Martoons

Cast of characters

Max

Fred

Damion

*

“No more Coffee Lady!” Damion announced into the phone to Max.

* Do you think Damion is actually completely over her? *

“Oh, yeah …” Max did his best to hide his disappointment.

A continued cacophony of comments coming from the other end had Max moving the phone slightly away from his ear, and screwing up his face.

Finally he cut in, “Okay okay okay.”

“I understand and I am sorry Coffee Lady hurt your feelings. Look, how about I introduce you to another lady on my team? No problem.”

A pause then another incoming outburst. Max nodded.

“Yes yes yes. You can have any service you wish. It is up to you. I will set it up for you right away.”

He looked at his watch. “If you go to Hollywood Inn in … actually, can you go now?”

Fred felt uncomfortable listening in on Max’s business matters and realized it was time to leave gracefully. He finished his coffee and held up some cash to Max.

Max covered the phone up. “Don’t offend me,” and he waved off the cash.

“You’re my guest. Today is on the house. That’s Korean style! Come again.”

He shooed him away jovially. Fred bowed before turning to leave, which prompted Max to abruptly elevate himself off the couch and do the same.

It was a muggy night outside but no threat of monsoon-style rain.

Fred figured it would be a nice 30-minute walk home to Good Lucky Apartments.

He hadn’t got the answer to whether Central was closing but had learned some intriguing background. The image of the sugary love triangle stuck in his mind.

Fred thought about Coffee Lady, sandwiched between Thomas and Damion. He hadn’t known that she’d played such a big part in Thomas’ life while he’d been here.

Then again, Thomas wasn’t the kind of guy who’d blab about having a girlfriend.

And even though Coffee Lady hadn’t seemed particularly friendly up in Max’s pool hall a moment ago, Fred’s instincts told him she’d be worth talking to.  

Coffee Lady played a kind of psychotherapist role during her previous dealing with Damion, and a lot of men for that matter.

Dame paid for his time on her ‘couch’ (actually, one of her café booths), and she acted as the listener while he ranted about his life in Korea.

Max too, perhaps because he was single, often counted on Coffee Lady as a good set of ears.

Thomas not only enjoyed her patience and listening skills (even though he wondered if she’d understood a damn thing he’d been saying because her Englishy was pretty sketchy), it was a key to his maintaining sanity.

All told, Coffee Lady’s ears were privy to a lot of sensitive information and she kept her lips sealed.

That’s why customers kept coming back – they’d never heard the stuff they’d told her come back through anybody else.

Moments later, Fred walked along the sidewalk away from Max’s pool hall and scanned the other side of the street.

Luckily, he spotted Coffee Lady herself, right down on street level and unloading another tray off her motor scooter.

“Hello hello!” he called out but was drowned out by traffic.

Ostensibly oblivious, Coffee Lady entered her building and headed up the stairs.

Fred’s eyes were drawn up to a sign protruding from the second floor level:

Coffee Shop Max.

He impatiently waited for a break in traffic then darted across the road. Without breaking stride he scooted right up the building’s stairs.

Inside the café he unassumingly sat down at the main counter.

“Coffee Lady – anyong!”

*

Tomorrow: Fred stops in at Coffee Shop Max.