Martoons

Today: Fred visits with Cleaning Lady and Rose.

Cast of characters

Fred 

Cleaning Lady

Rose

Scene: Cleaning Lady’s traditional, old house

*

“Come in,” Cleaning Lady said.

Fred was getting himself into something but wasn’t exactly sure what.

He took off his shoes and had to hunch over to enter the house.

* Does Cleaning Lady have an agenda for inviting Fred in? *

“Rose!” Cleaning Lady yelled. “Come here, quickly!”

The daughter quietly appeared from the kitchen and seemed startled to see Fred.

“My daughter,” said Cleaning Lady.

“Nice the meet you,” he said. “Again.”

Rose returned the greeting by bowing but didn’t look him in the eye.

Fred thought she might still be wounded from that first meeting with the apple slices.

Cleaning Lady then asked her to do something and she disappeared back into the kitchen.

Cleaning Lady and Fred sat down on the floor with a small, round table between them.

* Will Rose warm up to Fred? *

“You like exercise,” she said.

“Everybody does. Don’t you?”

“No! It’s too difficult. We used to walk to the market in another city before people had cars. It took several days.”

“Now, there are too many cars! Pollution, the air – no good.”

She waved him off. “We need cars! Korean people are so busy. We are always in a hurry. Many things to do.”

Fred could hear the noise of busy traffic in the distance, outside the compound. “I think in some ways it was better before, wasn’t it?”

“No,” she said unequivocally, waving her arm emphatically. “Ayeesh! We had no food then! We were hungry. The Japanese. Life was harsh.”

“Don’t you read history? Ayeesh! Babo! (Moron!)”

Rose reappeared carrying a tray with two cups of tea and some Korean biscuits.

Fred wasn’t hungry but didn’t dare refuse this time and graciously accepted the offering and feigned nibbling on one of the pulpy, tasteless crisps. “Mmm delicious.”

“Thank you,” Rose mumbled with her head bowed humbly.

She sat stiffly beside her mother but continued not to make eye contact with Fred.

She still looked terrified.

“Your daughter is very courteous,” Fred said. “Mrs Won told me her job is hostess. I can see why she would be good at it. But isn’t that a low job in Korea?”

“Yes, but Rose has a good boss who takes care of her. She is always safe. She wouldn’t do that job for any other boss. And she will only do it until she gets married.”

“How long has she been a hostess?”

“About ten years, since she finished high school.”

“That’s a long time. She must enjoy it.”

Cleaning Lady waved Fred off. “Of course not! Many customers are rude.”

“But since I don’t have a husband and my son is in the army, she must do this to earn money for our household and her future life.”

Fred admired how Rose could do a demeaning job purely out of duty to her family and future.

“All those strange men every night” Fred said shuddering. “That takes will power.”

Cleaning Lady laughed. “Like mother, like daughter. I’ve been around gochu all my life. You saw me in my garden a few minutes ago. I guess my daughter shares my interest in … gochu.”

He didn’t get the joke until she explained that gochu was slang for penis.

He roared with laughter.

“Cut it out Mother!” Rose said, light-heartedly slapping Cleaning Lady then getting up and leaving the room in a huff.

“How is your life in Korea?” Cleaning Lady asked.

“I go to the singing room. I travel. I meet many friends. Oh, and sometimes I work. My job is easy. All I do is talk.” Fred chuckled smugly.

That rubbed Cleaning Lady the wrong way and she responded sternly. “Don’t waste your time and money! Work hard and save for your future.”

“Get married to a Korean woman. She will take care of you. Do the right thing. Work hard. That is very important.”

* Will Fred end up settling down in Korea? *

He felt a motherly sentiment coming from the old woman.

Pure goodness.

He finished his tea.

“Did you eat lunch yet?” she asked. “My daughter is preparing it for you.”

She yelled again to Rose, who scampered out from the kitchen and opened the entrance door to the house, obviously going somewhere.

“What’s up?” Fred asked.

“She’s just going to pick up a few things from the market for lunch.”

By making the seemingly harmless offer of lunch to Fred, Cleaning Lady was actually investing in him and would expect a return – namely, that he would go on a date with Rose, which could lead to courting if it worked out.

Regardless, Fred had suddenly become very hungry even after his short, truncated jog.

Besides, Cleaning Lady was right – he could go jogging anytime whereas this might be his only chance to accept an invitation to her house.

As soon as Rose had disappeared out the door and slid it shut behind her with a decisive thwack, Cleaning Lady leaned forward and lowered her voice:

“Did you know the other Canadian? The tall and handsome guy?”

Fred was surprised. “Who? Thomas?”

“Yeah, yeah, Mista Thomassa. Sorry, I had forgotten his name.”

“How did you know him?”

“Can you keep a secret?” Cleaning Lady asked.

* What is the secret? *

*

Tomorrow: Cleaning Lady unintentionally does some spying.