Martoons

Cast of characters

Fred

Mrs Won

Fortune Teller

Scene: Fortune Teller’s room

*

“You didn’t finish what you were saying about the other person,” Fred exclaimed. “How is he going to affect me?”

Fortune Teller sat still briefly and shook his head. “I can’t get a clear vision back. Images keep getting mixed up.

“I see the banana person confronting you but I don’t see the end of it. For some reason Mrs Won’s face pops into my mind.” He shrugged.

“Ayeesh. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe now I am too tired. Today I had many customers – Mrs Won and the housewives.

“Usually I might get one customer per week – if that. It is not like the old days. Many people these days go to church… they don’t come to me anymore.”

Fortune Teller seemed to deflate in front of Fred and was slouching over to one side. At Mrs Won’s urging, Fred started to get up to leave with her.

“Wait, wait!” the wizard exclaimed. “Let me try one more time.” He corrected his posture, cleared his throat, and stared straight ahead.

“Okay, okay…I’m seeing you again and banana … there is an encounter…confrontation … hostility … you are backed into a corner and then …”

Fred was transfixed.

The room went dead again. “Ayeesh! I lost it again.”

Fortune Teller waved the whole thing off and got up, shoeing Fred and Mrs Won out. “Sorry to be so rude but I’m done. Have a nice day.”

*

Fred felt frustrated and short-changed. The Fortune Teller had gotten him all worked up and was now abandoning him.

Fred stammered. “The confrontation: How do I deal with it? Any advice?”

Wizard motioned Fred off again. “So sorry. I cannot give advice.” He turned away leaving a frosty feeling lingering between them.

Fortune Teller felt it too and said something to Mrs Won and she relayed it to Fred.

“He considers it a conflict of interest.”

“He just reads the future. If he gave advice, he would be influencing the future, and that would go against his ethical code.”

 “Can he tell me just as a respected elder? Man to man?”

Fortune Teller reflected briefly and then laughed loudly. “Okay, okay,” and issued an instruction to Mrs Won in his country dialect.

She didn’t repeat it to Fred though and instead looked almost embarrassed and quickly hustled Fred out of the room.

Fortune Teller repeated himself and then howled with laughter again. Mrs Won hurried Fred onto the porch.

* What did the Fortune Teller say to Mrs Won? *

“Go in peace,” Fortune Teller called out amicably.  

Fred turned back and saw that the wizard was standing behind his little table and bowing.

Fred reciprocated and then Mrs Won and he put their shoes back on.

They joined the other housewives waiting on the trail and they all started trekking down.

Fred could still hear Fortune Teller – now at his door – laughing and repeating his last comment that Mrs Won had refused to translate.

Fred had the most bizarre feeling – a sense of complete desperation.

“What was that last thing he said Mrs Won? You have to tell me.”

She still didn’t answer and walked ahead of Fred to catch up to the other housewives.

“And why is he laughing like that?”

Won turned her head back. “Fortune Teller says you must be strong for your upcoming conflict and he recommends you eat some special food.”

* What is this special food? *

“Sure. What? I love Korean food. I’ll go to the store and get whatever it is right now.”

“He suggests you eat…” She cleared her throat. Then she waved him off. “Sorry Fred, maybe you will be offended.”

* Why might Fred be offended? *

Fred was furious in a friendly way. “Mrs Won come on!”

“Dog soup,” she blurted out reluctantly and then sped down the trail.

“I am sorry Fred. Do not be offended. It is an old-fashioned food. Koreans don’t eat dog anymore.”

Fred had found it odd that so many Koreans had told him that they didn’t eat dog yet he was well aware that there were still canine eateries in rural areas and small towns –

and even at stalls in the older markets of big cities.

“Mrs Won I feel that I need to take his advice seriously. My future in Korea might depend on it. Please…take me to a dog restaurant.”

*

Tomorrow: It’s a sad day for a certain canine.