Midnight Sun (122 page)

“
That's
not
any
French
I
know,
”
she
said
.
“
I
imagine
that’s
why
they
call
it
talking
like
a
sailor.
”

“
Sounds
like
you
haven't
changed
much,
”
Marcus
said
.

“
Wife
says
I
have,
”
Jim
said,
“
but
I
think
she
just
never
knew
me
all
that
well
for
the
first
fifteen
years
while
she
was
second
wife
to
the
Navy.
Now
that
I'm
at
home
all
the
time
,
she
says
I
talk
too
much
and
need
to
get
a
job
somewhere
other
than
in
the
garage
makin'
freakin'
things
ou
t
ta
wood.
”

A
forty
-
something
Korean
woman
advanced
toward
them
,
her
face
partially
obscured
by
a
huge
 
wide
-
brimmed
sun
visor.
Lonnie
referred
to
the
kind
of
sunshade
popular
among
Korean
ajummas
(middle
-
aged
women)
as
a
“
Darth
Visor
.”
The
woman
’
s
body
language
was
tight
and
purposeful,
and
energy
pulsed
out
of
every
short,
sharp
stride
as
if
she
were
forcing
the
earth
into
submission
with
each
step.

Jim
turned
to
her
and
smiled
.
“
Yobo,
c'mere
and
meet
some
of
my
old
chingoos.
”

“
I
don't
need
no
mo'
trouble
.
”
S
he
spoke
with
a
harsh
Pusan
accent
that
turned
her
r's
into
d's,
l's
into
r's
and
f's
into
p's
.
“
Y
ou
nuf
po
me
to
handle.
”

“
Yeah,
yeah...I'll
handle
you
al
l
right,
”
Jim
said.
“
Suki,
this
is
Marcus
'Mojo'
Johnson
.
I
told
you
about
him
before.
And
this
is
Mike
Farris,
also
a
Marine,
and
his
wife
,
Hilde.
”

“
Onyong
haseyo
.
”
Marcus
greeted
her
with
a
slight
bow
and
the
traditional
polite
Korean
greeting
,
followed
by
saying
how
nice
it
was
to
meet
her.
“
Manabeyoso
pangapseumnida.
”

“
Heh?
”
Suki's
eyes
widened
at
hearing
her
native
language
from
him
.
“
No
too
many
Medicans
 
speakuh
Hangul.
You
got
no
accent.
Wheh
black
man
like
you
learn
dat?
”

“
I
was
stationed
there
for
two
years
with
the
ROK
Marines.
”

“
Ooh,
tup
guy.
”
She
turned
to
Mike,
“
You
speakuh
Hangul
too?
”

“
No
,
ma'am,
”
Mike
replied,
“
Marcus
’s
brain
is
bigger
than
mine.
I
have
a
hard
enough
time
with
English.
”

Suki
gave
Hilde
an overtly judgmental
look
,
her
permanently
tattooed
eyebrow
s
crunching
in
an
expression
that
could
cut
diamonds.

“
You
bedi
pretty
. Y
ou
mussa
be
lots
younguh
den
you
husband,
heh?
”