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| The Story |
| This is the true story of how Jacki and I came to be. What is not true are the names of those who were involved to protect their privacy. A Screenplay of our story has been written and is still being perfected. I will be posting it on this website in the near future. Though a true story the screenplay has been modified for commercial appeal. Hopefully it will someday be a movie so spread the word about it. Enjoy! |
| "Those Eyes" |
| In 1976 I was in the US Army, assigned to the 595 Lt. Maintenance Company in South Korea. I had been in country for about a month and had pretty much done the opposite of what were we instructed to do in relations with the Korean people. I went out among the people to learn who they were and how they lived. I had even been invited home to have dinner with a family, whose son I had met only an hour or so before at Yon Se University. I sat on the floor and watched as his mother prepared a fascinating and tasty, but spicy hot meal. I ate the food and drank tea which the military said that I should not do. I had started taking language classes and was doing pretty well. I was enjoying my time in the country and was out about the people. I still lived on the American military compound, but all my free time was out the gate. One of the Sergeants over me, Frank (a fast paced, ex New York City taxi driver) was running two Korean girls at the same time. When the one he liked the most found out about the other one, she was going to drop him. To stay in her favor and keep her, he had to fix up her friend. He approached me with the idea and I reluctantly agreed to do the favor for him. We were to meet at Eve Club in Itaewon. Eve Club is a meeting place, as there are many in Seoul. What makes Eve Club stand out is that it is a sub level club where the music is pumping. The advantage of sub level is that the sound is reflected inward and contains all the vibrations so the music can be full and solid and not intrude on conversation, especially since it is being propagated by 4 BOSE 901 speakers. I had not even heard of BOSE before this time, but after hearing them, I knew I would own a pair someday. The walls of Eve Club were lined with just about every American album you can think of. The proprietor, Mr. G, took request and the two turntables were constantly turning. I requested Billy Cobham's "Stratus" and "Red Baron" It was Saturday, the 29th of May. The weather was beautiful and I figured that these two songs would set me up for whoever was coming. Frank's girlfriend, Yong-Hee, is very cute and is always well dressed, but when she showed up with her friend, I knew I was in trouble. Soon-Ae was a very nice girl who spoke no English, but that was not the problem, nor the fact that her teeth weren't very straight. But at 4' 11”, she was the only person in South Korea with long, red, frizzy, blown out hair. She was dressed in a tie died t-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. What is amazing is that Soon-Ae was way ahead of her time. With the straightening of her teeth and a little makeup, she could have rivaled the fad dress and look of today. I took her to the Yongsan Fair. Yongsan is the main Army base in Seoul. That was a rough day for me. It started out fine as we walked about the fair, but I was continually getting stares and jeers from the people we passed. They see a 6'3" black guy walking with a 4' 11" spectacle. Soon-Ae had a grip on my hand like a vice. The best part of the day was when I heard Grover Washington Jr. for the first time. It changed my playing forever. The sounds of his Inner City Blues album filled my ears. For the rest of the afternoon, I was very ill. Maybe from something I ate, but I think it was just the dissatisfaction of the day with my blind date. I could have been a real jerk and dumped her as any other normal G.I. would have done. But being Mr. Nice Guy I completed the date to not offend or hurt her feelings. We returned to Eve Club. As we descended the stairs, the place was buzzing. The crowd looked like a pond of bobbing black heads, all about the same height, involved in drink and conversation. People take notice as I, feeling deathly ill, walk in with fire-top. About halfway down the stairs I look out over the crowd and briefly eye lock with a pair of eyes that send a shock wave through my body. "Those Eyes", who's were those eyes? Though I was sick, those eyes gave me a moment of comfort. Soon-Ae and I made our way over to the only empty table in the place. We sat down and looked at each other. With my head throbbing and my stomach in disarray she signaled to me that she was going to find help. As fate or luck would have it, she returned with "Those Eyes", and I knew that I was going to get better. "Those Eyes" and Soon-Ae took me to a Korean Drug Store, another place I was not suppose to go, and I tell her what and how I am feeling. She goes into the drug store and comes out with something and without question I took it. I took something from a person I had only met minuets before. I trusted her that much. Within about 15 minuets I was better. Not only better, but different. I really liked this girl. Who is she? Talk about cute, sweet, and spicy. We went to the “007 Club” for a while where we wound up sitting with some people whom I did not know nor care, as I was near "Those Eyes". I asked, but she would not tell me her name. We left about 6:00 PM and she said she would meet me here at the 007 Club a 10:30 PM. She stood me up! Sunday morning I am up, off the compound, and on the streets looking for "Those Eyes". After several hours of walking the streets I end up back at Eve Club and order an O.J. I finish my drink and head up the stairs. As I head out onto the sidewalk I notice a girl, who I thought was her, window shopping and walking my way. I slowly backed into the entryway and waited for her to walk by. She was soon surprised to see the guy she had saved the day before. After talking for a few minuets, we were off to meet her friend Ji-Suk. Ji-Suk was her best friend. She was with her the day before at Eve Club when Soon-Ae asked for help. Ji-Suk had objected to the idea and as a Korean, I could not blame her. Korea is a class society. Soon-Ae was definitely not in the class of Ji-Suk and "Those Eyes" and because of that class difference they should not have even conversed, but they did. Soon-Ae went to their table and asked if they spoke English. She explained that she had a sick American and needed help. She came back to the table with "Those Eyes". As we were walking down the side walk, I realized that we may be separated soon. I interrupted their conversation and asked her name again. With a big smile she replied, "I'm Funny Girl". This was not what I wanted to hear and started to pursue the question again and this time I got Gina. Since I was taking language I knew there was more to this, so I pursued further and I got Gina Lee. Sure enough they soon had to go. I was to meet her Saturday to go to Myong-dong, a busy shopping are in Seoul. "Those Eyes" belonged to Gina Lee. I met them Saturday morning at Eve Club where we caught a taxi to Myong-dong. Gina and I were having a great time, but I could tell Ji-Suk was agitated. I was butting in on her time with her friend. After a couple of hours, Ji-Suk convinced Gina to dump me. Before leaving me stranded in Myong-dong, Gina told me that buses 78 and 52 were the ones to catch to get back to Itaewon. I had money enough for a taxi, but the bus would be a challenge, especially not knowing which stop to wait at and by far, the bus was cheaper. I had a $5.00 bill which I had quarter folded. Gina saw me place in my wallet. I caught bus 78 and made my way back to recognizable landmarks. When I fully knew where I was I made my way back to the compound. As the week went by, we were busy at "A" Shop where at this time I worked as a mechanic. A Mechanic, in South Korea! I was supposed to be a Military Policeman in Alaska. Boy, the changes life can take when you are not paying attention, but that’s another story. After work each day I would patrol Itaewon in search for Gina. On Saturday I ran into Gina again and we went to Don Quixote's for lunch. I had an O.J. (Orangeee Jucie-a) and Gina has 2 eggs over easy and O.J. After eating, I pull out the folded $5.00 from my wallet. Gina gives me the strangest look. I ask her what is wrong. She asked me if that was the same $5.00 I had placed in my wallet on Saturday. I told her it was and she was shocked. She was curious what kind of person could go a whole week and not spend $5.00. After that she looked at me differently. To this day she still talks about that "cheap date". We left there and met a past school mate of Gina’s named Miss Yu and a white G.I. she was with. We spent some time with them and as evening came we parted. The following day she went with me to a Jam Session at the Naija Hotel. The house band consisted of a group of retired military musicians. Gina and I sat and listened until their break. We had a great time. When the break was up I took my Alto Sax up and got some pretty good applause, but then again, the Alto was just the warm up for the Tenor. To this day I cannot explain why or what happened during the next set but I brought down the house. Anything and everything they tossed at me I ate it like cake. I was on and yet nearly oblivious. What other affects does this girl have on me? I have never come near to playing like that since. We had a great evening. Little did I realize that our next meeting would be extremely intense and life changing, the beginning of a long and unexpected journey. The morning of June 14th was uneventful and I was looking forward to the evening with Gina. As you can tell by my story so far, I didn't have a large social agenda. I had no affinities at work or with any groups. I usually hung out by myself. Though it was a peaceful and uneventful afternoon for me, things were shaking in Itaewon. There are a number of clubs in Seoul. Itaewon, which is a G.I. camp town, had more than it's fair share. Even certain ethnicities have their own clubs, as such were the Blacks and the Liberty Club. I went there about two weeks prior to check it out. As I walked in there was a line waiting to walk past about 50 or so black guys standing along the walls. Each brother entering had to "check in" with what seem to be a about a 50 count handshake that I did not know nor cared to learn. I checked out. Anyway, I met up Gina and we had a great time laughing and talking on our way to dinner at the Hamilton Hotel. She is holding my arm and smiling and I feel really good. Coming toward us on the opposite side of the street is Miss Yu and her G.I. friend. The girls start yelling to each other and I yell at her friend. I guess we attracted too much attention as all of a sudden this Korean Policeman pulls up out of nowhere on his motor scooter, gets off, and comes over to us. Immediately he starts to question Gina. She pulls out her I.D. card, but that does not seem to satisfy him. I look to the other side of the street and Miss Yu is also being harassed and I see more Korean cops coming in the distance. Clearly, the policeman was trying to draw aggression from me, but he was not succeeding. Whatever they were going to do with Gina, I had no say or measure of control, nor would I be of any use to either of us if I get into a tussle with a Korean policeman. Not only would I get one heck of a beating, but the next day I would be on a plane back to the States with no chance of seeing “Those Eyes" again. The policeman arrests Gina. A short time later I found out that since prostitution was legal in a G.I camp town, any woman with a G.I. in Itaewon was considered to be a prostitute. They had to have a V.D. card in their possession to prove that they had had their weekly V.D. checks. Gina and her mom were house-sitting nearby and did not even live in Itaewon or have any knowledge of such such laws. They took Gina to the police box. I followed at a distance, but could only get so close. While following, I came in contact with a wall of American Military Policemen who were clearly agitated by the day’s events. I told them what had happen and tried to get their help. That is when I found out that a Korean policeman was brutally beaten by 13 black G.I.’s. The sudden crackdown on Korean girls with G.I.s was usually not enforced, but due to the beating the police started enforcing it, especially on blacks. I was advised to leave the area immediately. That was not happening as long as they had Gina. Standing on the corner near the police box, I saw someone coming at me from the side. It was Gina. She had escaped out the back door. On the way out she scribbled a note that she gave to me that read, "I don't care I Love You”! They saw she was missing and took her back. I yelled to her, “I will come and get you”! “I will find you”! That night I could not sleep. I was mad, bothered, felt extremely low, and responsible for Gina's predicament. The next morning I went to work on a mission. I needed information. I wanted to rescue Gina, but every way I turned the American government could not do anything and I was told repeatedly to forget about her. Once again the conscious of Mr. Nice Guy jumps out and yells, “no way”. It was not fair to her. She was in trouble because of me and I could not let that stand no matter what. Finally Staff-Sergeant De Jesus mentioned that I should go to see Itaewon Joe, a Korean who knows paperwork, plus a few other things. I went immediately over to see him and he told me he would look into it. When I went to him the next time, he informed me that she had been sent off to a prison in the mountains for six months. Due to the severity of the charges the only way to get her out was to marry her. Not fully thinking I said, “start the paperwork”. He told me it would take about 5 days and cost about $300.00 dollars. I told him no problem and as I was leaving he told me to bring two bottles of Johnny Walker Black and one bottle of Red. When dealing with Koreans these are Black Market items, but in this case it was just plain bribery. The only problem then was the $300.00. I could live for weeks off of $5.00 and all my money was being sent home, but I needed money fast. Without thinking twice I sold my most prized possession, my Selmer Mark VI Alto Sax that my dad worked hard to pay for when I was in High School. It hurt, but Gina's pain was worse and I had very little time. I got ripped off at $400 for a sweet Sax that would cost you $3500 today, used. The day before we were going to get Gina, it dawned on me that we had to look like we were getting married so I had to rent a room for us to live in. Gina in the mean time is in what looks to be a prisoner of war camp which is surrounded on three sides by steep, vegetated, mountainous terrain and a twelve foot gate at the entrance. Guards made the inmates squat walk around the yard of the dirt compound. Gina was receiving threats from the bad seeds. She looked constantly to the gate for me to show up, but the other girls, figuring I was the typical G.I., kept telling her, "He not coming”! It was a very long weekend waiting for Monday to come. That morning Joe and I took a taxi to the police box where she was arrested and we leave a bottle of Black. Then we go to the Courthouse and we leave a bottle of Red. Then we go to the Main Police Station and leave the other bottle of Black. We grabbed a taxi to the travel bus depot. By bus we traveled for about two and a half hours to a remote village. From there we took a taxi up into the mountains for about another 30 minuets and arrived at the compound gate with the release papers in hand. In a matter of minuets a beaming Gina exited the compound, leaving behind a lot of shocked, envious, lonely, and mistreated women. On the way down the mountain Joe speaks to Gina in Korean then says to me, "She wants to marry you." Now understand, up to this point, she knew nothing of the marriage plan, so imagine the shock of two people being thrown together to marry, who barely know each others name. Could I have left her at the prison camp? The alternatives for her were not good. Her father had died a few years earlier so her prospect for marriage was already low. His death while she was in High School also ended her schooling, which was everything to her, but add to that a prison record for prostitution in a country with its class system, her life would have been ruined forever. She would have to live the life of a prostitute to survive. My conscious would not allow me to leave her that way. In two weeks time I had gone from a single, carefree guy desiring to get to Alaska with Muttley (my dog), to newly engaged with a girl I just met and still don't know her real name. Gina went from a young, carefree, and funny girl to a convicted prisoner for prostitution without a V.D. card. Then to fiancé with an American who she has only known two weeks and only knows as Baba. We had to live together because the police were watching to see if it was just an act to get her out of jail. We submitted the marriage paperwork and what was suppose to take 3 months to get approved, took 7. And of course it is tough to visually house arrest a guy and girl on a daily basis before something happens. On February 9th, 1977, I walked into the shop and Sergeant De Jesus smiled and handed me the paperwork. That day it was cold and rainy. It was not a good day for me to be out, but especially not Gina, who was nearly three months pregnant. I went to the American Embassy alone and Gina stayed home. Three months later we were on a plane to America. A Korean girl who has literally been taking care of me since the moment we met is still with me today. The End |