4 more post to wrap this up.
Hope you enjoyed the read so far and apologies for all the grammar mistakes.
Cheers
ilock
23rd March 2015
Monday.
6am
I was back at the noodle stall, settling into my usual routine. Kate was not at the coffee shop that day. I left the house the day before around 4.30pm with my parents. The crowds slowly dispersed but Kate dropped me a message at 9pm, saying that the elders were all still in the room.
There was nothing but anger and confusion as they blamed each other for the state of the affairs.
10am
It was a pretty slow day at the stall and we were getting ready to pack up when I received a call from Kate.
Kate : I would meeting Tracy for a while today… you want to join me ??
Jake : Of course… I’ll love to…
Kate : It’s nothing much actually…. Just a meal , coffee and then drop her off at MBS sands.
Jake : Let me know the time and details.
3.30pm
I met up with Kate at Suntec City. We waited for about 10 minutes before we Tracy showed up with a few shopping bags in her hands.
I thought she was alone until I saw her men loitering a distance away. They carried a few bags as well and they looked bored.
Tracy : Hi Kate…
Kate : Hi Tracy…
They shook hands and Tracy turned towards me.
Tracy : Is he your….. bodyguard ?? or your boyfriend ?? poor thing….. he’s stuck with you ?? He should be with Ollie and Leonard….. and wherever your brother and Andy is bringing them to… hahaha…. You know… those naughty places…haha.. who is he Kate ??
Kate laughed and looked at me.
Kate : Just a friend…. He’ll double up as anything if I need him to… haha..
Tracy : Good… can he help to carry my bags too ?? haha…
Tracy passed me her bags and upon closer inspection, I realised why her men stayed so far away.
Tracy had bought lingerie from La Senza and they filled up 2 big bags. With the huge brand name plastered on the paper bags, it’s no wonder her staff stayed away.
I could see them sniggering at each other when the bags landed on me.
Tracy and Kate walked on in front and somehow I just followed them a few steps behind.
I’m not too near that it would make them uncomfortable to talk, but I’m still close enough to catch bits of their conversations.
Tracy’s men were close by, the 6 of them shopped and bought snacks along the way as well, just like any other visiting tourist but at any point of time, at least 3 kept their eyes on their boss.
Tracy : It sucks…. Really does…
Kate : What do you mean ??
Tracy : Being who I am ….
Kate : Why is that ??
Tracy : Don’t you sometimes wished you are just a normal girl in the street ? With none of these burdens to bear ?
Kate kept silent as Tracy went on.
Tracy : I can’t choose which family I’m born into…. And I’m thankful for the material comforts my family has given me…. but sometimes….all we girls wanted… is just to be loved… and have that freedom to do what we want…. No ?
Kate : Are you unhappy ?
Tracy : Should I be happy ? …… there are death threats for my dad back home…. My elder brother is in jail….. people tried to kidnap me…. I get rape threats back home too…. Hahah…
Kate : May I ask how old are you Tracy ?
Tracy : I’m turning 29… … no man…. Dared to come after me…. haha… not after learning who my dad and my brother is… hahah…
She chuckled playfully and nudged Kate on her arm as they walked down the shops in the mall.
Tracy : I like Singapore…. It’s safe…. I feel safe…. There’s just….. order….amidst all the things that is going on.
Kate : Taiwan is safe too… it’s one of the safest in Asia as well no ?
Tracy : Not if you are walking in our circle Kate… haha…
Tracy walked into a clothing shop, flipped a couple of dresses around before picking one up and holding it against herself to look in the mirror.
Tracy : I wished I could do what Gabriel and Andy wanted to do…. To slowly steer the family towards proper and decent business….. but there’s just so much barrier….
Kate : My brother believes that for the family to survive, we all need to move on. …. Technology is improving leaps and bounds everyday…. The old ways… have to go…. We know it’s impossible to remove the stain from the family but as we head into the future…. Perhaps we can redeem ourselves… once we are in a position to do so…
Tracy : I want to do that too…. But you know what… it’s a different ecosystem altogether… some things will work in Singapore, but they won’t work back home…
She put the dress back and they continued walking down the mall.
Kate : Well, if given a chance… what would you really want to do ??
Tracy : Me ? hahaha ? I don’t know…. What do girls my age do if they’re not out bribing people and trying to put your competitor out of business ?? haha…
Kate : I’ll love to travel…. Just work and travel…. There’s so many beautiful places in the world….
Tracy laughed and pointed behind her.
Tracy : Yah… I got to bring them along when I travel… it sucks…. …
Kate laughed.
Tracy : And you know what… it might seemed I have a lot of people catering to my whims and fancies but it’s a terrible pain in the ass…. I can’t even get them to buy me my pads if I needed them…..look … they don’t even dare to come near me after I bought my lingerie…
She turned around on impulse and snapped at her men.
Tracy : You pussies… !…
Then Tracy came over to me, grabbed a handful of bras out from the bag, she laughed as she walked in a threatening manner towards her man and they scattered in all directions like rats seeing a cat for the first time.
Tracy : Hahaha…
Kate : Haha…
Tracy : See…. !..
Tracy passed her lingerie back to me and I took them and kept them in her bags.
Tracy : Jake right…. Hmmmm….. not too bad…. How much you hired him for ??
Kate laughed and said I’m not very expensive.
Kate : Quite cheap… about 3k odd….. has a degree… speaks and behaves well..
Tracy : Oh… not bad… can I borrow him sometimes ?? hahah… oh wait.. wait… he’s not your boyfriend right ?? haha
Kate shook her head and said no.
Kate : but he likes me though I think… haha…
I gave Kate an irritated look and she stuck out her tongue at me.
Tracy :What about me Jake…. Do you like me ?? haha..
I looked at Tracy, the way her facial features stand out against her shoulder length hair. She is pretty, definitely prettier that Kate if I were to be honest. She’s taller too, about the same height as me, and her smile, Tracy did not just smile with her lips, she did it with her eyes too.
She tilted her head sideways and raised a sweet seductive eyebrow at me.
Tracy : need to consider that long ?? haha…
Jake : haha.. Yes… I like you too…
Tracy laughed and brushed back her hair behind her ears, looking every bit like a sweet girl in a Taiwanese drama.
Tracy : will you go out with me ?? hahaha.. if Kate allows that is…
I turned towards Kate and she folded her arms and pretended to consider her request.
Tracy : I can pay….. I’m richer that Kate and her brother you know..hahahah…
I just smiled shyly without giving a reply.
Tracy : This is what I like about Singaporean men…. Like to pretend to be shy.. ahah…
Kate : Oh please… I don’t know about the others… but this one…. This one is definitely not shy… haha..
Tracy twitched a side of her upper lips and paced around me, stroking her chin.
Tracy : Ok… ok… I’ll consider… haha..
We came to a café and the girls took a seat while I get their orders
Tracy’s men arrived too and out of courtesy I went over and offered to get them drinks.
I bought coffee for the guest and I excused myself to the washroom.
When I came out, Tracy offered to pay me for the drinks I got for her men but I declined to accept it.
Jake : You all are guest…. My treat…
Tracy gave me a naughty smile.
Tracy : I’m falling for you already Jake…. Haha..
I took the next table and gave the girls some space to talk.
5.30pm
Kate and I brought our guest to a seafood restaurant in Clark quay and bought them dinner.
Tracy : I absolutely loveeeeee…. Chilli crab….my god… so nice…. !!!
During dinner, Tracy helped me deshelled a crab claw much to my surprised and I hesitated for a second or 2 before accepting it.
Tracy : haha… still pretending to be shy Jake ? haha…
Jake : thank you… thank you….
Tracy : You know…. You accepted something from me… you have to give something in return…. That’s our rule…
Jake : Are you trying to bribe me ?? with a crab claw…??
Tracy and Kate burst out laughing in amusement as they licks the gravy off their manicured fingers.
Tracy : no… haha…I’m not… but…. I want something in return…
Jake : Say it.. if it’s within my means… I’ll get it for you…
Tracy smiled and crossed her legs, looking at me with her big endearing eyes.
Tracy : I’ll tell you when I think of it. … haha..
The table was cleared and when dessert was served, the conversation became a little more serious.
The casual and relaxed atmosphere was gone.
It was gone the moment Kate asked Tracy for help.
Kate : Can you do anything …. To help us… ?
Tracy wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at her men. They understood what their boss wanted and all of them got up and excused themselves to the bathroom.
All except 2 who stood a distance away and lit up a cigarette while they kept an eye on Tracy.
I got up too, it’s only right that I gave them space to talk but Tracy asked me to stay.
Tracy : It’s ok Jake… you can stay… .. I just don’t want what I say to get spread among the rest of the men….. Fungye is pretty active in taiwan…. His men and mine hang out often at the same pubs…
Tracy took a sip of water and she turned towards Kate.
Tracy : Rules are rules Kate… there is nothing I can do… the results are cast in stone… it’s a tie…. This is of your elder’s own doing…. There’s no one to blame…
Kate : I know… but.. perhaps… you..
Tracy : I have manpower…. But I can’t fly a planeload of them over…and even if I could… they would not want to get involved in this either… it’s not our fight…
Tracy went on to say that Fungye is a ambitious man, but because he is not a native of Taiwan, he had difficulty getting beyond his current standing. He’s not getting the support he needs to expand.
Kate : Is there nothing at all ??? that you can do ??
Tracy : I’m sorry Kate… I wished it didn’t come to this but…Fungye will be in charge….and our business dealings…. Between organisations…the preferential rates…and all….. We go to who’s in charge… If the vote is not honoured…. No one will deal with you anymore… all your connections your family built up over the years… it will be gone…
Tracy asked for a refill of her drink and went on.
Tracy : I heard that there’s a 9th vote….
My heart skipped a beat when Tracy mentioned that.
Tracy : There are rumours…. That either Gabriel…. Or Ah Keong is holding on to it….
Kate : I… I don’t know about that…
Tracy : Well, let’s hope they do have it…. And that they would have the balls to challenge Fungye the right to lead….
Tracy said that while she could not help us with changing the decision of the vote, what she can do, is provide us with information .
Tracy : I’ll send you everything we know about Fungye….. as a friend…
Kate : Thank you Tracy…
Tracy smiled and invited Kate to Taiwan when things settled down.
10.30pm
I got back home and took out the 9th vote and stared at it for close to 30 minutes before putting it away and heading back to bed.
3rd April 2015
Friday
11am
Almost 2 weeks has passed and everything we knew and got used to have started to change.
Fungye increased the rent for my parent’s stall several folds, now it’s a hefty 4000 a month for rental of that stall.
We were not the only victims; every hawker in the coffee shop was affected.
Of course, the logical step would be to quit. I mean all of the hawker in the coffee shop are getting on in age. My parents cannot afford to pay that rent, not with what they are making a month. It’s crazy.
What about Auntie Geok you say ?
Her small corner stall commanded a rent of 3.5k
How the fuck do you sell 3.5k worth of Kuehs when you make mere cents off each piece. ?
She too threw in the hat and decided to call it a day but you know what ?
It’s not that easy.
You think we can just mass quit the coffee shop, pack up and go ?
Of course not.
All of the stall owners expressed their displeasure and everyone decided to call it a day. They’ve done this for decades, it’s time to step back and enjoy their retirement.
11.30am
On that faithful day, Fungye’s men came down to the coffee shop.
I was right there when they demanded that everyone continues their business as usual. This man, Liuhai. He said we were all indebted to the organisation and that we were obligated to continue our existing relationship with them.
Jake : Fuck you… who the fuck do you think you are ?
Liuhai glared at me and stepped towards me in a aggressive manner. Several more of his men came into the coffee shop while my dad tried to break up the confrontation.
Dad : Ok ok.. enough.. enough.. stop.. stop…
I was ready to punch that fucker right there and then.
I could see Orh pao grabbing the ice pick he used to break up chunks of ice and hiding it behind his shirt from the corner of my eye. He ignored the customers in the queue and stepped out of the stall.
Auntie Geok too came over, too feisty for her age as she demanded that Liuhai and his men get out of the coffee shop.
Liuhai smirk and spit a glob of saliva onto the floor. He turned and pretended to look away but he made a move on me, trying to strike the side of my head with his palms. My dad saw what he was trying to do and he jumped infront of me, taking the brunt of the blow before collapsing onto me on the floor.
There was chaos as customers ran out of the coffee shop. Orh pao dashed over and sent one of Liuhai’s man onto the floor within the split of a second. Everyone jumped him, and my dad went over to help pull him out of the fray, kicking and pushing back the attackers.
I grabbed a chair and smashed it on the head of one guy, sending him onto the floor in pain.
Uncle’s Ben’s delivery truck arrived and several of Johari’s men jumped out.
Bill appeared too out of nowhere.
The voices in the coffee shop were so loud that I could hardly hear myself shout at my Dad to get out of the fight as I hammered another fucker with the stool in my hands.
Ben separated the fight, shouting at both sides.
Uncle Ben : Get the fuck… out of the shop Liuhai…
Liuhai smirked and spit a mouthful of blood on the floor.
Liuhai : This is not over…
He left with his men and I immediately went over to my father and Orh pao.
My mum panicked as she saw my dad bleeding on her head .
Orh pao was down as well, groaning in pain.
Everything happened in a blur.
I remembered Gabriel rushing down and he personally sent both Orh pao and my dad to a private hospital.
Gabriel : Don’t worry Jake… don’t worry…. They have the best insurance coverage money can buy….
My mind can hardly register anything that couple of days.
Orh pao had a broken rib while my dad needed 12 stitches on the head.
As if that was not bad enough, he dislocated 2 fingers on his right hand and he needed surgery to pop them back.
My blood was boiling as I stared blankly at the hospital wall.
30th May 2015
Saturday
9.30pm
Just slightly 2 month after Fungye took over, the organisation was turned upside down.
Terry could no longer get money for his cash flow and Suwen took the opportunity to leave him , not only did she leave, Suwen took close to 150k worth of jewelleries with her when she did.
When I saw Terry at his shop that day, he was but a defeated old man. He lost weight, he looked sad and pathetic.
My dad recovered properly and we went back to the stall to continue selling noodles. Not because we were threatened, but because of Gabriel.
We found out that Gabriel has been paying the shortfall in rent with his own money while still charging everyone the same rate. My parents felt bad, so did the rest of the hawkers and they decided to chip in, make as much as they could and pass the excess to Gabriel to lighten his load.
24th June 2015
Wednesday
11pm
Lucy invited Roland and I over to her place for a drink.
Bill was there too.
The mood was solemn.
Roland’s overhead for his spa surged so much that he needed to dig into his savings.
Jake : Can you cancel the lease ?
Roland : What lease ?? haha… I rent from Gabriel… it’s all verbal… hahah …
Roland revealed that he wanted to pack and go as well but he too found out Gabriel was topping up the shortfall.
Roland : It’s not fair to him… not after all that he’s done…
Lucy’s pubs and KTVs too were in a bad shape.
Lucy : Fungye’s man…. They stir up shit so often…. A lot of my regular customers decides to switch spots….they’re just fucking looking for trouble… it’s bad…. My girls are unhappy too…
I found out from our drinking session that day that Fungye had decided on his inauguration date.
It was to be on the 9th of August.
Our national day. Our Golden Jubilee…
Roland : Well…. He sure chose a good day to show us the finger eh… haha..
Lucy : Fuck him… maybe he’ll get a heart attack and die…
There was no hiding the elder’s hate for Fungye.
10th July 2015
Friday
Ben, Andy and Gabriel were at the coffee shop. The chose the last table at the corner and were pouring through their documents. I could tell they were trying to hide as much as they could from Fungye but at the top of their worries was money.
I could tell they were running into serious cash flow problem.
Fungye had demanded for control of the finances, squandering away the reserves Gabriel had built up over the years. He rented a place in the middle of orchard road, and several apartments for his men.
He used Gabriel and Andy’s company as a front, employing his men and getting the valid work passes to remain in Singapore.
By Gabriel’s last count, Fungye had close to 80 men in Singapore holding various passes, from work permits to social visit passes. Those that could not remain in Singapore for long, would return home only to be back here again as tourist.
Kate lost a bit of weight as well and I could see she shared the stress her brother was going through.
Ah Keong on the other hand, had not been seen for months.
He never came to his chicken rice stall, he never even showed his face.
I heard from Kate that Ah Keong ‘s factory was used by Fungye to store duty unpaid liquor.
Kate : He’s hopping mad the last time I called him.
11th July 2015
Saturday
3pm.
I don’t know what got into me but I decided to drop by King’s shop. It’s been a while since I last saw him too. When I reached his warehouse, I could see trucks unloading deliveries and goods. The lunar 7th month is approaching in a couple of months time, King has already started stocking up on the items for sale.
I walked into his shop much to his surprised.
King : What are you doing here??
Jake : Nothing… just happen to be in the area…
King lost weight as well. I could almost see the bones under his sunken cheeks. If he had looked like a wrinkled old man before, now he looked close to a rotting corpse.
Jake : You ok ??
King did not looked like he wanted to talk but I guessed he needed and avenue to vent his anger and frustration.
He offered me tea in his office and launched into a 30 minute tirade about Fungye.
King : He stashed so much duty unpaid cigarettes in my warehouse !!!! … that fuck…. Piece of shit….
As if that did not make King angry enough, Fungye stashed them in the same space where King kept idols of deities and gods for sale.
King : His men knocked over and damaged so much of them that I prayed they would get struck by lightning …
He was panting, gasping for breath by the time he was done.
Fungye took King’s delivery truck as well for transport for his own men, and King had to lease another one just to make daily delivery.
I left King’s place and went back home.
Nothing short of the word miserable could be used to describe everyone’s situation.
Gabriel used to distribute a modest dividend to all the elders every quarter, base on their contribution to the organisation’s funds. That too has been stopped till further notice.
As the news of Fungye’s inauguration banquet spreads, everyone dreaded the arrival of that day.
My parents and I worked harder than before, toiling away at the noodle stall everyday.
We started work 2 hours earlier, trying to catch the crowd in the wee hours of the morning and we ended 2 hours later too, desperately trying to grab onto a few late lunch goers.
Gabriel initially refused to accept the extra money the hawkers put together for him, but as the months went by, he had no choice but to take it even though it was barely enough.
Gabriel : I swear….. I will return all of you…. Every single dollar…
Auntie Geok waved Gabriel off.
Auntie Geok : I so old already… bring with me to die ah…. No need la…
Gabriel wanted to laugh but instead I saw him tried to choke back his emotions.
9th August 2015
It’s our national day.
Our golden Jubilee.
2.30pm
I could see families decked out on red and white, smiling as they made their way to the train stations, no doubt to join in the celebration.
I was tired, really tired.
My parents had gone straight to bed upon washing up but I could not sleep.
I could not close my eyes no matter how tired I felt.
That fatigue of working such long hours was beginning to take it’s toll on me.
Even Kate lost weight as she rotated and manned the coffee stall together with Orh pao for 24 hours on weekends. The family or organisation depending on how you call it, has fallen onto it’s knees.
It’s pathetic no matter how you look at it. Morale was low, hardly anyone smiles anymore.
It’s like the elders fell so hard onto the ground that they could not pick themselves up again.
No schemes from Lucy.
No naughty plans from Roland
Nothing from Gabriel as well, he’s burning himself out trying to cope with the finances.
I walked across my place to the bustling mall and ordered myself a cup of coffee for take away.
I walked around aimlessly, Staring blankly at the cup in my hands, I just zoned out until I was snapped out of it by a commotion in front of me.
A toddler had fallen down, and she was sobbing away. Someone was playing with those soup bubbles and she was happily bursting it until an older boy came along and they fought for the same bubble.
The older boy shoved the little girl to get the bubble and she fell, bawling away.
I saw her elder brother rush forward, a young kid of about 5 years old.
He shouted to his parents that his Meimei ( sister ) had fell because the other boy had pushed her. The commotion attracted a few onlookers but they soon lost interest.
The older boys’ parents came and apologised, scolding their son for being naughty. The girls parents just smiled and said it’s fine. They’re just kids.
The boy pulled his sister up and helped to brush her hands and knees.
A few steps behind the parents, a old man with a head of grey hair and wrinkles on his face came to the little girl as well.
The little girl ran to her grandfather, complaining to him that the boy pushed her.
Little girl : Ah gong… ( grandpa ) korkor ( elder brother ) push me.. …. Sob.. sob…
The old man laughed and he bent down to the little girls height.
Grandpa : It’s ok…. hahaha.. it’s ok… just pick yourself up when you fall…
It was a pretty sweet scene , grandfatherly advice for his precious granddaughter, and I smiled as I sipped my coffee until something happened that caught me totally by surprised.
The grandpa turned and checked to make sure the parents are out of earshot before he gave more advice to his grandchildren.
Grandpa : If someone pushes you…. You push back… heee.. hehe…
He giggled in a naughty manner and so did the kids.
Grandpa : You push them back so so hard….. that they would think twice about coming near you again…. Hheee.. heheh.. ahha… ssshhhhhhhhh….
He put his finger to his mouth as the kids giggled, as if trying to tell them it’s a secret between them.
The kids ran off again to play and I locked eyes with the grandpa. He gave me a smile and walked back after his grandkids.
I went back home and sat down at my desk.
I took the pen I had kept in a wooden box out and stared at it.
For a good 30 minutes, I just stared at that pen as countless thoughts raced through my mind.
The fatigue, the lack of sleep.
The miserable state of affairs.
Everything that happened within the past few months just kept coming into my head as I stared at that pen .
The longer I looked. The angrier I got.
The angrier I got, the more irrational I became.
My breathing got faster and I could feel my heart thumping away.
I closed the wooden box with a snap and I looked up and out of my window at the same time, talking to myself in the empty room.
Jake : You want a banquet …… I’ll give you one you’ll never forget…
…………………………………………..
I remembered I was but a small boy of barely 10 years old when I experienced first-hand our nation’s very own Kallang roar
It was in May 1994.
I held my father’s hand as we stood amongst the crowd in the old national stadium. It was my first time seeing the grand old dame in real life. The stadium was magnificent, that structure that rose up high into the skyline, it struck a chord in me and stirred up emotions I still remembered till this very day.
Can you imagine how huge that place was to a small little kid like me ?
I thought that structure was built by giants and titans. It was only when I was much older when I realised that stadium was not built by mythical creatures from my story books. They were built by us, man.
Concrete and steel formed the backbone of the stadium, but the soul of the old national stadium was the people that filled it’s seats. Common folks like us.
Like a quiet guardian overlooking the city, the stadium’s seats were filled to the brim with people from all walks of life that day. A sea of red surrounded the green field. I was never a fan of football, but my father insisted I join him that day.
Dad : I have this feeling…. It’s going to be a hell of a day today…. It’s just going to be…
I hardly knew the rules of the game , I could hardly hear myself speak with the crowd cheering at every move the players made. It was an amazing feeling. Something money can never buy.
I wondered how the players felt when they were on the field with a crowd of 55000 cheering them on. Countless cameras followed their every move, broadcasting them to the millions of households across the country.
Jake : Pa… the players in red … they are our team right ??
My Dad bent down, looked at me in the eyes and told me something that stayed with me till this day.
Dad : Not players Jake…. Not players……… when those men are on that field, wearing that jersey….. they ….are …our… lions ….. the pride of our nation.
He broke into a smile before returning to join the crowd in the cheering frenzy.
I watched in awe as the sheer speed and agility in which our team moved on that field. There was this gracefulness within the chaos.
Their attacks fed the fervour of the cheering crowd, it churned up the dinner I had earlier, causing me to gasp in excitement whenever they were close to their opponent’s net.
I could feel that excitement in the very air I breathe.
Then right before my very eyes it happened. There were no warning, the ball flew forward, crossed over the field right in front of our striker and he flew. He flew straight at the ball , hitting it right into the net it a beautiful header.
The entire stadium erupted.
The cries of joy and cheers shook the very foundation of the stadium that day as my dad shouted with the veins on his neck bulging so tight I was worried it would burst. He literally looked towards the skies and shouted, his fingers clenched into a claw like stance for a few seconds before he turned and started hugging strangers.
Grown men hugged and high fived each other at the crowd continued it’s unbelievable roar into the night. The sound of that roar crept right under my skin, causing every hair on my back to rise up.
I looked around me and took in the sights. All the different faces, people of different race, religion and beliefs united as one as our lions basked in the cheers of the nation. It was not a simple goal.
That very goal carried with it the dreams of a young nation.
I could hardly sleep that evening when I got back home. My dad was so happy he opened a can of beer and ate peanuts in the dining room, describing the feeling to my mum.
As I grew older, that day in the stadium was never far from my mind.
I was happy that I got to be there.
On the other hand, I was sad because I never got to experience something like that again.
How I longed and craved for that very feeling I felt that day in the stadium. That fire in my small tummy. It never came. Not once.
I went to the box by the side of the room where 8 folders sat by the side of my bed. Remember the folders of documents that I poured through at the beginning of the story ?
Yeah, those were some of the stuff that Gabriel wanted to hide from Fungye. A detailed collection of information that they don’t want him to get his hands on. Fungye probably had his own information about the elders but they doubt it was as detailed at the ones sitting in my room.
I was helping Kate pack them up one afternoon when I asked if I could have them. Kate thought about it for a minute before saying that it was probably safer at my place. She made me promise to keep them safe before turning away to pack other sensitive documents.
I opened each folder and looked at the history of each elder.
They are not saints. Each of them had their hand in some shady business at one point or another. Creative accounting, getting adventurous with taxes, blatant disregard of building safety guidelines and stuff. However if I were to hold out a balance scale and put one token on the left for every shady business they did, and one on the right for something good they had done, the right far outweigh the left.
Every single elder.
Sure, they’re still not saints but if we’re talking about having to choose the lesser of 2 evils, the elders are a much better choice than Fungye.
I took another cold shower before calling Kate.
Kate sounded tired and weary. We had spoken about the vote I held a few times the past few months but nothing came out of the discussion. To her, it was an impossible dream.
Perhaps even a distant fantasy.
I would to be mad to even think I could stand a chance against Fungye. Kate eventually dispelled the idea and even urged me to let it go. You could tell the fight was gone in her too. She’s already settling into the survivor mentality.
Being able to survive the next few years trumps anything else.
Jake : Can i… go for the banquet ?
I had to ask out of courtesy because end of the day, I am not one of them.
Kate : Please tell me you are not planning on doing anything stupid Jake…. It’s not going to work…
Jake : I’m not…. I’m just curious how it’s like….
Kate sighed and kept quiet for a while before revealing that actually we were all invited. As in all the hawkers in the coffeeshop, but she knew none of us would want to go. My parents don’t give 2 fucks about Fungye and you would stand a far better chance of striking the lottery than to expect a stubborn old granny like Auntie Geok to show up.
Kate : Just promise me you don’t do anything stupid….
Jake : I won’t …
Kate gave me the address of the banquet and I did a google map search of the location. It was a huge factory in the west side of the island. Smack in the middle of an industrial estate, only one bus serves the area.
Google earth showed that it was a sprawling compound, it belonged to a construction company. This must be Ah Keong’s site, the one he took over after his dad’s passing.
It’s big, it’s like a huge warehouse, or factory, whatever you want to call it. The metal structure rose at lease 15m up.
It makes sense to have it there .
You can’t exactly book a restaurant for such a gathering.
I thought of hitching a ride down but in the end I decided to just grab a cab.
It wasn’t exactly a happy occasion for everyone and I doubt anyone would be in the mood to give me a ride. Even Kate did not offer to meet me prior to heading down.
I arrived at the industrial site at 5.30pm. The evening air felt cool and dry. The skies were clear and a steady breeze greeted me as I alighted from the cab.
5.30pm
As I walked into the compound, I saw that a lot of the heavy construction vehicles had been parked to the side of the site. Quite a few civilian cars had taken up the middle of the parking area and more arrived with each passing minute.
I cut across the huge parking compound and walked towards a gate. I recognised a few of Ah Keong’s men smoking by the exit.
Smoke and steam came from the back of house to the left of the gate, out of curiousity and to avoid having to meet Ah Keong’s men directly, I walked over to the back of house and saw the mobile caterers hard at work. Dishes waiting to be plated and served and the serving crew which consisted mostly of old aunties waited at the side.
I saw the company name for the caterer and it was a famous one, known for serving good Halal Tze char dishes. Well, even if the day is going to suck, at least everyone gets good food.
After Ah Keong’s men were done smoking, I entered the gate into a corridor. There was another gate at the end of the path, about 20m away. Beyond that I could see some of the banquet tables already laid out and men loitering about.
There were photos on the walls of the corridor. Photos of Matthew and his men.
Framed photos of them standing at a vast vacant piece of land before the factory was built.
There were pictures of Matthew and a young Ah Keong, laying the foundation for the factory. Matthew’s men and staff each signed their names on the pillars that supported that factory in the early stages of constructions and the photographs documented all that.
It was like travelling back in time as I look at the photos on the walls.
Aside from awards from being a outstanding company, most of the space were filled up with photos. Photos of Matthew and his men. I even saw Spencer’s photo up on the wall with Matthew , pictures of Spencer carrying his new born son beside a laughing Matthew.
There were pictures of them having dinner, beer and celebrations in the factory compound, even overseas trip as a company.
I passed by a set of timber door, they were opened and I could look into Ah Keong’s office past the reception counter. His office had a view of the banquet as well since the top half of an entire length of wall is made of glass.
I walked to the end and exited the corridor from the 2nd gate, stepping into the main banquet area.
Air coolers were blasting cold breeze towards the tables. The interior of that vast factory felt cool as well. It was not as humid as I expected it to be.
A makeshift stage had been set up in front of the tables. At the back of the stage, I could see the opening where the cooks from the caterers are at. Several TVs were set up along the side of the tables as well. Screens showing the start of the national day celebrations played as the guest loitered around in a listless manner.
The tables took up about ¾ of the floor space and the exit at the other far end of the factory was opened as well. Men I don’t recognised loitered around that entrance and I assumed they were Fungye’s men.
I walked around a little before coming up to the stage.
There were something interesting on top of the stage. There was a metal panel on top of the table, it had Chinese characters that says loyalty on it. It served as a backing for the items on display. On a table with red cloth sat 2 transparent acrylic box. Sitting in each of them was a 9 in Parang. I went closer to have a look and I could see Chinese characters carved into the blade itself.
One was Fung ( 风) ， The other was snake (蛇) . The twin blades sat beside each other on the table. The blades were old but you could tell they were maintained regularly. The handle’s wooden grip had to be new, or recently refurbished.
The cold steel gleamed brightly in the light of the factory and I could see that they were oiled and cleaned recently.
5.45pm
Almost all the elders arrived around the same time. Perhaps they had made arrangements to, I don’t know. The banquet would start at 6pm sharp and it seems none of them wanted to be seen waiting for Fungye for too long.
Everyone wants to be just on time.
Lucy and her girls got settled down first. Huimin and Jane were there too together with a few others I saw at Kate’s grandmother’s birthday. They were all wearing jeans and casual tops. Nothing grand but they all had heels on at least. The only odd one out on Lucy’s table was none other than Bill.
I could see the girls teasing Bill as he helped Lucy wipe the side of her lips much to her annoyance.
King and Terry arrived together and they shared a table together with King’s staff.
Gabriel, Andy and Kate arrived next with their grandmother in tow on a wheel chair. Kate gestured me towards their table and I said hi to her grandmother. She just smile warmly at me and nodded.
Ben and his men, including Johari and company arrived next and they too took their seats. They just spoke softly within themselves.
Roland came in next.
He had more men than the day at the birthday. I counted 7 of them. All 8 of them looked like they could throw a 25kg barbell weight as a Frisbee. All of them wore black, as if they were attending a funeral, an obvious jibe at Fungye’s ceremony.
Another group of men arrived, about 9 of them. I saw Andy gesturing to them to take their seats at the assigned table, Gabriel went over to talk to a couple of them too. They must be Gabriel and Andy’s staff.
Ah Keong was the last to be seated. He looked like he was running the show since the banquet was held on his site.
His men took up the most tables and they too looked tired and disgruntled as they sat around, talking softly to each other.
6pm
Fungye arrived with 9 of his men, walking right up to the front of the stage and took the seat. The rest of his men slowly filled the back seats. Not all of them were present, I overheard some of them talking that it’s so out of the way, some of them got lost. A driver went missing with almost 15 men and they were trying to guide them to the factory.
6.15pm
About half of Fungye’s men were present, scattered throughout the few tables and Fungye decided that it was good enough to begin.
My heart was thumping as I sat on my seat.
It was beating so fast I was sure everyone around the table could hear it.
I was nervous. Fucking nervous.
I never felt butterflies like these in my stomach before.
There was a lump in my throat and it felt as if it was choking the air out of my lungs.
Fungye got up and slowly made his way to the stage to give his speech.
I was shaking where I sat and I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath of air and slowly exhaled. Kate tapped me on my arm, asking if I was ok.
Kate : Oei… you ok or not ?
I nodded my head.
Fungye started on his speech to a listless crowd.
Hardly anyone was paying attention.
Lucy was looking at her nails, Uncle Ben was digging his nose while Ah Keong lit up a cigarette as Spencer spoke by his ears.
Fungye continued to speak, bringing up the history of the organisation back when it consisted of only him and his brother, Kate and Gabriel’s grandfather. I took out my phone and looked at the 8 messages I had prepared before hand.
8 messages, addressed to each of the 8 elders.
I even double checked their numbers against the ones in the folders before leaving home.
I had to be sure.
I pushed my chair back slowly and got up.
No one paid me any attention. I would have looked like I was going to the bathroom or something but I was not.
I was not.
With my phone in my hands, I walked slowly towards the stage.
No one gave a fuck until I was right by the steps leading up to it.
Fungye’s men stood up, shouting at me. Liuhai was one of the first to point his finger at me, asking me what was I trying to do.
I ignored their shouts and walked up to the stage calmly standing a few steps away from Fungye.
Fungye stopped talking and turned towards me in a cocky and arrogant manner.
Fungye : What the fuck !!… do you want ??
I could see Roland and Lucy looking on with amusement while Terry’s voice rang out as she commented I forgot my medicine that day.
Terry :Jia lat la…. Jake buay kee jia yok… ( Damm.. Jake forgot his medication that day )… haha…
Kate’s mouth dropped an inch and I could see her mouthing the words ; ‘holy fuck’ as she stared at me in disbelief.
Fungye looked at me with his chin up pointing at me, as if daring me to even say a word.
Fungye : You want to speak ??? is that it ?? har ?? you want to talk ??? is it ??
He sneered at me before throwing the microphone onto the floor at me, in the same manner he would give a bone to a dog.
Fungye : Take it then… take it…
Jake : Why are you speaking….. when no one is even listening … ??
Fungye laughed.
Fungye : Fuck you… you think anyone would listen to you then ?? hahaha.. go…. Go ahead….
I took out my phone and went to the 8 messages I prepared.
I clicked the sent button 8 times, addressing the message to each of the elders.
I sent each of them a name.
The name that no should other than them should know.
I sent them the very name of the elder whose dirt they were holding onto.
Lucy has Matthew .
Terry has Lucy
Gabriel has Roland
King has Terry
Matthew has Ben.
All these information fell onto my lap one way or the other over the course of the past few months.
This leaves me with 3 other elders which I don’t know.
I made an educate guess with the other 3.
Roland would be holding either Andy, Gabriel or King’s dirt. I eliminated Gabriel from the list because from my observation of the list, no elder would hold onto each other’s dirt. It doesn’t work that way and Gabriel is already holding onto Roland’s.
That leaves Andy and King. Which is a 50% chance of me getting it right.
I chose Andy because it made sense to me, they’re on opposite sides of the camp since the beginning.
Andy and Gabriel’s family had always been close with the baton being passed among them for the longest time. If I were Kate’s grandfather, and I had to give something of value from my family to another elder, I would give it to a family I am close with.
Andy would be holding Gabriel’s dirt.
This just leaves Ben, who would be holding onto King’s dirt.
A succession of taps sent all the messages out to the elders and I could see Fungye glaring at me, waiting for me to make my move.
Fungye : Why ??? calling for help ah??? Calling your daddy??? Or mummy ??? hahahah…. Call police ah ?? come and save you ?? hahaha…
Thanks to the beauty of technology, within seconds of me sending out the messages, I could hear the beeps and notification from the elder’s phone.
Within seconds, I heard several palms hit the table in anger. King, Terry and Ah Keong stood up immediately, shouting at me. I could see Andy’s jaw dropped while Gabriel stared at his screen in disbelief.
The sudden outburst caught Fungye by surprise and he glared at me .
Jake : You don’t need…… a loud voice …. To get everyone’s attention.
All eyes were on me as more and more of Fungye’s men arrived and streamed into the factory from the entrance at the far end.
Terry : What the fuck !!…
King : What is this !…
Ben : JAKE …. What did you do ??!
Voices rang out from the floor as I turned towards them.
Fungye shouted for everyone to shut up.
Fungye : Shut the fuck up…. All of you !!… you lowlifes….pieces of trash….
Then he turned to me , took two steps towards me and raised his hand in an attempt to slap me. I stepped back, easily avoiding his palm causing him to stager a little. This enraged him even further as he waved his walking stick at me.
Fungye : WHO…..
Fungye : THE FUCK……
Fungye : DO YOU THINK……
Fungye : YOU ARE !!!!!!
Liuhai and his men shouted and cursed at me, jeering at me to get off the stage.
Fungye : Get off this stage…. And join the rest of your shit family down on the floor where all of you belong !!….
Fungye’s face flushed red as she struggled to speak. Good, perhaps he might get a heart attack.
Fungye : you have no right !!!…. no right to even be on this stage…. Get the fuck off it !!!…
The noises of protest from the floor rose and it was worse than a market on a Sunday morning. Everyone was just shouting , raising their voices to be heard.
I too had to shout and I was surprised at how loud my voice were. I manage to project my voice towards the floor and beyond without the microphone . It was loud enough to even surprise Fungye
Jake : I HAVE EVERY FUCKING RIGHT…. TO BE HERE..!!!
Before anyone else could comment even further, I took out the old relic, the 9th vote that I had kept hidden for so long and raised it high about my head.
Gasp of surprise and shock came from the men as Fungye glared at me in disbelief.
I was not satisfied with just flashing that fucking vote at Fungye.
I wanted to give him the biggest fuck you I can muster.
I brought that pen down so hard, smashing it onto the cover that was protecting Fungye’s blade, the impact cracked the cover with a loud smack. The crack line ran along the entire cover before eventually collapsing upon itself.
Jake : As the holder of the 9th vote….. I challenge you …. On your right to rule. !!
The entire banquet erupted into chaos as Fungye tried to swing his walking stick at me but I stepped aside once more, avoiding it easily.
Fungye : You are shit !!!… all of you are SHIT!!!!….. useless …. Good for nothing !!!…. You will not survive without me !!!!…. This organisation will fall without me !!!..
Ah Keong and his men were shouting at me, nothing could describe the anger on everyone’s faces. They had every right to be angry at me, for concealing the 9th vote.
Fungye was so angry that he stumbled a little and Liuhai came up immediately , helping him down to get a seat.
Even as he helped him off the stage, Fungye was cursing at me. Vulgarities from a few different languages flew at me as Liuhai and his men tried to calm Fungye down while I was shouted to get off the stage by a few others.
I pointed to Fungye and looked at the rest of the people down the stage.
Jake : Is that the man you want to lead you ?? …. Someone like him… ??
Terry : You are no fit to lead us too !!… get off the stage… !!!
Jake : I’M NOT FINISHED WITH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY !!!.
I shouted directly at Terry and he too was shocked at my outburst.
I looked at as many of the men and women before me as I could in the eyes and I told them I was not there to lead.
Jake : I’m not here to lead you…. I don’t care about leading all of you ….. I am here to challenge Fungye’s right to do so !…
Fungye : FUCK YOU !!!..
Fungye tried to lift up his in an attempt to kick me but he fell backwards, luckily for him, he was supported by his men who helped him onto his seat.
Fungye : You will never get the support of this bunch of useless, SELFISH… thugs ..they are all good for nothing……… you are all pieces of shit !!!…. fuck you !!!
His men tried to calm him down as Fungye appeared agitated and out of control.
Jake : You heard that ?? !! did you hear that ???!!!
I pointed to Johari and his men.
Jake : He call you thugs….
Then I pointed to Ah Keong and his
Jake : He called you pieces of shit !!…
I looked directly into Roland’s eyes.
Jake: He said you all are good for nothing !!!
There were still pockets of discussions going on and I have yet to have the attention of the entire floor.
I turned and slammed my palms against the metal board, the sound rang out angrily in the factory. It echoed loud and hollow when the sound waves hit the interior walls of the factory.
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Johari and most of his men stared shell shock at my ouTburst, unsure of what to do. They probably thought I was due for my medication too from the looks on their faces.
Jake : But you are not thugs !!! … all of you are much better than what he makes you out to be !!
I slammed the metal backing again, louder this time and that got the attention of all of Johari’s men including Uncle Ben.
Wham !…
Jake : DID BEN NOT PUT ALL OF YOU THROUGH SCHOOL !
I hit the board again, the pain in my palm driving up my anger.
Wham !…
Jake : DID BEN NOT PULL ALL OF YOU FROM THE JAWS OF JAIL AND A LIFETIME OF CRIME !!
Johari’s jaws dropped as well and several of them in his group stood up from their seat.
I hit the backing again, turning to King and Terry .
Wham !…
Jake : King !!! How many funerals and cremation have you paid for in all, for the old folks that passed away alone in their home with no one to claim their bodies….!! How much have you given to all the different religious organisations !!!
King too was speechless as I moved on to Terry.
Jake : And you ..!… Did you not hold on to all your staff despite your wife asking you countless times to replace them with someone younger and cheaper…. More than half your staff are above 70 !!…
For the first time, Terry stared at me in shock and disbelief. He didn’t know what to say.
Jake : Did you not pay for their medical bills as well !!?? … did you not join King on all his donations ?!!
Wham !…
I slammed the backing again, it creaked angrily at me as the sound got louder.
I pointed to Roland’s men.
Jake : Who paid for your studies !!! ….
Wham !…
Jake : Who took you in when you are rejected by your family just because you loved someone from the same sex !!..
Wham !…
I pointed to Lucy and asked how many girls has she helped out of her own dime who were cheated by their agents to work in Singapore.
Jake : How many have you secretly helped to go back home on your own dime as well !!
Turning to Ah Keong who by then was in shock, I pointed my fingers first to his men.
Several of them at the back still had trouble realising what was going on.
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
I hit the board 3 times, the sound of angry metal rang out so loud it hurt my own ear drums when I did it.
I got all their attention and most of them started moving closer to the stage.
Jake : LISTEN TO ME !!! ALL OF YOU !!
I slammed the backing again and I was surprised that the sound was amplified several times that round. I looked towards Johari and his men and realised that all of them had rose to their feet.
Roland’s boys too had gotten up and out of their seats. They too slammed their fists on the table the same time I slammed my against the metal.
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : LISTEN TO ME !!!
Jake : YOU ARE NOT MINDLESS THUGS FUNGYE MAKES YOU OUT TO BE !!..
I pointed my finger out into the crowd, exclaiming as loudly as I could.
Jake : YOU ARE BROTHERS !!! …
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : YOU ARE SISTERS !!! ….. YOU ARE FAMILY….
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : AND HE….. IS THE ONE THAT IS TRYING TO TEAR ALL OF YOUR APART ….!!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
At least half of Ah Keong’s man were up on their feet, nodding their heads and acknowledging what I just said.
I stared right at Ah Keong
Jake : DID YOU NOT LAY THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THIS FACTORY WITH YOUR FATHER !!!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
I addressed Ah Keong’s men before the echoes of the previous slam disappeared.
Jake : YOU BUILD THIS VERY BUILDING WITH YOUR OWN HANDS !!! ….
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : YOUR NAMES ARE ON THE PILLARS, YOUR BLOOD AND SWEAT ON THE VERY WALLS THAT SURROUNDED US !!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
I pointed to Fungye and his men. Liuhai had Fungye up on his feet by then. They were surrounded and he knew they were in a vulnerable position. The rest of their men were at the back of the factory and at tables further away.
Jake : AND THIS MAN…. HE IS HERE TO TAKE ALLLLLL OF THESE…. AWAY FROM YOU !!!
Right at that very moment there Liuhai broke out from the gathering crowd with Fungye and managed to escaped through pockets of space towards the back of the factory. They walked briskly towards the exit, shouting and rallying their men along the way.
You could see the split in the crowd as men loyal to Fungye moved towards the back of the factory while the rest gathered closer to the stage. 2 trucks rumbled up at the entrance on the far end.
More of Fungye’s men alighted and jumped off the back.
“lai liao…. Lai liao…. ( coming… they’re coming already )
Pockets of voices rang out as Liuhai gathered his men on the far end.
They clearly outnumbered us as least 2 to 1.
Jake : ALL OF YOU WADED THORUGH SHIT AND MUD FOR 50 FUCKING YEARS TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY !!! .
Jake : Who is he to tell you what to do !!! ..
Jake : He has taken so much from all of you… leaving you with nothing but scraps off his plates.…!!!! ….
Everyone on the floor were on their feet, except the ladies.
I paced up the stage, clenching my fist into a harden ball.
Jake : IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE IRON IN YOUR BLOOD AND THE STEEL IN YOUR SPINE TO DEFEND WHAT YOU HAVE !!!! THEN YOU DESERVE TO HAVE IT ALL TAKEN FROM YOU !!
Cheers rang out from the bottom of the stage and Lucy was the first to react.
They say a woman’s intuition and 6th sense were accurate and Lucy demonstrated to me what that meant that day. I saw Lucy whispered to Jane and Huimin and as instructions were passed down, the hair on the back of my neck rose when I saw all the girls slipped off their heels.
Lucy knew.
She knew what was about to happen even before it did.
They took off their heels, and walked barefoot across the floor towards the office.
You might think they’re bolting, but they’re not.
A few of Ah Keong’s man ran towards the storeroom, knocking and breaking the padlock with a fire extinguisher. Seconds later, trolleys were pushed out. Metal bars, rods and timber clubs in all shapes and sizes were brought out and distributed.
There was this frenzy in the air
This lust for action.
Uncle Ben was laughing in a hysterical manner, like a hyena out for blood. He grabbed 2 metal rods and I could hear Johari giving instructions for his men to hold Ben back.
Roland ‘s boys started stretching their sculpted muscles.
Bill remained seated beside Lucy.
Lucy’s girls had gone into Ah Keong’s office and from the glass panels, I could see they had sealed and shut the door by the reception. They even pushed a couple of tables against the door.
Files, stationaries were swept off tables. Bottle waters from the pantry were gathered. I saw Humin brought out the first aid box while Jane was on the phone.
Liuhai had gathered and formed up his men at the far end. They stretch across the entire breath of the factory, 3 man deep with Fungye and Liuhai right in front.
Fungye : FUCK YOU !!!… FUCK ALL OF YOU!!… WHAT CAN YOU DO ??? HAR ?? WHAT CAN YOU DO ??!!!!! HAR !!!!COME….. COME !!!!
Liuhai kept trying to hold Fungye back, preventing him from charging towards us.
Liuhai shouted at his men and they started advancing towards us.
Terry : Coming already… they’re coming…
A metal rod was passed up the stage for me and I took it.
Jake : LET THEM COME !!
Wham !…
I slammed the rod against the metal, sounding up the informal war drum.
Jake : I SAY LET THEM COME !!
Everyone that were on their feet smashed the tables with their fist, or whatever that they were holding in their hands, It created such a thunderous din and I could see the caterers ditching their stations and running away.
Wham !…
Jake : Look at them …. Look at how afraid they are !!!
Wham !…
Jake : They’re just catering to the whims of an old man.
Wham !…
Terry :They have so many more men than us !!!
Jake : They bleed just like we do… !!!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Cheers rang out, filling the entire space and it slowed the advance of Fungye’s man. They looked scared and unsure of what was happening. They were not prepared for this. Most of them stopped advancing, looking towards Liuhai for instructions as he tried desperately to rally up his men.
Jake : LET THEM COME !!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : YOU FIGHT TO DEFEND WHAT YOU HAVE !!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : You fight for the future of this organisation !!
Wham !… Wham !… Wham !…
Jake : You fight !!!…………………………. FOR THIS FAMILY !!!
The shouts that greeted me shook the very structure of the building we were in. Men punched their arms into the air, raising their makeshift weapons. Several of them taunted and shouted for Fungye’s men to come towards them.
Uncle Ben wanted to charge forward but was held back by Herman and a few more guys.
Uncle ; Whahaha… ahahaha.. LET ME GO !!!… FUCK..AHAHAHAH… CHEEE BYEE… WHAHAHA… LET ME GOO !!!!! AHAHAH..
Kate’s eyes were wide open, do was her mouth as she stared at me in shock. It looked like she was going to faint anytime now. Grandma struggled to stand on her feet and Kate helped her to get up.
I have never heard grandma speak before.
At the sight of the family matriarch getting to her feet, the crowd settled down a little and I could see Gabriel asking Kate to get their grandmother out of that place.
Grandma waved for Gabriel to stopped as she walked into the middle of the gathering. She pointed her walking stick towards Fungye and bodies parted to give her a clear line of sight.
I never expected grandma to do what she did but when she did it, she showed everyone else she truly deserved to be the wife of Kate’s grandfather.
Grandma pointed her walking stick at Fungye, a look of defiance across her face.
Grandma : BEAT THE SHIT…………. OUT OF THAT …………..MOTHER FUCKER !!!
The roar was louder than before and everyone took that as a signal. Tables were flipped and over turned. Chairs were kicked out of the way.
I jumped off the stage and I could see Bill coming towards me on my right.
Roland appeared magically on my left.
It’s as if they both knew the moment I ran in, I could get beaten into a pulp but it’s not going to stop me.
As the 3 of us made our way to the front, Roland chuckled and said something to me.
Roland : There was only 2 paths for people like you Jake….
Jake : And what is that ?
Roland : You lead….. or you rot in Jail…
Jake : Why ?
Roland : Because you have that spark…. That spark… to lit the fire in the belly of men…. You would be the first to get arrested in a riot… ahhaa…
Jake : but I don’t want either…
Roland : What do you want Jake ?
I turned towards Roland and gave him my honest answer.
Jake : I want to sell wanton noodles..
Bill and Roland laughed at the same time as we neared the front of the line.