Martoons

Today: Fred meets a familiar stranger.

Cast of characters

Cleaning Lady

Fred

Wide Eyes

Scene: Cleaning Lady’s traditional old village house

*

“I don’t know what was going on,” Cleaning Lady told Fred.

“I didn’t see anything unusual when I re-entered, except for the fact that Mrs Won had locked her room door when she left.”

“I didn’t have a key for that so couldn’t get in there to clean.”

“I was annoyed because the master bathroom is accessible only from the main bedroom but I was locked out! And that bathroom is usually quite messy.”

“I was hoping Mrs Won wouldn’t scold me for not cleaning it, but what could I do?”

Fred, laughing, asked, “Any idea what the squeaking sound or crashing sound was?”

“It sounded like her bed collapsed!” She nudged Fred and had a big smile on her face. “

But I can’t confirm that because a few days later when the room was finally left unlocked, the bed seemed OK.”

Rose could be heard returning from the market and Cleaning Lady got up to greet her.

It was lunch time.

After a bountiful feast of meat, rice, soup and side dishes, Fred noticed it was getting late.

“Excuse me Cleaning Lady, I must go to the institute soon.”

He scampered out to the porch where his shoes were.

As he stepped down onto the short walkway leading to the road, he turned around toward Cleaning Lady and stood up straight in a military stance.

 “Thank you ma’am,” he said in a formal, official tone.

Then, with his arms straight down at his side, he gave a big, deep bow – pure Korean style.

As he about-faced and jogged away from the house, he thought he could hear Cleaning Lady calling after him. He made nothing of it and carried on.

But sure enough, it was her voice.

“Canada Fred! Canada Fred! Yah! Yah!” She sounded concerned.

What is it now?

He stopped and looked around, then felt a warm tingle ripple through his body.

* What do you think Cleaning Lady is calling Fred back for? *

*

Cleaning Lady was waving Fred down to get him to stop and give his attention.

“What?” he muttered and shrugged, straining to keep the polite, diplomatic smile on his face.

One thing that he found annoying was when he’d already said goodbye to someone and then they called him back.

But this was Korea.

Maybe they had different customs about that.

Fred looked on, wondering what the fuss was all about.

Cleaning Lady was pointing at Rose standing just inside the doorway.

This time the chronically over-protected daughter was smiling, waving and actually looking at Fred.

It felt like reconciliation for the Canadian, as he’d been haunted by that crass refusal of Rose’s offer of apple slices that first night.

He’d thought about that many times and even occasionally agonized over it.

Now, it seemed, Rose had forgiven him.

Korea had now officially welcomed him.

He waved and gave a thumbs-up, turned around, and jogged on.

Just outside Cleaning Lady’s village, Fred passed a Korean who’d been walking but stopped to light up a cigarette.

“What’s up boss?” the man said looking up, his face then disappearing in the smoke plume he’d just exhaled.

He had no accent and had a familiar way about him. “Nice out, eh?”

* Who could this guy be? *

Fred stopped.

This guy’s Canadian?

“Wide Eyes,” the man said, proffering his hand for a handshake.

“Not my real name obviously, but that’s what they call me here. From Canada. Guess you gathered that, eh?”

Fred cautiously stepped toward the man and hesitantly shook his hand. “Seems to be more of us Canagooks arriving here all the time.”

He had a vague, mildly nagging feeling about this guy. “Say, we haven’t met before have we?”

* Why or how does Fred recognize him? *

Wide Eyes was taken aback. “Don’t think so dude unless … it was in a previous life?”

Coincidentally, he was also getting deja-vu-like sensations but his defences were kicking in and telling him to deny any previous meeting.

Remain invisible, remain anonymous.

Until further notice.

* Why does Wide Eyes need to ‘remain anonymous’? *

Fred’s mind started churning, trying to place Wide Eyes. “You working here?”

*

Tomorrow: Wide Eyes and Fred continue their conversation.