The curtains parted and revealed Jade, seated calmly under a soft yellow light. The drum beats began, and she was roused slowly with gentle movements of her hands and shoulders, her head still bowed. She rose to standing with that same slow beat, and swirled around the stage so that her skirts billowed upward. For a while she floated as effortlessly and gently as the fan dancers had. Then the piercing sound of a flute was added to the drums, which picked up the pace to a marching speed. On cue, Jade picked up the trailing hems of her red overjacket and tied them around her waist like a sash. When she turned to face the audience, they saw swords that had magically appeared in each hand, glistening under the spotlight. A length of chain connected the blade to the hilt, so that with each swerve of her wrists, the blades rotated around in a circle. She started by simply spinning the blades, her elbows close to her body. Then as the drumbeats picked up and the flute rose with them, she spun faster and more daringly, the blades swinging close to each other and to her body and yet never clashing. Unlike the fan dancers, Jade was not smiling. Though the ornamental swords had no edge, she looked as lethal as a murderess. The men in the audience desired to be at her mercy, and women desired to know what it was like to move so wildly and yet gracefully. Those in the front rows could see the sweat beading on her powdered forehead, the sharpened breathing as the dance wore her out, and the solemn eyes that made her look much older than her years. Not aged, but ageless. She looked magnificent.
The drums crescendoed to a sudden halt and she sank to the floor, driving the sharp points of the swords onto the stage. The audience was utterly silent. The lights went out, and in the darkness, Jade scrambled back up and ran to the wings. As she peeled off her hat from her sweaty forehead, a scattered applause started in the seats. Within seconds, it grew to a roaring ovation, and the lights brightened the stage once more.
“Go! Go out onstage!” Lotus whispered urgently, pressing the hat back on top of Jade’s damp head. Jade ran to the spotlight, holding her hat in place with one hand and picking up her skirt with the other. When she appeared again, the roar of claps and whistles became even louder. Whole rows of guests started rising to their feet. She bowed, and bowed again, tears forming on the corners of her eyes.
When the final act ended, Jade, Lotus, and Luna exited through one of the backstage doors leading to the quiet alley behind the theater, tired and still in their costumes. Dani was already waiting for them there, wrapped in her fur coat even though it was, in early October, not too cold. In fact, it was a clear, lovely autumn evening with an invigorating chill and the touching sound of crickets.
“You girls were wonderful, all of you . . . You made me so proud,” Dani said, tenderly hugging each girl in turn. Everyone was smiling, interrupting one another’s chatter to impatiently point out another detail from the performance.
Under the cover of general good cheer, Jade looked around furtively, caught sight of JungHo’s silhouette, and gave a tiny wave with her hand. Though visibly red even under the cover of darkness, JungHo marched up bravely to the circle of women.
“Jade, I’m JungHo. It’s been such a long time . . .” he broached. “I was surprised to see you in the performance. People couldn’t take their eyes off of you.”
“JungHo! How wonderful to see you after so many years. I didn’t recognize you at first.” Jade laughed. “You’ve grown so much!”
Dani narrowed her eyes at JungHo and looked at him up and down. She had two modes of conduct, extremely subtle and completely direct, depending on how she viewed the situation and the person in question. It was impossible to say which she would choose for JungHo.
“It’s great to see you again, Aunt Dani.” JungHo addressed her boldly, as if she hadn’t rudely cast him out years before.
“Yes, you’ve grown up. I suppose.” Dani smiled. But that was the extent of her jab because she was immediately taken up by another stranger.
“Ah, so you are here! How glad I am to find you. I didn’t see you among the performers getting ready for the reception, and worried that I missed you,” the stranger said. He was a middle-aged man wearing round-framed glasses, pinned collars, and a slim black tie. He had a distracted and excitable manner of speaking, and it was unclear whom he was addressing.
“How may we be of service?” Dani asked in a polite tone she used only when she was being cold.
“Ah, yes. Here is my business card.” He fished for a card from his inside pocket and gave it to Dani with both hands. Having done so, he turned to Jade.
“I’m the owner and director of Joseon Theatre. You made quite an impression today, Miss Jade! I saw your name on the program. I’ve never been so moved by—excuse me—a courtesan’s dance as I have been tonight. I’ve never thought much of the traditional dances, palace-style or otherwise—but you’ve changed my mind. People were moved to patriotism by your performance!” The director paused, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
“And I thought, I must convince you to join our in-house troupe. We perform seven nights a week here—tragedies, comedies, variety shows, storytelling . . . You name it. We have the best actors and actresses in Seoul. Anyone who becomes anyone in the city does so on our stage.” He smiled gratuitously, grasping both of Jade’s small white hands in his own big brown ones. Then looking about him, he noticed Lotus and turned his attention on her.
“And you’re that brilliant singer who sang that waltz. What a voice! I couldn’t believe my ears. You’re far better than the singers who are popular these days. They hit the notes but have no soul . . . I would very much like to speak to you as well,” the director said excitedly. “Well, what are we waiting for? Why don’t we go to the reception to talk all of this over? No, that would be too noisy and distracting, on second thought. Allow me to take you to a nice restaurant somewhere to discuss this over supper and some drinks,” he said, glancing back at Dani, for he noticed that the girls were looking inquiringly at her.
“Those are overflowing compliments, although I think we’re all quite tired after such a long night,” Dani said haughtily. She was irritated at barely being addressed, just as all such charming women are secretly slighted by not being the focus in a group. “But if you’d like to call on us tomorrow afternoon to discuss these things, we’d be honored,” she said, and rattled off their address.
“No, the honor is all mine. Tomorrow then, tomorrow,” he said, politely bowing his head a few times before taking his leave.