Martoons

Cast of characters

Dame

Rose

*

”So you have to get married,” said Dame. ”Well then, let’s get you ready for it.”

And he shoved her.

“Why?” she replied indignantly with slight anger welling up.

“What do you mean why? You’re supposed to shove me back.”

* What is Dame doing? *

“Are you … drunk!? I don’t deal with clients if they are that way. It’s policy.”

“I’ll be honest – I had some soju on the way over but just to keep me awake. Don’t worry about that, okay?

“Let’s do a take two on this: Pretend I’m your husband and it’s pay day.”

“OK? I come home and tell you I spent all my money in the singing room having hostesses light my cigarettes and dance with me. What would you do?”

“I’d yell at you.”

“Okay, so yell at me.”

She paused and got her mind around the concept, and then smirked. “You stupid bastard.”

“That’s yelling?”

“You stupid bastard!”

“One more time.”

And she did, accompanied with an exasperated scream. She giggled after. The release felt good.

“So,” Dame continued, “if I did it again next pay day, would you yell at me again? Obviously, that doesn’t work.

“And what if I came home drunk and it was late and you are asleep, and after I ring the bell at the gate and get you up to let me in, I slap you and ask you where my dinner is –”

“even though it’s two in the morning?”

Rose waved him off. “If any man raises a hand to me – just raises his hand – I will leave him immediately and never go back.”

Dame scoffed. “I admire your spunk Rosie-O baby, but let’s face it you’re dreaming.

“Once you get married it’s like prison. You’re not getting out. Your best bet would be to go pick up a pair of 32-ounce boxing gloves!

* Is Dame right? *

“Your hubby will raise his hand to you regularly honey and you won’t be goin’ nowhere. Except maybe to the kitchen to get his dinner – at 2 in the morning.”

Dame seemed to be getting through to Rosie-O.

She sat down on the bed of the motel room sulking, burying her hands in her face.

“You are right and that’s why I don’t want to get married. I hate Korean men. They are pigs…”

Dame sat down beside her and put a big gushy arm around her which made her shiver with mild revulsion but she didn’t shake it off.

After all, he was the client.

“The answer is simple,” Dame said, “You just have to learn fight back.”

“Yeh?” (Huh?)

“Stand up!”

Rose reluctantly got to her feet, even with her big, pouty face, hunched shoulders, and slouched back.

“Now take a deep breath and face me,”

Dame ordered, extending his arms out and running his palms over her shoulder blades as if to iron them out.

“Straighten up. Chest out, tummy in. Chin up. Stiff upper lip.”

She did so. And he shoved her again – hard – and she was thrown back on the bed. 

“Don’t do that!” She was annoyed.

“Get up,” he replied beckoning her, “Pali pali!”

He held a hand out to her, which she accepted, and pulled her up.

Yet right away he straight-armed her again and back she went with a thud on to the bed.

“Ayeesh!” she shouted. “Stop it!”

* Was this a good idea? *

Dame chuckled. Rose was now truly angry and red-faced. This was perfect. He was playing her like a fiddle.

She struggled quickly off the mattress and was back on her feet.

Before Dame could bat an eye though, she straight-armed him and sent him back a few steps.

He managed to brake himself before backing into the door.

He smirked mischievously. “Right on! Thatta girl! Come on. I’ve still got…” He checked his watch.

“…45 minutes left in my hour. Let’s go out and I’ll buy you a quick dinner.”

“Don’t imagine Max gives you a meal allowance in this job. You’re probably surviving on ramyon, eh?”

Rose sensed the honest camaraderie in this odd foreign client and that he really was trying to teach her something useful.

How – she wasn’t exactly sure – but he definitely wasn’t her average plop-down-the-money-get-the-job-done-type customer.

Was he trying to be her … friend?

As they descended the short staircases from Rose’s second floor Hollywood Inn room to the lobby, Dame explained more of what he was expecting tonight for his premium fee.

*

Tomorrow: Dame’s teaching gets interrupted.