Martoons

Today: Mrs Won is part of a… Mafia?

Cast of characters

Fred

Miss No 

Mrs Won

Hot Sauce

Scene: Ajumma’s apartment

*

Before coming to Korea, Fred had humorously and stereotypically envisioned masses of Korean citizens young and old assembled neatly on huge courtyards … surrounded by high fortress-like walls … performing kicks, jumps and punches in unison.

Hot Sauce shifted in her chair. “I was very proficient at martial arts but I have no time to practice now.

She moved a pile of books aside on her desk and revealed a 4X6 inch photo that was tacked on corkboard.

She pulled the tack out and offered the image to Fred. “Fred, look at this.”

He smiled.

In the picture was an athletic Canadian – the Toronto Maple Leafs jersey gave it away – standing on the concrete pad behind Central.

“I was shocked when Thomas suddenly disappeared,” Hot Sauce said.

* Again, what happened to Thomas? *

“Oh!” Fred said. “I think I found out where Thomas went,” and he opened his hand but the moisture in his palm had erased the word.

Fred looked up and Mrs Won was standing at Hot Sauce’s door with a why-are-you-in-my-daughter’s-room look.

He handed the picture of Thomas back to Hot Sauce, and Mrs Won ushered him into the kitchen.

* Is Mrs Won uptight about Fred talking to Hot Sauce alone? *

“I was just asking her about my friend Thomas,” he explained to the ajumma.

“Nobody seems to know why he left Chinju. Or at least if they do they’re not telling me.”

“Fred,” Won said, “sit down at the kitchen table please. Would you like tea?”

In the fridge she kept a plastic container of barley ice tea and poured Fred a small glass.

He sipped the chilled, hay-brown liquid and was pleased that it tasted real, not like the syrupy chemical-infested sugar water sold back home as ‘ice tea’.

Ajumma sat across the table. “Fred I know you’re curious about Thomas. You asked me last night but I didn’t say much – on purpose.

That’s because I knew I would have new information this morning.”

* What is this new information? *

Fred perked up.

Won: “I am on a committee of students’ mothers – we jokingly call it the Housewives’ Mafia.”

“We had a meeting with Mr Go recently and asked about Thomas. He wouldn’t say anything.”

She sighed.

“There was a very good feeling about Thomas when he was here. Our sons and daughters really liked him and …”

She leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“Some of the housewives liked him very much. Anyway, Miss No is in charge of everything now so our mafia went to her this morning.”

“We threatened to shut her business down with a boycott.”

Fred took a sip of the tea and nodded approvingly.

He was impressed by how serious and passionate Mrs Won and the mothers were.

She waved him off. “Miss No is a very shrewd negotiator.”

* What happened during these negotiations? *

A week before. 

As future events unfolded, it would turn out to be a case of absolutely perfect timing.

At first Miss No didn’t think so.

In fact, the dropping-in of yet another unsolicited visitor was becoming an intolerable annoyance.

Yesterday it was the chronically under-employed, chain-smoking chump who’d had the audacity to use her office as his personal ashtray while pitching his city water works bonds (she’d purchased one for $10 to get him out of her office);

two days ago, it had been the unfortunate 40-something woman who’d been ravaged by cancer and was soliciting funds for her next round of chemo (Korea has only limited public health insurance; Miss No had coughed up $20 for her);

today, it was this steely-looking stoic thin guy who looked vaguely familiar.

Before even asking what he was selling, No resolved to go and have a little powwow with that new secretary downstairs and tell her to be more of a bulldog about letting people upstairs to see The Boss.

The steely-looking stoic thin guy introduced himself as Max.

“Long time no see. You should know that I usually don’t make house calls like this…’

Unsolicited to boot, No thought.

“Yes it’s been a very long time. In fact I don’t recall ever seeing you here. Or anywhere.”

* Who is this ‘Max’ character? *

*

Tomorrow: Max puts some pressure on Miss No.