Martoons

Cast of characters

Miss No

Donna

Owner of Big Top Soju Tent

Mr E

Dame

*

No gave a slight bow and turned to walk away.

“Oh, just a minute!” the owner called out.

No stopped and turned around but didn’t say anything.

“You wouldn’t know who belongs to this would you?” The owner produced from behind his serving counter a pink fuchsia fleece jacket.

“Some lady left this here last night. I don’t know who. Do you care for it?”

* Who’s jacket is it? *

She waved him off. “Thank you very much but I don’t do pink well.” She rushed out of the tent with Donna in tow.

“Back to the motel. Time to wake up Mr Go. Imagine that! He was with Santa Kang last night in that very soju tent! Let’s get to the bottom of this right now.”

* How will No react when she sees that Go isn’t there? *

“I’m behind you all the way,” Donna said, “but Boss, I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. I think we need more facts first.

“You’ve only talked to that one soju tent owner and he obviously likes to tell tall tales. I mean seriously, patrons burrowing out of his tent?”

She scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. “They’d need a small bulldozer to do that.”

* Do you think the owner’s story was true or no? *

“Don’t put anything past Korean soldiers. But you are right – I will talk to Mr Go before drawing any more conclusions.”

They had to pass by last night’s bonfire area en route to the motel (even though the bonfire wasn’t going to be lit this morning), and No realized she’d almost completely forgotten about Mr E and Damion.

They’d been standing around for ten or fifteen minutes and were shivering – even though the skies had clouded again and last night’s bitter coldness had lifted somewhat.

To take their minds off it, they’d been smoking profusely.

Yet there’d been an odd tension between them and it centred on Miss No.

* How so? *

Mr E was again worried about keeping his newly patched-up relationship with her in tact; Dame was itching to tell someone about the prank he was planning against No but didn’t want to reveal anything for fear that E might spill the beans to her, even inadvertently.

“Oh, you’re back!” E said.

No and Donna approached the spot.

No didn’t answer as the soju tent owner’s comments were still buzzing around her head.

Santa Beard. There one minute. Gone the next. And replaced by? She looked at Mr E, sized up his face, then burst out laughing.

“Why?” he responded.

“I just imagined you with a white Santa Claus beard on your face and it made me laugh.”

The off-the-cuff remark sent a chill down E’s spine. Is this woman inside my mind or what? Has she figured out my washroom hoax from last night?

* She hasn’t… but will she? *

He looked at Damion and they both shrugged.

“Anyway,” continued No, “Let’s get you guys out of this cold.

The last thing I need is you two catching a cold and coughing and hacking all the way back to Chinju.

“Donna and I are going back to the motel for a few minutes. Apparently we left something – or someone! – there.

“Mr E, why don’t you and Mr Damion come back with us and warm up in the car for a few minutes until we’re done.

I have to sort something out at the motel with Mr Go – in private!”

She stopped in mid-stream and looked around in all directions. “And where is Fred? Ayeesh!! He’s still not back yet?”

“Should we go get him?” E asked.

“Didn’t we already go through this? Do not go and get him! Then all three of you could get lost.”

She gestured to the growing crowd that was accumulating on the beach.

“We’re only going to the motel for a few minutes, and then we’ll be right back here. I’m assuming Fred has the common sense to wait here for us.

He seems like the Boy Scout type.”

No walked back to the motel so fast that Donna was out of breath following her.

E and Dame hadn’t even tried to keep up; a moment or two later they were at the car.

“Brrr!” Dame said. “Warm this damn thing up!”

The outline of his prank was now gelling in his mind. He put his hands in his jacket pocket and felt the fake beard from last night.

And he just thought of something else he was going to need in a few minutes.

* What is it that he’s going to need? *

*

Tomorrow: Mr E supplies Dame with what else he needs for his prank and No finds that Go has gone!