Martoons

Cast of characters

Dame

Fred

*

”You embarrassed the hell out of me and I lost face.”

Dame shook his head. “Complete and utter humiliation.”

He threw his arms up incredulously.

“A woman had to come to my rescue!”

Dame’s arms flopped listlessly down on the desk and he shook his head again, exasperated.

He picked up the confession again and glanced at the last part.

“I got no problem with most of this. It tells me that you believed what you did was right.”

”You thought you saw a drunken crazed maniac flailing a frail female so you intervened.” Pause. “And it sounds like you’re sorry.”  

* Is Fred sorry for what he did? *

Fred looked up and combined a slight nod with a shrug, extending his arms out partially with open hands; a sort of ‘c’est la vie’ gesture.

“This last part gets me, though,” Dame said, “You’re actually willing to leave Korea?”

Silence.

“Is that how you deal with problems? Run away from them? Sorry buddy, in this case, I won’t let that happen.

“You need to pay for this. You really pissed me off!”

“I was right in the middle of something with that lady and you jumped to conclusions and your rash reaction basically cost me a friendship.”

“It’s never been the same between Rosie-O and me since.”

* Is this true? *

He got up from the chair, came out from behind the desk and pointed an accusing finger at Fred.

“Mr Go told you that all the evidence about this assault is on file with the cops and I can activate it at any time.”

”I’m friends with all those guys at the cop shop; drank soju with them many times. You have no way out. I’ve got you by the short and curlies.”

Fred kept his mouth shut; Dame waxed sentimental. “I’m a red-blooded human male. I’ve got biological needs. I need a bitch under my belt!

”It’s no fun being single here … anywhere … but especially here.”

Dame headed over to the window.

He threw up the blind and lit up his second-last cigarette, crouching down in a baseball catcher’s squat so he could blow the smoke out the bottom opening.

He inhaled and asked sternly, “I take it you actually want to stay in this God-forsaken place for the next little while?”

“Beats being a rent-a-cop in Edmonton,” Fred replied with levity.

Dame wasn’t humoured. “Then you well know from your short stay here that it’s very important for you to show respect!

”When you attacked me at the Rotary and interfered in my affairs, you didn’t respect me. I want to know, do you respect me now?”

“I … understand where you’re coming from …”

Dame sat his cigarette on the sill, got to his feet and approached Fred. “That’s not what I asked! Do you respect me?”

* It doesn’t really seem like it, does it? *

Fred shrugged. “Yeah … I guess so.”

Dame walked right up to Fred, closer than an arm’s length, and looked him right in the eye. “Then you must bow!” he barked.

“Deep – on your knees, right here in the office – Korean-style!”

He pointed to a spot down in front of Fred’s feet. “I want to see your nose touch the floor!!”

* Will Fred bow before Dame? *

*

Tomorrow: Fred must contend with a strong internal struggle.