Martoons

Cast of characters

Fred

Thomas

*

“Thomas! What the hell are you doing here?” asked Fred. 

“Me? What are you doing here? I live down in the city here – Ulsan. This is my turf!” He shifted his car into park and sat back.

“I come to this beach quite often with students.”

“Anyway, long story short, I got withdrawal symptoms for Coffee Lady late last night so me and Perky caught the last bus to Chinju to see her.”

(He didn’t mention how Dame’s phone call had made him jealous as hell.)

“I ended up renting a car and we came all the way back here! Drove like a madman – I mean, like a Korean!

“Was up most of the night driving but the important thing is we made it here for the sunrise. Coffee Lady tells me this is what they all do.”

Cars to the rear were tooting politely for Thomas to keep moving. Fred glanced their way and made a ‘just-a-minute’ hand gesture.

“Don’t worry about them,” Thomas said. “We’re in Korea, remember?”

Fred crouched down by the open passenger window. “So where are Perky and Coffee Lady?”

“Back at our motel.” Thomas pointed up the road. “They’re catching a few zees before the big event. Where ya headed?”

Fred pointed toward the store but was suddenly afflicted by a dizzying head rush, and had to lean against the car door to stabilize himself.

* Is Fred okay? *

With the glint of daylight that was filtering through, Thomas could see that Fred was white as a ghost. “Let me guess,” he chuckled, “soju last night?”

“Didn’t even drink that much. It still got me.” Fred massaged his Adam’s apple. “My throat’s convulsing … like, dry heaves.”

“I don’t go near soju anymore – simply don’t have time to write off the entire next day nursing a hangover. I work seven days a week – eight when I can squeeze it in.”

More polite tooting from behind yet now extending back even farther. Thomas glanced in his rear-view mirror and noted the accumulating traffic jam behind.

He reached down and activated the car’s four-ways. “Who are you here with?”

“Donna, Mr E, Miss No and Mr Go…”

“You still work there?”

Fred shrugged humbly. “It’s all coming to a head today. I’m meeting with Miss No when we get back to Chinju …”

Thomas cut him off. “Do I have to go and kidnap you or something?”

“You’ve done your basic training. Get out of that gulag and come work with me down here in Ulsan.”

* Will that be what Fred ends up doing? *

“Don’t waste your time on meetings with Miss No. I would never put my future in her hands…”

Sustained honking from the rear.

“I better get those drinks and get back,” Fred said. “Sunrise is getting close. Where are you guys going to watch it?”

Thomas pointed ahead: “I’m going to drive up there and park in front of everyone else. It’s near our motel.”

“I’ll drag Perky and Coffee Lady to the beach, then right after sunrise we’re leaving. I want to be first out of the blocks.

“Say, you gonna need a ride back? I have to get this car back to the rental place in Chinju and then bus it right back to Ulsan!”

“I’ve got privates all day after that – the cash will pay for this whole crazy impulsive excursion.

“So, anyway, we’re taking off right after the sunrise. If you want to tag along, that would be great.”

* Will Fred tag along with Thomas? *

Someone you know will offer you something.

The thought struck Fred: Was Thomas part of Go’s plan?

* Is he? *

Thomas cracked up. “Mr Go? Plan? That’s an oxymoron! That man … no, these people don’t plan!”

He glanced in the mirror again, now feeling minor tinges of guilt for holding up the traffic. “Then again I shouldn’t be too critical.”

“Go’s last ‘plan’ moved me to Ulsan, and I’m living the dream now.”

“Honestly I haven’t talked to him since that day. If he’s got some plan for you, I have absolutely no inkling of it.”

“And if he does … well, I’d be careful. I’m sure he means well but … actually, I wouldn’t even be so sure about that.”

* Should Fred be wary of Go’s plan? *

*

Tomorrow: Getting Fred’s attention is a struggle.