Even after we went to different JCs, and doing different subject combinations, we still maintained our friendship through chats over ICQ and the occasional coffee session.
I never told Grace about my trysts with Tanya or my next failed relationship with Charmaine, or even my shenanigans with Nicole and Natalie. To her, I was a normal JC kid who was struggling through school and life in general after a bad breakup.
Things changed when she entered Uni while I was in Poly. She knew I had left JC but never really questioned why, probably figuring that I was not cut out academically.
She somehow managed to get a room in the hall and asked me for help with moving in. I wondered why she chose me. It was as though she did not have any other male friends, or perhaps I looked the best for manual labour.
She picked me from school on Friday in her brother’s car, a white Nissan. We chatted along the way as the journey across the island was absurdly long.
G: How’s school?
Me: Good. I guess. Project groups are really different from individual work.
G: How are you coping?
Me: With?
G: Everything?
Me: I’m fine. Really.
G: You seem sad.
Me: How can you tell?
G: Your smile betrays you.
Me: How’s that possible?
G: Your eyes betray your cheerful exterior as well.
Me: Have you studied face reading or something?
G: Look. I’ve known you for how long? 5 years?
Me: Somewhere there?
G: I can tell.
I decided not to probe.
We reached her hostel and I helped her to unpack.
The room was small, but fit two beds, a large study desk, and two wardrobes.
Me: No room mate?
G: Not yet. I’m alone for this semester.
Me: No single rooms?
G: Not that I’m aware of. I never asked. Just took what was assigned.
Me: Seems cozy.
G: Yeah.
Grace was one of those weirdos who took her entire desktop with her to the hostel, instead of getting a laptop. I assumed she would be spending loads of time in her room. She unpacked her clothes as I helped her to connect her desktop. I wondered how she was going to share the space if she suddenly acquired a room mate. I watched her from the corner of my eye and realised that her entire wardrobe consisted of shorts and t-shirts, maybe the odd pair of jeans. But mostly casual wear. Her underwear was the standard kind, a couple of sports bras, normal bras, normal panties, nothing lacy or sexy.
G: Are you looking at my underwear?
Me: Huh? Er. Not really. Just wondering why your wardrobe is so… consistent.
G: Consistent?
Me: I mean all I see are shorts, t-shirts, more shorts, spag tops, even more shorts.
G: Oh. Haha. Hot weather.
Me: Don’t you need formal wear or something? I need a full suit for presentations.
G: Oh? Well, if I do need one I suppose I could get one.
It took us around half an hour to unpack. I sat there using her computer and marveling at how the campus’ broadband seemed so much faster than the one I had at home.
G: Hey. I’m gonna take a shower. Help me download some songs?
Me: From?
G: I don’t know. Where do you get songs from?
Me: Some places.
G: Then go to those places.
Me: Right. What kind of songs?
G: Anything. I trust your taste.
She grabbed her towel, toiletries basket and a fresh set of clothes and headed out. Perhaps her faith in me was misplaced. I was not very into music. Her playlist would soon be full of Oasis, Offspring, Nirvana, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins and what not. Perhaps the odd A1, Backstreet Boys, N’sync, Westlife, Savage Garden, 98 Degrees and whatever I assumed girls listened too.
Out of curiousity, I browsed through her computer for porn, but found none. She really was a good girl, unlike Charmaine who had neatly archived porn folders. She probably was still a virgin. Perhaps I should not regale her with my tales of debauchery.
She took a damn long time to shower, as most girls do, but came back into the room smelling really good. Truth be told, I was slightly aroused by the smell of her shampoo. I think it was Herbal Essences. She sat on the bed and watched me as I continued searching for songs.
G: You gonna shower?
Me: How and where?
G: With soap and shampoo in the toilet?
Me: Very funny.
G: I must warn you though, this is the female hostel.
Me: Oh crap. Means I shouldn’t be here?
G: Technically.
Me: But?
G: No one really cares. Some of the seniors have their boyfriends over almost every night. I hear strange noises when I walk around sometimes.
Me: Strange noises?
G: Oh please. Don’t act innocent.
Me: You mean people have sex in the hostel?
G: Maybe they’re testing the integrity of the bed springs…
Me: Right.
G: Well, I’m gonna need to do some research on the com.
Me: You want me to leave?
G: Nah. Maybe we could have dinner together?
I looked at my handphone. It was only 3.
Me: What do I do till then?
G: I don’t know. But be quiet, I need to concentrate.
Me: Mind if I take a nap?
G: Sure.
We swapped places and I lay on her bed. For someone who wanted me to be quiet as she wanted to do her work, she actually turned on the music from her computer at a rather unsettling volume. Unsettling for me anyway, as I wanted to sleep.
G: Sorry. I need music while I work.
I did not reply and closed my eyes, falling asleep to the strains of Kurt Cobain’s somewhat indecipherable lyrics of Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Grace woke me up at around six and we took a bus to Jurong Point. We had dinner at Fish & Co before walking around the shopping centre. Eventually we decided to catch a movie. I wondered if she was going to be cold as she was wearing only a spaghetti top and shorts, but she produced a jacket from her bag as we settled down in our seats.
Throughout the movie, despite her jacket, I could tell that she was indeed a little cold, as she had brought her legs to her chest in an attempt to keep warm. I really wanted to share some body heat with her, but did not want to tarnish her impression of me, so I kept my hands and other body parts to myself.
After the movie, we took a bus back to the hostel and I took a cab home. She did offer to drive me back but I declined as it was getting late and I did not want her to be driving around at that time.
Anyway, when I contacted her recently, through Facebook, she was kind of surprised, as we technically had lost contact when I enlisted. The Facebook chats eventually became Whatsapp chats, relatively long phone conversations through Skype when I had access to my iPhone and the promise of a meetup for coffee when she was back in town as she was currently in China for business.
I was pretty sure Shirley was getting a little bit suspicious whenever I left the house with the iPhone glued to my ear.
In any case, a more memorable Facebook chat we had recently went something like this.
Me: Hello.
G: Hey you.
Me: How’s China?
G: Boring. But I get to brush up on my mandarin.
Me: What kind of business are you doing exactly?
G: Actually, I’m not too sure, its some research thing. I’m only a PA to the MD.
Me: You’ve got a degree and you’re only a PA?
G: Actually I’ve got a Masters. Doing my PHD next year.
Me: And you’re only a PA?
G: Well, they pay is good. A lot more than I could be earning elsewhere.
I began to wonder what kind of a PA she was exactly. And she could read my mind over the Internet.
G: If you’re thinking I’m sleeping my way to the top I’m taking the next flight back to slap you. The MD is my dad.
Me: Oh? The thought never crossed my mind.
G: Oh really? Don’t tell me you’re that innocent. Haven’t gotten over your first girlfriend?
Me: Well…
G: Don’t tell me you’re still a virgin!
Me: Haha. That’s for me to know and for you to find out. What about you?
G: My response is the same as yours. Two can play the same game.
Me: Alright then.
G: Anyway. Do you remember the day you helped me move into the hostel?
Me: Sort of. Why?
G: You aren’t gay right?
Me: Don’t think so?
I wondered where this was leading to.
G: Well, let’s see. We were alone. For a long time.
Me: So? You wanted to do your work and I wanted to sleep.
G: We went for dinner and a movie.
Me: We used to go for dinner after training anyway.
G: I was cold.
Me: I know.
G: And you didn’t do anything?
Me: Should I have?
G: You could have.
Me: And have you sue me for molest?
G: Come on. I wouldn’t have done that. Why would you molest me anyway?
Me: Erm. Wrong choice of words I guess.
G: You wouldn’t have hugged me seeing that I was cold?
Me: Well…
G: Well?
Me: I didn’t want to spoil the friendship.
G: I doubt you hugging me would have done any harm. But I always wondered why you didn’t.
Me: Are you trying to tell me something?
G: Maybe.
Me: What is it?
G: I liked you then.
Me: Why?
G: Cos you’re cute?
Me: There has to be a better reason.
G: You were my only close guy friend. The only guy who wasn’t intimidated by my height.
Me: That doesn’t sound like a very good reason.
G: When you spend so much time with a single person, you tend to develop feelings. No?
Me: Well…
G: At least tell me if the feeling was mutual. It’s been bugging me all these years.
I decided to avoid a direct answer.
Me: You were way beyond my league.
G: How so?
Me: Your educational background, family background, position in society?
G: You’ve got to be kidding me.
Me: No seriously. I felt I wasn’t good enough for you.
G: You found me arrogant?
Me: No. It’s me. Really. I wouldn’t have wanted to put you in a difficult position.
G: You’re really weird. But at least it cleared things up.
Me: Sorry if I made you wonder all this while.
G: Nah. I’m cool.
Me: Glad it’s sorted out.
G: Well, that day in my room, we could have cuddled. Or made out.
Me: Er…
G: I would have taken your top off…
Me: Er…
G: And gladly taken mine off as well…
Then, she went offline.
Me: ??? What???
Obviously, I got no reply. No doubt she was referring to the only knowledge she had of me being intimate with my first girlfriend.
But that probably meant that she was horny back then and wanted some action, and I stupidly missed out on it. But what about now?
I decided to play it cool and not contact her for awhile to see what happened.
Grace did not come online, be it MSN or Facebook, for the next few nights, so I just left the conversation at where it ended. The memory of something that could have been.
I carried on my normal routine. Things were getting really busy back in camp as the Logistics Audit was drawing near.
I could tell Alex was really stressed out as he kept asking me to either go to spas, bars, or Nuru massages. I wondered if this was a common occurrence every year, and how he managed to finance all this.
Shirley had started doing some freelance project work for some consultancy firm so she usually reached home quite late, and I was usually in Sanctuary by then. We had not had sex since the last time we had sex. Diane was still hanging around now and then, offering herself to me, but I rudely declined each time. And I was sure each time it happened, Shirley was secretly delighted.
Nicole was still not talking to me. Natalie was still being irritating about how good my brother was in bed.
Jenny and I really drifted apart since she left home. We had not contacted each other at all.
Grace never appeared online anymore. I assumed that she felt embarrassed that she admitted to wanting to engage in a little petting back then. I did not want to probe anyway, and I was really trying my best to be a normal person.
I did wish Tanya a happy birthday through Facebook recently, and her response was “Thanks! Virgin boy…”. She was still living overseas. I wondered what her husband would say if he had seen her response. But I did not care.
One Friday evening, I reached home at around midnight after an entire day of cleaning arms. Our stupid armskoteman had passed down the wrong instructions to pull through once and oil the weapon, when the actual standard required was actually to ensure the entire weapon was free of carbon, rust and grime, and to leave it bone dry. Alex was pretty pissed as well, as he was still in the midst of settling his store. In the end, I cleaned his assigned weapons for him, as well as those assigned to his storemen. He offered to buy me a drink after that, but upon knowing that he was going to a KSP, a lup sup bar of sorts somewhere near Jalan Besar Stadium, I told him to enjoy his night. He eventually ended up going with Keng.
I logged on to Facebook to see if Grace had replied, and indeed she did. Cryptically of course. She used a smiley face with it’s tongue sticking out. What was that supposed to mean? Definitely she was teasing me somehow. In a perverse reading of the situation, I would have assumed she wanted to lick me all over. I chose to ignore it and entered Sanctuary again, just to see if my Demon Hunter could solo Act 3.
Barely twenty minutes, multiple deaths and a hefty repair bill later, my phone beeped. I ignored it as I had 5 stacks of Nephelem Valor and was still roaming around looking for elite mobs to kill for loot.
My phone beeped again but I ignored it. After another few minutes, it rang.
It was Jenny. What a surprise. I answered it while running away from some Fire-chains, Life-link, Arcane-enchanted, Plagued mobs.
Me: Hello.
J: I know it’s been a long time but can you meet me?
Me: Where?
J: 85.
Me: Why’re you going there?
J: Meeting someone.
Me: And you need me for?
J: I’m meeting Matthew. He wants to apologize.
Me: So how do I fit in?
J: I don’t want to be alone.
Me: Ok. What time do I meet you?
J: I’m below your block.
Me: Wow. So fast. Ok. Give me ten minutes?
I went back to town, exited the game, splashed some water on my face and put on a singlet and berms.
I found Jenny near the playground. I walked up to her and gave her a hug. She hugged me back.
Me: Well?
J: I just need you nearby. Don’t have to be beside me.
Me: Ok. Where exactly is he? And are you expecting trouble?
J: I don’t think so…
Me: You sound unconvinced.
J: I’m not so sure about this. Why should he apologize? Especially after Jason beat him up?
Me: Maybe he really repented?
J: I hope so. He hasn’t been to church since that incident.
Me: So where is he exactly?
J: He said he’s at the void deck of one of the blocks near the school.
Me: St. Anthony’s? It’s under renovation.
J: Yeah. Sounds fishy right?
Me: Well, there’s a police station down the road. Let’s see him try something funny.
J: I suppose you could wait somewhere near the area? Out of sight but nearby?
Me: There’s a fitness corner. Two in fact. I’ll probably hang around there.
J: Ok. I’ll head over first. You come around five minutes later? To avoid him seeing you.
Me: Ok.
We walked to the traffic light and she crossed the road first, heading in the general direction of the two point blocks that were there. I crossed at the next light and headed straight to the fitness corner via the main road, passing by a pavilion that some of the elderly in the estate use to chill during the day. At night, it was a different story altogether as the pavilion was usually occupied by foreign workers or locals of a particular race, drinking, smoking and usually making a nuisance of themselves. Tonight was no different. There was a group of four Chinese youths drinking and smoking there. They stared at me as I walked past and I stared back, my balls probably a little too big considering the situation. But I doubt they would have dared to do anything, considering the proximity of the police station.
I headed to a bench near the fitness station and lit a stick. Jenny and Matthew were in my line of sight so there was nothing to worry about. Matthew was seated at the table under the block while Jenny stood there, refusing to sit down.
I was almost past my third stick fifteen minutes later and they were still talking. Suddenly, the three Chinese youths surrounded me.
1: Eh, stare what stare? Buay song ah?
2: Nabei chee bye? Never die before issit?
Oh great, I had encountered the typical local gangster.
Me: Did I stare at you? I thought I recognized one of you?
1: Who? Ka ni na don’t act stupid!
The third guy seemed relatively quiet. I wondered why. Perhaps he was already drunk and was about to fall asleep.
The second guy asked me something in Hokkien that I cannot really recall how to spell, but what it meant was that he was asking me where I was from. Or something like that.
I ignored him.
He started spewing all sorts of vulgarities in different languages, some of which I had never even heard before.
I stood up. I was at least half a head taller than each of them, and definitely more well-built.
I started to walk away while finishing the last few puffs of my cigarette when the two of them charged at me. The third guy was still there, stoned. Maybe he was on drugs.
I did not want any trouble, especially since I was supposed to watch Jenny, so I kicked the first guy in his groin, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. I managed to block the wild swing of the other guy and grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm to the back, swept his legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground. Part of me wished I had a pair of handcuffs.
I think I had caused enough commotion as the two fools were groaning in pain. The scene would definitely have attracted the attention of the residents who probably would have called the police. It would definitely also have attracted the attention of Matthew and Jenny. But I had a bigger problem on hand.
The third guy, who seemed stoned, had went back to the pavilion to grab an empty bottle. He came back, smashed it on the bench and approached me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
callmebad
can hire you as bodyguard
I’m not a very good bodyguard. Couldn’t even watch Jenny.
I guess I was royally screwed unless I did something drastic. The bottle wielding dude’s two friends would probably get up soon and join him in beating/slashing the crap out of me.
I wondered why no one had called the police yet, despite the commotion. Besides, the police station was really only just minutes away.
I decided to try reasoning.
Me: You don’t want to do this.
He did not say anything but continued to advance towards me.
I ran through a few disarm techniques that I learnt before but none seemed to be appropriate. Maybe I should just run.
Somehow or another, lucky was on my side. His two friends got up, and dragged him away, cursing me and probably my parents. I heaved a sigh of relief.
Then it dawned upon me. I had been distracted from my task of watching Jenny.
I turned to look at the void deck but they were no longer there. Maybe I was overreacting but I had a bad feeling about this.
I ran towards the void deck while calling her on my mobile. At least it was still ringing. But she was not answering.
I ran around the block, checking the staircase and lift landings but she was not there. Maybe she went for supper. I tried her mobile again. This time it was turned off. Something bad was definitely happening. I dialed Jason. He answered sleepily.
Me: Bro. Your sister is missing. Come quickly.
Jas: Huh?
Me: Matthew wanted to meet her to apologize. They met under a block near my place. I was supposed to watch them but I got distracted.
Jas: Maybe they went for supper after patching up?
Me: I don’t think so. Her phones off.
Jas: Oh. Ok. I’ll be there in half an hour? Where exactly.
Me: Block 98. The car park. The old St. Anthony’s Convent.
Jas: Ok. See you in a while.
I wondered why I should even be worried. Maybe Matthew had really changed and they were really having supper. But why would she turn off her phone? Especially since she wanted me to be nearby.
I lit another stick and walked around the car park, looking into the cars there, in case there was an off chance that they were in any of them. I headed towards the other block to see if they were there when I suddenly heard what sounded like someone shouting for help, but was cut off halfway. But the person was not shouting for help. She was shouting a name. My name.
I headed towards the jogging track in the park. It was dimly lit. The shout sounded like it came from somewhere near the school. I jogged along the track while puffing on my cigarette while looking around, trying to figure out where the shout came from. As I passed by the other fitness station, and came up towards a small area that had benches, I saw it.
She was being pinned to the ground by him, struggling wildly. He was forcing himself on her.
I rushed up to them and extinguished my cigarette at the side of his neck. He roared in pain and swung out at me, catching me at my ribs. For a big guy, he was not very strong and I was only momentarily winded. Jenny sensed an opportunity and drove her foot into his groin. I bet she wished she was wearing stilettos. His hands instinctively reached down to protect his manhood.
I half considered planting a side kick to his head, since he was in a perfect position on his knees. But I decided that it might be lethal, so I grabbed him in a full Nelson hold instead, pulling him to his feet and dragging him a few meters from her.
With all the strength I could muster, I flung him aside and released him from the full Nelson before attending to Jenny. She managed to sit up and remove the gag from her mouth.
Me: Are you ok?
She was a mess. Her t-shirt was torn and there were scratches on her arms, neck and shoulders. Her jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped and halfway down her ass. Lucky for her, they were tight enough around her hips and prevented Matthew from forcibly removing it. She was breathing heavily, but thankfully, she was relatively calm and not crying.
Suddenly she screamed again, and I was grabbed by Matthew. He tried to replicate the full Nelson hold on me but was unsuccessful. I shrugged him off and spun around to face him. He swung a punch which connected with my chest as I could not deflect it in time. I stumbled a step back.
Me: You sure you want to do this? The police are on their way.
I was lying through my teeth but I hoped he would buy it.
M: She destroyed my life!
Me: You destroyed your own life. Call yourself a Christian. You’re definitely going to hell.
He lunged at me again. I hit him in the solar plexus with an open palm as I did not want to hurt him too badly. It was rather effective as he stumbled back trying to catch his breath.
Just then, Jenny charged towards him with a stick or tree branch or something. I grabbed her before she managed to hit him and threw the branch aside. I tried to calm her down when Matthew decided to come at me again.
I struck him in the chest with my elbow as he came from behind, stepped around him and swept his feet out from under him while pushing him back, the same way Jason did the first time he beat him up. However, I did not let him fall to the ground hard, supporting his weight by grabbing his shirt. I got onto his chest and drove my shin into his throat area. He grabbed at me wildly.
Me: I can hurt you badly. Kill you even. But I’m not going to do that. We’re going to wait until the police get here and you’ll get what you deserve.
He struggled and gasped for breath. I reduced the pressure on his throat.
J: Let him go.
Me: What?
J: Just let him go. Please.
Me: But…
I got off. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled away. I watched as he got into a car, started the engine, and sped off.
I sat down next to Jenny. She buried her head into my shoulder and started crying.
It was definitely going to be a long night.
Me: You need to go to the police.
Jen: No.
Me: Come on. We let him off the last time. He almost raped you this time. Why won’t you just report him?
Jen: I don’t know.
Me: Jason’s on the way.
Jen: Tell him not to come. If he finds out what happened he’ll kill him.
Me: Exactly.
Jen: Please tell him I’m fine.
Me: We’ll go to the police.
Jen: No.
Me: Jen, what’s wrong with you? Each time you let him off he’ll get bolder. The next time I’ll find your naked body floating in Bedok reservoir.
She tried to slap me but ended up sobbing on my shoulder again. I tried to decide if I should tell Jason not to come when he called me.
Jas: I’m at the car park. Where exactly are you? Have you found her?
Me: Yeah. She’s fine.
Jas: I don’t believe you.
Me: We’re at the park benches near the expressway.
Jenny removed her head from my shoulder and tried re-arranging her t-shirt to make it look like nothing happened. Obviously, she failed miserably. I lit another stick and prepared for Jason’s wrath.
Jas: WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?!!!
Jen: Nothing. Enigma stopped him.
Jason examined her carefully under the dim lighting.
Jas: Where the fuck is he?
Me: Gone.
Jas: Where?
Me: I don’t know. She asked me to let him go so I did.
Jas: What?!! This wouldn’t have happened in the first place if you’d watched her carefully!
Me: I agree.
Jen: Wasn’t his fault! He was being disturbed by some gangster. Matthew took the opportunity to drag me away.
Jas: Ok. I’m really gonna kill him.
Jen: Stop acting like a kid. What’s happened has happened.
Jas: And stop acting like it doesn’t matter.
Jenny started crying again. I pulled her towards my shoulder.
Me: I think a clear enough message has been communicated to him. If you look for him now, you’ll only make things worse. Given your temper, I’m not sure you can control yourself.
Jas: You’re half right. What now?
Me: Can you take her home?
Jas: Where? Neither of us live with our parents.
Me: Jen, where are you putting up now?
She did not reply, but continued sobbing.
Jas: Now what?
Me: Just let her cry it out.
Suddenly, Jenny pushed me away and slapped me, before slapping Jason.
Jas: What the fuck?
She got up and walked away. I went after her and grabbed her hand. She turned around and slapped me again.
Jen: Don’t touch me!
Perhaps she was finally feeling the effects of Matthew’s violation. I followed her all the way to the void deck where she and Matthew were talking before he dragged her away. She sat on the bench, weeping silently. In the bright light, I saw her injuries more clearly.
The scratches on her neck and shoulders were raw and bleeding and it appeared that her bra was missing. Jason came up to us.
Jas: What do we do with her now?
Me: I don’t know.
Jas: You know who she’s staying with?
Me: She didn’t tell me. You?
Jas: No idea.
Me: Maybe we should get a girl down here to talk to her?
Jas: Like?
Me: Erm. I’m gonna try my luck here. We’ll see what happens. Watch her?
Jas: Sure.
I excused myself and went to make a call, hopefully it would work out.
Shirley arrived around half an hour later.
I had mustered up enough courage to wake her up and ask for her help. No doubt she had mentioned before that she was ok with the whole situation, but you can never be too sure what a woman is thinking. Especially if the other woman is someone you were sleeping with while sleeping with her. But after I explained the situation, Shirley told me not to worry and that she would help in anyway she could.
I think Jenny was a little shocked to see Shirley. She was still sobbing uncontrollably as Shirley wrapped the jacket around her and gave her a hug while stroking her hair. Jenny hugged her back and continued weeping into Shirley’s ample bosom. On another day, in another situation, I would have found the scene in front of me extremely erotic. But this was not one of the days.
S: Do you want to go to the police?
Jenny shook her head.
S: Ok. Let’s get you back to my place to clean up.
Jenny raised her head and looked at me as if asking for some sort of sign for what she should do. I merely shrugged.
S: Don’t worry. I know who you are and what happened. Just come back, get a change of clothes, maybe a hot drink, then we’ll see if you want to go to the police.
Jason looked at me.
Jas: Should I drive over?
Me: Why not?
Jas: Ok.
Jason retrieved his car and we bundled Jenny and Shirley into the back seat, while I took the front. He drove us across the street to the car park where Shirley’s block was at. We went up first as he went to park the car.
Shirley guided Jenny into the bathroom and sat her on the toilet bowl. She started to remove Jenny’s torn t-shirt, carefully avoiding the scratches. I was right. Her bra was gone, that piece of shit Matthew must have removed it.
However, sensing they needed some privacy, I excused myself and closed the bathroom door, heading outside for a smoke while waiting for Jason.
Jason appeared and we smoked while waiting for Shirley. He had gone to the 7-11 to buy some beer. I was surprised as usually they did not sell alcohol after midnight.
He popped the tab of the Heineken and chugged down almost the entire can in one go.
Me: Hey. Slow down.
Jas: I should never have introduced her to him. He seemed so decent. So innocent.
Me: You can’t judge a book by it’s cover. How were you supposed to know anyway?
Jas: If I ever see him again I swear I’ll fucking kill him.
Me: You need to calm down. You still have a career. Don’t jeopardize your own life because of fuckers like him. Let the police handle it.
He finished his can and opened another.
Me: Woah. You don’t intend to drive home?
Jas: It’s only two cans. So far.
Shirley appeared at the door.
S: It’s not good.
Me: What?
S: He, erm, penetrated her.
Jas: What?!
Jason crushed the can, spilling the remaining beer everywhere.
Me: His pants were still on, so he used his fingers?
S: Yeah. There’s scratches on her inner thighs and she’s bleeding quite badly. We probably need to bring her to a doctor.
Me: Ok. Let’s go then.
S: She doesn’t want to. I’ve cleaned her wounds and put her to bed. She’s still crying though.
Jas: I’m gonna kill him.
Me: Jason, forget it. Concentrate on the task at hand.
S: Yes. She doesn’t want any more trouble. The best we can do is to watch her and try to convince her to see a doctor and go the police.
Me: Can’t we call the police to come here instead?
S: We could. But it would be better for her to go to them willingly.
Me: Good point.
S: Well, just let her sleep. Don’t disturb her. I’m going back to bed. In your bed.
Me: Sure. I’ll take the couch.
S: The beds big enough for us both.
Me: Erm. Nah. I’ll take the couch, or my inflatable mattress.
S: Suit yourself. I’m a little shaken by the situation. Would have wanted someone to hold me.
Me: Oh.
S: But maybe it’s better for you to sleep on the couch. Wake me if she wakes and needs help.
She turned to Jason.
S: You staying as well?
Jas: Yeah.
S: Well, she told you to go home and be with your fiancee. And forget about Matthew.
Jas: Why?
S: She said you have your own life to lead. Don’t bother about her.
Jas: That does sound like her. Well, ok. I’ll go after the beer. But if I see him I’ll still kill him.
Me: Your fighting skills come from a video game. I think you should know where you stand.
Jas: Right. He’s still gonna get it.
Me: You need to learn some form of restraint. Otherwise, one day your temper is going to get you in big trouble.
Jas: I’ll think about it.
S: Ok. I’m off to bed. You’re making breakfast tomorrow right?
Me: I guess so.
S: Well, you need to go to the supermarket then. You’re cooking for three now.
Shirley went back into the house.
Jas: I guess I’ll be going.
Me: Alright. Don’t do anything stupid.
Jason left and I entered the house. I stood outside Shirley’s room. I could still hear Jenny crying. I wanted to go in and say something but I guess the timing was not right yet.
I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes.
What a way to finally introduce Shirley to Jenny.
I had barely gotten any rest when I heard someone open the main door and start rattling the gate.
Jenny, still crying, and dressed only in one of my army T-shirts that Shirley used to wear, was trying to get out of the house.
I got up and approached her, but she crumpled into a heap by the door, hugging her legs to her chest. I turned on the light and saw the wounds on her thighs.
J: Go away!
Me: Jen, you need to rest. Go back to the room?
J: I want to go home.
I squatted down next to her but she withdrew herself, squeezing against the wall and the door. I extended my hand to hold hers but was greeted by a loud wail. I wondered if the neighbours were going to call the police yet.
Sighing, I went to my room to wake Shirley up. I glanced at the digital clock on my table. It was 430am.
I sat on the bed and shook her awake.
S: Hmm? You decided to join me?
Me: No. I’m having a little trouble outside. Jenny’s trying to leave.
She sat up.
S: Huh. Why?
Me: Maybe she’s still traumatized.
S: You don’t say.
Me: Well? Help me get her back to bed?
S: Ok.
We were about to go the the living room when Jenny appeared in the doorway, giving us both a shock. The light from the living room cast a silhoutte into the room. It was like a scene from a B-grade horro movie. Her hair was messy and falling over her face. The only thing missing was a knife and lots of blood. Jenny entered the room, pushing me off the bed. I wisely gave her some space.
Jenny grabbed a shocked Shirley, pulled her down onto the bed, and buried her head in her chest again, sobbing.
Me: Well, I guess that’s settled.
Shirley gave me a confused look, but accommodated Jenny anyway, stroking her hair and shushing her.
I shrugged and pulled the comforter over them. Jenny flinched, as though I was trying to molest her, and sobbed louder.
Shirley gave me a stare which indicated I should leave. I left and shut the door, heading back to the couch for some much needed rest.
I did not get to rest much though, as Jason called at around 530.
J: Bro, you awake?
Me: Now I am.
J: How’s she?
Me: Should be sleeping.
J: I couldn’t sleep the whole fucking night.
He sounded a little high. Or drunk.
Me: And?
J: I want to go see him.
Me: Right. And do what?
J: I won’t kill him. I hope not.
Me: Then?
J: Just teach him a lesson?
Me: What’s the point?
J: She won’t go to the police. Even if we do, they might not take action unless she presses charges.
Me: Are you suggesting we carry out our own brand of vigilante justice?
J: Yeah.
Me: Who do you think you are? Batman?
J: You can be Robin.
Me: Dude, that’s not funny.
J: I know. But I need to settle this. Otherwise I won’t have peace.
Me: Don’t make vengeance your priority. There won’t be a good end to it.
J: Whatever I can do to him will never surpass what he did to Jenny.
Me: That’s not the point.
J: Anyway, I’m downstairs.
Me: You drove?
J: No, took a cab.
Me: Somehow I have a bad feeling you included me in your plan.
J: Just drive me there.
Me: No.
J: Do it for Jenny. You owe it to her.
Me: What?
J: If you’d watched them carefully, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity.
Me: Fuck you man.
J: Just drive me there. I need you to be there in case I lose control as well.
Me: You gotta be kidding.
J: Nope.
I heard a knock on the door. Jason had arrived. I opened the door.
Me: You weren’t kidding.
J: Nope. Get dressed and let’s go.
I let him in.
J: Where’s she?
Me: Sleeping with Shirley.
J: Right.
Me: Really. And where exactly do you intend to find him?
J: I called his sister. He hasn’t been home all night.
Me: You told her?
J: Somewhat. She asked me not to tell their parents.
Me: And yet you’re gonna beat him up?
J: Yeah. Why not? Makes sense right?
Me: Not at all.
J: Well, get dressed?
Me: My clothes are in my room.
J: Then go get them.
Me: They’re inside.
J: Doesn’t Shirley have her own room?
Me: Long story. Be quiet.
I opened the door as silently as I could and peered in. Jenny was snuggled against Shirley and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. I wondered how Shirley felt about the whole situation. I tiptoed in, grabbed my berms and a t-shirt and tiptoed out, shutting the door quietly behind me.
Me: Where are we going?
J: He stays in Boon Keng. Opposite the Kallang MRT. Know where?
Me: Rough idea. Let’s go.
We reached the area and parked in the multi-story car park before heading to the coffeeshop for a quick breakfast. I wondered what kind of adrenaline Jason was running on as I was extremely fatigued. I did not know if I even had the energy to stop him in case things got out of hand.
As we tucked into our kaya toast and eggs, I asked him what he intended to do.
J: I called his sister. She’ll meet us.
Me: She’s ok with us beating him up?
J: You’ll see.
After around twenty minutes, Matthew’s sister showed up. She was tall, slim, bespectacled with short cropped hair and had a somewhat sultry look. She wore a cardigan and denim shorts. She looked to be in her early or mid-thirties. If we were not there to confront her brother, I would have definitely felt that she was bangable. Her name was Melissa.
Mel: Hello Jason.
J: Hello Jie.
So apparently there was something going on between them.
J: Mel, enigma, enigma, Mel.
She extended her hand which was pretty toned, and took mine in a firm handshake.
Mel: Hello.
J: Mel’s a senior at the church. She’s had a colorful history.
Me: I don’t get it.
Mel: What he means is, I used to do what you’re gonna do to my brother.
Me: Huh?
She rolled up her sleeves and revealed two armfuls of tattoos.
Mel: As you can see, I’m the child who misbehaved, while Matthew was the good one.
Me: So you used to be a gangster? Or gangstress?
Mel: Maybe. But that’s all in the past.
Me: So why are you letting us beat up your brother?
Mel: Let’s just say that he’s gotten away with lots of things in his life. I’ve known Jason and Jenny since they were kids, and I’m very disappointed in Matthew for what he did. But my parents won’t be able to accept the fact that he did something like this. They know Jenny too.
Me: How would you explain him getting beat up?
Mel: I don’t have to. He will finally have to explain it himself. And knowing him, he will probably cook up some sad story and get my parents sympathy again.
Me: You’ve got a strange sense of justice. Just like Jason.
Mel: Matthew won’t have the balls to report this to the police. And the police may not take action against him unless Jenny files a report. Just don’t kill or severely injure him.
Me: That’s not my call. This still feels wrong.
Mel: Just rough him up a little. Show him that he can’t get away with such things.
Me: So why don’t you do it?
Mel: Me? Haha. 20 years ago, if he did such a thing to my “sisters”, he would probably be castrated by me personally. Same goes for any other guy who does such a thing. I’m different now.
Me: This isn’t really my fight. And neither is it Jason’s.
Mel: I’m not one to stand in the way of an angry brother. I don’t know how well you know Jason, but he’s very protective of Jenny.
Me: Hasn’t seemed like it ever since I knew him.
Mel: He would beat up the other kids in the church playground if they pushed Jenny off the swing, or stole her toys or whatever. Which was why he was sent to me.
I looked at Jason. He merely gave me a goofy grin.
Mel: I’ll be nearby. Watching.
Me: Whatever for?
Mel: Someone needs to drag him home crying to his mommy right?
Me: Right.
Mel: Well, anyway, he hasn’t been home a lot recently, and some friends of mine say he’s been mixing with the wrong company.
Me: You mean like secret societies?
Mel: Secret societies don’t exist anymore. Not the real ones anyway. What we have nowadays are wannabes.
I recalled the three goons I encountered earlier in the morning.
Mel: Dispute settlements are mostly a private affair, and we definitely don’t go around beating people up because they stared, come from rival gangs or we don’t like their face.
Me: Are you still involved?
Mel: Nope. I’m involved in the rehabilitation of wayward youth now.
Me: So why didn’t you help your brother?
Mel: He doesn’t need my help. He’s smart enough to know right from wrong but chooses to accept responsibility for his wrongs. He’s beyond help.
Me: Maybe a psychiatrist?
Mel: Maybe. But we’ll see if he wakes up after this.
Me: We aren’t going to put him in a coma right?
Mel: I meant figuratively.
Me: Oh.
Sometimes I really felt like a dumbass.
J: There he is.
Jason pointed to the traffic light. Matthew was crossing the street. He was still wearing what he wore when he committed his misdeed.
J: Let’s follow him.
We finished our coffee and tailed him into the estate. Melissa followed closely behind.
Matthew stopped at one of the blocks and greeted a few guys who were hanging around the void deck. I stopped Jason and pulled him back.
Me: Fuck. Three of those guys were the ones who tried to find trouble with me.
J: You mean he planned this from the start?
Mel: Sure sounds like it.
J: That’s it. I’m gonna break his legs.
Me: Look. It’s two against 6 of them. You sure you wanna do this? As far as I can recall, Tekken fights are one on one.
Mel: Wait. Look. It appears those guys are arguing with him.
We looked.
Me: Yeah. You’re right.
Mel: Looks like they aren’t happy about something.
J: What did you mean when you said they were finding trouble with you?
Me: They asked why I stared at them. And wanted to fight.
J: And?
Me: I showed them why they shouldn’t fight?
Mel: Maybe he made some sort of deal with them to distract you but weren’t expecting you to fight back?
Me: Seems like it.
We watched as the five of them surrounded Matthew and started pushing him around. A couple of residents who were strolling past the area suddenly started running away, as though they did not want to get caught in the melee.
Me: Looks like he’s about to get what he deserves.
J: Well, ok. If you put it that way.
Me: But I think we should help him.
J: Are you mad? Have you forgotten what he did to Jenny?
Me: It’s not about that. I believe in justice. But this is quite absurd.
Mel: I agree. I’m calling the cops.
Me: Wait. Let me see if I can talk to them.
J: Ok. You’ve officially gone insane.
Me: Well, come with me if you want.
I made my way over. Jason and Melissa followed reluctantly.