The Mermaid from Jeju

by Sumi Hahn

  The constable added, “Take your cues from your grandmother. Let us do the talking.” He opened a flask, splashing his hand with its contents. After patting his face and beard with liquor, the constable wiped his hands on his clothes and took a large gulp for good measure.

  As they approached the city’s perimeter, Mr. Lee began stumbling. He sang, tunelessly and loudly, while Grandmother moaned about her granddaughter’s shame. The old woman pinched Junja again, a reminder.

  The guard at the main entrance of Jeju City was a skinny, pockmarked youth with a bored expression. His helmet was too big for his head, and his hands were red and chapped. Constable Lee waved to him grandly as he tried to stumble past.

  “Stop right there.” The guard pointed his rifle at the constable. “Market day is over. Why are you out past curfew? Please state your business.”

  The constable stumbled to the side of the road, where he retched.

  The guard lowered his rifle to reveal a disgusted expression.

  The constable planted himself before the guard, swaying. “Ish a secret. If I told ya, I’ll ruin this girl’s honor. We can’t have that now, can we?” He hiccupped.

  Grandmother’s low keening rose into a full-throated wail. “Aigoo … aigoo … the shame …” She pinched Junja, who covered her face with her shirtsleeves.

  The guard repeated himself. “You must state your business.”

  Constable Lee rolled his eyes, clutched his heart, and bellowed, “Our business is love.”

  Grandmother whacked the constable’s head. “Shut up, you drunken fool! Don’t you dare ruin my granddaughter’s reputation.”

  Mr. Lee turned to Grandmother, slurring. “I’m a conshtable, auntie. I could have you arreshted for touching me like that. Guard, arresh this woman for accoshing a Nationalish officer.”

  The guard turned his head away as the constable cleared his nose into the street by pressing one nostril shut and blowing hard out the other.

  “Sir, do you have any identification papers to prove you’re an officer?”

  Constable Lee searched himself. He reached into every pocket, taking out pieces of string and bits of lint and dropping them into the street. “Here, hold this for me, will ya?” He placed a damp and smelly piece of cuttlefish jerky into the guard’s hands and wagged his finger, swaying. “Don’t you try to eat that! I’m watching!” He unbuttoned the top of his shirt, to grope his armpits. Then he unbuckled his pants and turned around in exaggerated modesty. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from under his belt and smoothed it out under his squint. He thrust the paper into the guard’s hand as he belched. “Here you go. Constable Lee of Seogwipo. Right there, if you can read.”

  The guard held the paper close to his eyes. “My apology for detaining you, sir.” He bowed to the constable and waved the group through.

  The constable stumbled through the sleepy streets, stopping to take sips from his flask. Grandmother moaned and wrung her hands. Junja watched the two of them in amazement until another hard pinch made her cast her eyes down.

  Mr. Lee’s circuitous weaving led them to a cluster of squat gray military buildings. He began slurring loudly as they approached.

  “Time to pay up, auntie. I kep’ my end of the deal. Gimme the resh of my money.”

  Grandmother began thrashing Mr. Lee, who stumbled under her blows. “So you’re a cheat as well as a drunk? You promised us you’d take us to him. I don’t see him anywhere! I’m not paying you anything!”

  The two of them bickered while Junja tried to squeeze out a few tears. When a few passersby stopped to stare at the spectacle, she held her sleeves up to cover her face.

  Two men in military uniform emerged from one of the gray buildings and walked briskly toward the ruckus.

  “What’s the problem here?” The lower ranking officer addressed Constable Lee, who was trying to protect himself from Grandmother’s slaps.

  The old woman wailed, “I paid this constable to find my granddaughter’s husband, but now he’s too drunk to find his own prick.”

  The higher-ranking officer peered at Mr. Lee’s face. “Constable Lee?”

  The constable peeked through his fingers. He tried to stand at attention but couldn’t help swaying. “Yessir, Constable Lee, sir! I mean, Yessir, General Kim, sir. Constable Lee at your service. Sir!”

  The general spoke to the other officer. “You may proceed. I’ll handle this.”

  The officer protested. “That would be beneath you, General. I’d be happy to throw him into detention and escort these women to the city gates.”

  The general considered. “A tempting idea, but I’m in a bad mood. I’m going to question these people personally. You go about your business, Lieutenant General Song. If I need your help, I’ll send a request.”

  The officer shot a disgusted look at the drunken constable before turning on his heel to leave.

  The general began to harangue the constable, who cringed under his superior’s angry assault. An older man of average height with silver hair, General Kim appeared close in age to Junja’s grandmother. His eyes were hooded, and his mouth a firm line. As soon as the departing officer was out of sight and earshot, the general lowered his tone. The two men stepped away from the women and ducked into an enclave that was sheltered from view. Was the constable still pretending to be drunk? Junja couldn’t tell.

  When he returned, the constable was subdued. His head was hanging, and he was rubbing his face, as if he had been hit. The general studied the old woman and the girl with an expressionless face. Finally, he nodded to Grandmother, who returned the gesture with a deep bow.

  Junja was stupefied when her grandmother started to simper, batting her eyelashes. “I am so ashamed to meet such an important man under these embarrassing circumstances.”

  The general’s face did not move. “Let’s go find this husband.”

  On the walk to the jail cells, Junja puzzled over the situation. If Suwol’s situation were so dire, why were Grandmother and the constable going to such lengths to behave like fools? How well did the general and the constable know each other? Did the general strike the constable during their private talk?

  The girl knew that her grandmother had carried secrets for many years, secrets so heavy they had bent her back and scored her face. She stole a look at the old woman, who was wringing her hands and muttering under her breath. What else did she not know about this person?

  The general stopped at a crude wooden gate guarded by a soldier with a rifle. The young man saluted his superior with a stiff hand. The general’s voice was brisk as he walked by the young man. “Please accompany us to the holding cells. With the most recent batch of arrests.”

  Junja stared at the guard, whose face was familiar. Had she seen him in the market the day before? The young man’s gaze slid over Junja at first, before doubling back when he recognized her too. He winked, grinning broadly.

  The group followed the guard along a muddy walkway. The stench made Junja and her grandmother cover their mouths and noses. Junja’s disgust turned into horror as they passed cells crammed with people bearing bloody signs of illness or injury. Some of the bodies were lying prone in the muck, unnaturally still.

  The young guard stopped in front of a makeshift bamboo cage. “This is the one, sir.” He was gawking openly at Junja now, without the slightest shame.

  A group of men splattered with mud or worse were squatting on the ground near the back of the cage. Suwol looked up from that group, his white face smeared with black. One eye was swollen shut, and his hands were bleeding. When he saw the young guard, he shrank back, trying to hide his face.

  Junja suddenly realized why the young guard looked so familiar: he was the motorcyclist who had given her and Suwol a ride from the mountain. The girl began to shiver, so horrified that her teeth seemed to rattle against each other. Junja glanced at her grandmother, whose eyes were fixed on the general. She looked at the constable next. He was humming as he pretended to sway from drink. No way
to warn them that their plan would fail. The general would never believe that she and Suwol were newlyweds, not if the guard said otherwise.

  Suwol tried to rise, but stumbled.

  With a cry, the girl reached out, before stopping herself. The young guard was leering now, as if he were taunting her. The fetid odor from the cell seemed to thicken, making Junja retch. She turned away, covering her mouth with one hand and reaching for her grandmother with the other. Junja’s eyes met the constable’s as she suppressed another gag. She swallowed the bile that rose to the back of her throat as the constable rubbed the side of his nose. Had he raised his eyebrow ever so slightly?

  We’re all going to be shot, Junja thought, even as she heard her mother’s voice warning her to put such bad-luck thoughts out of her mind.

  General Kim’s voice was steel. He aimed his question at Junja. “What relation is this young man to you? If you lie, both of you will join him in this cell.”

  Junja clenched Grandmother’s hand, trying to warn her. She stole another glance at the young guard, who winked at her again. Without a doubt, this young man would expose them. Junja cleared her throat as her thoughts raced. If she told the general that she and Suwol were brother and sister, the guard could confirm their story. Suwol didn’t have to be her husband in particular; he could be betrothed to someone else in the village. Junja could say that she and her grandmother had come to retrieve her errant brother along with the dowry and return them all the bride.

  Junja opened her mouth to answer the general’s question, but no sound came out. Her throat seemed to constrict. Junja took a breath and tried again, but her voice had disappeared. Grandmother’s hands clenched around Junja’s. The young guard’s grin grew wider.

  “I asked you a question.” The general looked impatient. “Are you incapable of answering?”

  Junja muttered a quick prayer. She was about to declare Suwol her brother when the constable lurched forward, spraying vomit onto the guard. The young man cursed as the constable’s soiled body slumped against him.

  * * *

  “Both of you, out of my sight!” The general, who was covering his nose with a handkerchief, waved away the young guard, who had lost his own breakfast as well when the reeking contents of the constable’s stomach landed on him. Mr. Lee was sitting on the ground rubbing his belly and declaring that he was feeling much better now and could stay for the rest of the interrogation.

  The general barked at the young guard as he hurried away with the constable. “Clean him off and hand him over to Lieutenant General Song, who will question him separately. We’ll see if their stories match up.” General Kim turned his glare to Junja. “I want a straight answer from you, young lady. Who exactly is this boy to you?” He pointed to Suwol, who cowered, head drooping.

  Grandmother pushed Junja forward. “Go ahead, tell him the truth. Don’t be ashamed.”

  Junja hesitated, still worried. Since the constable was being interrogated separately, she had no choice but to follow their original plan.

  The old woman simpered, batting her eyelashes at the general. “The general is a good man. He’s here to help Jeju, just like the constable.”

  Junja bit her lip. Her voice shook as she cast her eyes down. Her words seemed to disappear into the ground. “That boy is my husband. And he ran away with my dowry.”

  The general pursed his lips. “You don’t sound very sure. Are you telling me the truth?”

  Grandmother pushed Junja aside, winking coquettishly. “Really, General, must you press a shy young virgin like that? She’s embarrassed enough as it is. Surely you understand what she’s too ashamed to say? I don’t think she even knows the words for it! Of course, a virile man like yourself has probably never experienced such, ah, shortcomings.” The old woman directed her next comments to Suwol. Her lips curled, and her eyes flashed. “Such a worthless man! Just a shriveled little chili pepper with no heat!”

  Suwol managed to stand. He hung onto the bars of the cell, looking miserable. “Junja, I’m really sorry. This is all my fault.” He begged the general, “They haven’t done anything. Please, let them go!”

  Grandmother snapped at Suwol, “Don’t think you can get out of this by avoiding us, young man. Your apologies count for nothing. You never consummated the marriage, so you must return the dowry.” She reached into the bars, trying to slap his face. “Dirty dog, spending my granddaughter’s dowry in a whorehouse!”

  “Whorehouse?” Junja looked at her grandmother, aghast. “I thought he was gambling!”

  Suwol dropped his head. The boy’s cheeks were crimson.

  Junja hesitated for only a moment before throwing herself against the bars of the cage, screaming all the new slurs she had heard at the marketplace, including one that the fishmonger favored. “Liar! Dog whelp! Thief! Rotting fish guts!”

  Grandmother pulled the girl into a rough embrace. She patted her head. “There, there, child. I’m so sorry that you had to learn the dirty truth.” The old woman cursed Suwol. “Worthless dog! Look how you’ve shocked my innocent granddaughter with your godless behavior!” Grandmother crossed her arms as she spoke to the general. “Keep him in jail. We don’t want him. Just give us back our money and rings.”

  The general was prevented from replying by the return of the constable, who was accompanied by the officer they had seen earlier with the general.

  “General Kim, sir!” The officer’s bow was not as sincere as it could be, but deep enough not to be considered disrespectful.

  “Lieutenant General Song.” General Kim nodded to the younger man. “My apologies for drawing you into this mess, but it seemed necessary to have two separate interrogations. What have you learned from questioning the constable?”

  “According to Mr. Lee, the man you have in custody is a runaway groom.” Lieutenant General Song looked pointedly at Suwol. “The jilted bride and her grandmother have chased him all the way to Jeju City to get their dowry back.” He cleared his throat. “The constable here was paid a bribe to help find him.”

  The general’s hooded eyes lowered even further. “How do we know that’s not a fabrication? The boy was followed. He was communicating with known rebels in Jeju City.”

  “I wrote the report you’re referring to, sir. These rebels often congregate at a popular gambling den near the docks. The place is quite notorious for its … um … activities. The boy was found in one of the inner rooms, unclothed, in a rather compromising position. The items we confiscated were with him at the time of his arrest.”

  Grandmother wailed. “The two gold rings! Our money! Give them back!”

  Two gold rings? A gambling den and a brothel? What exactly was Suwol doing by himself in the city? Junja started as her grandmother gave her a covert pinch, but the girl didn’t have to force the iciness of her tone. “You were lying naked with someone in a gambling den?”

  The boy’s flush deepened. “It’s not what you think, Junja. I can explain—”

  The lieutenant general interrupted, his voice crisp. “Actually, to be precise, he was found naked with another man.”

  Junja gasped while Suwol’s fellow inmates backed away from him in disgust. The shocked silence was broken by Constable Lee, who was laughing as he clutched his stomach. “Well, that alone is grounds for execution. If he’s a rebel too, then we’ll be rid of two problems with one bullet.” He wiped his eyes, shaking his head. “Why don’t we do these two ladies the favor?”

  Grandmother pulled the ear of the lieutenant general, who flinched. “Do what you want with that dog, but give us back our rings and wedding money. We need them for a new husband.”

  Lieutenant General Song extricated himself from the old woman’s grasp. “I’m sorry, but the funds have been confiscated on behalf of the Nationalist party. They will be used in service of our glorious new democracy.”

  The old woman raised her fist, making the lieutenant general step back. “What? You soldiers are going to steal my granddaughter’s dowry and rob her of a hus
band as well?”

  The general rubbed his temples with his fingers. His words hissed out through clenched teeth. “Everyone stop talking immediately. I cannot think when there’s so much rabble.” He turned to the lieutenant general. “Song, let’s confer in private for a moment.”

  The general and the lieutenant general walked far enough away for their conversation to be inaudible. The lieutenant pointed first at Suwol and then at Junja, gesticulating while the general nodded.

  Constable Lee muttered under his breath. “Be careful. This can still go the wrong way.”

  Their discussion concluded, the two officers walked back. Lieutenant General Song opened the door to Suwol’s cell with a large ring of keys.

  Had he opened the door to release Suwol? Or were she and Grandmother joining the boy in detention? Junja’s grip on her grandmother’s hand tightened as the old woman held her breath.

  The general addressed the group. “My officer has convinced me to release the boy. However, we will keep the bridal gift. We hope you find this a satisfactory resolution.”

  Junja, who was about to thank the general, was stopped by Grandmother’s howl of disappointment. “We want our gold rings back, not him! He’s useless!”

  The general and lieutenant exchanged looks. At a nod from the general, the lieutenant waved Suwol out of the cell.

  Constable Lee placed a sloppy hand on the old woman’s arm. “Auntie, I’ve kept my end of the bargain. Pay up.”

  In response, the old woman balled her fists and started cursing the constable. She tried to kick him too, but the man managed to duck out of the way.

  The general casually spat upon Suwol as he left the cell. “If it were up to me, I’d shoot you. But Lieutenant General Song believes that being sent off with these two women is a more appropriate punishment for the likes of you. Considering your unnatural proclivities, lifelong matrimony may indeed prove a harsher sentence than a quick death by firing squad.”