French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 49: -Gyeong-Wan- Cheap Hotdogs and Summer Nights

All around us were people singing in whatever language was their native one. An obscure Chinese dialect, Thai, Japanese, Tagalog, Hindi, English, French, and the hint of something Scandinavian, plus other Asian languages that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The movie before us was in English with no subtitles, but everyone knew the words anyway. It was incredible. Japanese voices had been shouting every word translated into Japanese at each other so far, therefore creating a universal understanding in this small theater. In front of us, Hanako and his wife led everyone. Hanako was wearing a poodle skirt and a pink jacket with big hair, and his wife was dressed as what Kazuya had explained to me was called a "greaser". They conducted the crowd like dueling conductors of an orchestra, shout singing louder and dancing harder than anyone else. 

It was the most wonderful thing I'd ever beheld, and I didn't want it to stop. Ever.

Beside me on the couch was Kazuya dressed in a fancy 1950's type of dress, his hair strawberry blonde and tied in a bow. He was singing the girls' part of the song with Hanako, laughing whenever the people singing the boys' part responded. He was slowly going back and forth side to side in his seat, swaying with the song, his smile so wide. The best part was that he'd been holding my hand the whole time. No questions asked. No acknowledgement of the awkwardness that had been between us. It was as if it had never happened. I was trying hard to pretend that. 

Around us, there were people dressed in various fancy wear. So many black leather jackets and gelled back hair. There were short formal dresses, reminding me of people who were attending a dance and not a movie. A lot of people surprisingly had pink hair, and I didn't know why. So much teased up hair, too. Entirely too many crazy looking sunglasses. People were dancing together. It was obvious who were best friends, groups of three to five people who'd obviously come here together to have a good time. The theater was over packed again, just like during Zombie Walk. There had to be a hundred people here, definitely a fire hazard, but a fashionable one. 

I'd finally been able to eat one of the cheap hotdogs that Kazuya had been talking about. It was delicious and extremely salty and I'd immediately wanted another one. 

Before we'd come in here, we'd been part of a large crowd on the street. Everyone had been excitedly chattering away, meeting each other, old friends hugging and already dancing together. People had been singing songs that I didn't know, people joining in all around them. The scene had been like a spreading fever, and people only wanted more. Someone had been handing out rainbow rubber bracelets, and I was now wearing two. 

When I'd gone to French Cup this afternoon, Kazuya and I had practically asked each other to go to the movie at the same time. As soon as I'd come through the door, Kazuya had burst out and asked, but my mouth had been moving, too. We'd both been way too eager. I didn't know what had happened, but I was so surprised. He had every bit of the smile that I'd hoped for and more. He'd taken my hand and practically dragged me inside of French Cup's warmth, gushing to me about his plans for the movie. He and Nikki would be in 1950's drag, because the movie was set in the 1950's. Hanako and his wife Chidori were the MC's of the event. Yash would be going also, wearing a borrowed leather jacket and matching leather pants. He'd been talking about the benefits of liquid eyeliner or kohl, which he'd wear on his eyes for the movie, for the better part of the late afternoon as Kazuya talked over him to Nikki about the movie and their drag. I'd sat there mystified, trying to listen to them all. They were like excited teenagers, no longer adults at all. It was the movie's magic.

Now, I was seeing that magic in full and it was just beginning. I wanted to sing along, too. Add some Korean to all of that chaos. Deep inside, there was a flower of hope blooming, hoping for the same thing next year where I'd know the words. Be able to contribute and dance like them. No longer an admirer, but a doer. I could be dressed up, too, my hair slicked back and cool, a leather jacket on. It was ridiculously hot in here with all of the moving people, but I'd still wear it no matter how much I sweated. I watched now as the guys I admired slicked back their hair even more with little black combs. Some had toothpicks hanging out of their mouths. They all looked like they belonged to the same gang as Chidori, who was outrageously and ridiculously serenading Hanako in front of us. Chidori looked like the leader of their super cool club. I ached to be like them. I didn't even know the rhythm in order to dance with them.

The song reached a fever pitch, the end. I almost held my breath, so happy to even be here. It finished and I drew in air, all of their colorful feelings and energy going inside of me. It was pure euphoria, and Kazuya was looking at me now, his grin filling with even more joy. 

In the end, the theater went up in a chaotic wonderland when the movie finished. A rhythmic clapping started, and the word "encore" was chanted. It went on for twenty minutes with the lights on, no one moving an inch. It couldn't mean what I thought it could possibly mean. With Hanako and Chidori jumping up and down and waving at the little window where the projector's light had been, it couldn't be true.

Oh, but it was. The lights dimmed, and screaming filled the theater. Deafening cheers as the movie started again. Kazuya jumped up from the couch, twirling and dancing up there with Hanako as the opening song blared on. Nikki joined them like he'd been sitting on a loaded spring. They gestured to the screen like it was a prize on a TV game show, and this turned into jive hands like I'd just learned how to do from the movie. Finally, I joined in. Laughing with them, dancing, having the time of my life. I chanced to look behind me, and everyone was dancing with them. Rainbow colored everything was waving to the slow opening song, everyone feeling it and being proud of themselves. 

I could not believe that I'd get to do this again. Maybe, after this showing was over, they'd shout "encore" again, and then again. We'd be able to be like this forever, caught in a time loop of pure joy, cheap hotdogs and popcorn, and terrible, terrible singing. 

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Author's note: this is based on a true story. I was there. Are you jealous? There was a group of middle aged Pink Ladies at the front conducting us. It was the most fabulous thing I'd ever seen.