Page 79 - I Live in the Slums: Stories (The Margellos World Republic of Letters)

out of the brothel.
Much to his surprise, when he looked back, the brothel had retreated into the
distance and was separated from him by a vast wasteland. In the wasteland,

several birds were making bloodcurdling calls. Was this the swamp? No, it
wasn’t. He heard cars starting up, and a car was driving over from the wasteland.
And then another car drove past. Ayuan thought, The brothel is in the suburbs.
He had never noticed there was such a large wasteland.
A car stopped beside him, and Uncle Sang’s tall younger son got out.
“Get in. I’ll give you a lift,” he said.
The car sped to the city center. It was after midnight. Looking out the
window, Ayuan saw that the entire city was dark; even the streetlights were off.
He didn’t dare ask where they were going, but inwardly he was secretly hoping.
“We’re here,” the younger son said softly.
Ayuan got out, and the car took off at once.
At the side of the road, he gazed around for a while: he could see the
supermarket and the movie theater. As if emerging from the underground, a

scalper appeared in front of him. Ayuan was so startled that he shivered.
“Want a ticket?”
He paid and walked unsteadily into the movie theater.
A crocodile took up all the space on the screen. You couldn’t see the
background or hear any sound. You could see only close-ups of every part of its
body projected over and over again. It was boring. Ayuan sensed that the place
was full. An old woman sitting next to him whispered, “Do you want to see
Night in the Swamp? I can take you to see it.”
Crouching, they made their way out, Ayuan following close behind the old
woman.
Before they had walked very far, the old woman sat down on a wall outside
the theater. She said, “I’m out of breath. I can’t stand being even a little keyed
up. Why are you standing? Sit down. You’re blocking my view.”
Ayuan sat down and took hold of the bony hand she extended.
Just then, they heard noise from the theater: a battle seemed to be starting on
the screen. Someone shouted hysterically.

“When we parted beside the hot springs, both of us knew it was forever,” she
said abruptly.
“Who?”
“My lover and I. Actually, how could anyone think it was a hot spring? It was
merely the swamp, that’s all. The sun shone all day, and the sunbaked water was
hot. I was actually afraid of leeches—wasn’t that ridiculous? I learned a lot at
that place. I think it’s located at—”
“Located where?”