Angels of the Morning Calm (Chapter 2)

Byron exited the bus to the cool morning sea breeze at the Victory Arcade and hailed one of the many Hyundai Pony taxies that populated the roadway. One pulled over for him. He squeezed into the back and handed a neatly folded piece of paper to the driver. 1

The driver read the paper. He nodded knowingly, pulled away and drove in the reckless manner to which Byron was now becoming accustomed. Sometimes three cars were crowded into two lanes, and often red lights meant only “Stop if the drivers from the other direction get position on you.”2

About 10 minutes after he left the front of the Arcade, the taxi driver stopped along the stretch of road Byron recognized from the previous evening. He exited, and handed the driver a 1000 won note. Without a word being exchanged, the driver dug through the little leather purse in beside his seat, pulled out four 100 won coins and gave them to Byron.3

Byron turned and walked toward the restaurant where he had met Miss Lee the previous day. Glancing to the other side of the street, he saw a young woman walking. As he came closer, he recognized Miss Lee. She was now dressed in a neat, but not fancy red hooded sweat shirt, and snug fitting stirrup jeans as many of the young women wore. Her hair was still arranged neatly and pinned back on one side as it was the previous day, but both dress and demeanor showed her to be ready for more casual activity.4

Seeing an opportunity to cross, Byron jogged to the sidewalk where Miss Lee walked.5

Attracted by the activity of someone jogging across the street, she looked and recognized him. 6

She stopped still in her tracks. Keeping her hands in her sweatshirt pockets, she extended her arms straight downward stretching the front of her garment. Her head turned slightly to her left and dropped. With the tip of her tongue between her teeth, she gave her shy school-girl smile as her eyes lifted with head still bowed slightly to meet Byron’s eyes. Her shoulders rotated slightly left and right emphasizing her bashful delight at seeing him run to meet her.7

She straightened herself as he approached.8

“Hello,” she said.9

“Good morning.”10

“Why you come?”11

“You saved my life yesterday.”12

“Ai-gu,” she said softly as she translated this to herself. “Not save-uh you life. Just-uh I want-uh help.”13

“It was a big help. Without you I might not have gotten home. Thank you very much.”14

A slightly mischievous grin came to her face. “You welcome very muchee,” she said.15

He smiled at her attempted humor. “I said I would come back and pay you back, so I came to find you today.”16

“You come pay me?”17

“Yes.”18

“I’m not takee money back,” she said.19

“Why not?”20

“Just-uh you come back, and-uh I know good.”21

Byron thought for a moment. Something was missing in the last statement that made him unsure of the meaning. Was she saying she was satisfied just knowing she was right in trusting him? He decided to leave the statement and move the conversation forward.22

“I was stupid yesterday,” he said. “You were like my angel – there to save me just in time even though I was stupid.”23

Miss Lee looked musingly into his face. “I am Angel?” she asked.24

“Yes. And you’re just as pretty as an angel, too.”25

“Angel?” Miss Lee smiled at him. “Yesterday, when I see you, I see you blue color eyes. Before only on TV I see blue color eyes. I never see real blue color eyes. I lookee and I thinkee ‘So beautiful, and-uh so peaceful’. I lookee you and I thinkee you are angel.”26

“I don’t think I’ve ever been called an angel before,” Byron smiled.27

“You eyes so beautiful,” Miss Lee repeated.28

“Thank you.”29

The smile left Miss Lee’s eyes. Her gaze became far-away.30

“What’s wrong?” Byron asked.31

“Yesterday, Miss Gunn see me give-uh you money.” Miss Lee began. “She talk to ajuma. Ajuma really mad. She thinkee I am crajee. I say you are good man, and-uh you come back pay me. She say I am stupid, and-uh American man all the time lie. I thinkee you eyes, and I thinkee you not lie. Still, ajuma say all American man lie.”32

“Some do,” Byron answered. “We have some really good ones, and some really bad ones. Most of us are somewhere in between.”33

Miss Lee thought for a moment. Nodding she said thoughtfully, “Korea, same thing.” 34

“Before I pay you back,” Byron said. “I need something.”35

“What-su you need?” Miss Lee asked, her eyes showing some skepticism.36

“I want to learn about Korea, but not the way most GI’s learn. I want to really learn Korea. I want to learn the language, and I want to see the country. I need someone like you who can teach me Korean, and show me this place.”37

“You want-uh learn speakee Korean?” she beamed.38

“Yes. And I’ll pay you to teach me.”39

Miss Lee contemplated for a moment. “Me too. I want learn Englishee.”40

“You speak English well.”41

“No. I read Englishee. I cannot speakee well. If-uh I learn speakee Englishee well, I can later find-uh good job.” 42

Miss Lee continued in her contemplation for a moment. Suddenly, with a new confidence she returned her eyes to Byron and said, “You me deal. You teachee me speakee Englishee good, and-uh I teachee you Korean and-uh everything.”43

“Sounds great to me.” 44

Byron extended his hand to Miss Lee. She looked for a moment, unsure of what to think when a man actually offered her a hand to shake. Shyly, she reached and took his hand between both of her hands and bowed slightly. Raising her head again, she smiled at him.45

“Where are you going?” Byron asked.46

“I go shopping.”47

“I think I’d like to go shopping too.” Byron said. “Can I come with you?”48

Miss Lee paused as she thought her way through the words Byron spoke. Then she raised her eyebrows in exaggerated excitement and nodded.49

“OK,” she said smiling.50

She started to walk on down the sidewalk. Byron turned and walked by her side. 51

After three steps together, Miss Lee turned suddenly and faced Byron. Her face was suddenly very stern.52

“I am Christian girl,” She said.53

Byron held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m very happy to hear that,” he said. “I’m a Christian boy.”54

“I am good girl,” she warned.55

“I promise I’ll treat you like I want my sister to be treated,” Byron said now catching her meaning.56

Miss Lee dropped her eyes as she thought again.57

“You treat-uh me likee you sister?” She asked.58

Now Byron had to pause, somewhat astonished at the change that had taken place in translation. But her version still worked.59

“Yes I will,” Byron promised.60

“This one good,” Miss Lee said ponderously. She turned her stern look on Byron again. “Jeong-mal?”61

“What’s Jeong-mal?”62

“’Jeong-mal?’ mean ‘True?’”63

“Ok, yes … true ... How do I answer that?”64

“You say ‘Jeong-mal.’.”65

“Ok. Jeong-mal.”66

Her sternness faded into her sweet smile again. “I treat-uh you likee my brother, too,” she said.67

They continued down the sidewalk side by side.68

“I go shopping together American man, and-uh ajuma and-uh Miss Gunn thinkee I am crajee.” Miss Lee mused.69

Byron thought on the earlier conversation about these two. He smiled mischievously and looked over at Miss Lee.70

“They already think you’re crazy,” he said.71

Miss Lee looked at him. She interpreted his smile and his words, then smiled back and nodded. 72

“True,” she said.73

Seeing a display of mink blankets at the front of the store they approached, Byron pointed suddenly and said, “I want one of those really bad. I need to send one home to mom, and I want one for myself.”74

“You likee mink blanket?” 75

“Yes, very much.”76

“Crumun,” Miss Lee nodded. “We buy. Let’s-uh go.”77

Byron stopped and looked at one beige blanket displayed just inside the front door. He shook his head at the beautiful picture of a wild horse which was woven into it. 78

“I like this one,” he said.79

Miss Lee examined it quickly and said. “This one no good.”80

“Why?” Byron asked.81

Miss Lee put one hand on each side of the blanket and pulled. “Just-uh one,” she said. “This one not good long time.”82

“Ah,” Byron nodded.83

They looked through the stacks of neatly folded blankets on the tables and viewed the pictures and patterns of the brightly colored blankets hung on the wall. Near the back of the store Byron found another blanket – this time dark blue with black silhouettes of horses - tail and mane streaming behind as they galloped. 84

Remembering the first test Miss Lee taught him, he pinched the fur on each side of the blanket and pulled slightly. To his satisfaction, the sides of the blanket pulled apart revealing that it had two distinct layers of material.85

“You likee?” Miss Lee asked?86

“Yes.”87

“You buy?”88

“Yes, if I can afford it.”89

“Ajoshi,” Miss Lee called.90

“Ye,” a man from the next counter answered.91

Miss Lee began speaking with him.92

The conversation began calmly, but gradually became louder and more animated. 93

Byron watched in amazement. The little schoolgirl smile and bashfulness were now nowhere to be found. Now the petite, delicate, and beautiful young woman with whom he had entered the store became a veritable wolverine. Her voice rose to match the level of the man who sold the blanket. She never backed up a step. When he became animated, she became more animated. When he slapped the back of his hand onto this blanket or that blanket, she pointed and argued vehemently. Wrinkles came across her smooth forehead and her face flushed as she contended with the blanket ajoshi. 94

“My gosh!” Byron said. “Doesn’t he want to sell the blanket?”95

“He want to sell,” Miss Lee said turning her now fiery eyes on Byron. “Just-uh he see American man, and-uh he thinkee more money.”96

“How much?” Byron asked.97

“No! We not pay!” Miss Lee said with the same fire with which she argued with the shopkeeper. “If-uh he not discount-uh, we go ‘nother place!”98

The shopkeeper began the argument again.99

Miss Lee met him once again with her fire undiminished. The shopkeeper, however, had lost his edge in the pause. After just a few exchanges, he nodded his head, and raised his left hand. “Araso, araso,” he said.100

Miss Lee turned to Byron again. “He say 12,000 won. I thinkee this good price.”101

Byron’s jaw dropped. He quickly figured it in his head. It was about fifteen American dollars - just over half what his friends had told him he would have to spend to get a nice mink blanket. He fumbled through his wallet and pulled out the money as the shopkeeper bagged his new prize.102

“Where did THAT come from?” Byron said in wide eyed amazement as he and Miss Lee walked out of the store.103

“Ai-gu,” Miss Lee snarled giving an aggravated shake with her head. “I no likee this kind of-uh man. Just-uh he see American man and-uh he thinkee American man have-uh lot of-uh money. He thinkee more money. This is likee cheat!”104

“I agree,” Byron said nodding. “But I would have never guessed you had THAT in you.” He shook his head, widened his eyes again and whistled in indication of amazement at the ferocity displayed by this remarkable new friend.105

Miss Lee smiled, all hints of the fury released on the shopkeeper now gone from her once again strikingly beautiful face. “I say you are likee my brother, right?”106

“Right,” Byron answered.107

“And you say I am likee you sister. I help-uh you with this kind-uh.”108

Byron nodded, now understanding the importance the earlier change of wording had for his new friend, and with a new appreciation for the promise he had made when their deal was struck.109