Korea are very primitive, hardly any pavement, signs, traffic lights or drainage. Very rutty roads made the driving slow and uncomfortable and Mattie had to be very careful to not get caught with a stolen truck. He knew that the consequences of getting caught were dire and if he got caught he would probably die in a North Korean Labor Camp. They were lucky to have not been caught and as they got close to the border they looked for a place to hide the truck. The area near the border is very isolated, not much as far as farms, or any type of a community. Most of the activity in these parts is the North Korean Army patrolling for escapees. After driving for about thirty-five minutes they found an abandoned building not far from the border. Mattie hid the truck as Jinny took the opportunity to breast feed the children. She knew there might not be an opportunity to feed them for a while. Once Mattie hid the truck he gave the twins one shot each of the medicine that Doctor Yuliia Vivdych gave them in Russia. This was the last of the medicine and the twins were looking healthier. This made both Mattie and Jinny very happy. Despite being happier and healthier, both Mattie and Jinny knew the easy part of the mission was over. Things were only going to get more difficult as they prepared to cross the border.

Jinny grabbed one of the twins and took the lead as Mattie followed with the other twin. This time Jinny did not want to cross into Russia over the bridge. She knew that the last time she did she got lucky and this time it would be more difficult with the children. She also was a bit skeptical about crossing the frozen Tumen River after what Mattie went through on their way to North Korea. As they continued to walk north under the cover of a dark sky the air grew colder. Jinny knew that the temperature over the past few days was very low and the ice on the river had gotten thicker. As they got closer to the river they started looking for a place to hide. Finding an outcrop of rocks surrounded by a few trees and bushes on the banks of the river they decided to take cover. Mattie looked around and could see the other side of the river. The Russian side, their destination. It looked much further away than it actually was, but he felt confident that they could make it. As Mattie comforted the twins Jinny climbed one of the trees, she wanted to get a good look at the guards patrolling the river. As Jinny was climbing the tree Mattie felt something special inside as he was holding the twins. He started to feel a connection with them. So far Mattie has only spent a few nights with Jinny and less time with the twins. Despite this short time, he fell in love with them. Now they had a mother with a deep love for her children and a man with a deep love for that mother and the children. Mattie couldn't remember ever feeling this way about someone. He was not going to let them down. Mattie became a man on a mission to save these girls.

As Jinny climbed higher up the tree the branches became thinner and weaker. It was a good thing that Jinny was only about ninety pounds. She started to become concerned as she got higher up the tree. She not only knew the branches were getting weaker but she also noticed that there was less cover the higher she climbed. After a few minutes of climbing, Jinny became tired. She decides to take a rest by sitting on a branch as she straddled the trunk with her legs and arms. She was determined to get as high as she could to get view of the guards and see what their routine was. Once Jinny caught her breath and took a quick break she started to climb hire. As Mattie held the twins he watched Jinny climb higher with concern. He didn't want her to climb any higher because he did not want her to fall or be seen. Higher Jinny went, nearly to the top of the tree. As Jinny started to look around to observe the guards she heard the sound of a cracking branch. Jinny grew very concerned, as did Mattie. They knew she was in trouble. Also, if she fell she would have made enough noise to alert the guards. She was in trouble. Suddenly, the branch she was standing on gave away in one swift movement. Quickly Jinny was hang onto a thin branch approximately twenty-five feet off the ground. Jinny's cold hands clenched onto that thin branch for dear life. Jinny was a strong lady, she could hang on, but her hands were frozen and the branch was starting to crack. All the sudden, the branch broke. With the speed of a flashbulb on a camera, Jinny hit the ground. Mattie knew they were in trouble when he heard the sound of Jinny's body hitting the hard-frozen ground. As soon as Jinny hit the ground, he could hear all the air in her lungs leave her body. Jinny laid on the ground motionless. Mattie was deeply concerned. There was enough noise for the guards to hear and Mattie was holding the two twins. There was no way Mattie was going to be able to carry all three of the girls to safety. He quickly put the twins on the ground to tend to Jinny. As Mattie approached Jinny's still body he grew more concerned. The guards were alerted to the noise Jinny had made and the glow of their flashlights started to get closer. In a panic Mattie grabbed Jinny and threw her over his shoulder. He ran south away from the area they were originally hiding in to another outcrop of rocks. He put Jinny's limp body down and threw some leaves that were on the ground atop of her to conceal her body. Mattie then ran back to the tree where Jinny fell to retrieve the twins. As Mattie arrived to the location of the twins, he knew it was too late. The guards were approaching quickly with their flashlights. He knew there was no way he was going to be able to pick the twins up and move them to where he hid Jinny. Mattie was in trouble, he had no idea what to do and started to panic. He quickly grabbed the branch that fell from the tree with Jinny. Then Mattie laid on the ground over the twins and pulled the branch over them. He was also able to pull some more leaves over them. As the guards approached their voices grew louder and flashlights brighter. Mattie thought that for sure they were going to get caught. One of the guards climbed atop of one of the rocks they were hiding behind. Mattie could smell the guard and hear him breath. The guard shined his flashlight around looking for the location of the sound they heard when Jinny fell. Mattie's heart started to race like a freight train in the middle of the night. It seemed like an eternity as the guards searched the area. Mattie was worried, worried that the guards would see or hear him. He was holding his breath and holding the twins. He was also concerned that the twins would start crying. It seemed as though the guards would not go away. As Mattie and the twins continued to hide, Jinny was approximately thirty feet away under some branches and leaves. Mattie started to worry about her. He was hoping she was ok but did not want her to wake up after being knocked out cold and alert the guards. As soon as Mattie started to worry about Jinny, she woke up. She started to move frantically not knowing what had just happened. This alerted the guards and drew their attention away from Mattie and the twins. The guards immediately moved towards Jinny. Mattie thought it was over. He thought that he didn't hide Jinny well enough and that she would be caught. If Jinny were caught, what would Mattie do? He had the twins in a foreign country and had no idea how to take care of them. Without Jinny who would feed them? Who would take care of them?

As the guards approached Jinny's hiding spot she had realized what was going on. She laid still on the frozen ground in pain. She also grew deeply concerned. Mattie started to think of a plan to get them out of this situation. He reached around in the dark for a loose rock that was small enough to throw. After gathering a few he started to throw them as far towards the river as he could. The noise of the rocks bouncing off the ice of the frozen river alerted the guards just before they reached Jinny's location. Suddenly the guards turned and ran towards the river. They ran past Mattie and the twins. They were so occupied with finding the source of the noise that they were distracted from Mattie, Jinny and the twins. Once the guards were far enough away from Mattie, he started to crawl, with the twins, towards Jinny. Slowly and quietly he approached Jinny. Soon Mattie and the twins reached Jinny. They were happy as they curled up together under the cover of leaves and branches. Mattie was together with his girls and despite the situation they were in, he was happy they were together.

They waited quietly in the dark and cold night as the guards continued to search the area. After about a half-hour the guards moved on and Mattie and Jinny decided to move further west away from where the guard's headed. This was very difficult for Jinny as she was in tremendous pain after falling from the tree. Mattie took Jinny's bag, his bag and the twins in his arms. The slowly moves west. Jinny had severe back and chest pain. She thought that she had broken some ribs and seriously damaged her back. It was difficult for her to move and breath. Despite the tremendous pain, Jinny continued. She was, once again, a mother on a mission. This time she had more luck, she had her twins and Mattie with her. They started to feel closer and became deeper in love as time passed. They were not going to let go of each other again.

Once they got far enough away from the guards they once again headed north towards the banks of the Tumen River. The easy part of the mission was over. Now they prepared for the difficult task of crossing the frozen Tumen River again. This time to freedom and safety of Russia.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XIII

Once Mattie and Jinny reached the banks of the Tumen River they took a quick break. As Jinny breast fed the twins and ate some kimchee and rice Mattie quickly went to work. Mattie has some rope in his bag. He quickly tied lengths of rope between Jinny's and his bag. He made a chain of rope. He then got a bunch of sticks and used his pocket knife to wittle a sharp end on each stick. They would use these sticks to stick into the ice and pull themselves across the frozen river. Mattie would lead the way across the frozen river with the rope tied around his waist. Behind him, about ten feet, were the two bags. Behind the bags were the twins who were wrapped in plastic and blankets to keep them warm and dry. Behind the twins, Jinny, with here hurt back and ribs. Mattie knew that it would be very difficult for Jinny to crawl. But he also knew that he would be able to pull and help her move. He also knew this would distribute their weight hopefully keeping them from falling through the ice. He also knew if anyone fell through the ice, they would be connected making it easier and faster to get pulled from the cold water.

Once Jinny understood what the plan was they headed out over the frozen Tumen River. Slowly moving over the cold ice, they started to get colder. Their bodies were freezing and started to naturally shake to warm up. This made it more difficult to move. They both knew that they needed to move faster. Every minute on the ice would just make them colder. They also knew that the twins were only getting colder. They were both concerned that the twins would get so cold they would start to get hypothermia. They also did not want the twins to make any noise alerting the border guards on both sides of the river. Moving as fast as they could they made it half way across the river. They continued to get colder and kept trying to move as fast as they could. Soon the twins got so cold that they started to cry. Mattie and Jinny both knew that this was not good. The cries were loud enough to alert the guards on both sides as to their presence. They started to move faster and closer towards the Russian border. They knew that eventually the guards would hear and see them. Soon they were no longer worried about it, they knew they were caught. Mattie quickly got up and signaled to Jinny to get up. As hard as Jinny tried she couldn't get up. She was too cold and in so much pain from her fall the she could not even crawl anymore. Mattie the started to run as fast as he could. This was very difficult and he kept slipping and falling on the ice. To make the situation worst, the guards on the North Korean side of the river heard them. They shined their lights towards Mattie and Jinny. This time they were caught. They started crossing the frozen river to grab them before they got into Russia. Mattie then quickly crawled to the bags. He quickly untied the rope that was around his waist. Then he grabbed what was left of the rope inside the bags and tied it to the end of the rope connecting everyone together. He crawled on the ice as fast as he could towards the banks of the river on the Russian side. Once he was on solid ground Mattie pulled the rope. Slowly the bags, then the twins, then Jinny were on the banks of the Tumen River, this time on the Russian side. Both Mattie and Jinny untied the rope and grabbed the twins. They started to run further into Russia. They were surprised to not see any guards on the Russian side of the boarder. They were also, once again, lucky. Once Mattie and Jinny felt they were in a safe location they took a break. They each grabbed one child and did what they could to comfort them and stop them from crying. Jinny also took this time to once again feed her children. With a moment to consider what they had accomplished Mattie and Jinny once again looked into each other's eyes. They both saw something special and fell deeper in love. Mattie felt complete with Jinny and the girls. He knew he had found someone special in Jinny and was happy to have helped her and the girls. Mattie was a happy but a cold and tired man.

Eventually the twins stopped crying. Mattie then grabbed the bags and the twins and started to head North with Jinny in tow. Now that they were in Russia Mattie was taking the lead. He wanted to get to his apartment where it was warm and they had food. They quickly moved north, they were all cold and wanted to get this over as soon as they could. Eventually, they came to a highway. Not sure where they were Mattie left the twins and Jinny a few feet off the road. He then grabbed his cell phone and walked down the road until he saw a sign and took a picture. He then ran back into the woods where he left Jinny and the twins. He texted the picture to Oksana and asked her if she could find them. Oksana, surprised to hear from them texted him back and said that they were about two hours away. Mattie was surprise that they were so far away. With all the excitement of running from the guards they ended up a lot further west then they had planned. Out of food and medicine and still very cold, they waited for Oksana to arrive. Mattie found a few pine trees in the area and pulled as many branches off as he could. He made a bed of pine branches and put Jinny and the twins on the ground. He then covered them with more branches to keep them warm. With Jinny curled up with the twins under the warm pine tree branches Mattie move closer to the highway to wait for Oksana.

Mattie wasn't the least bit concerned about Oksana arriving. He knew she would do whatever it took to get to them. However, he was deeply concerned about his girls. He knew they were cold, hungry and in pain. He was in love with his girls and he didn't want them to suffer any more than they already had suffered.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XIV

After waiting for two hours Oksana and Svetlana arrived. Mattie was very happy. He ran into the woods to get Jinny and the twins and carried them to the car. It was a good thing Svetlana was with them because Jinny was in bad shape and the twins need more medicine. Immediately after they got into the car, Oksana's sped off back to Mattie's apartment. Happy to see his friend Oksana and to be back in Russia Mattie took a deep breath and relaxed. They had turned the heat in the car to warm themselves up and Svetlana attended to the children. She gave them some more medicine and some food to Jinny and Mattie. Svetlana then attended to Jinny. She noticed that she was in agony and upon further exanimation noticed that Jinny had some broken ribs and there was something seriously wrong with her back. Jinny was not concerned with herself, her priorities were her children. Jinny fed the twins and then relax for the two-hour ride to Mattie's apartment. Both Mattie and Jinny were finally at ease and proud of their accomplishment. They had gotten medicine to the children and got back to Russia in just a few days. They were fed, warm and happy to be with friends. Yes, they did know that they still had a long way to go to get to America but for now, they were happy and content.

After a two-hour drive, back to Mattie's apartment they started to settle in and get comfortable. Jinny took a shower and put her dirty clothes in Mattie's washing machine. As Jinny was in the shower Svetlana took a closer look at the twins and saw that they were in great shape. Mattie also told Oksana and Svetlana about their journey into and then out of North Korea. They were both amazed that they were able to make it and wanted to continue to help. After a few hours of showering, giving the twins a bath and relaxing they ordered food. They knew that the twins were doing well but they still needed a healthy mother to breastfeed them. Svetlana had told Mattie and Oksana that Jinny had a few broken ribs and a problem with her back. Svetlana felt that the twins were fine and just need some rest. She also discovered that Jinny did have some broken ribs and a back problem. After dark, Svetlana, Oksana and Jinny went to Svetlana's office to get some x-rays. After examining the x-rays she discovered that Jinny had three broken ribs and some serious muscle damage in her back. She then took some medicine to relieve the pain and reduce swelling to make Jinny comfortable. She also said that Jinny was going to have to rest for at least a week before moving. The major problem is that Jinny and Mattie are illegally in Russia. First, Mattie's work visa had expired and if he were caught, he would be sent to a Russian jail. Second, Jinny and the children also had entered the country illegally and if they were to get caught, they would be sent to jail, or even worst, sent back to North Korea to never be seen again. Svetlana, Oksana and Jinny returned to Mattie's apartment. Oksana filled in Mattie as to Jinny's condition and that they need to stay for at least one more week. All the ladies also agreed to help Mattie, Jinny and the children by buying food, dippers and more medicine. Oksana had also agreed to contact one of her former students who was a member of the Russian mafia to help get the documents Mattie, Jinny and the children needed. Mattie and Jinny were very grateful for all the help they were getting from their Russian friends. Moreover, they were happy to be together in a warm and comfortable place with the food and medicine they needed to survive. After chatting for a while Jinny and the twins went to bed. Mattie was happy and his friends knew. They noticed that there was something different about him. They could see that they were in love. Oksana, Svetlana and Yuliia were happy for their friend Mattie and left for the evening and would return tomorrow with some more supplies. Mattie then relaxed for the first time in quite a few days. He was happily in love and content with Jinny and her children.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XV

Late in the morning Mattie and Jinny woke up. They were happy to be together with the twins in a warm and safe place. Mattie knew that they need food and rest or they would never make it to America. The twins were getting healthier but Jinny was still too injured to move. Mattie wanted Jinny and the twins to relax so he got to work and made his favorite breakfast and tea. Mattie's favorite breakfast is what his family called cowboy eggs and they loved to serve it with chorizo. A simple yet delicious breakfast. First Mattie would grill the chorizo in a pan and keep the grease in the pan once the chorizo was grilled. Then he would put a hole in a few pieces of bread and toast it in the pan with the grease from the chorizo. Once one side of the bread was toasted he would flip it over and crack an egg inside the hole that he made in the toast. After cooking the egg for a few minutes Mattie would flip the cowboy egg over again and add some salt, pepper and a little bit of cheese. Mattie served Jinney breakfast in bed, she has never seen anything like this. Back home all Jinney and her family had in the morning was some rice and a little bit of kimchee, she did not know what to do. Mattie speaking hardly any Korean showed Jinny how to eat cowboy eggs. He would dip the piece of bread that was left-over from making the hole in the toast and dip it into the soft egg. Then when finished he would use a fork to eat the rest, including his favorite part, the chorizo. Jinny was amazed that Mattie could cook and was excited to have a home cooked breakfast. After a few tries she was able to comfortably use a fork, this was the first time she had seen fork and preferred it over the chopstick she had grown up with. As soon as she was finished Mattie cleaned up and Jinny took a hot shower, another thing she had for the first time. Growing up all she had was a tub that had to be filled with buckets of water at the well or creek and carried into the house. Hot water was made on the stovetop and poured into the bathtub. Jinny was starting to enjoy the finer things in life.

After relaxing all day Svetlana, Oksana and Yuliia came to see them. They had plenty of supplies including food and diapers. This was another first for Jinny, she had never used diapers before. Jinny and her family had grown up in a very poor country. Babies never had diapers, just some sand on the floor until they could use the bathroom. Because Svetlana, Oksana and Yuliia had no children and Jinny had never seen diapers before no one was sure as to how to put a diaper on a baby or change one for that matter. Mattie watched quite a show as the four ladies tried to put a diaper on for the first time. In fact they all had a great laugh. Both Mattie and Jinny were very grateful for their support. Once everything was settled in Mattie's apartment they started to devise a plan. They knew it was not going to be easy and was also very risky. They decided that the best option was to get to South Korea where there were great programs for North Korean refugees and they spoke the same language that Jinny knew. Oksana made a few phone calls to her former student who was in the Russian mafia to see if he could help with documents for Mattie, Jinny and the twins.

The Mafia was deeply imbedded in Russia and has been since the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed there was rampant unemployment and inflation. The working class suffered tremendously and need a way to survive. This created the Russian mafia that is still around today. Their hands are involved in every vice from prostitution, cigarette and alcohol sales to extortion, money laundering and racketeering. They also have their hand in every government organization from local, county, provisional and federal governments. One of the things they are known for is counterfeiting money and official documents. Any currency, mainly the US dollar and any document you need the Russian mafia could get. This is just what Mattie and Jinny needed. In order to get out of Russia Mattie needs a proper visa extension and Jinney need passports and visas for her and the twins.

The man Oksana knew was named Vladimir, and he agreed to meet Yuliia and Mattie to see if he could help. Later that evening Mattie and Yuliia went to meet Vladimir as Svetlana and Oksana stayed with Jinny. After a few minutes they started to watch TV and play with the twins. Both Svetlana and Oksana were falling in love with the twins as Mattie did a few days before.

Once Mattie and Yuliia got to Vladimir's apartment they shocked that they were in a very bad neighborhood. They were outside and old Soviet style apartment building. There was graffiti and gang signs all over the place. Thugs, drunks, prostitutes and homeless all over the place. They could hardly move without being approached by a panhandler, prostitute or a drug dealer. They were concerned with the crime there and Yuliia didn't want her car stolen. She called Vladimir and expressed her concern. Vladimir came out of the apartment and opened the door to the parking garage. Mattie and Jinny were surprised to see so many very expensive European sports cars in the garage. After Vladimir led Mattie and Yuliia to the elevator he inserted a key into the control panel and pushed a few buttons. The elevator then sped up to the top floor and opened. As soon as the door opened Mattie and Oksana were amazed. There they were in the middle of a high crime ghetto and now they are in the top floor of an old Soviet style apartment building in the lap of luxury. There were gold fixtures and expensive furniture as far as the eye could see. Many of Vladimir's colleagues were dressed to the nines, the men had very expensive European designer suits, the women, expensive evening gowns, expensive jewelry, perfectly styled hair and nails. This place was better than a five-star hotel room. Shocked, they followed Vladimir to his office and Yuliia explained Mattie's and Jinny's situation to him in Russian. Mattie was confused as to what they were talking about but he knew it was about him. After a few minus of explanation Vladimir looked at Mattie with a shocked look on his face. Vladimir said, in English, "I can't believe you were crazy enough to go to North Korea and back". I can't believe you survived". Vladimir had respect for Mattie and in his culture, which meant a lot. Mattie explained to Vladimir how Jinny and he accomplished their mission and Vladimir was impressed. Mattie also explained that his visa was expired and Jinny had no documents. Mattie and Jinny desperately needed the proper paper work to get out of Russia. Mattie also had to get to Korea for his new job and wanted to bring Jinny and the twins with him. Mattie had planned on exiting Russia by taking a ferry from Vladivostok, Russia to Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Japan. He also told Vladimir that all he needed was the proper visa extension to get out of Russia and that his current passport was good. The problem was that Jinny and the twins did not have passports. Vladimir told Mattie not to worry because they have many connections at the port of call in Vladivostok. He could escort Mattie, Jinny and the twins through immigration and onto the ferry to Japan. The problem is that Jinny and the twins would need passports and that would take a few days. Because the people at the port of call in Vladivostok were friends of Vladimir he could do Mattie's passport for free. But the passports for Jinny and the twins were complicates and going to be expensive. Mattie and Vladimir shook hands and said it is a deal. As Mattie and Yuliia were in the elevator and exiting the building the talked about how easy it was. Yuliia was not surprised that Vladimir could get them in or out of Russia, she knew there was a lot of corruption in Russia. She was also a little concerned about the passports and hoped that everything would turn out ok. Mattie felt that this was too easy, he grew concerned.

Soon Mattie and Yuliia were back at Mattie's apartment. Oksana, Svetlana and Yuliia commented on how Mattie looked when he got back to his apartment. They were talking in Russian about Mattie and how he was in love with Jinny and the twins. They were happy for him. After Oksana filled in everyone about the plan to exit Russia and how they were going to get passports they left. Mattie, Jinny and the twins were in the apartment and the twins were sound asleep. Mattie then found a note that Oksana had slipped into his breast pocket. It was a Korean to English translation that said I love you. It was then that Mattie uttered his first words of Korean to Jinny, "salanghes". She smiled and embraced Mattie. They the cuddled up in bed with the twins for some needed rest.

After another good night's rest Mattie, again, made Jinny a healthy breakfast in bed. He then contacted an old friend of his that he met while teaching English in Japan a few years ago, Whitney Glass. He explained his situation to Whitney and asked for help. He promised that she would be in no trouble because of the documents they would get from Vladimir. She agreed and promised Mattie that they could stay at her place for a few days and she would get a Japanese friend of hers to help the with the train and ferry tickets they need to get to South Korea. Mattie's plan was coming together and he was proud of his accomplishments. All they needed to do now was wait for Vladimir to come through with the passports they needed.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XVI

After a few days confined in Mattie's apartment Jinny and Mattie started to get cabin fever. They were happy to be in a safe place and were happy to be together. But they did not want to go out because they wanted the twins to rest and they were fearfully of getting caught by the Russian police without the proper documents. In Russia all people must carry identification and the authorities can stop anyone at any time to ask for their identification.

Late in the afternoon Oksana and Vladimir showed up at their apartment. They were in a hurry and Vladimir explained to Mattie that his connections at the port of call in Vladivostok was going on vacation and today was the last day they could leave. If they didn't leave, they would have to wait three more weeks. Vladimir gave Jinny and the twins the passports and helped them pack their bags. Svetlana and Yuliia had given Oksana money for them and asked Oksana to wish them luck. After hastily packing their bags and preparing the twins they piled into Vladimir's car and headed to the train station in Khasan Russia. Once at the train station Oksana bid farewell to Jinny and Mattie. Oksana was happy to see Mattie and Jinny to start a new chapter in their life and wished them well. With a tear in her eye she gave Mattie and Jinny a hug and said good bye and good luck. Mattie, Jinny and Vladimir then got on the train for a few hours' trip to Vladivostok. It was a somber moment that stressed the duality of mankind, they were both, at the same time, happy and sad. Happy to start their new chapter in life, and sad to say good bye to a dear friend and great person who was helpful beyond explanation. With tears in their eyes Jinny and Mattie waved bye to Oksana as the train quickly pulled away.

Once the train started Vladimir told Mattie his plan. They were speaking English and drew attention to the other passengers. This was a small Russian town on the East coast of Russia and foreigners were few and far between. They tried to be inconspicuous as possible. Mattie and Jinny tried to relax on the train with the twins but the anxiety made that impossible. They were the only foreigners on the packed train. Vladimir was cool, calm and collective as he conducted business on his smart phone. The train was an older train but rather comfortable and quiet. The rocking motion of the train put the twins at ease and the rapidly fell asleep. Most people on the train were having conversations and eating a late afternoon snack. The train smelled like fresh bread, cheese, dried meats and wine. The crowd was relaxed and happy carrying on with conversations and reminiscing about the bad old days of the Soviet Union.

After a few hours, the train pulled into the Vladivostok station and Mattie, Jinny, Vladimir and the twins got off. Vladimir had Jinny and Mattie wait outside the train station so he could go find his friend who worked for Russian Immigration. After waiting for a few minutes Vladimir arrived and walked them into a dark room off to the side of the train station. The train station was an old Soviet style building built in the 1950's, plain and simple, nothing fancy was built in those days. The building was mostly concrete and felt cold and damp. Passengers moved about as if it were just another day and had no idea what the only two foreigners in the train station had planned. There was a large and drunk man sitting in the room. He frightened Mattie and Jinny but there was something about Vladimir that made them relax, a little. Shortly after relaxing a little, Vladimir and the drunk man exchanged some words in Russian and Mattie was confused. They started to argue making the situation tense. Mattie asked what the problem was. He said that he wanted one-hundred American dollars each and sex with Jinny if he were to let them out of the country. Mattie told Vladimir that they don't have that much money and that he never told him it was going to cost that much. Vladimir knew there was a problem, normally the connections he has in immigration only charges twenty dollars each to get through without the proper paperwork. The drunk large man in immigration was concerned that they would get caught with the children and his boss would find out that he had let them through. Mattie, Jinny and Vladimir left with the twins and Vladimir made a few more phone calls. Fifteen minutes' latter a man that Vladimir knew arrived. Vladimir explained the situation to him and explained that they are good people. Vladimir also had some clout with him because he knew about his connections. Vladimir had convinced him that a little help would go a long way with his clout. After a brief farewell to Vladimir, he walked Jinny, Mattie and the twins through immigration office without a hitch. Their passports were stamped with the proper visa and they were on their way. He understood their situation and wanted to help them. He knew about North Korea and was happy for Jinny and her children.

As Jinny and Mattie waited in line to purchase ferry tickets to Hokkaido, Japan the situation remained tense. They made it through immigration and had their visa stamps in their passports but knew there were more border crossings to come. They had help in Vladivostok and got lucky but now they were on their own in a strange place. The port was busy that day, there had been some rough waters and ferry were delayed. Like the train station the ferry terminal was plane and had a damp and cold feeling. It was very crowded and confusing for Mattie and Jinny. This was not a popular tourist area and very few people spoke English. While they were trying to purchase their tickets Mattie couldn't find anyone wo spoke English or understood what little Russian he knew. Then Jinny heard someone speaking Korean, they were two Korean businessmen on the way to Japan and then home to South Korea. She asked them for help and got the ferry tickets they needed. Looking at Mattie Jinny had a smile and they both felt like a team working hand and hand to accomplish their mission. Tickets in hand, they moved to the waiting area and had some time to relax while waiting for their ferry.

Luckily there were many English speaking tourist who were also waiting for the ferry. Mattie struck-up a conversation with some English speaking French tourist to kill some time. He noticed that one of the tourists had a computer that had a wireless internet connection. Mattie asked her if he could use her computer to contact a friend in Japan to let her know when they would arrive. She happily lent Mattie her computer and he used Facebook to message Whitney Green, his friend in Japan who said she can help them. He also messaged Oksana to let her know they made it to the ferry. Oksana was relieved that they were doing well and wished them well. Mattie's plan was working well and he and Jinny were happy. They knew that soon they would be on the ferry and out of Russia. Mattie also knew that there was still a long way to go.

After boarding the ferry Mattie and Jinny found a quiet and comfortable place to relax. There was a wide open quiet area for passengers to relax and get some sleep. Most passengers had brought a pillow and small sleeping pad with them to sleep for the eight hour journey. Once settled in Mattie went to the cafeteria on the ferry and got some food for Jinny. Jinny was also able to feed the twins. They relaxed and looked like one happy family. Mattie and Jinny curled up together in a quiet corner with the twins and got some long awaited rest. This was difficult with all the tourists on the ferry. There was also a night club on the ferry's upper deck and there was loud music. Despite these challenges and being stressed out form the challenging journey they were able to get some rest.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XVII

The overnight trip to Hokkaido, Japan seemed like an eternity. Mattie and Jinny tried to relax but a combination of anxiety of what would happen next and the noise of the crowd, they found it nearly impossible. Early that morning the crew made announcements in Russian and Japanese. Mattie was not sure what they were saying he just grabbed their bags and the twins and went with the flow of the crowd. They made their way outside of the main cabin area to get some fresh air and to see the sights. It was a cold and foggy day but they were happy to get the fresh air. Like a miracle as soon as they got to the front of the ship to see the sights, the fog lifted. The morning was almost instantly turned into a bright and sunny day. Mattie and Jinny looked at each other and smiled. They looked forward and could see Japan. They knew that soon they would set foot on Japanese soil and that was one step closer to their new home.

As the ship got closer to the docks in Japan the top deck became more crowded. Most passengers were excited that the trip was almost over. Mattie and Jinny did what they could to get towards the exit of the ferry. Once the ship stopped and the crew lashed it to the docks then opened the gates. Mattie and Jinny were some of the first people off the ship. They were so happy they were almost danced as they made their way down the gangway and onto the ground. Finally, they were out of Russia and on Japanese soil. Soon they made their way to the lines for the immigration office. The immigration office was very different from what they had experienced in Russia. More modern, clean and organized. They also felt a little more comfortable seeing signs in English and followed them to a waiting area. They were still a little nervous but not as nervous as they were in Russia. When they were in Russia they had the help of Vladimir, but in Japan, they were on their own. They tried to remain as calm as they could but as they got closer to the immigration officer, it grew more difficult. Soon the twins started to cry. This made Jinny and Mattie more nervous, they did everything they could to comfort them. Everyone online was staring at them, they both felt very embarrassed. Soon an immigration officer approached them. The lady asked them if they could speak English. Mattie smiled and said yes. The immigration officer then asked if they were traveling together. They both smiled and Mattie said yes. She then told Mattie and Jinny to come with her. Mattie grew nervous and thought that she saw them as suspicious people. He grew fearful about what could happen next. As they were walking towards a room next to the immigration officer's desks, he became more nervous. He worried that the fake passports that Jinny and the twins had not been good enough. He knew that his passport was legitimate but If Jinny got caught with a fake one she and the twins would be held in the immigration jail. Mattie wanted to tell Jinny that if she were caught with fake passports to tell the officer that she was a North Korean refugee. This would give her and the twin's special privileges. His palms started to get clammy as his heart rate increased. He also started to sweat and was concerned that he looked more conspicuously guilty. This would also delay their journey to South Korea but be better than getting caught and put in Jail in Russia. The fact that Jinny and the twins had a fake American passports also worried Mattie. Jinny could not speak English and he thought that this would cause an alarm as the immigration officers questioned her. The immigration officer escorted them into the room and had them sit down and wait. The wait seemed like an eternity and Mattie and Jinny grew more nervous. Eventually the immigration officer asked them for their passports. Mattie, who was holding all the passports handed them to her. She then started to question Mattie. He answered all her questions as calmly as he could as the twins continued to cry. Jinny then started to breastfeed the twins. This distracted the immigration officers, they wanted to get rid of them as soon as she could. She asked Mattie about Jinny and the twins. He once again answered the questions calmly and said that they were married and the twins were their children. When the officer asked why he and Jinny do not have the same last name, Mattie grew so nervous that he almost threw up. Mattie started to think of an answer as quickly as he could. He then said that Jinny is Korean and it is Korean tradition for women to keep their maiden name. The immigration officer then smiled and walked away with the passports. She scanned the passports and asked to take everyone's picture. She also scanned everyone's fingerprints, including the twin's. The officer then gave the passports back to Mattie and said enjoy your trip. Relieved, Mattie walked out of the immigration office with Jinny and the twins in tow. This chapter of their journey was over. They were happily in Japan waiting for Mattie's friend Whitney.

As soon as they exited the immigration office they sat down and Jinny finished feeding the twins. They were happy to have survived. They could not believe that they got this far and were both very happy. Soon the twins were fed and sleeping. Mattie and Jinny waited for Whitney to arrive and take them back to her apartment.

Soon Whitney arrived in a taxi. As soon as she saw Mattie she was relieved that he was safe. They quickly got a taxi to take them back to Whitney's apartment. During the two-hour taxi ride to Whitney's apartment, Mattie told her about what he and Jinny did. She was amazed and thought they were crazy. But once she found out about Jinny's situation she was happy that she could help.

Soon the two-hour taxi ride to Whitney's apartment was over. After arriving Mattie and Jinny unpacked their bags and tended to the twins. Whitney's apartment was a typical studio apartment for Japan. Small but very well organized, every square in of space was used and designed as efficient as possible. The kitchen was much smaller than Mattie's was back in Russia and so was the bathroom. With the four of them in this apartment there was hardly any room to breathe. Whitney was happy to see her friend Mattie and they talked about what he planned to do. Mattie and Jinny were grateful for Whitney's help and they ordered some food. After eating they relaxed for the night and fell asleep.

Earlier the next morning Mattie made everyone breakfast and Whitney's friend arrived at her apartment. Asahi, Whitney's friend, was amazed by Jinny's story and he also offered help. After breakfast Asahi ran to the train station and purchased tickets for Jinny, Mattie and the twins. The tickets were for the only train to Osaka Japan from Hokkaido, Japan. Asahi was so impressed with the journey that Jinny and Mattie made that he purchased the tickets for them. He got a first-class cabin for them on the Twilight Express for the nearly a 12-hour trip. Later that day Asahi drove Mattie, Jinny, the twins and Whitney to the train station. They were so grateful for the help that Whitney and Asahi gave them. It was a difficult and sad good bye but everyone ended up being happy that Mattie and Jinny were safely on the train closer to the end of their journey. Mattie and Jinny found their cabin and settled in. They had something to eat and fed the twins then cuddled up in bed together to the long trip to Osaka. Mattie and Jinny were so stressed from the challenges of the past few days that they slept nearly the entire trip. Before they knew it, they were in Osaka and the end of their journey. They were prepared for the next and final leg of their trying journey.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XVIII

Mattie and Jinny were happy to get off the train once in Osaka. It was a long train ride and the four of them were confined to a Japanese sized cabin the entire time. They were afraid to move around the train with the twins and they did not want to raise suspicions.

Mattie knew that their journey was almost over and he knew this last leg would be challenging. Mattie had lived in Russia for a year and was familiar as to how to get around, plus he had help from his friends. When they first arrived in Japan they had help from their friends Whitney and Asahi. But now, in Osaka, they were alone, in a foreign country with no grasp of the local language they needed to get to the ferry terminal. Mattie immediately started looking for a tour company after getting out of the train station. After about an hour of roaming around the area he was able to locate one. There were many seats on the ferry available from Osaka to Busan, South Korea, the only problem was the weather. There was an unseasonal typhoon that was approaching the area. They could not get tickets for the ferry until the weather cleared up. Mattie asked the tour agency if they could help him find a cheap hotel in the area. Eventually Mattie was able to find a hotel and He, Jinny and the twins settled in for a long wait for the weather to clear up. Once in the hotel Mattie and Jinny bathed the twins and put them down for a nap. They were able to get some takeout from a local restaurant and enjoy dinner in the hotel room. Soon Mattie, Jinny and the twins were cuddling up in the bed for a good night sleep. During this journey, Mattie and Jinny found it hard to relax. They were always concerned with getting caught and separated. Once in the hotel in Osaka on the eve of their last leg of this journey, they were able to relax. Mattie thought about what had happened over the past ten days. He was happy that he had taken the chance to help Jinny and the twins. He knew the risks when he started and now he peacefully rests in bed knowing that he did the right thing.

Early the next morning the cries of the twins woke up Mattie and Jinny. As Jinny got up and started to feed the twins Mattie ran back to the tour agency. He was hoping to get the tickets to Busan so they could finish this journey. Luckily the typhoon passed and slightly missed the area and the ferries started to run again. Mattie purchased the tickets and returned to the hotel with some more takeout food for him and Jinny. Once they were finished eating they packed their bags and headed to the tour agency to get on the bus to the ferry terminal. The bus ride was about one hour. Once they got to the ferry terminal they had to make their way through immigration. Mattie was nervous, he knew he would be ok because his passport was legitimate. But Jinny and the twins had forged passports and he was worried about them getting caught. Luckily, they made it through immigration without a hitch. They waited online for the next ferry. The ferries were running but they were late. Soon, about an hour later, they were on the ferry and on their way to South Korea. Once the ferry started to set sail Mattie and Jinny looked at each other and smiled. They had come a long way and they knew it was almost over. They also knew that they could not have done this without each other. They were a team and they were in love with each other.

They found it very difficult to rest do to the excitement of finishing their journey. They could not wait to be on land again and set foot on South Korea soil. Soon the ferry started to slow down and prepare for docking at the Busan ferry terminal. Mattie and Jinny looked out the front window of the ferry and could see South Korea. They were so happy to have gotten this far that tears came to their eyes. Mattie and Jinny knew that once they were in South Korea Jinny would be able to communicate with people. She also knew that once she told the immigration officers that she was a North Korean refugee, she would be safe. The South Korean government has a special program for North Korean refugees. Once Jinny and the twins got to South Korea they would have a safe place to live and get medical attention. She was happy and knew that the future of her children would be much better they her life had been.

Once the ferry docked at the Busan terminal Mattie and Jinny grabbed their bags and the twins and made their way to the exit. After getting off the ferry and on the line to make their way through immigration, they could see the journey they embarked on a week ago, was almost over. After getting through the line Jinny could speak Korean to the immigration officers. She told them that she had escaped North Korea with her twins and the help of Mattie. The immigration officers immediately took Jinny and the twins to the side, without Mattie. Jinny started to pull away from the guards to grab Mattie. She screamed at the guards' in Korean. She did not want to leave Mattie. She thought that she would never see him again. Jinny and Mattie had been through a lot over the past week. She was in love with him and she did not want to be separated. She kept yelling at the guards and trying to pull away, she stated to cry. Mattie was also trying to tell the immigration officers what had happened. He also tried to follow Jinny and the twins. He too didn't want to be separated for Jinny and the twins. Mattie had fallen in love with them and he was afraid that he would never see them again if they were separated. The guards started to grab him and Mattie tried to pull away. He was screaming, in English, as he was trying to tell the officers what had happened. Eventually the officers understood what happened and allowed Mattie to follow Jinny and the twins. Once Mattie and Jinny were together, they grabbed a hold of each other and would never let go. Eventually they were in the office explaining to a bi-lingual immigration officer what had happened. The officers were amazed with what Mattie and Jinny were able to pull off. They also thought they were crazy. Once Mattie and Jinny were finished telling how they got there the officers filled out some paper work. Then Jinny and the twins were free and safe. Unfortunately, Jinny and the twins had to go to Seoul for some more paperwork. Mattie also had to start his new job at Changwon University as an English teacher. There would be a five-hour train ride separating them but Mattie could see Jinny and the twins on the weekend.

Soon Mattie had to go to Changwon, he was planning on staying with some friends until his job started and he could get his own apartment. He and Jinny bid farewell. It was a sad farewell but they knew they would see each other soon.

Once the officers heard the story about their journey they gained a tremendous amount of respect for them. They were happy for them and assured Mattie that Jinny and the twins would be safe. As Mattie and Jinny bid their farewell there wasn't a dry eye in the immigration building. Mattie would miss Jinny and the twins but he knew that they had to go for a few weeks to take care of some paperwork and address any health issues with the twins. Soon Mattie was on a bus ride to his new home, Changwon South Korea. Jinny and the twins were in a car on her way to her new temporary home in Seoul. During the drive to Seoul Jinny could not believe what she saw through the window of the car. She has never seen so many people, cars, busses and buildings. Jinny had never been out of Rason North Korea before she went to Russia and met Mattie. Growing up Jinny had never seen building as big as this, she grew up in a tiny mud hut. The cars amazed her, there were only a few cars and small trucks in the neighborhood she grew up in. She pinched herself a few time to see if she was dreaming. Sad to be away from her love, Mattie but happy to start her new life in a free country with her two girls. Jinny was speechless during the trip Jinny could not believe what has transpired over the past ten days.

Once on the bus to Changwon, Mattie, was able to relax. He knew that Jinny, the twins and he were now safely in South Korea. He was also happy that they were able to complete a nearly impossible mission. He missed Jinny and the twins and he knew that he would see them soon. He met Jinny only ten days prior to arriving in South Korea. He never thought that he would be able to fall in love with anyone else after losing his wife to a tragic accident at a young age. But he knew he was in love with Jinny and the twins. He was separated from them now but he knew it was only going to be a short time.

After the one hour bus ride to Changwon, Mattie met up with his friends and found a couch to sleep on for a few days. Mattie was ready to start his new job and excited but still missed Jinny and the twins. As he thought about the journey he and Jinny just completed he reminisced about the history classes he had when he was a young student. He came to the concision that he just fell in love with someone for the first time since his wife had passed. He felt that Jinny and the twins were his true love and was happy that they could spend the rest of their lives together.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XIX

After spending a few days with some friends that Mattie had made his first time in Korea a few years' back he started to feel at home. He also missed Jinny and the twins. He was happy that they were safe and he was ready to start his new job. Mattie eventually found an apartment and started his new teaching job at Changwon University. Every chance that Mattie had he took the five-hour train ride from Changwon to Seoul to see Jinny and the twins. Soon Jinny and the twins would be able to move in with Mattie. They were both happy that they would be together soon and see each other every day. During his visits to Seoul Mattie would also teach Jinny English. While Mattie was gone, Jinny worked tirelessly to learn English. She was in love with Mattie and wanted to clearly communicate with him. Without Jinny knowing, Mattie, was taking some extra English lessons when he was home. Being a hard worker and determined, Jinny was able to learn English in a short time. After a few months, Jinny and the twins were ready to move to Changwon and live with Mattie.

When they arrived in Mattie's apartment Jinny was pleasantly surprised. Mattie had gone shopping. He purchased two used cribs for the twins from a young couple living in Changwon. Once the couple heard Mattie's story they refused to take any of his money. He had also painted the twins room and purchased all the clothes and supplies they needed. With the help of his friends who worked with Mattie and gave him a lot of things he needed they had a lovely apartment in a quiet neighborhood. The twins also had their own room and Mattie and Jinny had a room to themselves. Mattie was also a great cook and stocked the apartment with food for everyone. Mattie and Jinny were very excited to be with Jinny and the twins. Mattie had told all his friends about what He, Jinny and the twins had been through. With a lot of help of his friends they made a nice home for Mattie and his girls. They were so happy for them and wanted to throw them a party.

Later that night Mattie, Jinny and the twins went to the International Pub in the center of Changwon. Mattie was a regular in this Pub and his friends wanted to celebrate the journey that he had just finished. They were also very excited to meet Jinny and the twins. Once they arrived at the Pub all of Mattie's friends were happy to see Mattie with his true love, Jinny and the twins. It was a joyous celebration. Jinny was so happy that Mattie had so many nice friends, both foreign and Korean. Jinny made many new friends and was happy that some of Mattie's friends also had young children. Jinny was able to create a network of friends and could not have been happier.

Soon Jinny and the twins were able to settle into their new home. Jinny would take the twins to their new friends' houses, they would also meet in the park or a café. The friends that Jinny and Mattie made were like a second family. They were both very happy and in love, they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. One night Mattie rented a car and took Jinny and the twins to the mountains for a nice quiet weekend. After a long five-hour drive, and some help from a bi-lingual navigation system, they arrived at a romantic pension in the mountains. Years ago, when Mattie was in Korea his first time, he made some friends who lived in the Gangwon-do area. One of the many friends Mattie had made during his travels was a nice Korean lady named Sun-a Kang. Sun-a owned a nice place in the mountains of Injea, Gangwon-do. Located close to the border of North Korea and near the East Sea. This place was known as Eunbiryung. Eunbiryung was a combination of a café, bar, restaurant and guesthouse all rolled up into one. As soon as Mattie, Jinny and the twins had arrived they went to the kitchen to see Mattie's friend Sun-s. As soon as Mattie stepped into the kitchen and saw Sun-a they both smiled, ran towards each other and embraced in a big hug. They were good old friends and had not seen each other in a long time. Mattie introduced Jinny and the twins to Sun-a and then moved into their small private room to unpack their bags. Sun-a invited them to dinner with some of her friends later that night and Mattie and Jinny proudly accepted the invitation. Mattie and Jinny were very happy. They were truly in love and happy to get away for the weekend and relax. Jinny was also happy to meet some more of Mattie's friends. She noticed that Mattie's friends were very nice and friendly and soon Mattie's friends became Jinny's friends. She could not have been happier. As happy as Jinny was, what was about to happen would make her happier for the rest of her life.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XX

After unpacking their bags Mattie and Jinny, along with the twins, sat down for dinner with Sun-a and her friends. Sun-a was a hard-working lady who ran a tight ship at Eunbiryung. She was busy as usual but always made time for friends. She also had the help of her husband Maddie O'Malley. Sun-a's friend and employee Emma Choi and her boyfriend Jerry Hoffman were there to lend a hand. After having a few drinks Mattie, Jinny, Sun-a, Maddie, Emma and Jerry sat down to eat a home cooked traditional Korean meal. Sun-s, who had known Mattie for many years knew there was something different about him. She knew that he was happily in love with Jinny and she knew they would make a great couple. Once they started eating Emma Choi asked Mattie how he met Jinny. With a smile on his face he told his story. Sun-a and her friends were amazed at what Mattie and Jinny were able to accomplish. After finishing dinner Maddie and Jerry made a fire outside as Jinny, Emma and Sun-a cleaned up. Well into the night they sat by the fire drinking homemade makkoli and beer. As laughter filled the air the three couples continued talking and drinking into the starlit night. All of them were happy to see old friends and meet new friends. Eventually Jinny put the twins to bed and everyone cleaned up before turning to bed. Soon it was just Jinny and Mattie outside by the campfire. Mattie looked into Jinny's eyes and said "dangshin uhl saranghabnida", I love you in Korean. Jinny, with tears in her eyes said in English, "I love you too". Mattie then dropped to his knee and asked Jinny to marry him. Jinny started to cry and hugged Mattie. She said yes. Walking to their room to settle down for the night Mattie had noticed Sun-a looking out the kitchen window. They smiled at each other and Sun-a gave him the thumbs up. Mattie and Jinny were in love, a love that would last forever.

Early the next morning Mattie was up and had noticed Sun-a's husband Maddie was working. Mattie joined him and helped, then they made breakfast for everyone. As Jinny, Mattie, Emma, Jerry, Sun-a and Maddie were eating Sun-a said I think Mattie has something to say. Mattie and Jinny told their friends that they were going to get married. All were joyful for them and after hearing their story and spending time with them they knew that Mattie and Jinny were a great couple. Happy to hear the news Sun-a offered to host the wedding at Eunbiryung and their new friends were happy to help.

After eating breakfast and helping Sun-a cleanup Mattie, Jinny and the twins headed back to Changwon. Mattie and Jinny were happy and excited about planning their wedding. The following weekend they would go to the American Embassy in Seoul to take care of the marriage license and paperwork to get Jinny and the twins visas to live in America. After many hours of research and a difficult time navigating through the bureaucracy they were officially married. Jinny and the twins had visas to live in American and could eventually become American citizens.

Two month latter Mattie and Jinny went back to Eunbiryung where they had a wedding ceremony with all their friends. This was a combination or an American wedding ceremony and a traditional Korean ceremony. Both Jinny and Mattie were dressed in traditional Korean Hanbok wedding attire. The master of ceremony, Sun-a, was also dressed in traditional Korean clothing. Sun-a delivered a fabulous ceremony with the help of her husband Maddie and friends Emma and Jerry. After the ceremony, Sun-a and her friends made an amazing traditional Korean meal that was delicious. Everyone was very happy for Mattie and Jinny and proud to call them their friends. It was an amazing weekend in the mountains of Injea, Gangwon-do South Korea. They celebrated late in the night. A weekend that all involved in would never forget. Mattie and Jinny were so happy to be together and ready for the rest of their life. They had Yeong Wonhi Salang, eternal love.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XX

After a few days rest at Eunbiryung, Mattie, Jinny and the twins bid farewell to Sun-a and Maddie. They returned home to Changwon and lived there for another year. Mattie and Jinny were happy living in their home in Changwon but Mattie was eager to get back home to New Jersey where his friends and family were. Jinny also wanted to meet Mattie's family and live in America. Mattie's' contract at the university soon expired and they move to America. For a few months Mattie and his family lived with his Aunt and Uncle in Haledon, New Jersey. Mattie eventually found a job working at Manchester Regional High School in Haledon, New Jersey as a Social Studies Teacher. And soon Jinny made new friends. They eventually got their own apartment and the twins started going to kindergarten. Mattie and Jinney eventually bought their own home and became part of the community.

Jinny then got a job working in the kitchen at the local elementary school where the twins were students. She made new friends and felt proud of her family. She eventually became an American and was the talk of the town. Mattie and Jinny were great parents who raised their children to be ladies of high moral standard and to never give up their dignity. They participated in many activities in town together as a family. Mattie became the softball coach and Nina and Jenny played and Jinny was the softball mom. She would bring refreshments to the games and practice. She also eventually got her drivers license and would drive the kids to and from practice.

At the twins got older and in High School Mattie and Jinny continued to support the softball team the twins played in. This continued until Nina and Jenny graduated High School and attended the local University. Once Nina and Jiny graduated High School the joined the local volunteer fire department that Mattie had been a member for many years. Jinny went for training to become an Emergency Medical Technical and joined the local first aid squad. They were proud Americans and their community. They did all they could do to support their local community and became well known as the roll model family.

It was only twenty years ago when Jinny and Mattie met in a dark alleyway on a cold dark night in Russia. Jinny could have never imagined her life turning into what it had become. She was a strong lady who cared for her family. She, with help from her love Mattie, had risked it all for the twins and never looked back. They were proud of their children and were still in love after all those years. They also never forgot the help they received along the way. There were so many helpful people that Mattie and Jinny had met through their dangerous journty from Russia then to North Korea and then to their new Home in America, via Russia, Japan and South Korea. They always kept in touch with their friends and their friends would visit them every chance they could. They always realized the the accomplished a nearly imposable journey with a lot of help from their friends.

Escape:

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.
Chapter XXI

Jinny, Nina and Jenny were nervously waiting it the waiting room at Saint Joe's Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. It had been a few hours, but seemed like an eternity, since Mattie was wheeled into the operating room. The room was very quiet, it smelled of cleaning chemicals. All they could hear was the monotone intercom system of the hospital. Jinny had just finished answering the question her two daughters had asked her a few hours ago. The girls were amazed as to how their mom had escaped from North Korea and how their father had helped. As soon as Jinny finished the story, Mattie's doctor walked through the door. Jinny and the girls braced themselves for what the doctor was about to tell them. The worst-case scenario was running through their heads. It appears the clock had stopped as the doctor quietly walked across the waiting room and approached them. They sat down and listened to what the doctor was about to say.

The doctor explained that the operation was much more difficult than they had anticipated. The tumor was much bigger and deeper into Mattie's brain they the originally thought. The doctor was honest with Jinny and the twins. The operation is over and the tumor was removed, but the chances of survival were a little worse than they originally thought.

Jinny and the twins felt big lumps in their throat as tears came to their eyes. Their concern for Mattie grew deeper. They wanted to see him as soon as they could. The doctor then walked with them to the room that Mattie was in. He was still sleeping from the operation and still heavily medicated. Jinny and the twins had approached Mattie in his bed and stared into his eyes. They were very sad, Mattie looked so peaceful. His head was bandaged up and eyes closed, he had no movement. The room was very quiet, all they could hear was the sounds of various machines that were hooked up to Mattie. They were not sure what to do or say, they have never been in a situation like this before. They quietly and patiently waited for Mattie to wake up.

All of the sudden the room erupted into sounds of alarms. The eardrum piercing alarms, buzzers and beeping sounds sent an eerie feeling through Mattie's girls' bodies. All of the sudden the doors were slammed open as doctors and nurses rushed into the room. There were machines all around Mattie and wires and tubes stuck to him. Mattie's heart had stopped beating. The doctors and nurses feverishly worked on him. CPR was in progress and the look of concern appeared on all the nurses and doctors faces. They started chest compressions and assisted his breathing. Soon one of the doctors grabbed two paddles and screamed "clear". The doctor used a defoliator to shock Mattie and get his heart beating. The room grew silent and the nurses and doctor's observed the machines waiting to see if this worked. After a few seconds, nothing. The head doctor looked into the eyes of Jinny, Nina and Jenny. He then shocked Mattie again. His body, once again violently shook and then laid motionless in the bed. After a second or two, the machines grew silent and a sense of relief filled the room. The doctor looked at the girls' and said we are ok for now. All the nurses and doctors left the room.

Jinny and the girls grabbed Mattie's hand and soon Mattie started to move his head and make some noise. He then slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his girls. He looked in their eyes and said, "I told you I would be fine". "I will never leave my girls". I love you.

Escape.

From North Korea, with a little help from some friends.

By, B. Matthew Scudieri

Escape is an adventurous, drama / love story. Another love story about two young people who met in a very unlikely situation. Notwithstanding the language and cultural barriers, they bonded together. After a long and dangerous journey, they fell in love and formed a family that lasted a lifetime.

