Martoons

Cast of characters

Mr Kang

Fred

Thomas

*

“Jerk,” Mr Kang muttered as the van disappeared.

He wanted to talk to this guy about the outrageous pamphlet he’d just dropped off.

Kang scanned it for the second time and couldn’t believe his eyes: Vicious innuendo and shameful lies – all of it – about his very own business!

But he already suspected who was behind it all.

*

Fred’s phone call to Kang.

“Those pamphlets – Ayeesh!” Kang muttered. “Oh! Just a moment.”

He handed the phone over to Thomas, who was hovering nearby.

Fred: “What’s with these pamphlets Kang is talking about? Can you explain quickly, I’ve only got a minute or two left on my calling card.”

“He’s been finding these bloody scurrilous rags all over this neighborhood.

They slander his business, saying it may close down soon due to legal issues and clients should not waste their money signing up here.

“It’s Miss No’s handiwork. See the game she plays?

“Her evil plan is to wreck his business then blame him in order to eliminate him. Then she’ll swoop in and takeover.

* Is her plan working? *

“She wants her hands on this place. It rakes in cash.”

Fred was confounded.

Thomas continued. “Kang’s totally stressed out about this. I’ve been telling him not to worry, that after a few weeks clients will see that we’re not closing.

“Business is all about location, and we’re in the best one. There’s money in the streets in this filthy, stinking town – stinking rich, that is.

“Did you know that Ulsan is the wealthiest city in Korea?” He chuckled.

“So … I take it you’re looking for a job here?”

“I knew you’d come knocking sooner or later! Why not try back in a month or so after all this crap clears up?”

* Will Fred still be in Korea by then? *

Fred hid his disappointment. If this call didn’t pan out, he’d already decided he was leaving Korea. “Yeah … okay buddy.”

“Oh, wait a minute.” Thomas covered the phone up and Fred could hear him mumbling something.

“Fred, Mr Kang wants to know if you could do him a favour?” More mumbles. “He wants to know if you’ve seen Mr Go recently.”

“Not often. Why do you ask?”

Thomas gave the phone back to Kang, now trusting enough of Fred to confide in him.

“Fred, maybe I’m crazy but when the leaflets were delivered yesterday, I was actually walking near my institute and saw someone dropping them off at many buildings.

“At first, I didn’t think twice about it but out of curiosity picked one up and was absolutely shocked with what I read.”

“I ran after the guy delivering them. However he got into a van and drove away.”

“I could swear it was Mr Go! He turned away from me when I called his name and ignored me.”

“When I saw his face – only for a split second – his eyes were glassy and he didn’t look well. He seemed to be sweating.

“I called out again but he got in that van and sped away. I sensed he was trying to avoid me. Can you find out if he is okay? I am very worried…”

* Will Fred be able to check up on Mr Go? *

Fred’s calling card time ran out. So, he’d played his last card and lost. He wouldn’t be going to Ulsan.

I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing ever is.

Yet at the same time, the mere act of reaching out to Mr Kang and Thomas had mitigated his alienation.

He felt more a part of the game – what was left of it!

In the minute or so it took Fred to walk from the phone booth back to his apartment building’s entrance, the wheels of cool, dispassionate rationality churned and he formulated an exit strategy:

Let absolutely no-one know his plans, not even Donna or Thomas.

He’d ride things out and do the Dumb Foreigner thing for several more weeks until his next pay, and then he’d slip out of the country under cover of darkness.

Yes, he’d pull off an infamous midnight run – something he’d sworn he’d never do.

He’d castigated other foreigners for it yet now saw perfectly why they did it: Nowhere else to turn except to get the hell out.

He could picture it now, clearly, distinctly: Going through customs at the crack of dawn while Miss No slept.

Taking his seat in the Korean Airlines jet. And leaving Korea behind.

The mere imagined feel of the jet cutting through the atmosphere gave him a warm chill.

Chinju instantly took on a whole new colour now that Fred’s time here was clicking down. He took a big breath of chilly, fresh air.

“Ah, Christmas is coming! What a great festive swansong before I leave this God-forsaken peninsula.”

*

Tomorrow: Fred feels the pangs of depression.