Martoons

Cast of characters

Mr Go

Taxi driver

Miss No

*

“Why did you leave the motel and beach so early this morning?” asked Miss No.

Go felt like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Nervously he answered, “I want to get back to Chinju and … go for a jog … before our meeting … at noon.”

“It’s my … New Year’s Resolution: To get … back in shape.”

He explained how he’d … lent his car out to some friends last night; how he’d … been out for a smoke in the middle of the night and … the cabby just happened to pull up outside Beach Boys’ Motel… and it was a chance to beat the traffic and …

His voice petered out. The mental effort of the long response had him on the verge of blacking out.

* Will Miss No believe Go’s reasonings? *

“OK ok ok Comrade Go I understand. Everything’s fine. Relax.”

After an excruciating silence, “Yes Comrade No.”

“Comrade Go, when you get to Chinju and the Rotary area, proceed to the raw fish restaurant and relax.”

“There is a coffee machine there – you know it well – get yourself a coffee, have a cigarette and then you need to do the following…”

Comrade Go listened carefully and committed the instructions to memory. Floating in his hypnotic trance-like state, his nostrils filled with the scent of phantom candles.

* What did No tell him he has to do? *

His mouth was dry and he craved a drink of the vintage North Korean wine.

And that was the butt kicker: With none available, Comrade No’s mind control tactics were only partially effective.

A further deterrent to their effectiveness was the absence of the Great Leader’s portrait. Thus, Go was able to will himself from falling further into No’s grip.

Go clenched his fists and locked his jaw.

With an act of sheer mental effort, he strained to come back from the dark side, much like willing oneself to wake up from a discomforting dream…

He flashes back to his teen years, when he was an avid swimmer.

He’s in the deep end of a local pool, has drained his lungs and has sunk to the bottom of the tank, 5 metres down.

He is standing on the bottom, looking up. He sees the yellowy film of daylight high above and pushes off the bottom.

He ascends through the water, his lungs on the verge of imploding, and the 2-3-second flight takes an eternity. Up, up, up, will he ever crack the surface?

He thrusts his legs and with his arms above his head, he pries apart the water. Finally above the surface, he sucks in the air voraciously, huffing and puffing and regaining life…

Suddenly fully aware that he was in the cab, Go’s shoulders collapsed and he took a few deep breaths. He padded the sweat off his forehead with his jacket sleeve.

He noticed the phone in his other hand and had a sick feeling, suspecting what had transpired. He raised the unit to his ear but the call was dead.

Panicky, he turned to the cabby. “Was I talking on this phone?”

“Apparently.” Cabby was indifferent. This customer was just a little too weird.

“What did I say? Could you hear? Do you know who I was talking to? Please tell me…”

* How much did the cabby hear? *

“I wasn’t listening.” He chuckled. “Was I supposed to be? Don’t think you talked for very long. Only a minute or so.”

“Actually, you weren’t talking so much as mumbling. All I could make out was something about … kidnapping?”

Go recalled the radio news item from moments ago and guessed that he must have absentmindedly cackled something about it into the phone. But to whom?

“And,” the cabby interjected, “I heard you say someone’s name – maybe Comrade No? – whoever that is and I don’t think I want to know!” And he laughed robustly.

“Are you a North Korean spy ha-ha-ha-ha!!” When his laugh didn’t infect Go, the cabbie got nervous and remained silent.

Ayeesh, Go wondered, did I spill the beans to Miss No about my plan for Fred? I know I’ve had a history of opening by big yap to women!

Go’s worries were quickly pre-empted when the cabby himself started muttering – something about being out of gas.

“Ayeesh. We ran out sooner than I thought.”

* Will Go make it back to Chinju? *

*

Tomorrow: No thinks back on Go’s running habits.