Martoons

Cast of characters

Fred

Mr Go

*

Fred’s Wonderful Day   

Even though Go hadn’t picked up on Fred’s leaving announcement, he sensed that something was amiss.

Oddly, as they stood opposite each other and about to part ways, the bright late-morning sun seemed to tangibly warm up the day.

And it was almost as if Fred could feel his resolve to depart weakening. I better leave now before I change my mind.

* Will Fred change his mind again? *

He knew this was his fatal flaw: Making a tough decision but then second-guessing himself and backing away. He motioned to shake Go’s hand one final time.

“Goodbye sir and thanks for everything.” Fred had a different feeling about the whole thing now: Not anymore was Miss No pushing him out; he was escaping.

Go shook his hand but it was listless. It wasn’t that Go didn’t care; rather, he was pre-occupied.

Running into Fred here had taken his mind off his own problems and he was now thinking about Fred. How did I allow things to go so wrong for him?

He only half-noticed Fred bowing and starting down the trail. Go’s mind was racing a mile-a-minute, rolling over mental films of the last few weeks and months.

It was wrong for me to completely lose touch with Fred. I spent way too much time with Damion.

As the Canadian’s footsteps on the crisp ground became more distant, Go was suddenly hit by a wave of guilt.

He felt personally responsible for Fred’s troubles with Miss No and he couldn’t live with that.

He snapped out of his self-absorbed daze and scampered after the Canadian.

“Mr Fred! Let’s go together. My car … down there.”

Fred waited up and they trod down the trail in silence for a moment or two. Freddy was straining to focus on his own immediate future yet now the vision kept blurring.

He could form a clear picture of himself boarding the bus out of town, but as soon as the bus left the terminal, the images faded.

One thing was still certain: His days in Chinju were over.

Whatever happened next, he had to get out of this town. Nothing against the place or any of the people here; it was the situation that had gone bad.

And he was probably just as much to blame as anything. So, first things first: Get back to the apartment and get his stuff. And get the hell out of Chinju.

* Where will Fred end up going? *

Feeling Go’s presence right behind him, Fred kept quiet. The bottom of the trail was in view and he didn’t want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

As the path narrowed and ended, Fred carried on and Go veered into the parking lot. Before, Go would have called out offering a ride but he’d come to understand that sometimes foreigners needed their space.

Fred liked that about Go: The man actually learned and improved over time. A minute later Go was smoking in his car with the window down, watching Fred shrink into the distance.

Ayeesh! He shook his head and sighed, wondering what was really going on in Fred’s mind. He seemed somehow different this morning.

And then Go had a baffling thought: Will I ever see Fred again? It had never occurred to him that Fred might leave. He’d seemed so … comfortable … here.

The Canadian was now almost out of sight; Go finished his smoke, flicked the butt into the lot, and started his car. He backed-out and cruised down a block or two to a turn off.

Fred was heading the opposite way. Go put the shifter in park, left the car running and got out.

“Mr Fred!”

Fred kept walking.

“Mr Fred!”

* Will Fred turn back? *

Still nothing. He really is leaving. 

A surge of emotion flared up. “Mr Fred! Canada Fred!”

Fred had been daydreaming but finally stopped and looked back.

Go held his fist up. “Mr Fred – fighting!”

* Fighting? *

*

Tomorrow: Fred is presented with another option.