Thursday Stories: Auntie Soo

A New Story Most Thursdays

In this edition of Thursday Stories… A dangerous old woman, a ruined neighborhood, and a young woman seeking help.

Happy September, Friends and Neighbors, and welcome to Thursday Stories. Looking back over my dusty herd of short stories, I realize that some of these rascals haven’t seen the light of day in quite a spell. Time to let them romp a bit! And so—drumroll please—I give you Thursday Stories. I’m not guaranteeing a new story every Thursday, but I will do my best until all the archived tales have been set free.

You can find all of my stories and more at the Marco Etheridge Fiction Website:

https://bro.uxw.mybluehost.me

This week’s edition of Thursday Stories features the near-future noir tale Auntie Soo: An old woman in a ruined neighborhood, the oak staff she wields, and a young woman seeking help. If you meet her, best to remember that Auntie Soo is Korean, not Chinese. The genre is a mash-up of urban dystopia, noir, and a dash of magical realism. Auntie Soo first appeared in Dark Yonder, 2024.

Now, without further ado, I give you another edition of Thursday Stories. I hope you enjoy it.

Auntie Soo

by Marco Etheridge

An old woman makes her way across the desolate park. She carries a canvas bag over her left shoulder, one hand under the strap. Her right hand clutches a tall wooden staff. The woman walks slowly, using her stick as a prop.

Evening light slants across the withered grass. At a glance, the park appears empty, but Soo Jung knows she is not alone. On the far edge of the park, a teenage girl hunkers on one of the last remaining benches. The girl is not a problem.

The man hiding behind a clump of bushes is a different story. He’s not far up the path. Soo Jung sees the fool’s shadow. Someone that dumb might be a nuisance. She sighs but keeps walking. Sure as clockwork, the big dummy steps out to block her way.

“What’s in the bag, old woman?”

In a blink, Soo Jung takes this man-child’s measure. Twitchy eyes, puffed-up chest, making himself big to hide his fear. She lowers her chin, speaks with a submissive voice.

“My dinner.”

“I’ll make you a deal. You drop the bag, and I won’t slap your Chinese ass. Then it will be my dinner, see?”

“Whatever you say. Be careful, please. There’s fresh eggs in this bag.”

Soo Jung eases the bag to the grass, straightens herself, and takes one step back. He leans forward to grab the prize, eyes focused on his loot. He does not see her hand slide down the staff.

Foolish boy.

Her staff leaps from the ground as if possessing a life of its own. The oak cracks into Big Boy’s elbow, arcs skyward, then whips down to ricochet off his shoulder. The stricken fool collapses face down in the dirty grass. He clutches his useless arm, moaning like a cow.

The staff sings through the air. Soo Jung checks the blow just before the strike. The oak flexes like a whip, snaps Big Boy’s collarbone, then rebounds. A flick of her wrist brings the weapon back to the ground at her side. She leans on it and smiles a wolfish grin.

A garbled voice rises from the ground. “Crazy bitch! You broke my fucking arm.”

Still grinning, Soo Jung spears this oaf in the ribs, rolling him onto his side. Now he’s staring up at her, eyes wide. Tears, snot, and dried grass smear his face.

“Time to listen, young man. Or would you rather I break the other arm?”

He shakes his head, eyes frantic.

“Good. Two things. First, better you stay in your own neighborhood. If I see you again, I won’t be so restrained. Second, I’m not Chinese.”

Soo Jung swirls the staff to make her point. Big Boy cowers into the dirt. Retrieving her bag, she steps around the moaning fool and continues on her way. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots the teenager.

I hope you enjoyed the show, child.

The old woman pegs across the park and slips into a maze of crumbling brick walkups. She’s looking forward to being home, and to a tasty rice omelet.

*  *  *

Morning breaks clear and bright. The faintest twinge of chill floats on the air, a reminder that summer is fading. Soo Jung basks in the sunlight, her morning workout complete. She sits on a plastic milk crate she has carted from her apartment. The oak staff lies across her knees. Pigeons and sparrows bobble-walk around her feet. A few squirrels prance at the edge of the semicircle, hoping for a morsel.

There’s not much to spare, but Soo Jung gives what she can. Some carrot tops, vegetable peels, and bits of rock-hard bread. Times are tough. The critters must take what they get, just like everyone else.

Further away, a few children invent games amongst the ruins of a playground. Scrappers long ago scavenged the slide and swingsets. The skeleton of a jungle gym is all that remains. Some of the bars end in jagged points, waiting to take an unwary eye.

A pair of women guard the kids, one armed with a hockey stick, the other with a baseball bat. Too young to be moms, although these days it’s hard to tell. Probably nannies or older sisters roped into being sheepdogs. 

Soo Jung throws a potato peel while gauging the distance between herself and the romping kids. Maybe baseball bat and hockey stick can handle themselves, but it’s wise to be ready. The mental map is just coming clear in her mind when the girl appears.

Same one from yesterday. Soo Jung gets a clear look as the girl crosses the park. A bit older, maybe seventeen. Almond skin, black jeans, a T-shirt, worn sneakers. An insect walk, jerky and uncertain, like she’s wound too tight.

The nannies are on alert now, facing this newcomer in case she veers toward them. They needn’t bother. The girl draws near Soo Jung’s perch. The critters take shelter on the far side of the milk crate.

The young woman stops a respectful ten feet away. Soo Jung is mildly pleased. This one shows some sense.

“Good morning, ma’am.” The girl’s voice is wavery and thin, but polite. Soo Jung tosses a bread cube over her shoulder and nods to her uninvited visitor.

“Good morning. You can come closer if you like.”

The girl closes half the distance, then stops.

“Excuse me for bothering you, but I saw what you did to that guy.”

Soo Jung brushes her hands and turns her attention to her guest.

“And?”

“I want to know if you could teach me how to do that.”

Her words come in a rush, like someone used to being shushed.

“You want to learn how to beat someone with a stick. Why?”

A flush crosses the young woman’s face. Her answer carries an angry edge.

“Because I’m sick of being afraid.”

“What’s your name?”

“Bella James.”

“Excuse a nosy old woman, Bella James. Have you got folks around here?”

“There’s my Nana and two aunts. Don’t know where my parents are.”

Soo Jung shoos a bold pigeon. The bird flutters away, then drops back to the ground.

So many children raising themselves. It’s not proper. Never would have happened back in the village. Don’t be too harsh on the youngster. She doesn’t need a dragon woman making things harder.

“It’s a blessing to have family close at hand.”

Bella bites her lip. There’s that tightness again. Memory stirs words in Soo Jung’s mind, a voice gone to the grave decades ago.

Do right, Soo Jung. When you must cause harm, exercise restraint. Never turn your back on an enemy, just as you never turn away from an opportunity to help. In this way, you will account for what you have learned here. Others will do the same after you, and the chain remains unbroken.

“Ma’am?”

Soo Jung comes back from a place and time long gone.

“Sorry, child. Forgive a feeble old mind. And forgive my bad manners. My name is Soo Jung. You may call me Auntie Soo like everyone else.”

“I guess you’re not from here.”

The words bring a sharp stab. Soo Jung smiles to let it pass.

“You’re right, Bella, though I’ve lived here many years. I come from a country that doesn’t exist anymore. It used to be called Korea. My homeland was swallowed up by the Great China Sphere.”

Bella nods and takes one step closer.

“One of my teachers taught us about that. The same as Trans-America or New Russia.”

“Yes, about the same. A sad thing for many people. Do you go to school, Bella?”

“Sometimes, when there’s a teacher around. I can read and write if that’s what you mean.”

Soo Jung raises a hand.

“I didn’t mean anything. Just a question. I never went to school much. Back then, young girls only needed to know how to cook, clean, and tend babies.”

Bella snorts, and her anger shows itself. “Things haven’t changed much.”

There, you see? This one is smarter than most. Go on, quit stalling.

“Bella, you said you were sick of being afraid. Tell Auntie Soo what you’re scared of.”

“You’re kidding, right? Thugs like that guy you whacked. Food thieves, drugged-out psychos, even the cops when they bother to show up.”

“And you believe wielding a weapon will drive away your fear?”

Her voice slows, takes on meaning. The lesson begins, whether this new student realizes it or not.

“Yes. I could stand up to them like you did.”

“Wrong. Pay attention. If you use a weapon without conquering the fear within, you are nothing more than a fearful person with a weapon. That is a very dangerous combination. Look at those two women. They brandish their weapons. This does not send a message of strength. Instead, they appear weak. They are victims, prey rather than predators. Their weakness draws the very thing they fear. Do you understand?”

Bella studies the pair of nannies, then turns back to Soo Jung. Her face is a map of confusion.

“Are you saying they’d be safer without their weapons?”

“No. I am saying that they would be stronger without their fear. These men that scare you are the same. They are not strong. They are full of fear. They compensate by puffing themselves up, trying to make themselves seem bigger than they are.”

Soo Jung looks at the birds milling around. She points to a male pigeon.

“See that fellow there? Look at him go. Puff, strut, puff, strut, trying to impress the female. That’s called display behavior. Think of stray dogs. The ones that bark and snarl will turn tail if you stoop for a rock. The quiet ones, those are the dogs you should worry about.”

She watches Bella’s face. The girl seems to be taking this in, actually thinking about it. Thinking before she speaks. That is a good sign.

“So… worry and fear aren’t the same thing?”

Soo Jung smiles and nods.

“Yes. And when I said worry, I mean be aware. Awareness is the key to conquering fear. We are afraid of the unknown. This is a human trait. That which we know is less fearful. The key lies in the act of knowing.”

 A longer pause this time.

“I think I understand, sort of. But…”

“No!”

The word fills the space between them, a voice of command learned long ago. Bella’s eyes go wide with surprise and more. Soo Jung sees a flash of anger.

Good. This one has some iron in her. But take it slow, or she will run.

“That is enough for today, Bella James. I begin my mornings here, eight o’clock sharp. Wear loose clothing. I will see you then.”

Bella stands there for a long moment, as if wrestling with her thoughts. Then she nods and turns away. Soo Jung watches the young woman disappear across the sunburnt grass.

*  *  *

Soo Jung spins under the clear morning sky. Her oak staff whistles through the air, singing a song to the new day. Left and right, up and down, twirl and check. The staff exists as an extension of her arm. She follows the arc, is the arc. Her dobok is a blur of faded cotton against a backdrop of browned grass.

With her muscles warm and ready for the day, Soo Jung pauses. It is not yet eight o’clock. Then Bella James steps into view at the far side of the park. Soo Jung smiles to herself and walks to her cached supplies. She lifts a second staff and hefts it. A prompt student deserves a gift. And this staff is more than a gift. It is both a promise and a curse.

Bella James draws near, dressed in worn sweats and sandals.

“Good morning, Auntie Soo.”

Soo Jung bows to the young woman, bending at the waist, her back straight. Bella hesitates, then bows in return.

“Good morning, Bella James.”

The old woman holds out the staff.

“This is yours until you renounce it or no longer deserve it.”

Bella James loses her hesitation and steps forward to take the staff.

“Good. You will learn to both love and hate this piece of wood. But now it is time to learn. First, some simple ways to hold the staff. Then you will learn to make it come alive. Watch and do as I do.”

Soo Jung extends her staff in a two-handed grip, horizontal to the ground. Bella James responds quickly and without comment.

“Do not move.”

In a flash, Soo Jung’s staff taps the girl’s foot.

“This foot forward. You must be in balance at all times. Rise onto your toes. Good. Now down. You must feel the ground beneath the balls of your feet, feel it here.”

The tip of the staff taps Bella just below her navel.

“This is your center. Above and below, earth and sky, every muscle in your body, all of it revolves and centers around this point. Now we ask the staff to move.”

Old hands blur and the staff spins once, returning to the horizontal. Bella attempts to imitate the spin and drops her staff. The young woman blushes as she bends to retrieve it.

“Do not be embarrassed. We learn by failing. Now watch again. I will be slow.”

Soo Jung exaggerates the motion, her left hand pushing down, the right hand lifting, becoming a pivot. The staff rolls over the back of her right hand until the left stops the spin.

“Overhand catch or palm catch. Each has a purpose, a beginning to what will come next. Show me.”

Bella executes an awkward twirl but retains a shaky control. Then again, smoother. After ten tries, the staff is spinning as if of its own will.

“Well done. Now the other direction. Don’t think. The staff knows where to go. You only set it in motion.”

The morning wears on. Fifty spins left, fifty right, then combinations. Soo Jung demonstrates blocks, thrusts forward left and right, tapping the student’s foot to correct any imbalance. They are both sweating when Soo Jung twirls her staff to her side and raises her hand.

“Enough. It is time for tea.”

Bella James leans on her new staff and bows to the old woman.

Ah, she shows respect without being asked. A good sign. You were not so quick, as I recall.

Soo Jung smiles at this memory. She motions Bella toward the milk crate and steps forward, an old woman leaning on a tall walking stick. She sits, pours tea, and eases into the next lesson.

“A good session, Bella. You feel the staff in your hands. It is both tool and weapon. But handle it with fear, and it will turn on you.”

Soo Jung sips her tea and waits. Bella sits before her on the brittle grass.

“I thought about what you said, the difference between fear and strength. It’s a riddle, right? Like, I could step away from my fear, watch it like I’m watching a movie. If I learn to move outside my fear, or be aware of it like you said, then I get stronger.”

“Yes, a good first step. Move beyond the fear. Awareness is the key, the starting point. As one becomes more aware, one starts to see the root of fear, the source. We all carry fear, but seeing the source of our fear allows us to transcend it. The mind takes the first step onto the path. You have already begun to think. But thinking will only take you so far. Then your heart must lead.”

A cloud passes over the young woman’s face.

So many questions waiting for answers. Well, there will be time enough. 

Soo Jung taps a fingernail against her mug.

“Do not think too much. The mind needs time to digest new ideas. Enjoy your tea. Soak up the sunshine. You’ve made a good beginning.”

Bella smiles. The cloud vanishes, replaced by an expression that looks like mischief.

“Is that ancient Korean wisdom?”

Soo Jung snorts into her tea.

“No, just an old woman prattling on. You want wisdom? Never put hemorrhoid cream and toothpaste in the same travel bag.”

Bella’s mouth opens and closes a heartbeat before the joke catches her. Soo Jung cackles at the girl’s surprise. Then they’re both laughing, a raucous mirth that frightens the pigeons into flight.

*  *  *

The beleaguered neighborhood surrounding the park hides many eyes and ears. Little goes unnoticed. The next morning, Soo Jung and her student are not alone. The playground guardians Hockey Stick and Baseball Bat appear, keeping at a respectful distance, yet studying the lesson all the same. Soon, they are imitating Soo Jung and Bella, parrying and thrusting with their mismatched weapons. By the end of the lesson, Hockey Stick and Baseball Bat have become Beth and Janice.

The following day, Janice and Beth are back with their peewee charges in tow. The children carry sticks and sawed-off broom handles. There is much giggling and posturing. Bella smiles at the boisterous circle. Soo Jung raps her staff against the student’s shoulder.

“Here and now, Bella.”

Thus snapped back to attention, Bella regains her composure, and the lesson continues.

As always happens with children and sticks, a finger is whacked. The child drops his stick and wails. The little girl who struck the blow looks stricken. No grown-up rushes to comfort them. Janice, or maybe Beth, calls over the heads of the others.

“Barry, pick up your stick and pay attention. Clara, no hitting fingers.”

Barry snuffles a few more tears, wipes his nose, and reaches for his broomstick.

The lesson concludes with an impromptu picnic of drinks and snacks. Auntie Soo examines Barry’s finger and pronounces him very brave.

On the third morning, two young men follow Janice and Beth into the park, hoping to join them. Soo Jung puts on a gruff face, but she is secretly pleased.

If this keeps up, we’re going to need a bigger park.

She cannot know that her thoughts will soon prove prophetic.

*  *  *

Soo Jung arrives as a new sun illuminates the park. Her life has been one of early mornings, cold dawns, and countless sunrises. Now, warmed by the sunlight flowing over the dead grass, Soo Jung begins her solitary workout. She must center herself before the others arrive.

Her staff whistles through the air, dancing with the light of the new day. Lunge and retrieve, block and parry, spin and recover. She moves back and forth over the rough grass, feeling the earth through her bare soles.

Warm and ready, Soo Jung pauses and closes her eyes. A few more precious moments alone. Then she senses the presence of others. Soo Jung smiles and opens her eyes. Instead of Bella, two men walk toward her, one large, one small. She recognizes the larger man. His arm is in a sling. It’s Big Boy, and he’s brought reinforcements. The smaller man carries a short shotgun. Both men squint into the sun. Soo Jung is not smiling now. She twirls the staff to her side and moves one foot slightly forward.

Then Bella James appears at the edge of the park. She is directly behind the two men, partly hidden in the last shadows. The two goons do not see her. Soo Jung looks past the approaching threat, willing her student to move.

Run, Bella. This is not your battle. You’re not ready for this. I cannot fight and protect you at the same time.

As if hearing her master’s words, Bella James stops at the broken sidewalk. She hesitates, then turns and flees.

Soo Jung lets the tension drain from her body, down through the balls of her feet and into the ground. The men are close now. She hopes they come closer. Just a few steps more. She hears the old man’s voice in her head.

Are you ready to take a life? Perhaps today you give up a life. Either way, it is a beautiful morning.

Her master was always a rascal. Soo Jung smiles. The two men stop as if her smile were a barrier. Big Boy points with his good arm.

“That’s her, Benny. That’s the crazy old bitch.”

The shorter one, Benny, holds a sawed-off shotgun across his belly, one finger curled over the trigger. His eyes are fixed on Soo Jung. A cruel smirk curls his lips. Benny spins his hands, and the shotgun is pointed at Soo Jung.

“Stick on the ground, please.”

Soo Jung calculates the distance, not taking her eyes off the enemy. Benny smiles and gives the slightest shake of his head. Soo Jung shrugs, leans forward, and places the staff at her feet. If they think she is defenseless, they are in for a surprise.

“Thank you.”

Big Boy’s eyes shift between Benny and Soo Jung.

“That’s her, Benny. What are you waiting for?”

“Shut up, you idiot. And stop using my name.”

Then to Soo Jung.

“I apologize for this lunk,” Benny says.

Soo Jung shrugs again, waiting for a single moment of inattention, but Benny’s focus does not waver.

“But you said we was gonna…”

The barrel of the shotgun thunks into Big Boy’s head, fast as a snake strike. Before Soo Jung can flick a toe under the staff, the shotgun’s double barrels are aimed at her chest.

Dogs that bark and quiet dogs that bite. He’s not going to give you a chance.

Big Boy paws his face like a little kid about to cry. Benny looks disgusted.

“Worthless. This old woman kicked your ass. You know, I should shoot you and hire her. But naw, business is business. Look, lady, I can’t have my guys getting pummeled by old women. It looks bad, you know? People will get ideas.”

Soo Jung looks past Benny’s smirk. A group of figures appears on the edge of the park. She sees Bella James, Janice and Beth, and their two young men. All of them carry weapons. And there are more, others Soo Jung does not recognize. The group splits into two prongs, moving fast to close the distance.

Big Boy spots them first.

“Uh, hey Benny.”

“Shut the fuck up. I won’t tell you again.”

“Yeah, but we got company.”

Benny throws a quick look over his shoulder. The smirk fades away. He whips back to face Soo Jung, shotgun at the ready.

When your opponent is uncertain, add fuel to his confusion.

“What are you waiting for? You’ve got two barrels. One for me, one for them. Better hurry.”

Soo Jung dismisses Benny from her thoughts, turns her face to the sky, and smiles into the sunlight. A few more heartbeats. She hears feet pounding on dried grass, senses the pulse of fear. Then hears Benny growl as he sidles around her and begins to run.

“This isn’t over.”

Soo Jung returns to this world. She sees Benny and Big Boy sprinting toward the opposite edge of the park. Bella and the others spill past her, giving chase.

“Stop!”

The old woman’s shout shatters the morning. The power of her voice halts the others in their tracks. Benny and Big Boy keep running, disappearing toward the far side and the safety of the buildings.

Bella points her staff at the retreating goons.

“We can’t let them get away.”

Soo Jung slips a foot under her staff and flicks it into the air. She catches it and thumps it tip-first to the ground.

“Yes, we can, and yes, we will. Corner them, and one of you will die because of their fear. Let them go lick their wounded pride.”

Bella James starts to speak, stops herself, and blows out a sharp breath. She straightens her shoulders and looks to Soo Jung.

“Yes, Auntie Soo. So, what now?”

Soo Jung smiles at her student, at the others gathered around her, and at the sunlit sky.

“It’s eight o’clock. Time for our lesson.”

finis

You can find Dark Yonder here:

https://www.darkyonder.online/

That’s it for this week’s edition of Thursday Stories. More stories are coming your way. How will you know when a new story breaks? Glad you asked, Friends. Read On! Drumroll and… Meanwhile, don’t miss any upcoming stories. You can stay tuned for all the latest by following the MEF blog:

https://bro.uxw.mybluehost.me/whats-new-in-marcos-world-the-blog

Marco Etheridge is a writer, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives in Vienna, Austria. His work has been featured in over 180 reviews across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the UK, the USA, and India. Marco’s story “Power Tools” was nominated for Best of the Web for 2023 and is the title of his latest collection of short fiction. When he isn’t crafting stories, Marco serves as a contributing editor for Hotch Potch Literature and Art and as a reader for Marrow Magazine. In his other life, Marco travels the world with his lovely wife Sabine.