Chapter 34 - A Hellish Place for Singles
June 30, 1917.
It just so happens to be a Saturday.
After finishing work in the afternoon, I gathered my family and boarded a steamer departing from a dock on the East River on Manhattan's east side.
The one-way fare for all of us was 90 cents.
More than twice as expensive as the streetcar, but we took the ferry to save time.
Thanks to that, Roa was basking in the refreshing sea breeze.
"Big brother! Higher, higher!"
"My arms aren't machines, you know. I might just toss you into the sea."
"It's exercise, exercise! Even at Coney Island, Liam, you can't stop working out."
"Very funny."
My mother and I stood to the side, munching on Cracker Jack—popcorn coated in candy and caramel, mixed with peanuts—while gazing out at the sea.
"It's been so long since I saw the sea from a boat like this. It's a bit pricey, but it really is nice."
"Aren't you tired of riding boats?"
"I was, back in the day. Especially at first—I used to be terrified."
"I had no idea what would happen when we arrived."
My mother, who had fled Ireland during the Great Famine when she was twelve, had boarded a ship bound for America, starving and desperate.
Like many others, my grandparents decided to immigrate to America with their six children.
"Until we reached Ellis Island over there and went through the immigration inspection, my parents never smiled, not once."
Just north of the Statue of Liberty, the small island visible in the distance is Ellis Island—the gateway for immigrants.
Everyone arriving in New York had to pass through there before traveling across the country seeking work.
That's why some people used to say, "Wall Street provided the capital, and Ellis Island supplied the labor."
"In any case, back then I swore I'd never set foot on a boat again. Who could have guessed I'd end up going to Joseon?"
For her missionary work, she traveled by transcontinental train from New York to San Francisco, crossed the Pacific, went through Japan, and finally arrived in Joseon.
"It was The Great Journey. It took me six months."
"What was it like when you first arrived in Joseon? It must have been so different from here."
"People's reactions were all over the place—some said it was a poor country, others compared it to an Indian tribe. But I didn't feel much difference. Whether Ireland or Joseon, I just thought, 'Both are countries full of good-hearted people struggling with poverty.'"
My mother conducted missionary work in Joseon through the American Methodist Foreign Mission Society.
I wanted to hear more about those stories, but it seemed Ellis Island had stirred something from her forgotten past.
"When we went through immigration, Anna held my hand tightly and I held onto Catherine. We were afraid that if we let go, we might never find each other again. That's how many people there were."
Anna was two years older than my mother, and Catherine was a year younger.
The three sisters clung tightly to each other, never letting go.
With every ship's arrival, hundreds of immigrants would pour out, creating such a commotion that it was almost like an open marketplace—chaotic and crowded.
"Back then, we took such care of one another. Now, it's hard to even see each other's faces."
"How about visiting this Thanksgiving?"
Just as families gather for major holidays in Korea, in America, Thanksgiving is when everyone comes together, no matter how scattered they are.
Our family, though, had never once visited my maternal grandparents' house.
"It's embarrassing, but I still need a bit more courage. Let me think about it a little longer. By the way, Ciaran."
"Yes?"
"Isn't a two-day, one-night trip a bit much? I think one day would be plenty."
"You can always earn more money, but not even a million dollars can buy back lost time.
"Roa, they grow up so fast."
[TL here, for those wondering wether the translation is weird for Roa's dialogue, she is reffering to herself in the third person.]
My mother gave me a warm smile.
"You really seem like the head of the family now. I always felt bad for pushing that onto you, you know. Even when I knew it, I wouldn't say anything, and instead, I found myself hoping for it…"
"I'm just greedy, that's all. Even if you try to stop me, I'll do it anyway. So from now on, just focus on our family and the company."
The steamboat arrived at the Coney Island pier in just forty minutes.
Crowds bustled along the sprawling shoreline and sandy beach. Behind them, vendors, restaurants, bars, and hotels stood packed in tight rows.
The most eye-catching sight was the dazzling, colorful lights. Roa was the first to spot it.
"Steeplechase Park! Over there, over there! Big Brother, let's gooo!"
It was the amusement park closest to the pier. The giant Ferris wheel, the park's famous landmark, seemed to be beckoning Roa over—calling her to come quickly.
After getting off the boat, I gave Roa a piggyback ride and walked with her across the sandy beach.
My mother and Liam were completely overwhelmed, looking around at the resort they'd arrived at for the very first time.
"Let's find our lodgings first. We can look around later."
"Is Roa going to sleep at Steeplechase!?"
"No, you can't. The park closes at midnight."
"Roa closes her door when she goes to bed too."
"…An amusement park isn't a bedroom, you know."
"If you lie down, it's a room, isn't it!?"
Everyone fell silent at her words, which sounded like something a wise old monk would say.
Today, Roa was unstoppable.
There are three amusement parks in Coney Island.
Of those, the one closest to the pier and best suited for families was Steeplechase.
We decided to book a room at the Henderson Hotel, just a two-minute walk away. But the staff member in the lobby quickly eyed us up and down, then gave us a sympathetic look.
"I'm sorry, but there aren't many rooms left. They have an ocean view, so they're a bit expensive."
"How much is it?"
"It's peak season and a holiday, so it's fifteen dollars."
My mother gasped in shock.
Roa was the same.
She instinctively understood what a two-digit number meant—that it was incredibly expensive.
But I was going to be a tycoon.
"Fifteen dollars? That's nothing."
"What are you talking about?"
My mother tugged on my arm, and Roa pulled at my pant leg.
Liam grabbed at the back of my shirt as well.
Maybe I wasn't quite at that level yet.
Or maybe I just didn't have a clear sense of prices.
In the end, we gave up and left.
Fifteen dollars was equivalent to two weeks' wages for an average laborer.
In that light, it really was an expensive sum, especially since it was peak season.
In America, peak season runs from Memorial Day on May 30th until the first Sunday of September, which is Labor Day.
That means a quarter of the year is peak season—doesn't that seem excessive?
Anyway, because peak season coincides with summer, resorts typically raise their prices by 20 to 30 percent.
As a result, most people either visit just for the day or, if they plan to stay overnight, book affordable places weeks in advance.
When you show up unannounced like I did, this kind of thing happens.
"Let's eat, go to the amusement park… Jeez. So expensive, so expensive. There's got to be somewhere cheaper."
"Roa doesn't think so either."
"Then how about the Luna Park area?"
It seemed Liam had done some research of his own. He suggested Luna Park as an alternative.
"It opened in 1903, five years after Steeplechase, and it's famous for its dazzling nighttime lights—there are 250,000 bulbs illuminating it."
"Have you been skipping school to study amusement parks instead?"
We walked along Surf Avenue.
Just as Liam said, a little further down, Luna Park came into view, glittering with countless lights.
For the time period, it was using electricity as if it were free. It was dazzling.
"That's what Roa wanted! Luna Park!"
"Have you already forgotten about Steeplechase?"
"Where's that!? Roa came to Coney Island just for Luna Park!"
We looked for a place to stay near Luna Park.
But it wasn't easy there either. It was hard to find a room.
Roa, growing anxious, shouted that we could just sleep on the street—she said she was fully prepared for that already.
Then suddenly—
"Ah, look! It's Harvard! That's where Liam and I are going! I guess we don't have to study anymore?!"
"..."
"..."
It happened while we were still walking along Surf Avenue.
Roa had spotted a hotel called Harvard Inn.
But why did that name feel so familiar?
Was it just because it was called Harvard?
Just as we were about to go in, we stopped.
The first floor was a bar.
With alcohol, cigarettes, and a rather risqué atmosphere, it was not a place for a family to stay.
On top of that, this area was where Tanner Smith had invested in a bar.
Surf Avenue, where we were now, could pretty much be considered an entertainment district run by gangs.
We left there and finally managed to find a proper place to stay.
"That'll be $7. Breakfast is 50 cents for the little miss, and 75 cents for everyone else."
It wasn't the price that bothered us—Mother, wordless, handed over the money, her hands trembling.
There was simply no other choice
We dropped off our things in the room and headed to Luna Park.
"Go, go! Giddyup, giddyup!"
"Sit still! You'll fall off like that!"
"A horse can't talk, big brother!"
"Why am I the horse, though?"
It was when we were about to buy tickets to enter Luna Park, which was shining brightly with 250,000 light bulbs.
There was a mistake in Liam's information.
"They charge admission separately, and then you have to pay again for the rides."
"At Steeplechase, everything's included in the entrance fee. We might as well just come back tomorrow."
"Let's just go in."
Roa, who had been nervously watching for our reactions, nodded at me—she thought it was the best.
It was 9 p.m.
Countless bulbs lit up the rides.
I pointed to the carousel for Roa, who hadn't blinked once since we arrived.
"Roa, don't you want to ride that?"
"No. I'm not really interested in rides."
Roa's face, as she spoke those words while clenching her teeth, showed the traces of inner struggle.
"Are you worried we won't be able to come back tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I'm just happy to be here, you know? If we save money, we can come again tomorrow."
"That's true. But sometimes you have to spend when it counts."
Honestly, I've spent more money than I've made with the business so far. So, all the money I used today was taken from someone else.
But I'm sure they'd be happy up in heaven. After all, it's money spent for Roa. How cute is that?
Since Liam said he wasn't interested in the carousel, only Roa got on.
"Wow, wow! Roa's spinning!"
All the other kids cheered and shouted with delight. Looking back now, I wonder how I never realized what an amusement park was really like. Just being here made me happy.
We went on rides with Roa as the focus and took family photos together.
The cost for the photo was 50 cents.
"You can come back to pick it up in an hour."
Honestly, I thought it would take longer, so an hour felt pretty fast.
We stayed at Luna Park until closing time. As soon as we stepped outside, Roa, as if on cue, fell fast asleep on my back.
When we got back to our lodgings, it was already 12:20, just past midnight.
Now it was time for a little time to myself.
Roa, laid out in bed, wouldn't wake up until morning. Liam, still wide awake, started inspecting the room like a detective on a case.
Meanwhile, Mother was humming to herself as she filled the bathtub with water.
"Just in case, please don't leave the room."
"Are you going somewhere?"
"I have something to take care of."
"You don't need to bring anything special with you?"
When I quietly showed her the baton, she nodded.
For her, it was less about what I was going to do and more about what I was bringing with me.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I pulled my hat down and covered my face with a scarf.
Honestly, with New York being such a popular vacation spot, there were Black, Hispanic, and Asian people here too, so I didn't really need the disguise. But it had become a habit.
The couples I passed in the hallway didn't even glance at me. They had more important things on their minds than someone like me.
I slipped out of our lodgings and headed to the place Tanner had told me about. On the way, I passed by the Harvard Inn.
A young Italian man, about my age, standing at the entrance, gave me a sideways look.
"Hey, looking for a girl? This place is hell if you're solo."
"No thanks."
"Is it the money? Then how about testing your luck tonight?"
"Not interested."
"Coward. Then get lost."
Even just walking by, I had to put up with that kind of crap.
I left behind the noisy, crowded taverns and reached a pub situated in a relatively wide alley.
[The Brass Lantern Pub]
The Brass Lantern Pub wasn't very big.
But, as you'd expect from a tourist spot, it was packed, filled with a lively crowd.
Just as I was about to go inside, a man at the entrance blocked my way. He pointed his finger into the pub.
"Can't you see? There's no room."
"I'm here to see Tanner."
At that, the man's eyes narrowed, and his hand went to the knife at his waist.
"Who are you?"
"Nox."
"Lately, everyone and their dog says they're Nox. Anyway, until I verify, stay right where you are—don't move."
I made a show of moving around and even waved my arms. So what are you going to do about it?
The man disappeared with a sour look. When he came back, he smacked his lips and pointed upstairs.
"End of the hallway, it's the office."
I went up a short flight of stairs, leading into a long, narrow hallway. The doors were close together, and from each room I could hear moaning.
"..."
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
When I opened the door, I saw Tanner sprawled out on the couch, waving his hand.
"You got here faster than I thought."
"How could I possibly sleep when I'm worried about you?"
"Even if that's a lie, it still feels good to hear."
A bandage was wrapped around Tanner's left thigh.
The bloodstain had spread out pretty wide.
"I did my best to dodge, but somehow that bullet just followed me."
"We call that a homing missile."
"Wait, is that actually a thing?"
"Does that even make sense?"
I sat down on the sofa across from him. Tanner grinned and gestured down the hallway with his chin.
"Heard it on your way in, didn't you?"
"Heard what?"
"Oh, come on. Need me to set you up with someone next time? This place is..."
"A paradise for singles. By the way, do they do prostitution here too?"
"There's a casino in the basement, you know. Gotta make good use of the space. Whatever you want, just say the word."
"Not really. But it's smaller than I expected."
"Way to kill the mood the moment you arrive."
Tanner gave a wry smile and continued.
"It's not easy to set up shop in Coney Island. The existing gangs have a tight grip, so outsiders don't have a chance to squeeze in."
Even so, it's worth investing here.
You don't need a gold mine—this place is the gold mine. Just think of all the money the visitors throw around, and you'll see the answer.
"Anyway, Gavin said you have something to show me?"
"Yeah. There's a guy nearby who started a bar around the same time I did."
The owner was a former member of the Five Points Gang who operated in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. But he had opened his bar in Coney Island around the same time as Tanner.
"I want you to go check it out."
"With no purpose?"
"You'll find one when you get there. You're good at making things up as you go, aren't you?"
I went to the bar Tanner had told me about.
Harvard Inn
The Italian guy who called me a 'coward' sneers at me.
"Got some courage now, friend?"