Martoons

Cast of characters

Fred

Hot Sauce

Caffeine

Slot-machine lady

*

“Caffeine’s mother…” Hot Sauce explained, “…there was a rumour that she had – how you say – affair with Thomas.”

Fred didn’t hear, consumed completely by the thought that he had to get to a washroom – now!

Hot Sauce and Caffeine headed down to the end of the game room where an older lady sat in a booth dispensing change.

Fred spotted a washroom sign down there too.

Yet before he could make a beeline toward it, Hot Sauce hurried back and tugged on his arm, leading him over to a coin-operated dance machine.

She pushed start and then music blared, and a dance pattern rolled up on a giant TV screen.

The floor panels flashed in sequence.

“Fred,” she urged, “go up on the platform.”

He reluctantly did and started tapping his feet on the panels but was always a step behind the music.

His legs were rigid – for obvious reasons – and it made Hot Sauce and Caffeine snicker.

Then their faces went all twisted and they cried out:

“Smell, smell!”

Suddenly a strong, pungent fragrance surrounded the machine.

The teenagers had already evacuated the area and now Fred stepped off the machine’s mini dance floor and hobbled toward the washroom, praying that it wasn’t occupied.

It wasn’t.

When his business was finished, something Caffeine had said finally registered:

Her mother had had an affair with Thomas?!

Suddenly, there was an abrupt, panicky knock on the washroom stall door.

* Who is it? *

“Fred, Fred…”

He snapped out of his restroom reflection.

“Hot Sauce? Is that you?”

“Yes, yes, Fred come quickly. Please, hurry up! I saw him. He walked through the game room. Come quickly. You can see him.”

* Who did she see? *

*

Max’s Proposal                                  

Fred emerged quickly and frantically looked around but Hot Sauce had darted off.

Now, someone else was yelling at him.

 “You – America?”

The voice was behind him and he abruptly turned.

The coin change lady.

She’d come out from her perch and was waving Fred down.  

“America – no,” he said.

“Canada – yes.”

He looked toward the exit but before he could flee, Change Lady grabbed him affectionately by the arm.

She proceeded to ask him with great interest if he knew another Canadian who used to come here to this game room.

* Does she mean Thomas? *

“A man – very handsome. He no come here for…”

She squinted and sucked air through her teeth.

“Several weeks. Oh…” she lamented.

“I miss him. He was very friendly.”

“That man’s name – Thomas?”

“Oh…” she shook her head.

“I don’t remember name but he come here many times in middle of day or late night. He always play the Tetris game.”

She chuckled.

“His hair – sand colour. His shape – very nice.”

Fred presumed she meant his physique but ‘shape’ for Koreans also means your personality and the ‘feeling’ you give off.

“He was friend with my son Max. You know Max?”

Fred wondered if he was the same Max who’d phoned Fred in Edmonton with first news about Thomas’ disappearance.

* Could it be? *

“Max was just here. He is a very good son – we talk everyday. He own this game room and many others.

“He own many coffee shop, singing room, VIP room, slot machine room. He own many plots of land under bridges and leases them to soju tent ajumma. He is very busy.”

Fred nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

She waved him off.

“My son Max no like his business. He must pay big money to police to stay open!”

She chuckled.

“Maxy’s business has no respect in the eyes of Koreans.”

She tapped him on the arm.

“You – missionary?”

Fred laughed wholeheartedly at the thought and waved her off politely.

“I teachy Englishy at the same place Thomas did.”

Some other kids were bugging the woman for change so she shoed Fred away and quickly waddled back toward her perch.

“Nice to meet you,” she called back.

He inadvertently looked up and happened to see Hot Sauce over at the exit.

As soon as they made eye contact, the teenager frantically motioned that Fred approach.

She and Caffeine went outside and Fred followed.

Hot Sauce was jumping excitedly up and down and pointing to a taxi at the curb.

A man had just gotten in the back seat and closed the door.

* Who is the man? *

“Fred!” Hot Sauce said.

“Remember I told you about the last time I saw Thomas and Shadow Man? That’s him!”

She was pointing to the cab.

“There, there!”

The taxi was pulling away.

Fred darted over.

“Taxi! Taxi! Stop stop stop!”

Fred only saw a side profile of Shadow Man’s face, somewhat distorted because the sun was reflecting off the window.

The taxi was momentarily slowed by traffic and Fred was able to reach out and tap the window.

He startled Shadow Man who then tersely waved him off in a ‘this-cab’s-occupied’ gesture.

The man ordered the driver to proceed to “Pool Hall Max – and I’m late. Pali!”

The taxi disappeared into traffic as Fred watched it helplessly while catching his breath

* Did Fred recognize Shadow Man? *

*

Tomorrow: Mr Go is confronted by the Shadow Man.