25 Years Ago Part XIX
Once I arrived at the gate I went to the barracks. There I took a shower before changing and going to the mess hall. Once I made the queue in the mess hall I spotted Jam and sat near him.
“I did not see you in the ville last night man,” Jam spoke.
“I went to Songtan.”
“Ah. I see. Your lady friend?”
“Not any damn more.”
“You have a fight man.”
“She don’t wanna put out. I don’t have time for that shit.”
Jam just nodded his head and we moved on to baseball. More important things. I noticed an interesting thing that morning too. Red was on our job. She had been my sponsor when I arrived at Fort Huachuca, A sponsor had the responsibility of taking you around the fort so you get processed. I liked her a lot because of the help she gave me when I arrived. I noticed she ate breakfast with Sergeant DH. Since I had my hair cut I made a point to walk by and say hello to the both of them. Sergeant DH looked me over, hoping to find something else out of sorts but not today. I could show the sonuvabitch how to Army if he wanted to play that game. I spent three years in the infantry and he had spent his entire career in some chicken shit signal unit here and there. Course I only had to screw up once for him to get me. That was the Army way.
Work was the same old shit. We were in the early days of the job so we were moving things around, Setting up racks. Getting ready to run cable. A bunch of a dirty work. But I enjoyed it because it made the day pass quickly. I just wanted to go to the ville and have a beer and see if I could find a real Korean girl.
Evening came and I walked to the barracks. I paused to watch several men learning Tae Kwon Do. They towered over this little Korean man that moved quickly and with great power. He looked incredible and there was no doubt in my mind that he could easily kick all their butts if he wanted. The ville beckoned so I moved on to the barracks. Another shower and change of clothes had me ready to go. I hooked up with Jam and we left for downtown.
We did not waste any time but went to the same club we had two nights ago. As soon as we hit the alley we saw Little Bit. She skipped over to us with her effervescent smile.
“Anyahasayo GI,” she greeted us.
“Howdy little missy. Your friend here?”
She looked at me still smiling, swaying to the sound of the music coming from inside the club. “Miss Lee say you gotu yobo.”
“Not anymore. I’m looking for a new yobo.”
Little Bit stopped moving. The first and last time I ever saw her stand still. Her eyes widened for a second and then she grinned. “I come back with Miss Lee, canchanayo?”
“OK. I’ll be here.”
With that the girl turned around and ran off. I looked at Jam and we smiled, watching as she turned the corner. We stepped inside, found a table, and ordered a pair of cold ones. We looked over the girls and listened to the music.
Time passed and then Little Bit’s smile brightened the doorway. She danced over to us and rested her hands on the back of a chair. She leaned across the table and spoke, “Miss Lee is coming.”
And then she pranced away full of youth, happiness, and energy. I wondered where her folks were and then I thought of Jin and wondered if this girl might be an orphan too.
That’s when Miss Lee arrived. She saw me and smiled. I waved my beer and pointed at it. She nodded and went to the bar. The bartender came over and the two women chatted a bit. Then Lee came and sat with us. She smiled and I liked her eyes. They were friendly. Those eyes defeated a rather wide plain face. She wore blue jeans and a blue plaid shirt on that night. She smiled as we chatted.
“You don’t have yobo,” Miss Lee.
“No,” I answered firmly. “The other girl is numbah ten.”
Lee’s hand covered her face. Laughing, cringing, groaning, I’m not sure what she was doing behind those fingers. She quickly regained her composure.
“You want a new yobo?” She looked at me, the smile had fled and gone flat. Bright eyes staring into mine trying to gauge my honesty.
“I need a new yobo.” I took a quick swallow of my beer. “I need a good yobo. Are you a good yobo.”
“Me, I’m numbah hanah yobo. I makah you very happy.”
“How come you not somebody’s yobo already?”
“My old yobo. Hmmm… His wife have a baby, he need the money to go US.”
I thought what an asshole. Screwing around on his pregnant wife. “So you are finished with him?”
“I am, I want a new yobo.” She stared into my eyes. Serious and sincere. This was a real Korean girl. I prepared for everything, except to learn that she was human too. That would come later.
“Lets do it. You wanna dance?”
And she did. We spent most of the night dancing and drinking. Jam disappeared. Wanted to get a good nights sleep.
Eleven thirty came and the curfew hustle started. We left the bar holding hands walking back the alley the same way I entered. Then we turned left away from Camp Humphreys. Miss Lee walked me into an entirely different world. Cramped alleys flanked by iron gates that opened onto residential courtyards. We turned this way and that way and I wondered if we would ever make it to her hooch before curfew began. Then we were there. Her iron gate and her courtyard. The courtyard was all concrete with a drain and faucet on the far end. To the left there was a small structure that housed the banjo and some storage space. On our right there was the house. There were two entrances as this home was set up in two compartments. Her door set farthest from the gate.
She turned the combination on the lock and the door opened into an outer room where she had a few storage containers laying about. We left our shoes there and she opened the sliding door and I saw her room. It was nice and cozy. Lee had a stereo and a chest of drawers. Best of all she had a bed. We would not sleep upon the floor.
We undressed quickly. She was a little heavier, but she still looked nice and smooth. Lee was Korean and she tasted of garlic but I was becoming a fan. She was good at the missionary position. And we slept like cats. And prayed again in the morning. Yep Lee was a real Korean girl
