Francine. Queen Francine. She tossed her hair. It was silky and long. Her cheeks were high and full, like the Chinese Tang Dynasty women who, incidentally, had provided the model for the Japanese geisha. Francine gazed at her visage in the glass. A smile of approval played on her lips. She clipped her hair to the top of her head, a gentle “pouf” of hair gracing the top of her head. Perfect.
Francine was quite aware of the social pressure on a woman’s physicality and was equally keen to use it to her advantage. Accessorizing had always been a central component to her presentation. Francine did not, however, limit herself only to hair and clothing. She had discovered that other women were in truth the best accessory, making her appear as a stellar sun around which a lesser constellation of dimly lit stars were arrayed. As a consequence, Francine was regularly casting about for new, reasonably attractive acolytes.
Lena was a perfect fit because she was new to the program and thus knew few people. Therefore she would presumably be slightly desperate for friends and hence amenable to recruitment. And it is true that initially, Lena was grateful for another friend who was not of her year. Graduate students tend to form abnormally close bonds with those who begin the same year as they do, to their perennial regret thereafter. Yet it was that soon after being recruited, Lena began noticing that other men and women in Francine’s chosen field (the “Korea” field) all congregated together, with one conspicuous absence: Francine. Lena had asked one of them who had begun the program with Francine why this was. His explanation turned out to be rather elliptical:
“You know, Lena, I think you’re probably just closer to her than I am.” Nothing about all the other people in the Korean program, nothing about himself other than an oblique reference to his presumably emotional proximity to Francine.
It wasn’t until weeks later that Lena fully understood the implications of Joseph’s response.
*
“Lena, Lena!”
“Hmmm?” Lena shook the wool from her head.
“I was saying that something wonderful has happened.”
Lena, who had been daydreaming about some discount piece of silk organza she could make into a skirt, tried to focus on the present. She spoke the universal query of the intelligent, “Huh?”
“I said something wonderful has just happened! Honestly, didn’t you hear anything I just said? Never mind. I was just telling you I got this fellowship and I’m going to Korea in just a few weeks—isn’t it fantastic?”
And I should be excited why? Lena wondered. But, polite to the end, Lena, agreed, less enthusiastically, “Oh, really?”
Francine didn’t notice the slight edge of sarcasm. She noticed very little for at the moment, she was so enthralled with her own words: “So I thought what we could do is go shopping.”
At the word shopping, Lena’s ears perked. Her focus shifted from a means of escape to full attention.
“…I need a few things.”
“Shopping, that would be great!” Lena enthused.
“Hu-low! Is anyone in there? Of course it will be great, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Besides, I’ve got a lot of things to buy. And I also need to be taken to the consulate, you know, for a Visa,” Francine gazed into the distanced as she ticked her fingers, “so we can do that after we swing by Neiman’s and Sak’s to pay off my cards, right? And then we can go to the mall.”
Francine was extremely pleased with the plan. Each location was approximately twenty-five minutes away from the next. I’ve got so much to do. I hope Lena’s car doesn’t break down like it did last time.
“So, how is your car—is it all fixed? We don’t want to break down.”
“Oh, you want me to drive?” Lena’s mouth turned downward.
Uh-oh. “Yes, but don’t worry, I’ll treat you to lunch, okay? We can go to this little Mexican place I know where the salsa is great.”
“Well, alright, “Lena said doubtfully. “I guess it will still be fun.”
“Of course it will! We’ll have a great time! So I have to do all this before the end of this week. So what are you doing tomorrow?”
Francine noted the blank look on Lena’s usually intelligent face. Honestly, thought Francine, I just don’t know what is wrong with her today.
*
It was a hot day, thank heavens for air conditioning. At least, I hope her air is working, Francine thought. The outfit she wore, accentuating her curves and the length of her legs, did little to actually keep her cool. As most who live in really hot climes know, long, loose-fitting clothing offers superior cooling and protection. This, however, was unacceptable to Francine. It was a favor to allow both men and women to gaze upon her beauty. No, she would not cover it with ill-fitting sleeves and billowy pants. Instead, a tightfitting sweater shell was paired with a suitably revealing skirt. The ensemble was completed with a matching cardigan flung carelessly over her shoulders, to shield them from the burning sun. It also signaled the wealth to which Francine aspired.
“Hey! You made it!”
“Of course,” replied Lena, with a little annoyance in her voice.
“Well, I was worried. You know, your car and all. So let’s get going, shall we?”
“Do you mind if I use the bathroom? There was a lot of traffic on the way over.”
With a sigh of exasperation, Francine led the way into her in-laws’ house and pointed towards the bathroom. She tapped her feet and then, the moment Lena emerged, she ushered her towards the front door. “We’ve got a lot to do today,” she said brightly. Occasionally Lena displayed behavior which made Francine wonder how she had been accepted to grad school.
“So, where to first, Miss Bossy?”
Francine ignored the jab and answered in all seriousness, “Let’s see, first I think we should go to the mall. I’ve got to get some boots because it gets cold in Korea. We also need to go to Saks and Neiman’s because I’ve got to pay off my credit cards.”
“You’ve got credit cards at both of them!” Lena was shocked.
“Of course.” Francine shrugged. “it’s not that bad because Martin (her erstwhile husband who was living in Boston at the moment) pays half.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Martin doesn’t have a job right now. He’s living off his parents’ money while he looks.”
“Uhh, so are you two going to Korea together?”
“We’re not sure,” said Francine. “Anyway, I’m going.” And that was all she said about that matter.
“After we pay off my cards, we can catch a bite to eat at that Mexican restaurant I was telling you about. And then I’ve got to go to the office supply store. I need some things to take with me.”
“Geez, woman! Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”
“Of course! I told you I have to go to the Consulate to get my Visa.”
Lena expelled a long sigh. “Well, how about we just go to the mall and then we go eat? I’m really hungry and if I have to drive all over creation, I can’t be starving, too.”
“Well, alright. But how about we go get my boots first and then we can discuss the other places, okay?”
With this astute verbal maneuver, the schedule was set and Francine felt the thrill of anticipation in her stomach. Of course, this may also have been caused by Lena’s sudden acceleration, Francine wasn’t sure.
To diffuse any lingering tension which could result in further erratic driving, Francine generously engaged Lena in conversation: “So, what did you do the rest of yesterday?”
Unbeknownst to her, this was just the segue Lena required to launch a tirade about a man who had singled her out from her friends to flirt. The problem was that he didn’t seem interested in impressing Lena so much as he was in demonstrating his own suavity. It embarrassed Lena and made her feel bad about her friends.
“What’s the problem? As long as he admires you, that’s the way it should be.” Francine’s tone was puzzled.
“The problem is that it wasn’t about me as a woman, I was merely a vehicle for his ego. And besides, when he singled me out, it made everyone else feel bad.”
“Well, that’s not your fault. You don’t get any points for being ‘considerate’ to other women. They certainly wouldn’t be considerate about you,” she said confidently.
“Geez. I hope I don’t have friends that callous. Besides I still feel bad.”
This was met with a disapproving sigh. Lena darted a glance at Francine, afraid what might come next, but Francine appeared to have finished with the lecture.
Instead, Francine seemed to be engrossed in some private joke that was affording her no end of amusement.
At length, Lena sighed and submitted to the inevitable: “So, what were you thinking?”
“I was just thinking about what you were saying and it reminded me of this time when some of my friends gave me a birthday present to this trendy hairdresser downtown. He was this tall blonde guy and he really thought he was an Adonis. Of course he started flirting with me. He asked me what I did and I told him ‘I’m a graduate student.’ And then he asked me, ‘So, what did you graduate in?’ I laughed so hard and he was soo embarrassed!”
Lena laughed and admitted to herself it was amusing but wondered about the point. Being a straightforward person, she asked, “So, what’s your point?”
“My point is, that men should be bowing to you. That’s the way it is in this world.”
“I don’t know. That sounds pretty ruthless.”
Francine shook her head, “I like myself: I’m pretty, I’m confident, smart and I’m fun to be with. If that makes men fawn, so what? After all, it’s what men do best. Like did I tell you about my time at Wellesley?”
Lena emitted a grunt in response—as if traffic required more concentration then could be had if she also listened to another of Francine’s triumphs. She even added a, “Gad, people are driving really crazy today!”—to no avail.
“Well, we used to have these gatherings with the boys from Harvard. And let me tell you, they were really impressed with themselves. Always thought they could have any girl they wanted.” She glanced at Lena for a reaction, but none seemed imminent.
“Well, I decided that it was my duty to teach them that they weren’t all that. Especially the white guys. They always thought that I should be grateful just because I’m Asian. I mean, I’m not even Chinese, which is what they thought I was! So every time a white guy would ask me out, I’d always pretend to think about it and then at the last minute, I’d tell them no.” Francine almost bubbled with laughter at the memories.
*
For Francine, the mall was synonymous with Bloomingdales. It was truly the only store worth shopping at—its selection of handbags included Gucci and its shoe department carried some Robert Clergerie. She casually weaved through the designer displays with Lena in tow, offering commentary on the merits of one shoe versus another. Then she settled upon the boot display.
“What I need,” she explained, “is something that will cover my calves. It gets cold in Korea so I have to bundle up.”
“Does the price matter to you?” Lena asked.
“Of course! I don’t want to spend more than seven hundred dollars. Don’t you think that’s reasonable?”
“Is that a trick question?” Suddenly Lena espied a stiletto sandal on “sale” for two hundred and fifty dollars. “Look at these! Aren’t they awful? Men are always designing things that women can barely walk in so they can oppress you…” Lena’s voice trailed off as she saw Francine’s face. “Oh, did you like those?”
A frown crossed Francine’s mouth, but it turned up again when a unctuous young salesman approached her just as Lena escaped. “May I help you?”
Francine flashed red lips his way and replied in the affirmative. “I need some boots for winter.”
“Okay—.”
“And they need to be something I can wear with both short and long skirts, so maybe a taller boot?” Francine flicked her wrist carelessly to the side. “You know what I mean?”
“I think I have just the boot for you—let me go and get this…”
“Actually, you know what would be really helpful? If you could find me a long skirt and maybe a short one, as well? Then I can hold them up to these boots over here,” she indicated a pair of Stuart Weitzman’s. “I just want to be certain they’ll look good with both lengths. Could you do that for me?” She gave an encouraging little flick of her hand towards the Katayone Adeli clothing section.
Francine then glanced around her. I wonder where Lena’s gotten to? Ahh, there she is. “Yoohoo! Lena. Come take a look at these boots. What do you think?”
*
At Saks, Francine decided that she couldn’t pay her bill without initially touring the shoe department. A decidedly polished salesman sidled up to Francine and greeted her heartily, “Hey, how are you doing? I haven’t seen you in a while. Have you seen the new Gucci slides we got?”
Francine flicked her hair and simpered. The service at Saks really is excellent. I’ll miss it. “Yes, well I’m actually leaving for Korea.”
The man of the unctuous smile gave an interested nod, “Oh, really? Well, that means you’ll need some new shoes, won’t you?”
Francine demurred and confessed that she was really here to pay off her bill and thus was just browsing through the latest arrivals.
“Ahh, well, we’ll miss you. Have a good trip and I’ll look for you when you get back.” With this he nodded and glided towards another Young Thing.
“Well,” Francine turned to Lena, “Shall we go up to the credit office?”
Lena shrugged in the affirmative.
“Ooo, wait, what’s that?” Francine gravitated towards a golf bag that was black nylon. “It’s a Prada golf bag! I wonder how much it is?”
Lena waited as she looked around and confirmed that the salespeople were, indeed, too painfully hip to actually offer assistance. Instead, they seemed to confuse their jobs with being manikins. Lena turned back to Francine and asked, “And? What’s the verdict?”
Instead of answering, Francine just stood and gave a desirous sigh. Francine calculated the amount of strategic financing necessary to acquire it. She regularly beat her father at golf. Perhaps a bet was in order, one that entailed the Prada golf bag as prize. She smiled and the spring in her step returned, “Come on, Lena, we still have much to do!”
Clearly, this was a situation that required proactivity. So Lena stooped and checked the price herself. For a moment, the price rendered her silent, as well. Then she straightened and wordlessly followed Francine to the elevator.
*
It was nearing 4 o’clock and Francine saw that Lena was dragging. Three stores in as many different towns, one mall, and one restaurant was a tall order for anyone. But Francine was not to be compared with just anyone, she had a directive to fulfill. On the other hand, Lena normally limited herself to one, perhaps two stores during a single excursion. She had already put over 100 miles on her car and she wanted to see the end of this day. Soon.
“Is that it? I am really tired and we’ve still got traffic to contend with.”
“Well, the Consulate is on the way back,” Francine said brightly. “You can just drop me off in front and then circle around a couple of times ‘til I get back, okay?”
“What do you mean, ‘circle around’—don’t they have parking?”
“Actually, no.” Francine’s voice was ever slightly apologetic, “It’s in a big building off a big thoroughfare and you can’t stop there. But the blocks are really long so you’ll probably only have to circle around twice. I promise I’ll be as quick as possible.”
As they reached the front of the Consulate building, Lena saw traffic bearing down on her in the rearview mirror.
“Look, I’m going to have to drop you off on the side of the building because I can’t just pull over in traffic like this.”
Francine conceded graciously, “Alright. I’ll be back in a jiffy, okay?”
In the end, the stop occupied twenty minutes, during which time Francine blithely flirted with the young South Korean national standing next to her. He was actually returning home and needed to submit some paperwork. She laughed at his sweet nothings and discovered that he would be in South Korea the same time that she was. He planned to return to the States a year later to attend the Culinary Institute of America.
“He has definite possibilities,” Francine said later.
I thought you were married, thought Lena. But she said nothing, simply nodded as she concentrated on the weaving, stop-and-go traffic.
“He’s so different—not like Martin. It must be the military training, you know? They have to learn to be self-sufficient. I think that’s a problem when you’re born here.”
Since Lena herself was not Korean-American, she felt she couldn’t comment on this. So instead she chose to throw tact and caution to the wind and asked, “So, are you planning on seeing him or something? What about Martin?”
Francine’s lips flattened and admitted, “Things aren’t so great with him right now.”
“Ahhh.” There was really nothing more to be said.
Francine shot a raised eyebrow at Lena. “Well, he was just being friendly. I mean, I won’t know anyone there so it will be good to have someone to talk to and show me around a bit.”
“Right, right.”
Again Francine looked over at Lena to make certain irony wasn’t part of Lena’s unspoken dialogue. It seemed however that Lena was in earnest, focusing as it were on the throng of traffic.
After two hours, Lena delivered Francine to her in-laws’ home.
Francine was the picture of grace now that she had achieved her goals. “Do you want to come in?” She gave Lena a limpid gaze. “You look a little hot, maybe you could use some soda or a beer?”
Lena paused for a moment. Then she asked, “So, when did you say you were leaving?”
“Next Wednesday. Why?”
“No reason. You know what, on second thought I think I really would like that beer.”
