american chocolate

I have to laugh at this memory.  And, I don't want to lose it.  So even though it is a short tale, I'm going to put it in here.

It was 1967 or 1968.  We were living in Seoul , Korea.  Our house was "in town", a walled house with a front courtyard that faced one of the big 'nightlife' streets.  Out the back gate was an alley way down to the black market.  (That year in Korea was an interesting year).

Anyway, we had a maid that year.  Connie.  She was 17.  She was bubbly and big eyed, eager to learn English, fascinated with our family, funny and fun loving.  She and Mom were close and Connie went everywhere with us.  Late in the evenings, (since Dad was always gone during the work week), Connie and Mom would peer over the front wall to watch the comings and goings at the night clubs.  (I was too young to find this entertaining then but I can see that it must have been very entertaining for them ) . LOL. 

As Mom used to tell the story, she and Connie were spying on the nightclub one night when out the club door comes a handsome, very tall, very black,  soldier.  He must have been pretty impressive because Connie was all excited and turned to Mom and asked - "oh Mawmi... what is that?  what is that?".  My Mom, probably with a very straight and serious face replied  - " oh Connie... that is American Chocolate".    From then on, anytime we say a handsome black military man, he was American Chocolate.

We left Korea after only 10 months there.  We never heard anything about Connie again, even though Mom tried to stay in touch (Mom had wanted to adopt her). :).  But... in my mind, I imagine that eventually Connie wound up with an American Chocolate of her own.  Wherever she is, I hope her life has been a good one.