Martoons

Today: Solid food is good for the brain and the soul.

Cast of characters

Mr Go

Thomas

*

“I am very sorry,” Go told the emaciated, malnourished Canadian. “You eating instant noodle every day…”

He did the waving gesture. “I have to do something but – top secret – don’t tell Miss No.”

* What would happen if he told Miss No? *

“Scouts honour,” Thomas replied, overcome now with instant optimism.

“Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got a few hours off before my evening classes.

There’s somewhere I’ve got to be right now. I’ve been fantasizing about the day when I’d have enough cash to go there.”

With a big, goofy smile and his brow mischievously furrowed, he blinked eagerly at Go and then took off.

He stopped by his favorite little restaurant several blocks away, which was in the general vicinity of Coffee Lady’s café.

He liked this little family eatery because the man and woman who ran it always piled the rice and side dishes on.

Thomas hadn’t been there for a while.

“Sorry – me no come here long time – very busy.”

“Ah yeah,” the owner replied and happily stood over the foreigner, watching the sheer enjoyment with which he was wolfing down the fresh rice and crispy Korean bacon, lettuce and garlic bulbs.

The healthy fare worked their magic on Thomas’ metabolism.

After several weeks of hunger pangs clawing at his stomach, and instant noodles only barely keeping his system idling, he hadn’t had energy to think about anything.

He was always amazed how much energy is consumed by the brain and thinking.

But now, as his stomach filled up with real food, his brain began producing inspiring, optimistic ideas – a brightly-coloured soap opera once again filled with happiness, drama and … love?

“Korea – good?” the restaurant man asked, watching with satisfaction as the waygook adeptly elevated the last grain of rice in his little silver bowl, using the metal chopsticks.

“You,” the owner said, “using chopstick – good! More kimchi?”

The now bright-eyed Canadian flashed a thumbs-up as the server withdrew another palm-sized, silver steel rice bowl from the little heater near the counter and clanked it on Thomas’ table along with a little saucer containing a mound of kimchi.

“Amazing,” the revitalizing Canadian mused, “Korea. I’m in Korea. I knew this was going to be good.”

He started thinking ahead, planning, envisioning.

“There’s money in the streets here and I’m going to make a fortune.”

He scraped the final rice grains out of his second silver bowl.

“But first there’s someone I need to thank.”

* Who is it he’s going to thank? *

Thomas always tried to humble himself and not forget those who’d helped him on the way.

And the person he had in mind right now was a traditional, spunky little lady in a café down the street – the inimitable Coffee Lady.

Sure there were cafes and coffee wenches on almost every block in Chinju but this one was his.

He looked at the clock on the wall.

He had just enough time to drop in on the Caffeine Queen who’d lent him critical cash weeks ago during his darkest hours, so he could eat.

Now it was time to give back.

*

Tomorrow: Thomas has a run-in with Wide Eyes.