10.45pm
Stephanie was dressed for bed and I asked if she wanted to rest.
She held onto my arm and rest on my shoulder.
Stephanie : I’m very tired James….. it just feels so stifling here….
I turned to look at her and she does looked drained.
If fact I could not imagine if I was in her shoes, being played and traded like some commodity.
11pm
James : Get changed…
Stephanie : Where are we going ?
James : My place…
Stephanie laughed.
Stephanie : What are we going to do there ?
James : Well…. You’re going to get raped…. I might as well be the first…
Stephanie : YAH!!!
My hair was yanked downwards and before I knew it, Stephanie was trying to stuff her used wet towel into my mouth as she held onto my hair. A few more seconds later, we were just laughing as I laid on her lap, looking up at her.
A stray drop of water from her freshly shampooed hair fell onto my face and she wiped it off for me.
Stephanie : Don’t cry James…
James : Hahaha…
She stroked my face and asked me if I was ok for the first time.
I considered my answer before answering her.
James : I’m not ok…..
James : I’m not ok with the woman I love marrying someone else…
Stephanie just smiled at me before pinching me on my nose for a few seconds.
Stephanie : See… your nose got longer…
That was went I directed her down south.
James : Not my nose…. Somewhere else got longer long time ago…
She laughed and pushed me off her lap and I watched her go to her wardrobe and pulled out some clothes.
A simple grey T-shirt, a pair of white denim shorts with frayed ends went on and she was ready to go.
We took a cab to my place in Hougang and got there before midnight.
I don’t know why but we were very quiet.
It felt as if I was sneaking my girlfriend back when I was a teenager.
My parents place is a simple old HDB unit on the ground floor facing a big canel. Beyond that, it’s all private housing served by a small road, Jalan Pelikat
They no longer build similar models like ours anymore. It’s a 2 storey dwelling with a backdoor in the kitchen.
We held hands all the time, from the cab ride all the way to my front door.
I knew my parents were asleep, they need to be up early to go to the market.
Why the sneaking then ? you’re not exactly 16.
I don’t know. I really don’t
Somehow there was this unexplained thrill as I quietly unlocked the gate.
Stephanie too seemed a little nervous but she was trying to hold back a giggle as she looked around.
Stephanie : Are we doing something illegal ? haha…
I ignored her and opened the main door.
She brought her slippers into the house as I locked up after up.
There was no surprises waiting for us as we went to my room.
Once the door closed, I went over to hug her.
Stephanie : Go and shower…
I nodded as she started to go through the stuff in my room.
James : Don’t touch anything ya… expecially not my ex girlfriend’s pictures…
When I came out of the shower 10 minutes later, Stephanie was lying belly up on my bed, her legs up in the air as she flipped through my old yearbook from school. Beside that were some albums of my army days, and of course, some pictures of my ex girlfriends.
She gestured with her index finger, beckoning me over.
Stephanie : Who is this ??? har ? How long have you been together ?
I took a look at a disinterested manner at the postcard a friend sent from Korea.
James: Oh… Tiffany… she’s in a girl group…quite famous…
She laughed and asked me how is she.
James ; Not bad… very sweet… lady like…. Don’t throw tantrums… dance very well you know…
She narrowed her eyes at me and pointed at Anne Hathaway’s picture that was stuck onto a notepad by my cousin.
James : Ahh… her…. I met her when I was fighting crimes….
Then I leaned really close and whispered to Stephanie
James : She’s cat woman…
Stephanie laughed and hit me on my arm.
I pushed all the stuff aside and she rolled over onto her back as I got into the bed with her.
When I saw her hands reach up for me, I straddled her and went down for a kiss.
Our lips met and our eyes closed, time seemed to slow down. Stephanie pulled me down beside her and I pulled a blanket up to cover our legs.
My right arm went down and under her neck, holding onto her right hand as I placed it on her chest and I kissed her again. Stephanie’s left hand went around my back, I could feel her palms on my lower back as my left palm settled on her left thigh.
I stroked her thigh, feeling the boundary of her flesh and her denim shorts every time i reached beyond.
My hand went higher up, stopping at the button of her shorts.
She just looked at me without a word.
I knew if I wanted to, she would not say no.
Stephanie kept still, just looking at me and I bent down for another kiss.
James : You ok ? … are you tired ??
She smiled and blinked once, nodding her head.
My hand left her shorts and I pulled the blanket all the way up to her chin before I hugged onto her from outside the blanket.
She smiled and snuggled up against me and her eyes closed.
We fell asleep after that with the lights on.
I woke up at 4am and switched it off.
17th Feburary 2013
Sunday
7am
We were both woken up by a phone call. I answered it half asleep but my eyes immediately widened when I heard Victor’s voice.
James : Yes Victor ?
Upon hearing Victor’s name, Stephanie’s eyes opened as she struggled to sit up. Her hair was puffy and she brushed all of them sideways as she listened in to the conversation as I put him on speaker.
Victor : James…. I’m.eerr… sorry to disturb you this early… but I have a few things I need to tell you…
Victor first apologised for Marcus, saying it’s very embarrassing for me to see that side of his family.
Victor : It’s not a pretty sight, and…. Errr…. I’m sorry you had to be involved…. Anyway…. You shouldn’t have agreed to play Stephanie’s boyfriend…
James : It’s… it’s ok…. I’m just helping where I could.
Victor : Anyway…. Appreciate the help you gave Stephanie….. but er… I guess it’s not much use…. Marcus still wants Stephanie to marry Matthew…. Among other shit he has on his mind….
I could feel a rock churning in my stomach as I listened to Victor’s statement, although it was something I already knew but I just kept quiet.
James : Oh…
Victor next told me something that took me by surprise. He said he’s going to be off work for a while, taking a sabbatical of sorts.
Victor : ERmm… your pay this month will be delayed by a while…. Let me sort things out….and ermm….
He asked me to take a few days off and not head back to the office while he gets things in order..
Victor : Wait for my instructions ya…. Actually I was about to bring you over to the events team I talked about in a couple of months, the other person is already serving his notice, anyway….. let me sort things out first.
James : Ok… sure. ..
Before he hung up, he asked me how was Stephanie.
I turned to look at her and she shook her head slightly, telling me all I wanted to know.
James : Ermm… she was quite upset, didn’t really talk much. I just dropped her off and I came back home.
Victor : Ok…ermm…. Things are getting a little complicated now…. I’ll speak to you again soon…
After hanging up , I answered a few of Stephanie’s question and within minutes, her phone rang. It was Victor.
She hit the speaker button but kept quiet.
Victor : Stephanie……I’ve been thinking about this the whole night….there’s really not much we can do except buy ourselves a bit of time…
I could feel the fury inside Stephanie rising even though we had pretty much come to the same conclusion.
Victor’s next sentence was like a sharpened dagger, cutting slowly through Stephanie’s flesh and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
Victor : You….. have to marry Matthew…
Stephanie sniffed audibly but she still kept her silence.
Victor too, was quiet for a good 10 seconds.
Victor : I….err…… I was with Ruhui earlier….. we tried to work something out…. But we ended up screaming at each other…
I placed my hand on Stephanie’s thigh and gave her a squeeze.
Victor : Give me some time….at least agree to it for now…I’ll think of a way out…
That was when Stephanie could not take it any longer and she told Victor no.
Stephanie : No…. I won’t marry him… … give me back my passport…
Victor : Stephanie…. Listen…there is a whole lot more at stake here…
Stephanie : I don’t care …..
Victor : What about ma ? ….. It’s close to 5k a month for her alone…. Lodging… medicine…the treatments….the people to care for her….
Silence took over again
Victor : I can sell everything… everything… the house, the car…all the useless watches….. then what ? How long can we last ? ….Ruhui tries anything… that’s it…. We’re done….
Stephanie : I could run…leave this place… I’ll give you everything… everything Ah gong gives me… I’ll give them all to you to manage… sob… sob….
I could hear him sighing on the end of the phone as Stephanie sobbed opening over the speaker.
Victor : Marcus has to die…. Before you even get anything….he’s fit as a fiddle…
Victor : Don’t cry Stephanie…. I’ll think of something….if it really comes to that…. I did the sums… we can last at least a year or 2 with mother in Malaysia….
Stephanie just sobbed and asked for her passport again.
Stephanie : It’s me…. Once I’m gone… all this will go away…
Victor : I know why Ah Gong wants you to marry Matthew…. It’s his only way to hit back at Ruhui….He will not let you leave… I can’t let you leave.…. I’m sorry…
Stephanie ended the call.
The mood in the room sucks big time.
As if that was not bad enough, Ruhui’s name showed up on the Stephanie’s phone. What surprised me more was that she actually answered it. The moment the speaker came on, Ruhui’s voice sounded tired as she went straight to the point.
Ruhui : I’m not going to beat about the bush…..Just marry Matthew…. let him fuck you… I’ll let your brother fuck me…. It’s no big deal…just spread your fucking legs…………
Stephanie hung up on her and hugged onto her legs.
9am
I managed to calm her down and we went out for breakfast at the hawker centre near my place.
No amount of jokes could make her laugh as she told me she could only think about her mother and how her decision would affect her.
I boldly offered my room to her for the next few days if she liked, since I’m on leave indefinitely and I guess it would be better if she was not alone during this difficult period.
11.30am
I sent Stephanie back to her house and helped her pack some clothes.
Stephanie :You sure your parents are ok ?? I mean… shouldn’t you at least ask them ??
James : I’m not 16 come on…. It’s no big deal what for a friend to stay over…
She folded up a dress and narrowed her eyes at me for the first time that day, her lips fighting back a pout.
Stephanie : You mean girls always stay over at your place ???
I paused in time to consider the question as she threw a bra at me.
I sniffed it in an erotic manner and she barked at me and laughed.
11.45am
Her phone rang again, it was TJ. I passed her the phone and she asked me to hit the speaker button for her while she continued packing
TJ : Stephanie….
He sounded very nasal, as if he spoke with his fingers pinching his own nose.
Stephanie : hey… you ok? You sound sick….
TJ : Having a bad cold….Listen to me carefully…. Victor and Shawn is coming to pick you up…
Stephanie : What ? Why ?
My heart started racing as I digested the words TJ said over the phone.
TJ: Victor and Ruhui just came to an agreement….
Stephanie : What ??
I was leaning against Stephanie’s window and I happened to look down into the carpark.
If you frequent Tanjong pagar plaza, you would know one of the parking floors is exposed on the 3 or 4th floor.
Stephanie’s bedroom has a direct clear view of that carpark.
I pulled down a few strips of the blinds and looked down. My heartbeat started beating faster. I could see Victor’s car pulling up into the carpark searching for a lot.
Stephanie : what agreement ?
TJ : I don’t know the details but one thing is for sure…..
I could feel it coming even before I heard him say it.
The entire tempo of my heartbeat went haywire as Stephanie looked at her phone in disbelief.
TJ : They both agreed you need to marry Matthew… .. and Matthew is on his way back from Japan..
There was a pause before TJ apologised.
TJ : I’m sorry Stephanie…. This phone call is the least I could do…. Please don’t tell anyone.
The line went dead.
Stephanie tried to stand but her feet would not move.
Peering down at the carpark, I was glad it was full, Victor and Shawn were just waiting for a lot.
They could not have known TJ would warn Stephanie.
Stephanie : I’m sorry James….looks like I won’t be staying over at your place after all….
I could feel my internal organs being squeezed as I saw a black SUV and a silver lancer pull up into the same carpark behind Victor’s car.
Suddenly I was filled with this uncontrollable sense of anger.
Who the fuck does these people think they are ?
James : You don’t need to do this Stephanie …..
Stephanie : I don’t have a choice……
The moment her words left her mouth, my mind was bombarded with images and tons of miscellaneous information.
Information I did not even know existed in my brain.
There was a bright flash of the image of a staircase on the far end of her place along the corridor, located away from the lift lobby.
Like a bulldozer, a short video of the Immigration authority’s opening hours etched itself into my mind.
I could hear the plastic clips of my bag of cash I had stashed away in my room together with Stephanie’s passport collection slip I had kept.
I looked at her semi packed bag meant for my place.
My mind mentally calculated the time it takes for us to get out of her house.
My fingers tapped on their own, telling me how many more hours before Stephanie could collect her passport.
My lips trembled as I thought about the consequences and my bladder was squeezed so hard I thought I would pee right there and then.
It was the feeling you get when you are about to do something stupid and foolish.
Yes.
Stupid and foolish.
Yet somehow you knew you had to do it.
Nobody knows I am part of the equation.
Not yet.
I watched Victor get out of his car and so did Ruhui.
I let go of the blinds, letting it snap back into position and I went over to Stephanie.
I held both her shoulders and looked at her in her eyes.
12pm
20 more hours before ICA opens for collection.
3 minutes before they head up to Stephanie’s place.
James : There is….. always…… a choice…..
…………………..
If passport is stolen, you need to make a police report.
If it’s misplaced or damaged, you need to make a statutory declaration at the counter .
Stephanie eyes stared right into mine as she weighed the significance of what I had just said.
Something just clicked and she understood instantly.
She pulled herself to her feet and went to the window, peering down as I quickly grabbed the bag she was packing.
Heading to the drawer, I grabbed a handful of lingerie and threw them in, I even forgot what I was grabbing as I pulled a few more tops and bottoms from the wardrobe.
James : You have money ?
Stephanie went to her study and opened a metal tin that was once a mooncake box and opened it. Several bundles of 5s and 2s were dropped into the bag she packed.
Once I’m done, I told Stephanie to arrange the room a little, keep the hangers, don’t make it seem like she was running.
I immediately went to the kitchen and tore open a packet of instant coffee, filling the cup with hot water and giving it a good stir. I grabbed some biscuits and went back into the room.
I wanted to create an impression that Stephanie had just left the house, maybe just for a short while to grab something from downstairs. It would buy us some time as they might just hang around a bit to wait for her instead of going back down to the carpark.
Stephanie had took the time to change as well into a plain white t-shirt and a faded blue denim shorts. She threw a white cap onto her head and we went for the door after she pulled on a pair of sneakers.
My heart was racing and I could literally feel the throbbing of my pulse along my vein as we ran along the corridor to the opposite end and turned the corner. I had barely brought my leg round the edge of the wall when we could hear Ruhui’s voice.
We froze and flattened ourselves against the wall, instinctively we slid down and got lower to the ground.
She was arguing with Victor as they head to Stephanie’s unit.
Victor : Just shut the fuck up….
Ruhui : You shut the up and just get Stephanie out here…
Ruhui went on about saying how immature Stephanie was as Victor kept telling her to fuck off.
I wanted to take a look at the situation and I was thankful it was technically still the CNY period. Stephanie’s neighbour had a row of flowerpots along the corridor, many of them had the red stickers of the word 福, or prosperity in really shiny gold.
I could not make out much details but I could roughly count the number of people outside Stephanie’s door.
Victor is with Shawn, Including Ruhui, I counted about 6-7.
I could hear the jingle of keys as Victor opened the door after no one answers it.
Gesturing to the staircase, we got moving, trying to keep as quiet as possible as we descended down the staircase all the way to the ground floor.
I stepped onto ground first and casually took a look around before nodding to Stephanie.
It was not hard to grab a cab once we walked to Craig road and within minutes, we were on the expressway heading to my place.
Stephanie’s phone was ringing off the hook and she turned it off.
I have a feeling mine might ring soon as we exited the expressway.
12.40pm
I paid the cab driver and got out at the open air carpark in front of my place.
Right when I was about to head towards my place, a car honked at us and I almost jumped out of my skin.
I could feel Stephanie grabbing onto my hand as we turned and looked at the car which was trying to park into a lot.
James : Oh….. it’s ok…. My parents…
We paused outside the corridor as my parents approached us as they talked to each other. No doubt asking if the other knew or seen Stephanie before.
James : Pa, Ma….. my girlfriend Stephanie…
Stephanie removed her cap and the wind caught her untied hair, raising her lush mane into the air behind her shoulders in a dreamy fantasy like manner.
She smiled sweetly and greeted my parents with such charm that I was sure they fell in love with her right there and then.
Stephanie : Hi Uncle….. Hi Auntie….. I’m Stephanie….
Immediately after she greeted them, she offered to help them carry the bags of stuff they were holding on to.
My mum Daisy immediately smiled and said it’s ok, they bags are oily.
Daisy : It’s ok… no need…. Come in…. come in and sit……
Then she turned towards me and started scolding me for not warning them earlier. Not they have to meet Stephanie when they are tired, sweaty and oily after a day’s work.
My Dad, Joel, too was smiling with his exposed teeth when Stephanie insisted on helping him with a small white icebox he was carrying much to the protest of my mum.
Mum : Sit… Stephanie… Sit….. Ah James….. pour drink !!
James : No need ma…. We have things to do….
Mum : go pour a drink !!
Stephanie laughed as I poured some water into a cup and handed it to Stephanie.
James : Quick… quick… quick…. Drink it…
My mum was busy trying to tidy up the living room a little while my dad has already disappeared into the bathroom, no doubt trying to take a quick shower.
Mum : Why you pour water…. Pour proper drink….with ice.
I shook my head and ignored her as I pulled Stephanie into my room and shut the door after saying we need to get some work done.
I had barely shut my room door when my phone rang and it was Victor.
Stephanie and I exchanged a look before I took a deep breath and answered the phone, I did not put on the speaker as I’m afraid my mum will charge in calling Stephanie’s name.
I gestured to Stephanie, pointing to the door and she understood, opening it slightly and keeping a close watch beside it.
James : Hello ?? Yes Victor ???
Victor : Hey….James… where are you ??
James : At home lor…. What’s up…?
Victor paused for a moment before asking if I was doing anything that day.
James : Ermm… I don’t really have plans at the moment….but I’m trying to get a cheap ticket to either Bangkok or Bali…hahah…. Go for a short trip since I’m not working next week..
Victor : Oh…. Ok….
Next he asked if Stephanie had contacted me and I said I haven spoke to her since I dropped her off at her place.
James : What’s wrong ? Is everything ok ???
Victor : yup… it’s fine… it’s fine…. I’m trying to sort things out here….
My heart started pounding really hard when Victor asked if I could do him a favour and help him out a little that Sunday .
Victor : James…. TJ….is sick…….and… Shawn is busy with something I asked him to do….can you help out today ?? …. I have a few places I need to run to.
James : Oh… ok…. What time ??
Victor : Now would be good.. is it ok ??
James : Now ? err….
I told him I needed some time to shower and change he said that’s fine, he asked for my address and said he’ll come over and pick me up.
Once I hung up, I updated Stephanie about what Victor asked.
James : Do you think he knows ???
She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.
I tried to think about the situation and I went to my secret money stash.
Stephanie : What should be do??
James : Calm down…. We can only wait….
I passed her the pink collection slip for her passport and I could see her bursting into a smile before it gave way to a laugh.
She ran over and hugged onto me tightly, squeezing the air out of me.
Stephanie : When did you take this ?? I almost forgot about it….
I told her the only chance we have would be to go look for her grandmother. She is the only one that can talk to Marcus.
Stephanie shook her head and said it might not work.
Stephanie : She’s distanced herself so much from the family all this while… I doubt she wants a hand in it’s affairs.
James : It’s still worth a try….
She looked a little apprehensive but nodded in the end.
My mum came in and asked if Stephanie is staying for dinner and I replied on her behalf.
James : Yes… she’s errr… staying for a couple of days…. After that we going Hong kong for holiday….
My mum raised an eyebrow and just shrugged her shoulders adding that I never mentioned about a holiday to them.
James : Aiyah…. We young people…. You won’t understand one la…
Mum : CHey…. I was also young once ok….
She ignored me and suggested we head out for dinner later in the evening.
James : Ok… but I need to get some work done…. Stephanie will be here…
I turned to Stephanie and wished her luck on the question and answer session that she would need to sit through.
My mum rolled her eyes at me while Stephanie gave me a narrow stare I had seen too many times.
1pm
I got dressed and waited for Victor at the carpark drop off. He was alone and he asked me if I could drive and I took over the wheel.
Victor : I’m sorry James…. I needed to close my eyes and think.
I nodded and said it’s fine.
James : Where are we headed ?
He checked his watch before asking me to go to a clinic in town.
As I pulled out into the road, Victor added.
Victor : James… about today…. Tell no one what we did….
James : Err… ok… we’re not robbing a bank right ? haha
Victor : Haha… of course not… people don’t rob banks these days…. Only the banks rob the people…
I remembered that address. It was the one the employees head to for their check ups and if they fall sick. I’m just a little puzzled since it was a Sunday afternoon and it’s usually closed.
1.30pm
As I pulled up into the carpark, Victor’s eyes opened on their own and we got out.
He dial a number as we walked towards the clinic.
Victor : Are you there already ?
That was all he said before he hung up.
The lights in the clinic was off and when we got to the entrance, I was surprised to see Sarah inside.
She opened the door for us and we proceeded to one of the consultation rooms.
When we closed the door, Sarah immediately started reasoning with Victor.
Sarah : You cannot do this !!..
Victor : I don’t have a choice… ..
Sarah : But…
Victor : Look… I’ll bear all responsibility….. just …
Sarah : It’s too dangerous…. What if….
Victor sighed and grabbed Sarah by her shoulders.
Victor : If there was an alternative, I would take it…..but I don’t.
There was an awkward silence before Victor said something.
Victor : She’s about…46-47 kg ?
Sarah took a deep breath and asked if he was sure.
Victor turned to me and asked me.
Victor : James…. How heavy and tall do you think Ruhui is?
I was a little taken aback but I made a guess nevertheless.
James : Err…. About…. 1.63 ??? forty……six…. Forty seven ??
He looked like he was about to say something before he asked if I could step out for a moment.
10 minutes later Victor came out with a case in his hand and I would see Sarah frowning with her arms folded.
Right before we left I could hear Sarah calling out after Victor to remind him of something.
Sarah : Victor !… remember… gluteus …. Only the gluteus… if necessary…
Victor gave her an ‘OK’ sign without looking back.
I wanted to ask what was happening but if Victor wanted me to know, he would tell me. Since he asked me to step out, he must have his reasons.
2pm
I watch him put the case into the glove compartment and he made another call.
Victor : all ok ?
He hung up and dialled another number.
Victor : Help me do the transfer…
That was all he said before he hung up again.
I started the engine and asked him where to next.
Victor : Hospital…. SGH…
His eyes closed again once I pulled off.
I went towards outram and I waited in 1 of the carparks as Victor disappeared for a good 40 minutes before returning with 2 huge bags of stuff which he kept into the boot.
3pm
Victor asked me to drive him back to his place while the got busy on the phone tapping away.
The messages came and he replied them almost immediately. There was a constant traffic of messages and replies from the time we left the hospital till we arrived at his place.
As we pulled into the carpark I suddenly had this very weird sinking feeling in my stomach.
Standing by the lift lobby was Cheryl.
Her arms was folded and she was leaning against the glass panel as she played with her heels.
What surprised me even more was that I saw Jacklyn waiting a short distance away.
I followed behind Victor, helping him with bags of stuff from the boot as he approached Cheryl.
There were so much stuff that we could barely managed between the 2 of us. It’s not exactly heavy, it’s the bulk that makes carrying hard.
Victor : Is it done ?
Cheryl nodded.
None of us spoke and we headed up the lift together to Victor’s place.
I watched him key in his door lock sequence and we entered the apartment.
Shawn was seated by the dining table, perspiration dotted his head and face. He immediately came over to help with the bags.
Victor disappeared into his room and came out with another small bag and passed it to Cheryl .
Right before Cheryl left, she turned to me with a smile.
Cheryl : Bye James…
James : Bye…
It felt a little weird but still I walked her to the lift before coming back into the house for further instructions.
I could see Shawn talking nervously to Victor and Victor’s eyes were closed before he sighed and said everything would be fine.
Victor : James… help me send Shawn back….then return the car…. After that you can go…
I nodded and looked at Shawn.
He looked a little shaken but left after nodding at Victor.
As we entered the lift, I asked if he’s ok.
Shawn : I’m fine…
I wanted to ask what was going on but it did not look like he wanted to talk. He probably received the same instructions from Victor as well.
Tell no one.
I dropped Shawn off at Toa payoh interchange as per his request and went back to Victor’s place.
4.15pm
I parked and locked the car before giving Victor a message that I’m back.
He said he will be coming down to get the keys from me.
When he came down, I could smell the alcohol from his breath.
Victor : Thanks James… have a good rest…. And enjoy your trip….
James :Sure… you too… have a good rest…
Suddenly I felt a bit bad for Victor, the situation he was in, his sister trying to run away, there was nothing he could do.
I might probably drown my sorrows too if I were him.
I wanted to tell him it’s fine, once we get hold of his grandmother, we would stand a chance. All this might go away.
Victor walked with me out of the apartment, saying that he’s going to grab some stuff at the supermarket.
He said hello to the guard and asked if he had his coffee and they chatted briefly as I walked on a little after waving at the guard too.
I hailed a cab and Victor waved me off before I got in.
As the cab pulled away, I saw Victor hailed another one and got in through the rear mirror. Well, I would not want to drive too if I was drinking like him.
Still, something felt off.
Something was wrong.
There was this insatiable thirst of mine, this curiosity.
I wanted to know what was going on.
I pulled out 2 10s and gave it to the cab driver.
James : Uncle… nah…. Make a turn and drop me off back there.
The cab did as he was told, making a quick buck for a short drive, there was abit of a delay as somehow every traffic light along the way seemed to turn against our favour, still within a matter of minutes, I got off at the private condo once more.
I waved to the security guard and he just rocked in his chair and gave me a thumbs up, having seen me a few times that day.
My heart started pounding really hard as I headed up to Victor’s apartment.
I looked around before I unlocked Victor’s apartment door.
It was all quiet but I could hear some muted thumping and music coming from one of the rooms
I had that funny urge to pee again as I approached the room slowly.
Victor’s master bedroom was empty, his balcony was opened and I could see some bottles of empty beer bottle by the side table as the curtains swayed lazily in the afternoon breeze.
I went to the other room.
A bead of perspiration rolled down my forehead as my hands touched the cold steel of the door knob.
I pushed opened the door and immediately my hand went to my mouth.
Right by the bed on the floor, was Ruhui.
The TV was on with some MTV channels playing hip hop music, it was pretty loud.
She was blindfolded and tied up with her hands behind her back. Her ankles were tightly bounded as well, she must have fell onto the floor as during her struggles.
It felt weird as I stood there motionless outside the door.
Ruhui was wearing a pretty tight dress, the hem already riding up so high that her rose coloured panty is exposed.
I could not explained what I was feeling as I look at her kicking at the wall with her feet and she sobbed and cried.
Ruhui is probably in her mid 30s, maybe around the same age as Victor.
My dick rose even more as I traced the outline of her womanly curves. Her shoulder length hair looked messy and unkempt for the first time.
To be really honest, Ruhui looked really good for a woman.
As long as she doesn’t open her mouth, she had that air of confidence and allure that only a matured woman would have.
Her eyes can be seductive at times if you looked at them and she had the class and poise as well if she chose to display them. She would not look out of place in a celebrity magazine.
She rolled around and when she paused to catch her breath, I found a brief similarity in her looks as an accountant that got into trouble recently with the law.
Ruhui looked like a slimmer and more youthful version of her.
She rolled again, hitting her head against the wall.
I snapped myself out of the daydream and went into the room. A chill went into my spine as I looked at the things that Victor had bought.
I needed to tell Stephanie about this.
I could not believe I was feeling sorry for Ruhui as I watch her sobbed helplessly on the floor.
I decided to call Stephanie and tell her what was going on. Maybe she could talk to Victor.
Before I could close the door, I hear the beeping sound of the door pad. My heart sank as I immediately went deeper into the room Ruhui was in and I closed the door.
Running straight to the balcony, I pushed aside the curtains and I unlocked it and went outside before closing.
The outdoor blinds were halfway down and I unrolled it fully so people from other blocks could not see I was on the balcony.
There was but a short gap from the balcony I was on to the one that connects to Victor’s master bedroom.
I’ll just wait for him to come in before I climb and escape from the other room.
My heart slammed against my ribcage as I crouched by the railing, ready to start climbing.
I peeped from the small opening through the curtains, wanting to make sure Victor is safely in the room before I start making my move.
The door opened slowly and I could see Victor closing the door.
My eyes widened and I could feel a budge in my pants as I watch Victor pulled Ruhui up and threw her onto the bed.
I could not move.
I was frozen when I stood.
My dick was straining so hard against my pants that I had to adjust it several times.
30 minutes later, my lips were trembling as I struggled to climb the short gap to Victor’s master bedroom.
I ran as fast as I could to the main door and opened it.
I hailed a cab and went straight home, the image of what I saw and witness burnt itself into my mind.
I told Stephanie what I did right up to the point of me dropping off the car.
7.30pm
I found it hard to hold onto my chopstick as I had dinner with Stephanie and my parents.
Stephanie : James…. James ….
I snapped out of my day dream.
James : Yah… yah….
Stephanie : are you ok ??
James : I am….
After dinner, my parents dropped us off at Kovan because I said we walked to talk a walk.
As we linked arms and went along the neighbourhood shops, Stephanie said she envy my family.
Stephanie : Your parents love you…. I could really feel the bond of a family over something as simple as dinner…
She rested her head on my shoulder and added.
Stephanie : I wished my family was like yours…. There’s not love among us….
I walked a few more steps before I spoke.
James : Your…. Your brother loves you….. Stephanie…..you have no idea how much. ….
……………….
Thank you for the comments and support.
We’ve past the midway mark for this, i hope you enjoyed the read so far.
Cheers
ilock
Stephanie just smiled but did not offer up a reply. Some shoes caught her eye in one of the neighbourhood shops and she dragged me in.
I watch her try on some sandals and heels and she chose a pair of shiny light grey heel that look to be about close to 3 inch high.
James : How do you even walk with that ?
Stephanie : Aiyah… you don’t know one la… it’s not really that high.
James : You going to wear that to bed tonight ??
She gave me a slanted slit eye look and asked if that was my cup of tea.
James : Of course…
After paying for her purchase we strolled around the neighbourhood for a while longer before talking a slow walk back to my place.
I could not stop my mind from thinking about what I saw at Victor’s place. The more I think about it, the more uneasy I became.
Yes, I hated Ruhui, everybody does but someone seeing her go through at ordeal seemed to have flicked some switch inside me.
Well, end of the day you could say she brought it upon herself but still, I don’t think that is right.
I tried to think of something else, to put the matter away but it’s too hard.
By 10.30pm that evening, I knew I had to do something about it. Not just for Ruhui, it’s very much for Victor as well.
I told Stephanie to go grab her passport the next day but I won’t be joining her. I told her that Victor did mention in passing that he might need my help since TJ was not feeling too good.
James : I’m just worried he might call me suddenly…
Anyway, I told Stephanie that the amount of clothes she has was not enough. I’m going to head back into office and grab some more from her storeroom.
Stephanie : Oh, when you are there, there are some money in my drawers too…. Help me get them.
I nodded as she added her laptop, spare chargers and some makeup pouch to the list.
As Stephanie fell asleep in my arms that night, I racked my brains for a reason.
Yes I needed a reason to see Victor.
And the only one I can think of is Stephanie.
No I’m not giving her up of course, but I was thinking a little white lie would do everyone some good.
18th Feburary 2013
Monday
7am
Stephanie and I got up early and had breakfast at one of the coffee shops near my block.
At 7.30am, we parted ways, I was to head to the office while she will wait a while longer before leaving my place.
She did not want to squeeze on the public transport with the peak hour crowd, and given that she was on the run, she did not want to take a cab either.
Anyway, I told her to get it done so we can quickly book our tickets.
After I parted ways, I called Victor.
Perhaps it was just luck smiling on me, I tried 3 times and there was no answer. Maybe it was too early.
Anyway, I took the opportunity to head down to Victor’s place in a cab. I wanted to get there before he answers my call.
8.15am
I waved to the security guard once more and headed up to Victor’s place.
I tried the doorbell for a good 10 minutes before he answered the door.
The smell of alcohol hit me the moment the door opened. Victor looked tired, his hair in a mess and he reeks of stale whiskey.
Victor : What are you doing here James ?
James : Oh… sorry…. I tried calling you but I can’t get through…
He shook him head a little, trying to sober up.
James : I wanted to tell you Stephanie contacted me.
His eyes immediately focused and he asked me where was she.
James : She never say but she wanted to borrow money from me…. About 5k…
Victor : Then… then… what did you say…
James : Well, initially I said no, but she started scolding me, saying it was my fault she doesn’t have her travel documents and all…. So I sort of agreed.
James : I was to make the transfer to her later in the afternoon
Victor massaged his head, trying to get his brain to start working.
Victor : Ok… look, don’t transfer…. Say you want to meet up… I will…go…. And…..
Before he could continue, I asked if I could use the bathroom.
Victor : errrr….
James : Sorry… I came in a hurry…. Stomach not feeling well….
He seemed like he was caught off guard for a moment and he took a second longer to reply me.
Victor : Sure… go to the one in the master bedroom.
I nodded and entered his apartment.
There was nothing out of place, the living and dining area still looked decently neat and tidy with exception of a bottle of near empty whiskey on the coffee table.
I deliberately waited till I was close to the master bedroom door before I called out to Victor.
James : Thanks ah… sorry to trouble you… be done in a minute.
I did not shout, I just spoke a little louder on the pretext that I wanted him to hear me from the main door since I was a distance away.
What I wanted to do was to let Ruhui know there was someone else in the house.
If she had half a brain, she should be calling out for help.
And she did.
I could hear her scream as there was immediately a series of thumping sound.
Although I could not make out exactly what she was saying, I could tell it was a plea for help.
I paused by the master bedroom door and I turned towards Victor.
He too looked at the door before turning back to look at me.
Victor : James….. go use the toilet…. And pretend you never hear anything….
He closed the front door and walked calmly to his bottle of whiskey and started to drink again.
The thumping got louder, it did not sound like someone hitting on the door itself, more like kicking against the partition wall of the headboard of the bed or something.
It caught me off guard momentarily and I went ahead to the bathroom. I counted each second I was on the toilet bowl.
Since I said I needed it, I had to make a show of me using it.
About 4 minutes later, I left the bathroom and left Victor’s room.