Martoons

Today: It seems to be a small world in Chinju.

Cast of characters

Fred

Mr E

*

“Hey! Hey! Wait!”

A man was running toward the taxi stand as Fred watched Donna’s cab leave.

“Stop that taxi!” the man called.

The taxi accelerated and was swallowed up by the heavy traffic.

“Ayeesh!”

Fred instantly recognized the man.

* Who could it be? *

“Mr E!”

“Ah! Mr Fred! Long time no see.” Despite his disappointment at missing the cab, E forced a big smile. He held out his hand and Fred shook it.

His eyes wandered past Fred, futilely searching for the already-vanished cab. “I was supposed to meet my girlfriend for dinner. She just got in that cab.”

Fred was surprised. “That foreigner from Canada is your girlfriend? Donna?”

“Yeah, yeah.” E let out a breathy sigh. “All I can do now is go home. Another boring night!”

Fred faced the same prospect.

It was his first Friday night in his newly adopted country and he was game to do something, especially after the cold feeling Donna had just left him with.

* Will they get up to something exciting instead? *

“Sometimes I hate Korean business style!” E declared. “I just came from an outing with my bank associates. In Korea you cannot leave until the boss leaves.

Usually no problem but tonight he was enjoying himself very much. We have a new and beautiful young teller and the boss was taking an interest in her. Anyway, the meeting turned out to be very long.”

Fred was curious. “How did you get out of there then?”

“The new teller had to make up an excuse – that her mother was sick in hospital – in order that she could leave. After that, the boss got bored and left also.”

Fred chuckled.

“Mr Fred, are you hungry?” E was forlornly glancing at the ice noodle place Fred had just emerged from.

“Just had dinner but I know you Koreans don’t like to eat alone so if you’re hungry I’ll go back in with you.”

Dinner hour was winding down and the restaurant had emptied fast.

Finding an empty table was easy.

However, E noted that Fred had trouble squeezing his long legs underneath the low, stubby-legged table.

“How can you people sit like this?” the Canadian grunted.

“It is good for the digestion.”

E’s food arrived within minutes and he began wolfing it down Korean style – Slurp! Slurp! – while Fred contented himself sipping some water and picking away at a side dish of kimchi.

E looked at him funny. “You only eat … kimchi? Usually Koreans eat kimchi with rice. Rice has no taste so the kimchi gives it taste.”

He snapped his fingers and the waitress scooted over.

“One bowl of rice,” E ordered and it came right away.

“Thanks.”

“So,” E said, “one week in Korea. Today is your anniversary! We must drink soju!”

“Good idea!” Fred replied.

* Is it really a good idea? *

“That reminds me. When I first arrived here a week ago you told me about a foreigner who came to your bank a month ago to set up an account but never came back.”

E nodded while making successive orbs of ice noodles disappear.

Fred: “His name – was it Thomas?”

E thought for a second. “Ah, yeah yeah yeah. Thomas! Yes. How did you know?”

“I met him in Canada. We weren’t friends exactly but we had a pretty good rapport. I hired him to come to Korea and I feel sort of responsible for him.”

E nodded slightly and continued eating.

Fred: “Just wondering – Do you have any idea why he left Chinju?”

* Do you think Mr E knows? *

There was a pause while E collected his thoughts. “It is a little complex,” he finally said between slurps. “One day recently I was closing up my bank when a foreign guy – not your friend Thomas – wandered in and demanded a meeting.”

“I always make time, if possible, if people – especially foreigners – drop in to my bank.”

“This guy told me he’d come to Korea a few days before with a plan to meet his sister here. They’d travel Korea for a few days; then she would start working here, and he’d go back to Canada.”

E resumed slurping noodles but then stopped.

“But the sister didn’t arrive. Now this foreign guy was mad at her. He has a bad connection…” E searched for a better word.”

“He has a bad…key-boon with his sister.”

* Who do we know who now has a sister here in Korea? *

*

Tomorrow: Mr E relays an encounter.