It was one of those phone calls that would make you stare at the screen for a few seconds before you reacted. I’m serious.
Looking at the number and the name alone brought back quite a bit of memories for me. After all, the person calling had been part of my life for a while some time ago.
There was this gut squeezing sensation followed by a little dash of uncertainty as I stared a little daze at the phone.
One of the things I dreaded was to receive a call from my Ex-girlfriends.
It could be nothing, then again, it could be something. She might suddenly say ; “ Hi, you free to attend your son’s 1st birthday ?” or something.
Maybe just to spite you, she wants to invite you to her wedding ?
Maybe she started selling insurance and her first victim would be her ex-bf.
Susanne’s name flashed a few times before it went off.
I stared at the screen again as I thought about our 1 year relationship some time back.
I hope she accidentally hit the dial button.
Maybe she’s looking for another James ?
Perhaps she’s drunk or something ? She just wanted to find someone to scream at.
30 seconds passed and the phone did not ring again as I heaved a sigh of relieve.
It’s the weekend and I have no wish to deal with remnants and past memories of previous relationships. Surely it had to be a unintended call, an accident.
5th December 2014
7.45pm
It was a typical Friday evening. Finished worked, made some calls, meet friends up for drinks. Simple Friday evening.
Simple.
Or so I thought.
I had initiated a meet up with a few ex colleagues for drinks and to catchup.
Sam was the only one that could reach on time for dinner and some drinks while the other 2 , Thomas and Welly were en route back from site to join us.
Their offices is along Sims Ave and the logical place for cheap and good food would be our very own red light district in Geylang. There is no better place for a good meal and ice cold beer while you do a bit pf people watching.
Sam was my senior in the previous firm and we quarrelled on the very 1st day. It was not just an argument but flat out shouting. As unlikely as it seemed, we ended up being close colleagues because we had 1 thing in common.
We’re straight talkers and we don’t take shit from anyone.
He admitted that he deliberately came over and offered to buy me lunch the next day because he thought I would not accept it, especially not since he asked in a insincere and gangster like manner.
It was his morbid way of welcoming newbies to the firm. Sick I must say but old birds in old companies have their own pet peeves.
I accepted his treat and I ordered up a shitload of food from the tze char stall forcing myself to finish them.
I still remembered him looking at the food as I repeated his exact words.
James : You tell me to order as much as I can one hor, as long as I can finish.
Sam : Er…ok… ok.. go ahead.
I stuffed myself full with the food and Sam was presented with a 90 dollar Tze char bill for lunch for 2 pax.
As he reeled in shock at the bill, I paid for it and said it was a joke.
Sam : Knn… you really can eat ah….
James : I was just joking…. I feel like puking …. Wanted to teach you a lesson….
After a good laugh and a afternoon of tummy ache, we hit off right away with each other.
Anyway, I lasted only a year at the firm before a better offer was made and I took it.
Thomas and Welly were my teammates in the same firm and we are all movie junkies interested in 1 particular genre, Horror, zombies and gore. They could not click with Sam in terms of work as much as I did but when the conversation topics came to the occult and the gory, everyone immediately put aside their difference and chatted like old buddies.
Sam spoke after putting down his phone and adding that the guys were on their way.
Sam : Who’s calling you ? Answer la…
James : My ex… I think she accidentally dialled the wrong number… .. we broke up more than a year ago…
Sam : Maybe she inviting you to your baby full month ? .. you got accidentally shoot inside before you break up ?
I ignored his jibe and poured more beer for both of us.
We were smacked right in middle of Geylang. After a good meal of Beef hor fun, we found a nice coffee shop with a decent view and ordered beer and some chicken wings. We were too hungry to wait for Welly and Thomas.
Leaning back on the plastic chair, I took in a breathe of the polluted air filled with smokes and car exhaust and I stretched out my arms. Nothing beats a ice cold beer after a good meal in this country.
As the cold brew slid down my throat, my senses felt more alive than ever as I take in the sights, the sound and the ambience of Geylang.
I saw a few cute looking girls crossing the road, their arms interlocked with each other. They threw me a smile, or maybe they threw everyone seated behind me a smile as they head towards the alley.
I raised my mug of beer at one of them as she turned away and whispered something to her friend before laughing together.
Sam : I think they want to make you an offer…
James : Is it ? …. Are you their pimp ?
He laughed and switched his attention to another lone girl walking over in a black shimmering dress and 3 inch heels.
She’s hot, long shoulder length hair, black as coal. Her breast looked like they were going to spill out as she approached some uncles having their evening drink. Her heavily accented Chinese gave her nationality away immediately.
Sam : Wah… this one… this one…. Ning nar beh…. Her breast… wah lau… confirm is fake one… the way it bounce, cannot… cannot….. fail…
James : You are barely 5 years older than me…. Can you don’t be such an uncle ? ..
Sam : I’m turning 39 in 3 months…. I am an uncle…
He gestured excitedly to another that just got off the car.
Sam : Wah this one… this one…. The hair so messy…. Must be just kena jia lat jia lat one….. face so black… haha… maybe the guy mess up her make up….
He jabbed me excitedly as he spied a girl he had tried before.
Sam : Eh that one…. I try before…. ice princess….got the cold cold look…. I like this kind… machiam I owe her a lot of money one…. Haha…
James : Yes …yes yes….
Sam : Actually I like those smile and smile and smile kind…. But nowadays very hard to find….
He gave a long sigh before answering his own statement.
Sam : Can’t blame them also la…. Sigh…. Got to let ppl fuck…, who in their right mind would do that and still smile at you nicely…. Tio bo ? Oei James ….
James : Yes… yes…
Sam : Eh are you listening to me… ? you heard what I just said ?
James : Yes… have… … you go meet the people session lor…. Everyday the MP tio jia lat jia lat…. Still smile at you…
He threw a middle finger at me before going back to his beer.
Another cute and petite girl in pants and white tube walked up, her buttocks tightly wrapped with her white pants. Several patrons nudged each other on the arms and leered shamelessly at the girl as she sat down with a old man drinking on his own.
Looking at the balding old man, the only thing I noticed was the watch that cost me my annual salary, reflecting the neon lights off its solid gold bezel.
I let my eyes lingered a little longer at the girl, she’s petite and sweet but not my cup of tea. Good body though.
Sam : James… I think that one… underage leh…. ….Eh this other 1 good, got the local OL kind of feeling…. Eh look look…
I continued to look at the petite girl in white and the uncle, ignoring my friend. I was more interested in the uncle actually, not that I’m gay.
My curiosity was with his choice to keep his wedding ring on as he stroked the girl on her leg.
Sam : Wah James… eh this 1 confirm your type…. She on the phone… I think tio bao liao…. Going to start work…. Eh… quick …look…
I turned back and looked towards the direction where my friend was gesturing with his chin as he sipped his beer.
The moment I locked eyes with the girl, I felt this jolt of current running into my stomach.
Sam : Eh you ho seh liao… she looking at you… I think you her type of meat.
I blinked my eye twice as I looked at the very girl who hung up her phone after another quick bark of instructions into the phone.
Yes, she’s the one with the typical OL look you see in Raffles place or the Marina financial district. She’s not very tall, 1.6m.If she requires an additional boost, she just needs to shop for a good pair of heels.
She’s the OL with tight figure hugging clothes and the well done up hair. She has enough makeup on to bring out her features but not to the point other girls will bitch about how thick her foundation is.
She’s definitely also the one that you secretly wished you could push onto the table and enter her from behind while she tries to balance on her 2 inch heels. Her shoulder length hair gave her the flexibility of choice on what to do with them.
There was enough volume to style them up or to let them loose. She chose to let them fall gracefully and naturally down the sides of her face, framing her chic facial features.
Her branded bag hung like a statement across her left arm as she walked towards my table in a huff.
My mind tried to wrap around the situation as I immediately checked my phone again.
There was no other miss calls. Only 1 from Susanne.
This has got to be a dream of some sort.
Numerous pairs of eyes traced the figure of the approaching girl, smiles broke out on their faces without them even realising it as they looked at the smooth hairless legs that disappeared into a pair of black heels.
She’s no street walker but all eyes would not be on that simple silver chain around her neck. Instead they would naturally go to the ample cleavage covered by the inadequate piece of cloth you call a blouse.
A pale pink blouse with buttons undone, it showed off enough. Her light colours bra pushed against her blouse, leaving a slight imprint of her bra while forcing your imagination to visualise the rest.
Something that tells you she’s not a slut, but she aint’ virgin either. Her grey skirt was paired with a stylish belt made from a colourful piece of scarf, twisting in a intricate manner through the wooden buckle.
A matching smaller piece of scarf wound itself around the handle of her handbag.
She may not be the tallest girl with the most proportionate figure in the vicinity, but it was without a doubt, she beat them all hands down in terms of class.
As she pulled back a chair from our table, Sam’s smile disappeared from his face as he set his beer down.
Sam : 美女。。。今晚去那里玩 ? 。。
She turned and gave him a look before turning back to face me as she replied.
Susanne : Your pick up line is from the sixties I assume…
Even without waiting for Sam to reply she jabbed her finger at me and said.
Susanne : Why are you afraid to pick up my call ? guilty because you are in Geylang is it ?
I was still a little taken aback at this sudden meeting with my ex that it took a few seconds for me to react properly.
James : It… it was just a miss call … come on…. I thought you accidentally hit the dial button ….
Susanne looked upwards with her eyes for a moment before licking her lips in a irritated manner.
Susanne : Why would I accidentally dial your number… ? Does your name start with ‘ A’ ?
James : No… but you might have named me as ‘A’ for being the best Ex you ever had.
She gave me a look with her emotionless eyes and said she needed to talk to me.
James : Ok go ahead…
Susanne : Not here….
Sam interrupted at that moment.
Sam : James … she’s…. your ex ah…
I looked at Sam and made a quick introduction.
James : Sam… this is Susanne, Susanne, this is Sam…
Sam : this sucks…. Being seen in Geylang by your Ex…. Says a lot about moving on after.. …
I showed him a finger as he turned away to drink his beer.
Susanne : Jokes aside James……. We need to talk…
Susanne went on to tell me that she had wanted to call me the next day but she happened to glance out of her car at the traffic light and saw me sitting at the coffee shop.
Susanne : I had to do a double take to make sure it’s you but oh well…. I don’t judge… anyway we broke up…
I rolled my eyes and told her I was just there was supper.
James : I just came here for dinner….
She looked at the food on the table and nodded her head in a sincere and understanding manner.
Susanne : I know… you came for the chicken….
She pat the back of my hand twice and nodded before twitching her left side of her lips upwards.
Susanne : It’s ok… you have you needs…
I almost puke out my beer but she put up her hand and spoke in a serious manner.
Susanne : Ok, this is serious James… I need your help.
She got up and I followed behind her.
Sam : Enjoy bro …
He called out audibly with a snigger and I could see the uncles from a few tables away sniggering at me.
I was trying hard not to feel embarrassed but Susanne turned and gave Sam a wink before linking arms with me as we walked down the alley into the middle of the red light district.
James : Where are we going ? The hotel ?
Susanne : You wished… I parked back down there….
James : You have some balls…. Parking here and walking down this alley on your own… Not scared ah ?
She ignored me and led me to her car and I got in.
She closed the door, started the engine and let the car cool down.
James : Eh, you leave your engine running like that…. Wait other people…
She ignored my comment and went straight into the conversation.
Susanne : James… remember my sister Xueling ?
James : Ermm.. .. yes…. Only met her once….
Susanne took a deep breath before telling me that her dad passed away 6 months ago.
James : Oh…
I was at a loss for words and I awkwardly opened up my arms, trying to offer her a hug but she just hit and push me away.
James : I’m… I’m sorry to hear that…. Are you ok… ?
She nodded with a sigh.
Susanne : My dad left us some money…. About 270k each…. For me and my sister…
James : ermmm ok……. And….why are you telling me all this ??
I could see Susanne looking at her heels before directing her eyes to the steering wheel and back to the windscreen as she searched for the right words.
She gripped the steering wheel with both her hands, turned her body to the left, causing her skirt to ride up a little. She was fighting to get the words out.
As our eyes met, I could see them starting to tear up a little.
I could tell she was worried, a little scared and desperately helpless. I could read her like a book, we were close before, even to the point I considered settling down for her.
It’s been a while since I last saw that look on her.
And when the words left her mouth, I felt every hair on the back of my neck stood on it’s end.
Susanne : I want you….. to help me cheat Xueling out of every single cent….
…………………………………………………………………..
James : What !!! …
I stared at her in disbelief.
Susanne did not look like she was joking. Instead she just stared at me waiting for my questions.
I could not bring myself to speak.
Susanne : Ok look… we’re not fighting over the will or anything…. It’s just that…she’s being cheated of her money…
James : What ??
I shook my head a little as I rejected a call from Sam.
James : I don’t understand…
Susanne : Here’s the short version…
Susanne went on to tell me that Xueling recently got into a relationship with this guy, Roger. They’ve been together for a couple of months and that was when Susanne found out that Xueling has been transferring sums of money out of her account.
Susanne : Xueling is a simple girl… she doesn’t spend much… she’s like a kid still stuck in her schooling years….too innocent and pure for her own good..
Xueling works as a admin assistant for a metal trading company. She’s a simple and quiet girl with very little needs. Even with her 2k salary, she still managed to save more than half every month.
Susanne : She stays with me, I pay all the bills, I buy her all her stuff, she is just someone who doesn’t spend…
Susanne started to get a little exasperated as she tried to explain her sister’s spending habits.
Susanne : She charges less than 200 to her credit card and half are for her transport top ups…. She’s a very thrifty and simple girl… but recently, she’s been transferring sums between 3-5k out of her account.
The withdrawals were random, 3k once this week, maybe 4k twice the next, then another 5k and so on.
It was steadily draining her.
Susanne tried to talk to her about it but Xueling got upset that her sister is meddling in her affairs.
Susanne : I’m concerned that she gets hurt and cheated….. she refused to talk to me… and I’m 100% fucking sure that Roger is bleeding her dry… he’s a jerk, a jackass…
I nodded and waited for Susanne to calm down.
James : Ok… ok… calm down….
I took a deep breath and tried to put it as nicely as I could over to Susanne .
James : Babe…
That was how I called her when we were together.
James : I meant this in the nicest way….
James : This is…. Singpapore…. You can’t…. do some ocean eleven trick and get away with it….
I could see Susanne breathing a little heavier as she looked at me.
James : Let’s go to the police ok ? … I’m sure if there is something going on… they would get to the bottom of this…
Susanne : You don’t believe me…. You don’t believe me either…
I could see she was starting to get upset.
James : Babe… look…
She pointed to the door and asked me to get out.
I sighed as she hit me several times before I got out and she drove off in a huff.
I shook my head and walked back to the coffee shop to see Welly and Thomas at the table.
Welly : Oei James… I heard you just went in leh… so fast ah…
Sam : How was it…. Good bo ?
James : I shook my head… got chased out halfway…
The guys laughed and we continued our drinks and chat late into the night catching up on old times.
6th December 2014
Saturday
8.45am
I was about to head out for breakfast when another familiar number appeared on my phone.
It was Susanne’s good friend. We hung out frequently when I was dating her pal.
I stared at it again before picking it up.
My mind reconnected with the conversation I had with Susanne the night before as I spoke.
James : Hi Charmaine…
Charmaine : Hey… you make my friend cry last night ah…
James : Wah lau…. Did she tell you what is going on ?? Why did she want me to cheat her sister ? … about some money thing…
Charmaine : Yes… yes… I’m aware…
James : Is everything ok with her ? ….. can you knock some sense into her ? she stressed out over work recently ?
Charmaine : Not really, it’s this matter that’s stressing her out…. So… you can help or not…
James : Come on…. Not you too…
Charmaine went on to give me a little more background regarding the matter. That it all started when Roger actually met Xueling at a café. They exchanged contacts and things took off from there.
Xueling started staying out late and even skipping work a few weeks after they started dating. Susanne objected strongly against the relationship but Xueling did not care.
Charmaine : The sisters quarrelled quite badly… and it’s come to a stage when Xueling is preparing to move out…. Susanne is stressed out…. Her dad passed on not too long….. she’s the only kin left and… well… you can pretty much guess the rest…
James : But… how to cheat Xueling of her money ? sell her a magic rock or something ah ? this…. This won’t work la… and why me ?
Charmaine seemed like she wanted to say something but held back before adding something as a afterthought.
Charmaine : Well, you’re one of the…. You know… naughtier guy Susanne dated…. I guess that’s why…
James : What ? Is that your impression of me ?
She ignored my question and tried to sway my decision.
Charmaine : Look James… I cannot force you to do this if you don’t want do but at least go take a look for yourself…
She offered to bring me to see Xueling and Roger and I had a hard time making up my decision.
Charmaine : come on… just look at them from a distance and you tell me whether she needs help . … see for yourself…
James : Sigh…. Did Susanne put you up to this….
Charmaine : Yes. .. I’m her lawyer…
James : You’re doing maritime law…. Not this…
Charmaine : Get changed…. I’ll pick you in in an hour.
I dropped the phone and brushed my hair in a frustrated manner.
This feels like a bad idea.
10.00am
Charmaine picked me up from my place in Bedok and we chatted casually in the car. She drove me to Susanne’s place in Siglap, a small old house along Yarrow Garden. A quiet neighbourhood, almost kampung like from what I remembered.
She kept checking her phone and I could see it was Susanne who was messaging her.
We parked a few units down and she killed the engine.
James : Now what ?
Charmaine : Wait ah…. Wait…
15 minutes later I heard the distinct roar of a powerful bike coming down the road. A Harley.
The bike pulled up outside the girls’ house and a guy stepped off the bike.
As he stepped off , he removed his helmet and I was thought I was looking at some movie star arrive at the set.
He works out, I could tell from his buffed arms and toned body shape. He removed his black leather jacket, revealing a white singlet that looked like it was tailored for his body.
Ok, not really that tone but still in shape. The jacket made him appear bigger than he actually was.
Leaning against his bike, he sent a few messages before lighting up a cigarette. He has a diamond stud in his left ear and a intricate tattoo on his left forearm. With his weathered and well worn jeans and a pair of heavy boots, he looked pretty decent.
The rugged kind of look that would not look out of place if he was a tomb raider or having an adventure alongside Indiana jones.
Charmaine : Wah…. Look at that….the bad boy look girls dig… haha
I gave Charmaine a disgusted look and replied her with disdain.
James : What are you ? ….. 18 ?
She shot me a stare and said I would not understand.
Charmaine : You don’t know one lah…. Haizz…
James : I can have that bad boy streak too you know.
Charmaine burst out laughing, tapping on her steering wheel.
Charmaine : hahaha… sorry James… you’re not bad…. Just naughty la….
She pointed a finger at Roger whose back was facing us and added ;
Charmaine : Bad boy…
She tilted her head sideways at me and added with a smile ;
Charmaine : Naughty boy… hahaha…
I could feel a tight squeeze at my heart, something along the line of having a heart attack.
Charmaine : You cannot deny that he has that rugged look girls like la…. If not Susanne would not have got together with him after you..…….
The moment the words left her mouth she froze.
I turned sharply towards Charmaine who looked like she had just let on some secret that would cause her to lose her life.
Her eyes widened and she immediately held my wrist.
Charmaine : look James… I can explain…
James : What !! ?? That piece of shit is Susanne’s ex ??
She started her explanation, everything coming out in bits and pieces but I was not paying much attention to her.
My eyes drifted to the gate where Xueling just came out from. She’s a splitting image of Susanne but with a more slender frame and perhaps 5cm shorter. Her hair is shorter, slightly longer than a bobbed cut with her fringe stylishly cutting diagonally across her petite doll like face.
She looked almost like she was floating on cloud nine as she skipped and hopped over to her boyfriend. That feeling of first love. That intoxication feeling most of us surely remembered.
How could we forget that drug like trance ?
Where every moment of the day felt slow unless we were with our other half. It’s like as if our body would cease to function without seeing the one we love for that day. Xueling had that same blissful look on her face as she took over a helmet and hopped onto the bike.
She’s a conservative dresser, just simple jeans and a grey t-shirt.
Charmaine : Are you listening to me James ??
I could hardly make out what Charmaine was saying. Hardly anything registered.
Now that I know Roger was Susanne’s ex, everything starts falling into place. The questions I have yet to ask, the bits which didn’t fit, everything was starting to link up.
I may not know Xueling well but I knew she listened to Susanne and she’s a pretty conservative and timid girl.
There was no way she would readily give her contact to some stranger she met at a café unless she knew him from before.
Roger must have made his move from there.
If he had been anyone else other that Roger, Susanne would probably have an easier time dealing with him but this was different. Anything coming from Susanne would probably sound wrong to Xueling given their past.
There was no way Xueling would listen to her sister.
The bike roared off the small road and Charmaine was shaking my arm.
Charmaine : James !… James !….. listen….
She told me that Susanne might have known Roger when she was with me, but she only got together with him after we broke up.
Charmaine : He’s not the cause I think……. Not him…! They only met like once or twice when you were still with Susanne ….
She desperately waved her palms at me as I stared at her.
Charmaine : Besides, they’re only together for 2 months…. And you know… Susanne’s dad was sick and all…. Then… then…
At this moment, another figure came out the front gate.
Susanne had on a white work blouse and you could see she was halfway through her makeup. She was still wearing her sleep shorts, the combination looked queer and a little funny.
Picture a woman in pink sleep shorts with a Minnie mouse print and a formal work blouse walking towards you in flip flops in the morning.
Charmaine : Oh shit… shit… Susanne is coming…
Charmaine grabbed onto me and started shaking me.
Charmaine : Don’t tell her you know Roger is her ex ok…. Don’t tell her… I’m not supposed to tell you !!
I gave her an incredulous look as she pleaded with me.
Charmaine : She’s approaching… she’s coming liao !… please James… I owe you a treat… keep it to yourself yah …
Susanne was barely 5 meters away as she went for the backseat.
I could not resist a snarky reply and I told Charmaine off.
James : You’re her lawyer…. What can she do to you… ?
Right before the rear passenger door opened, Charmaine got off a quick rebuff at me before shutting up.
Charmaine : You’re right…. But she’s my doctor…. She can kill me easier than I can sue her….
The door opened and Susanne got in.
Charmaine : Hi dear…
Susanne : Did you see that… har ?? James ?? You saw the person my little sister is going out with….
James : Yah… that bad boy right….
Susanne paused for a moment before starting on her tirade, cursing her sister’s immaturity and infatuation with him.
Susanne : I think Xueling thinks she’s still what, a teenager ah… some ah lian going to tea dance…. Har ? She’s got to be out of her mind seeing someone like that…. When will she ever grow up…?
I gave Charmaine a look and she slowly lowered her head to the steering wheel, resting her forehead on her fingers which gripped it.
I took a deep breath as Susanne asked if I could help her get her sister out of this and I nodded.
Susanne : Really ??!!! great !!!… I owe you a big one ok…. Every damm dollar you get off her I give you 10%… …. Ok… ok… I was changing halfway….. wait for me…. I’ll buy you all brunch, after that I need to head down to the clinic liao….. wait ah… wait for me….
She got off the car and before she closed the door, I stopped Susanne and asked her a question.
James : Susanne..
Susanne : yah ?
James : Do I have the bad boy streak when I was dating you ?
She immediately burst out laughing.
Susanne : Sorry James…hahaa…. You errr….. I think you are naughty boy la…. Not bad boy….
With that, she closed the door and left while Charmaine kept her forehead down, trying to avoid eye contact with me.
I could not believe the indignation I was suffering at the hands of this 2 girls.
As we waited in silence, Charmaine tried to initiate a conversation with an awkward smile.
Charmaine : Ehh… so… now that you know Roger is Susanne’s ex, ….hahah
Charmaine : . it gets more challenging right …. Hahah…
When she heard my reply, she gave a low whistle, turned back to face the front and started the engine to pull the car up closer to Susanne’s gate.
James : No….. Now it’s personal…
…………………………………………………………………………………….
Susanne squirreled us off to some café along Siglap for coffee and brunch as she continued about how immature her sister was.
Susanne : It’s for her own good…. She refused to listen to me… my god… what is she thinking…I don’t know what she saw in that guy..
Charmaine tried very hard to avoid my eye contact as she poked at her pancakes.
11.45am
Susanne got everyone a 2nd cup of coffee and laid down some plans she had been thinking of.
Susanne : Ok, simple… if we can get her away from Roger, that’s the preferred option, she leaves him, stop getting her money fleeced, happy ending, case close.
She shifted the pepper holder to one side, using it as an example for the option she just illustrated.
Susanne : Option 2, we get every single cent from her, or rather as much as we can. Those money are left to her by Daddy, no way am I watching it go down the drain…and I meant doing this by hook or by crook.
The salt shaker joined the pepper on the side.
Susanne : Last option…
She took the small vase which held a pitiful looking orchid, it looked pretty dried up and sad and the petals were barely holding on.
Susanne pulled out the entire flower with a delirious look on her face.
Susanne : We kill him and dump his body … .. so which one you guys think is more workable.
I was resting my right cheek on my fist as I stared at Susanne, thinking of the times we spent together.
Memories of our first date, the first time we went on a holiday , the first time we had sex all came flooding into my mind. A doctor. How in the world could a low life like me ever date a doctor , I could still never figure out that answer.
She’s a smart girl, spunky and spontaneous. Her mother past on when they were in primary school, they were brought up single handled by their Dad.
Her Dad had his own clinic in Tampines, one he co-ran with Susanne’s uncle. The same one that Susanne now works at.
With a steady stream of patients and regulars, finances was never a problem. The girls spent their school holiday at the clinic, helping out with trivial tasks from sweeping the floor to filling up the candy bowl.
Susanne eventually followed her dad’s footsteps but Xueling did not enjoy school at all, choosing to drop out of ITE after barely a year. She did not bum around though, heading straight into the workforce doing administrative work.
I consider myself lucky to have dated Susanne.
During the course of our year long relationship, I have thought about settling down for good. Yes you know, the typical Singaporean way of getting a flat, propose, hold a banquet and so on.
All these were at the back of my mind but there was no doubt I was thinking about them. The thing was that I’m not good at expressing myself for these matters.
If I actually said ‘ Oei, ehh… apply HDB ai mai ? “ , I was pretty sure it would come out sounding like a sneer, maybe a joke.
What about a cheezy proposal ? Flowers, LED lights, banners.
Not my style.
Anyway, our breakup was like a accelerating car heading out of control. One day Susanne told me she wanted to settle down and I was not giving her the security she needed.
Susanne : We’re heading nowhere…. I don’t feel you are ready James…
Those were the exact words.
I didn’t even have time to prepare a proper reply before she past her own judgement that I was not ready.
Women.
A couple of minor tiffs followed and before I realised it, we broke up.
Or perhaps now that I am aware that Roger has been seeing her during the last few weeks of my relationship, he might actually have something to do with it.
I was snapped out of my day dream by a few clicks of Susanne’s fingers.
Susanne : Oei… see.. you always drift off when I’m talking to you….no wonder we broke up….
James : You’re the one asking for my help now….
She tried to suppress the irritation as she checked her watch.
Susanne : I need to be back in the clinic soon…. What are your thoughts.. ?
No one spoke as I looked straight into Susanne’s eyes.
We just stared at each other.
It was beginning to get awkward as Charmaine sipped her coffee a little loudly to break the silence.
I took a deep breath and asked Susanne how far she was willing to go.
Susanne : Anything…. I’ll do anything…
With her steely determined eyes, Susanne stared me down.
I let my eyes drift though, trying to look through her blouse to the laced tube top beneath. Her skirt is long, right up to the mid of her calves but as she sat cross legged, they exposed her knees.
She knew I was looking at her. There was no way she could miss that. I could see her right leg that was comfortably crossed over her leg starting to swing a little, moving back and forth.
Charmaine held onto my forearm and made me look at her.
Charmaine : We are not breaking the law…
James : Cheating people is breaking the law…
Susanne : We’re talking about rescuing my sister James… we’re not cheating her…
James : Tell that to the authorities if we get caught then.
Charmaine put up her hands, sweeping an imaginary ground above the table.
Charmaine ; No… no … no… no authorities…. No breaking of the law…
Susanne : don’t be a pussy about this James… just do it…
I pointed towards Charmaine and shrugged my shoulders.
James : Your lawyer says otherwise….
Susanne : She does Admiralty law~~….probably writes about how much insurance the sailor needs or who’s paying for the salvage…
Charmaine : Hey… hey… hey….
The girls started arguing with each other and I massaged my forehead.
I cut them off and spoke softly, enough for them to hear me but not revealing what we were up to as I noticed a few busybodies seated around us had stopped talking among themselves, no doubt trying to pick up bits and snippets from us.
James : It’s not difficult to trick and cheat someone….. the hard part is getting away with it….
The girls quieten down and waited for me to go on.
James : Where is Xueling now ? … what time will she be back… ?
Susanne : Probably late at night… it’s the weekend… I don’t know… why ?
James : I want to take a look at her room….
Susanne thought about it and nodded her head.
James : I want to know where she works, what she likes, her favourite food…. Everything…
Susanne : Ok… ok… what else ?
James : I also want to know about Roger…
I could sense Susanne tensed up a little but she still nod her head.
Susanne : Ok…
15 Minutes later, Susanne asked Charmaine to drop me off at her place before sending her to the clinic.
Charmaine : So I’m your driver now ?…
Susanne : I give you free MC next week.
Charmaine : Ok..
Susanne passed me her house keys and I felt the familiar bunch jingle in my hand.
The keychain is still the same.
A simple figurine of beer mug I bought for her. The number of keys, the way it was arranged, nothing changed. Even the small little sticker of a fish I stuck onto one of the keys looked as if it was done yesterday.
Susanne : drop by my Clinic after you’re done ya… I need to talk to you about other stuff…
I nodded.
As we filed out of the café in a single line with Charmaine up in front followed by me, Susanne spoke to me from behind in a soft harsh whisper.
Susanne : Leave my worn clothes alone James… don’t touch my lingerie….
I laughed, causing Charmaine to turn around with a puzzled look as she unlocked her car.
That simple warning brought back so much memories. Of the times I deliberately stained her lingerie, leaving them for her to find.
Memories of how we met came flooding back too, scenes and flashes a couple of years ago.
I visited Susanne’s clinic then to get some stiches on my arm removed. Her dad was supposed to attend to me but he asked Susanne to do it instead.
James : Eh Dr Sim, I er…. Don’t want intern to do it can…. Almost 12 stiches here leh… wait got scar…
I made no attempt to hide the fact that I had no confidence in Susanne. Sweet and pretty yes but she looked young and inexperienced.
Dr Sim : Haha… she’s not intern, she’s my daughter…. Don’t worry, she’s good…. remove stiches won’t scar la.
I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life before as Susanne gave me a look which she tried to keep professional as she unwrapped the suture removing kit.
She did it like an expert craftsmen who had honed her skills over many decades and dressed my wound.
Susanne : It’s done… you can go.. I’ll give you some additional dressing to change.
I mumbled a thanks and paid the bill.
Nothing would have happened between us if I did not offer to help my neighbour bring his old cupboard down to the Bin centre that very day. As I perspire, the dressing came out halfway and by sheer dumb bad luck, I scratched a portion of the wound and it started to bleed again.
I could see the pink reddish raw skin that had barely oozing blood. It’s not serious, probably a cut of about 4cm the most.
When I got to the clinic at 8pm, they were already closing. Susanne’s dad was gone, she’s about to pull down the shutter when our eyes met.
Susanne : I’m an intern you know…. I cannot help you… you better go hospital…
I gave her such a helpless look that she relented and let me back in.
She cleaned the wound and said it’s deep but it’s fine. Gave me a shot and stitched me up
The cashier’s closed and Susanne took all of 58 dollars I have in my pocket. She was lazy to use the nets machine or accept my credit cards. She did say it’s not enough but if I was willing to not ask for a receipt, she’s giving me a discount.
I laughed and agreed.
James : Will this leave a scar ? haha..
Susanne : Yes. I made sure it did… haha
I went back the next day with a hamper to express my thanks and the rest was history.
………….
1.10pm
As Charmaine’s car pulled away, I let myself into the gate and walked along the same path I once considered my 2nd home.
Even unlocking the main door felt familiar in my hands.
Without wasting time, I went straight for Xueling’s room.
I knew which one it was from my past visit. She may be Susanne’s sister but throughout our relationship, I only saw her once or twice, I can’t really remember.
This despite staying over at her place pretty often.
Xueling is a very private person. She prefers to retreat to her room once she comes back home, hardly ever stepping out after. With it’s own attached bathroom and a mini pantry, her room looked like a small studio apartment.
I was greeted with the fragrance of her perfume the moment I stepped in.
Her desk was messy and I went through some baking magazines with post it notes on them. There is even a bag of baking accessories, tools and moulds.
I saw half done scrap books, with pictures of her and Roger scattered all over. This girl is obviously head over heels with Roger.
Her bed was neatly made. A stray strand of hair stood out against her white bedsheets. The curtains swayed gently in the wind as her windows were left ajar.
There were no branded bags and clothes. No expensive trinkets and gadgets.
It was just a simple room for a simple girl. A small collection of lucky items hung on a small hook. 4 leaf clovers, various cute amulets and charms, even a figurine of a toy vampire holding a smiley talisman.
As I left Xueling’s room, I could not resists taking a peek at Susanne’s room. It was a room that I had spent many weekends in.
The pink bedsheets, the hello kitty and Daniel pillowcase and even her collection of pyjamas that had that silly cat on it. You could never tell Susanne was someone who liked these cutesy stuff.
Nevertheless I put up with them as they were confined to her bedroom most of the time.
I would surely think twice about someone dressed head to toe in hello kitty garb stich me up and dress my wound.
I passed by the dining table where I had cooked my fair share of meals for Susanne and saw another bag of baking stuff on it.
I had barely touched the door knob when I heard the familiar roar of the Harley engine. There was no way anyone could miss that. I paused for a moment, my mind immediately thinking about the noise.
First think I could think of was the couple heading back for sex.
It’s common isn’t it.
An empty house, couple engulfed in the flames of love. Sneak back in when no one is in.
I walked briskly to the window and my hand was already dialling Susanne’s phone.
I had left both the front gate and the grille unlocked when I came in. How was I to know anyone would be coming back ?
The main door was bolted though.
There’s no back door leading out of the kitchen, the alternatives would be a 3 panel sliding door that opens up from the living area to a sidewalk with plants and turfing. I might as well open the front door if I take that option since I would be in full view of anyone standing at the gate.
The call connected within seconds as I parted a bit of the curtains.
I saw Roger cutting off the engine but he was alone. Xueling was nowhere to be seen.
Susanne : Yes ?
James : Roger is here…. Alone.. he’s getting off his bike.
Susanne : What ? how dare he!… I warned him to not fucking get within 30meters of my gate or I will kill him…
She rattled off some curses as I watch him light a cigarette before casually looking around.
Susanne : I always made it clear I don’t want him near Xueling, I told him off every time he appeared !! what is he doing ?
Roger’s eyes wandered around. He’s trying to appear as if all was normal, he’s just waiting for someone but I could tell he wanted something. If not he would not be here.
Without warning, Roger reached into his jacket and retrieved a bunch of keys.
My eyes narrowed and I told Susanne I got to go.
James : He has the keys to your house…. I got to go..
Susanne : What ??!
I hung up and changed position in order to get a clearer view.
I watched as he paused at the gate, looking at the opened lock. He looked back up towards the house and hesitated.
2 seconds later, he pushed it open and walked right through.
Immediately I backed off, walking towards Susanne’s storeroom and opened it. I pulled out the old Vacuum cleaner and quickly connected the plug to a wall socket.
His boots hit the concrete slab by the front door. There was no way he would miss the unlocked gate.
Susanne texted me to say that she’s rushing back and that Xueling says she’s having breakfast with Roger at a café just a stone throw away from where we were.
He must have made some excuses to get away for a moment.
I could hear the swing of the grille, the old rusty hinges creaked angrily as they were swung opened.
Pulling the Vacuum behind the sofa, I switched it on.
The blast of the old machine sucking air through it’s vent filled the entire house, ringing out noisily as I stood just out of view.
I could almost picture Roger standing by the door, keys in hand hovering somewhere near the keyhole.
I stood at the archway leading to the girls room, staring at the bolt of the door.
For a good 10 seconds, nothing happened.
The vacuum continued to whine noisily.
My eyes never left the bolt.
I clenched my teeth when I saw the bolt turn and I backed away and opened Susanne’s room.
Whatever he wanted, he wanted it bad enough.
………………………….
I switched off the main switch for the Vacuum and heard the snap of the bolt after it turned 90 degrees as I retreated into Susanne’s room.
I could hear the creak of the old wooden door as it swung opened. Opening up Susanne’s wardrobe, I took out a set of clothes and put them on the bed. It was her habit.
Using my foot, I pulled the handle of the drawer and opened up the lingerie drawer. I grabbed a set of them and threw them into the empty laundry basket. She strips totally before stepping into her bathroom.
Another set joined the clothes on the bed and I stepped into the shower and turned it on, letting the water splash noisily onto the floor.
I took a deep breath and tried to think of the possibilities.
Roger came back because he knew the house would be empty and he wanted something. It should be money.
After all, he’s been bleeding Xueling regularly.
With the din from the Vacuum and the unlocked gate, it was obvious there was someone in the house, and chances are he would think it was Susanne. He must have pretty big balls to step in like this.
Perhaps he thinks there is no way Susanne would be able to stand up to a confrontation with him. He could always walk away.
I could not hear what was going on outside. Not with the water splashing. The lock on Susanne’s door had been down for close to 10 years. Back during an episode when she locked herself in her room during a bad quarrel with her dad. It was broken when her dad forced his way in.
Susanne sent me a text, saying she’s less than 10 minutes away.
I sat on the toilet bowl, thinking of what to do if Roger and I meet face to face.
I had every right to question him as much as he did for me, it’s just that things might get awkward and troublesome to explain.
Before I could get to that, I heard the roar of the engine again. That thud thud thud before it accelerated and sped off.
I immediately switched off the shower and dashed outside.
He’s gone.
I quickly ran to Xueling’s room and took a quick look, everything seemed to be where it was originally from what I could remember.
I went back to the living room and looked around and I noticed something on the ground. That piece of shit walked in with his boots on.
There were bits of grass and some fine grains of soil at certain spots.
I followed the trail and it ended at the dining table.
The bag of baking ingredients was gone.
I sat down at the table and scratched my head. Maybe the entire thing was just me over reacting.
Maybe Roger just came back to grab the baking stuff.
Susanne came back a while later and ran through the gate with Charmaine behind her.
I opened the door for her and told her he’s gone.
James : He’s gone.
Susanne : I know, he turned out of the road the moment we turned in. We past right by each other… what did he want ?
I shrugged my shoulders.
James: maybe he just came back and grab something for Xueling ?
Susanne : How dare Xueling give him the keys. ! I’ll kill her when she gets back later…. At this rate, he’ll plunder the whole house…
I kept quiet as Susanne checked through the house to see if anything was missing. When she popped her head out of her room she added.
Susanne : What were you doing with my clothes and lingerie ?
Charmaine raised an eyebrow and I quickly defended myself.
James : It’s not what you think… !
She shut her door, folded her arms and came over.
Susanne : So now what ? … what do we do ? … I’ll talk to Xueling about this when she gets back.
I took a look around the house and said she needed a renovation. The house is literally falling apart in come spots.
Susanne : What ?! the house is fine…
James : Do it… it’s one of the easier ways to fleece money. Split the bill with your sis.
She considered my suggestion before asking me how.
Susanne : But we’re not really going to do a major overhaul right, I meant…. There’s no point spending the money and all…
James : Leave it to me…I’ll make it seemed as if you did a lot when in actual fact it was nothing and I’ll charge you a bomb for it…
I took some photos of the house and left.
10th December 2014
Wednesday
9.30 pm
I emailed Susanne some proposal and she accepted them right away. She text me 20 minutes later that her sister was ok with splitting the bill base on my estimates.
I had proposed to repaint the exterior of the building since most of the paint was peeling off. Some of the turfing were dried and dead for the longest time with a few patches prone to water ponding when it rained.
These are genuine stuff that needed fixing.
Some of the plants grew wildly and that resulted in a pretty unsightly garden. Fixing that is cheap and visually, it would look like a lot was done.
I’m using the opportunity to change the locks for the house, something I had highlighted to Susanne along with a few improvements and additional cupboards.
Calling in a few favours from my contractor friends, I don’t expect the cost to be more than a couple of thousands but I put in the estimates at 25k
With Xueling paying 12, it would hardly make a dent in her bank account. I knew both sisters are completely ignorant when it comes to renovation and IT, it should not be difficult to pull this off.
Still, I will not pass up the chance to hit a chunk off Xueling.
The faster I pull this off, the earlier I can concentrate on Roger. Somehow he does not seem that simple to me.
I had been thinking about Susanne the past few days, and this was my opportunity to get back with her too.
She’s single, so was i.
Not to forget we had a bit of a past, if I play my cards right, who knows ?
I admit I still have a bit of feelings for her.
Who wouldn’t ?
If you think I’m going to depend on the renovation to fleece Xueling, you’re wrong.
That is just an excuse. A cover of sort for something else.
You cannot cheat too much with regards to stuff like renovation. It’s easy to get a price comparison, anything too ridiculous, you would blow your cover right away.
I have something else in mind.
I logged into taobao and ordered a shipment of props and costumes including a large porcelain wine cask. Narrow at the bottom before it bulge out in the middle and going back to a narrow neck with a small opening.
I chose to have all the stuff shipped over by air and I texted Susanne the bill.
She did say she’ll pay for all the miscellaneous cost incurred.
19th December 2014
Friday
9.30 am
All the stuff I ordered had arrived a couple of days ago via air mail. I arranged for the contractors to start work on a couple of things.
Xueling had left for work and I was going through some stuff with Susanne.
James : Ok. Simple… we’ll be doing this… and over there… and…
After I gave her the once over, she left me with the contractors and went to her clinic.
Painting was only done at the exterior, I left one of my trusted friend in charge of the workers and left.
4.30pm
It’s only a single storey building, by the time I got back at 4.30pm
The workers were done and with a fresh coat of paint, the house looked a lot more cheerful. There were doing some light cleaning and I could see another group digging up the courtyard at the back.
That was the part with regular ponding, I told Susanne I wanted to do something about it. Put in some drainage cells and discharge the excess to a nearby drain.
When the hole was about 80cm deep, I instructed the workers to stop and I took something out from my car in a box.
The landscape contractor asked his workers to all go take a break as he helped me with the box all the way to the courtyard.
Ah Liu : Hey James… zhun bo…. Do until like that…. Haha… wait the owner kia see ki ah…. Haha ( James… wait the owner will die of fright )
James : Haha… don’t worry… I know what I’m doing…
I filled in some soil and covered the wine cask which now looked like an urn.
There are about 206 human bones in a average adult body. For those who are not medically trained, we probably would have difficulty identifying most parts except for the obvious few.
Xueling would surely fall for it.
I collected bones from my dinner for the past few nights, soaked them and used the dehydrator I have in my house which was used to make pet treats to remove the moisture.
Wrapping them in a yellow cloth I soaked with tea leaves, I tied it up and placed it into the urn the night before.
It was sealed up and I added a talisman across the top. Scribblings I downloaded from the net and replicated it onto the paper in red ink made from Cinnabar.
Ah Liu and I covered most of the urn with soil and left only a portion lightly covered with soil.
We put a small barricade around it just in case anyone falls in, but it was unlikely.
Workers were told to hold the work for that portion.
The Susanne I knew could not act for shit.
If I want results, I have to do it without her knowing what I have in mind.
Yes, she may be a doctor. She will know a bone when she sees one but she’s as timid as a mouse when it comes to stuff like this.
Susanne : There’s a difference between treating live people and dealing with the dead…. Why do you think I stuck with my dad’s clinic ?
Those were the exact words she told me.
20th December 2014
Saturday
8.30 am
Ah Liu was there to finish up the rest of the landscaping work, removing weeds and overgrown shrubs.
By 11.30am, 5 huge bags of plants, leaves and twigs were loaded up onto his lorry as I watched from a distance in my car.
I don’t want to show my face for now, especially not if Xueling is still in the house.
I parked a few units down near one of Susanne’s neighbours. She had dropped by together with me to ask her neighbour to intrude for a few hours outside his lot and the old uncle gladly agreed.
At 11.45am, another contractor arrived with some carpentry stuff loaded to the brim on his pickup.
Derrick and Freddy text to tell me they’ve arrived and I asked them to go on ahead. Susanne would be expecting them.
Susanne’s place badly needed some extra storage and I took the opportunity to include them in the renovation.
I have worked with Derrick for the longest time. It’s pretty hard to find Singaporeans doing carpentry these days, not to mention 2 university graduates. They took over their dad’s business and never looked back.
It’s expensive, the unit rate they gave is high but I used them whenever the client’s budget allows.
We’re all Singaporeans, if we don’t help each other, who would ?
12 noon
The familiar roar of the Harley reached my ears before Roger’s figure zoomed passed me. He overshot the girls place and chose to park further down since most spots were taken up by the contractors.
Less than a minute later I could see Xueling running out of the house as Susanne waved her arms madly in the air shouting at her.
Xueling hopped onto Roger’s bike and they’re off.
I got out of the car and checked the skies. It’s the rainy season, weather report says it would rain that day.
I went in to check on the works and Susanne started complaining about her sister again.
Susanne : Crazy girl … madly in love I think…. Early morning wake up to bake cake for him…. I think she’s mad. …. Bake cake not enough… still make what…. Brownies, har ? Siao one young people these days…
The house does smell pretty good near the kitchen but once I left that part, it just smells of glue and paint.
Susanne offer to buy me lunch while we left the contractors to their work.
3pm
I said I have something to attend to and I parted ways with Susanne. I had dropped Charmaine a text to meet up and that she was to keep it between us.
Charmaine : What is it ?
She folded her arms as she leaned against the pillars of the void deck below her flat.
15 minutes later, her arms were no longer folded.
Her eyes glared at me and she had difficulty closing her jaw.
James : Can you do it ?
Charmaine : Susanne would kill you.
I smiled and said she would not.
I left Charmaine and by 6pm at Susanne’s place, everything was done except the drainage work in her courtyard at the back.
7.30pm
Susanne mopped the floor as the sky turned a crimson shade of red. The wind is strong, and I expect the rain to start soon.
My plan is simple.
Susanne’s window faces the very courtyard where I buried the urn. After the rain, as long as she looks out the window, she would see it.
Even if she didn’t, I would make some excuse for her to help me check if the courtyard is ok after the rain. Just to make sure no water ponds for mosquito breeding and shit.
She would surely freak out, call me and I would put the rest of the plan into motion.
It started to pour. The heavy tropical rain pelted the house and the yard. Visibility was bad too.
I was stuck in the house as well but I’m not worried. There’s no way you could ride a bike in that weather. You have to be mad to do it.
Susanne went out and brought my shoes in, placing it in the same spot in her shoe cabinet.
I looked at her body, bent over a mop as she pulled it across the old tiled floor. She wore a grey singlet and a light grey bra. I could see her down blouse whenever she turns towards my direction.
Her light blue sleep shorts had a few wet patches and her singlet was soaked with her perspiration.
There was no air conditioning in the living room, only a old ceiling fan.
For so many years, Susanne was the person doing the housework, the laundry, all these on top of her work at the clinic.
I did not help as I sat there at the dining table looking at her.
When she pause to take a breather, she saw me staring at her and she brushed her fringes back and rest her left hand on her waist.
Susanne : What ?
I smile and shook my head as Susanne glared at me.
She was about to say something when I watch her drop the mop onto the floor. Her facial expression changed as she dashed towards me, grabbing me by the hand.
James : What is it ?
She did not reply me. As I got up on my feet, I could hear laughters.
Loud laughter from the front door.
I could hear Xueling and Roger right outside the door as they knocked for Susanne to open it.
We kept the lock for the grille gate but the main door has been changed to a number lock.
Susanne pushed me into her room and shut the door.
I pressed myself against it and tried to pick up what was happening.
There were some noises. Raised ones and angry tones.
As the commotion got closer to me, I could hear Susanne and Xueling literally quarrelling outside the door.
Susanne : He is not staying here tonight ! I don’t care !
Xueling : It’s none of your business !! stop meddling in my affairs.
I could hear Roger laughing as Xueling pushed him into her room to get a hot shower so he won’t call sick.
Susanne : Listen to yourself !! what are ,,…..
Xueling shouted something that I could not make out and slammed the door on Susanne.
I stepped back from the door and when Susanne stepped in, I could see her eyes getting a little red.
She leaned against her bedroom door and I could see her trying to hold back her tears, desperately looking upwards into the ceiling as she takes in quick deep breaths.
James : You ok ?
She nodded and did not say a word choosing to lean against the door.
The last time we were in that room together, we were in the heat of love making. Now we just stared at each other from a distance away.
About 10 minutes passed before there was a knock on the door.
I stood up, so did Susanne.
There was no place for me to hide except in the wardrobe. I quickly opened it and struggled to step up onto the drawers, praying it would hold my weight.
Pushing clothes aside, I managed to squat at a corner, elevated about 90 cm off the ground with my head and body being squashed by the amount of clothes Susanne had in her wardrobe.
The cabinet door closed and I could not see anything except a sliver of light coming in from the seams of the cupboard.
I might not be able to see but I could clearly hear the entire conversation.
Susanne : What do you want ?
Roger : Don’t be so hostile la…. Xueling is in the shower… I came over to talk to you..
Susanne : Get out of my house…
Roger : Your sister invited me in… not you …
There was some fumbling before Susanne spoke a little harshly.
Susanne : Get out from my room.!!
Roger : Haha… why ?
I could hear some struggling going on before the door was swung all the way opened, hitting the stopper at the back.
Roger : I’ve been inside this room so many times before already what….I was your ex remember… haha..
My heart was thumping as I gripped onto the sides of the wardrobe.
Roger : Eh… what happened to the other hello kitty already ah… haha… what happened to that blue set ? too stained to be used is it ? hahah
I heard Susanne scream as she tried to hit Roger.
There was some commotion before Roger laughed.
Roger : Keep it down… don’t let your sister hear us ok ? …
Susanne: You’re a jerk… you don’t even like Xueling…
Roger : Of course I do… I love her so much…
Susanne threw something at Roger and I could hear it dropping into the floor as he laughed. No doubt avoiding it easily.
Susanne : GET OUT!!
Roger : Still the same feisty Susanne eh… haha.. I still remember the way you shout for me when we…
Susanne : SHUT UP !! GET OUT !!
The sound of more stuff being thrown sound out and Roger laughed louder.
Roger : Haha… ok.. ok… you’re sis is almost done…. You’re starting to appear as if you’re mad…. You’re going to scare her…
Roger : I… I just want to apologise for… you know…what..
Susanne : SHUT up!!!! Get out of my room!!!
Susanne had lost it by then as she screamed and cried out.
Roger : Come on… how was I to know it would be that lucky….it’s just an abortion ~~…
My heart sank as the words drilled themselves into my ears.
I gripped the sides of the cabinet so hard that I thought the old cabinet would break.
Susanne was openly sobbing by then as she screamed and I could hear more things being thrown at Roger.
Susanne : SHUT UP….. just SHUT up..!!! sobzz.. sobzz…
Roger : Well.. I’m really sorry… I meant… if not for me…. You would have been happily attached with your boyfriend back then and… haha…
Susanne must have grabbed something hard and went at Roger.
I heard him cry out in pain as Susanne shouted for him to leave.
That was it.
I’m coming out.
I was about to head out of the wardrobe but I heard Xueling’s voice rang out loudly and in an agitated manner.
Xueling : Enough… stop it !! … SIS! … can you be more reasonable!!! … why are you always against Roger !!
Susanne did not speak, she just sobbed loudly in the room as Xueling scolded her as she helped Roger.
Xueling : Look he’s bleeding !… ask yourself are you being fair to me !! … so what if he’s your Ex…. You broke up so long ago.. !!
The door slammed shut and there was just silence in the room.
Seconds later I could hear Susanne sobbing openly.
I opened the cabinet door and stepped out.
Susanne was on the floor. Her legs had no strength to carry her body weight.
Her eyes were red, blood shot.
Her lips was trembling as she looked at me.
Her hands went to her own shoulders, cradling her shivering body as she cried.
I walked over and locked the door.
I sat down beside Susanne as she reached for me with her shaking hands.
She struggled to get the words out of her mouth, shaking her head as tears rolled down her eyes.
Susanne : I…. I did not …….cheat on you … James…. He…. He was never my boyfriend….. no one knew…
She shook her head as she buried herself in my arms for a couple of minutes sobbing away.
James : Tell me what happened.
Susanne : I had no choice…
I repeated my question gently.
James : It’s ok… tell me what happened.
The rain continued to pour.
There was no dramatic thunder and lightning sequence.
Just the sound of heavy rain.
That was the first time I saw her in that state. Having lost her mother at a young age, Susanne is fiercely independent.
I never saw her cry during our relationship.
She was one of the strongest female friend I had.
She took a few deep breaths and she lowered her voice, as if worried what she was about to say would leak out of the room.
Her dad, passed away because of stomach cancer. He found out about his condition a few years ago and in a moment of folly, he started selling cough syrup to Roger. The amount he sold was small, not enough to raise suspicion.
Eventually the volume started to rise but due to the huge patient base, and her dad did everything personally, they evaded the authorities for years. Around the period when her dad decided to retire and take things easy, he stopped supply Roger with the syrup.
That was when the troubles began.
Susanne was kept in the dark initially but after Roger kept showing up at the clinic looking for her dad, he finally came clean with her.
Susanne’s first reaction was to go to the police but it would get her dad and the clinic into trouble, so she attempted to cover up the incident but Roger would not have it that way.
He threatened to leak the source of his syrup, not only to the authorities, but to other addicts. People who could not keep their mouth shut.
Susanne’s dad was ready to face the music, he did not mind going to jail but she would not allow it. That was the period when our relationship started to get shaky.
She admitted that she did it partly to distance herself from me in case she got into trouble.
Behind her Dad’s back, she continued dealing with Roger, lying that the matter has been resolved. Roger stopped going to the clinic, choosing to come straight to Susanne’s house.
Xueling asked about Roger and Susanne said they were seeing each other to avoid suspicions. Her dad saw Roger too and was hopping mad but Susanne lied that they were friends and everything were over.
If not for the fact that the supplier tipped her off about prying eyes, she would have continued supplying Roger.
She decided then that she was done, told Roger about it that her hands are tied, they were being watched but he would not let things rest easy. He wanted more.
Susanne broke down for a moment and said Roger asked to sleep with her to end things.
She refused.
Susanne : We quarrelled in my room….. Xueling was not in…. my dad was with my uncle for his treatment….
Her lips trembled and she swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Susanne pressed her head against my chest and I could feel her shivering as she said the 3 words that made me clenched my teeth and strengthened my resolve to see this matter through.
Susanne : He raped me…. Roger raped me….
She burst into tears again and I kissed her hair telling her I was sorry.
James : Sorry…
She shook her head, saying that she should be the one apologising instead. She was too guilty to stay with me and made the decision to end things. How was she to know Roger would come back for her sister.
I nodded and kept quiet, apologising silently in my heart again.
If only Susanne knew why I was apologising.
Yes, I felt sorry for her ordeal.
But I was not apologising for that.
That was in the past. Feeling sorry would not help.
I’m apologising……… for the things that I’m about to do to her despite what she had gone through.……
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