Martoons

Today: The foreigner scopes out the area.

Cast of characters

The Foreigner

“Coffee Hag” – an older coffee lady

Scene: Coffee Shop in the vicinity of Riverside Institute

*

He waved the receptionist off.

“Don’t bother because I’m not sure I’ll be back. I’m very busy. In fact, you need not tell her about my dropping by at all. It’s not important.”

All white lies of course.

He just didn’t want anyone to be on alert.

He left.

As he scoped out the neighbourhood on foot, he was struck by the newness of everything, in stark contrast to the aged aesthetics of Central.

Obviously, the Riverside area was recently constructed.

And in the odd lots where there was nothing yet, skids of bricks, scaffolds or other building materials indicated that projects were imminent.

Unfortunately, the area was void of potential exciting nightlife and the foreigner actually felt alien in this ‘bed town’, or suburb.

He started regaining his bearings when he took up his position in an older-style coffee shop directly across the street from Riverside Institute.

Now approaching 7 pm, here he’d observe the comings and goings of bodies into the building.

He sat at the counter momentarily; he’d get a coffee and then get a window seat to watch for Miss No.

The coffee lady here was older (maybe in her 60s; more like a Coffee Hag), but she was robust and welcomed him.

“You look lost or confused,” Hag said with caring eyes.

“Tired from walking around. Guess I’m a bit lonely too,” the foreigner admitted.

“Thank goodness for old coffee shops like this.”

“Yeah, yeah, we get a lot of lonely men come in here for company – older men and a smattering of younger business executive types – those guys that just work all the time and have no life.”

“They just want somebody to talk to. Or … talk at!”

“And grope at!” The foreigner chuckled at his own joke and then nodded listlessly as Coffee Hag gabbed on.

He was distracted by her thick layer of facial makeup.

“Pardon me but you’re the oldest coffee lady I’ve ever seen.”

She chuckled. “I am the owner and don’t work here often but these days I can’t find help. Young ladies don’t want to work in coffee shops like this anymore.”

* Why not? *

“Can’t blame them,” the foreigner said shrugging.

“Older Korean men are like cavemen. Rub rub. Pinch pinch. Squeeze squeeze. The ladies must get fed up being molested like that.”

She half-waved him off. “It’s not that bad, and Korean men are changing these days. Young men, college kids and those types are a lot softer. In fact, they don’t even want to come to coffee shops like this.

They go to those newer, fancy versions down around Central rotary. And they’re not going there for the company because they go with their girlfriends. Young people all have lovers these days, not like in my day.”

“How can a guy like me meet girls in this town, anyway? I mean, not just flirting and joking around, but serious relationships?”

“In my day, we went to matchmakers,” and she explained briefly how that traditional introduction service had operated.

“What a crude system,” the foreigner remarked shaking his head.

“Throwing together two complete strangers just because a supposed love expert believes they’ll be a good match.”

“What if things went awry between a couple? Was there a money back guarantee?”

He chuckled. “Me, myself, I’d never date or commit to an unknown female. Way too risky! Never.”

He shook his head.

“Never say never,” she responded. “Matchmaking was around for years … and still is. It wouldn’t have survived if it didn’t work.

“You see, back in the old days, women didn’t get out much. They were hidden away in their mother’s house until marriage.”

Coffee Hag brought the foreigner a coffee and then had other customers.

The foreigner retreated to a comfy window seat and nursed his coffee, which thankfully was extra strong and prevented him from nodding off from boredom.

A short while later, he instantly perked up upon observing a businesslike woman getting out of a cab down below.

* Could it be Miss No? *

*

Tomorrow: The foreigner engages in a battle of wits with a formidable opponent.