Kate : But…. I’m not sleeping with you in case you have that on your mind…
My eyes widened as I quickly waved my hands frantically in front of her, but I waved my hands without realising I was about to grab onto the mug of coffee. Needless to say, I toppled the cup, spilling the leftovers onto the table.
Jake : No…no..no… i… shit… sorry…
Kate saw my reaction and she laughed.
Kate : I was just kidding…haha..
She left the mess alone and took 4 of the folders and disappeared into a room, she entered before popping out again and asked.
Kate : I mean it, tell me how much you want…. We’ll pay you.
I took some time to think about it and I put things in perspectives.
After spending a couple of hours with Kate, my curiosity grew deeper. Not only do I want to have her, I had this insatiable thirst in my throat. It was nothing sexual, but it was a thirst to find out more about her family.
It’s just so weird and bizarre.
Seeing how serious Kate was taking this, I knew if I joke around and take this lightly, I would surely jeopardise my own chance to really get together with her. Instead, I would have to capitalise on this opportunity.
If this was my ticket to impress her, I would take it.
Kate : So how ? Any ideas ? or would you like me to propose…
Jake : Oh… sure… you have a figure in mind ?
Kate : Yup… hmmm…
I could see she was considering the figure. No one shows their hand first during negotiation, The figure she gives would definitely be a fraction of what she was prepared to pay.
Kate : 3000 ? And all expenses incurred will be reimbursed by us.. we don’t have much budget…and part of this is my own savings…and ermm… ya..i’m also doing this because I have no choice…I have friends who were willing to do it for a lot less… and.. you know… it‘s… good money for a couple of months of….
If she offered 3, I reckon her budget would be around 5, but this is not about money to me, it never was, so I made her an offer that would catch her off guard.
Jake : I would take 1500, but I have a small request…
Kate looked a little taken aback, surely she could not have expected me to ask for something lower than her offer.
Kate : Oh… oh. 1.5 ?
She blinked twice as she collected the rest of the folders, avoiding the small puddle of left over coffee.
Kate : What request ?
Jake : Would…. Would you…. Give me a chance to …. To… pursuit you properly after this is over ?
I wanted it to come out smoothly but I can’t. The stammer sort of broke the surprise and it ended up being awkward.
Kate was a little surprised as she hugged the folders in front of her chest with her mouth slightly opened.
It was fucking embarrassing as she stared at me. I stood up immediately and tried to change the subject.
Jake : I need a cloth for the spill…… do you have a cloth ? err… err…
Kate’s eyes widened and she started giggling.
Kate : you’re blushing… you’re joking right ? hahaha…
Jake : Yah… it was a joke la..
Before I could make up more excuses, Kate hit me playfully with the folders in her arms, it reminded me of my ex-girlfriend back in school, of how she would playfully hit me with her books she cradled against her breast.
Kate : haha… it didn’t feel like a joke to me…haha…
I was about to excuse myself when Kate put her folders down and asked me to wait.
Kate : Hold on.
She walked into her room and barely a second later, she walked right out towards me. Kate brushed her fringe behind her ears and stretched out both her hands for mine. I froze for a moment before I held her hands, both of them.
Kate : Since we’re going pretend to be in a relationship, we need to act the part. … My name is Kate, ………….Kate, Fang Wei Qi… .
I was blushing.
I knew it.
And I was sure Kate could see it. She was tilting her head left and right, trying to see how red I was turning.
Kate : Oh dear… you blush easily… we need to do something about this. Hey…. Hey…. Jake… look at me…look at me…
I looked at Kate, and I was totally blown away by her smile.
Kate : Calm down…
Jake : I am calm..
Kate : Yes..
Jake : Yes what ?
Kate : Your request…. My answer is yes…
My eyes widened and I could not believe my luck.
Jake : You’re fucking kidding me… you serious ?
Kate nodded her head and added.
Kate : After everything is over that is….. you wanted a chance right ?? I’ll gladly give you that chance… the rest is up to you…
I was so fucking elated that I could have an orgasm on the spot, sorry if it’s a bit exaggerating but that’s just me. I get easily contented remember ?
The smallest things makes me happy.
Kate raised an eyebrow at me and laughed before letting go of my hands.
Kate : Alright, we still have a lot to go through… we…
In my excitement, I cut Kate off and asked her to hold on.
Jake: wait.. wait wait !!! …. Let me properly introduce myself
I literally skipped into the same room Kate went into before I did an about turn a second later and exited the room with a straight face.
Kate saw what I did and burst out laughing.
I walked over to Kate and reached out both of my hands for hers.
She was sporting enough to take both my hands with a smile and I could see a playful streak in her eyes.
This shit could actually be fun.
With a straight face and the lowest voice I could muster, I introduced myself.
I could see the look of anticipation on Kate’s face and expression.
Jake : My name is Jake , Jake Teo . ( Jake Teo sounds the same as Hokkien dialect for a sprain )
Kate’s expression changed from one of anticipation to one of bewilderment.
I did not let up and cleared my throat.
I knew the moment was right.
I let go of her hands and held up my right index finger and my thumb, displaying the figure of a mock gun, pretending I’m striking some secret agent pose.
Jake : Teo,….. Jake Teo
I was about to give a smirk like smile when Kate came over and slapped me lightly on my cheek.
Smack !.
Jake : Ouch… what was that for.
Kate held both my shoulders and brought her face close to me.
Kate : Promise me something Jake…
Jake : What ? ..
Kate : Don’t ……………fucking…..…ever…….. do ……………that …….. again….
I nodded with my eyes wide open and right at that moment, the door to the house opened.
It was Gabriel and Uncle Ben.
Gabriel : Wah… good to see you guys are on track…. How’s the progress??
Uncle Ben : too early for hanky panky … what’s going on ??
Kate let go of my shoulders and took a deep breathe, patting her chest several times in a bid to calm herself down.
Jake : I’m sorry Kate ……. I didn’t think you would take it so badly…
Gabriel : take what so badly ?
Jake : This …
I struck the pose again, perked up my butt as if I’m Stephen Chow in his movie and looked at Gabriel and Uncle Ben from the side of my eyes.
Kate coughed and she patted her own chest again.
Jake: My name is Jake…. Jake Teo….
Gabriel’s jaw dropped and he froze.
Uncle Ben’s cigarette almost fell from his lips.
Barely 2 seconds passed when I watch Uncle Ben walked right over to the Sabre on display and tried to lift it up.
Jake : Fuck… fuck.. fuck…
I scrambled towards the door as Kate quickly shouted after me to text her my email.
I hopped into a cab and got back home.
8pm
I text Kate my email address and she sent me a docket of files and more documents.
The more I read, the harder it was for me to stop.
10.30pm
Kate msg : Sleep early Jake… you’re going to need it. .. good night…
Jake msg : Goodnight.
I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes thinking of how this would unfold.
One thing for sure, I can’t wait to meet the rest of her family. …
………………………………………………
I woke up in the wee hours of the morning again and the routine repeats.
It was as if everything had been choreographed. Hardly anything deviates from the routine.
From the route we take from Tampines to Joo chiat, to who switched on the lights, who turned on the tap, who emptied the loose change into the money container.
What my parents did every morning was the same, the order in which they did them too remained unchanged. Their individual roles clearly defined and they could go on without the need to even speak to one another.
For 2 whole weeks, I did exactly as what my parents did, taking on small roles. My responsibilities gradually grew by the end of the 10th day. I tried to make some changes to the work flow but was greeted with only angry stares and I gave up.
I did my role dutifully, asking questions and taking notes.
When my parents saw how serious I was, they slowly talked to me about the recipe. How do you prepare the chilli , which supplier to get your goods from, and to diversify your sources.
Mum : Your noodles, Char siew, everything, you cannot depend on one supplier.
Jake : Why not ?
Mum : What if something happens to one of them ? Where will you get your supplies ?
Jake : Won’t the quality be different ?
Mum : No. It’s the same, just that you need to play the game properly. If you always get goods from this supplier and not the other, in times of need, you won’t get what you want if your regular guy is unable to deliver.
She also added that if you don’t patronise other suppliers, there would be bad blood.
Jake : I never knew there’s politics in the coffee shop..
There were also some unspoken rules in the workplace that my parents slowly passed on to me.
I can take money from Kate but not Gabriel and Uncle Ben for the noodles. I have no fucking idea why.
Gabriel and Ben came a couple of times, they never offered to pay, neither did my parents ask them for money. Perhaps it was because of the special rent arrangement.
I also noticed something peculiar with our drinks bill.
No matter how many coffees or canned drinks we ordered, it was always $5. That was the amount Kate would take from my parents. We would rake up at least 6 coffee plus a couple of canned drinks in a day, not to mention the occasional half boiled eggs and toasted bread.
Once I tried to pay Kate more by giving her a 10 dollar bill and I left before she could give me the change. She walked over without a word and dropped the change into my parent’s money tin.
No one batted an eyelid.
Within the short period of time, I already got to know quite a few regular customers.
There’s a man, dressed in shabby dusty clothes , he looked like a construction worker but he’s not. According to my mum, he’s unemployed. 3-4 times a week, he would walk in, barely sober. He’s not old, in his early 40s I guess but he just bumps around. Sometimes I would hear him sing in the wee hours of the morning by the side road.
He would get a bag of coffee from the drinks stall and a packet of noodles from ours.
Not a word of thank you, he would not even acknowledge us with eye contact.
His name is Bill according to Kate. That was all I knew about him.
Then there’s the girls.
Working girls.
They would come early in the morning, 6am or so with their bosses, or rather men who booked them out for the night. You could tell they were freshly showered, the glow of sex was on their faces. Freshly fucked, freshly showered.
Most of them are lookers and they would joke playfully with my parents.
Girl 1 : Auntie… your son very handsome leh… haha..
Girl 2 : Yah lor… Got the Korean Oppa look leh… introduce to me leh… haha..
My dad would smile cheekily while checking out their skimpy clothings while I try to hide my erection. My mum on the other hand would shoo them away, asking them to stop their nonsense.
They’re big spenders, the bosses would sit down, probably feeling satisfied from the lightening of their testicles, they would chat quietly, usually passing a 50 dollar bill to the girl for the noodles.
For them, there is a special price too.
My dad would always give the proper change after taking the 50 dollar bill, the working girls would always cheekily stuff all the 10 and 5 dollar bills into my dad’s money container, bringing back only the coins and 2s.
I can’t be the only one that noticed this but no one said a word.
There were several old folks that could not afford to pay in full for their food too and my parents just accepted what they have.
Foreign workers, army boys, they get upsized noodles at no extra charge.
I asked my mum if that made business sense, she replied not everything in life is about money.
At the end of each day, I would go back for a quick shower and come right back to Kate’s place.
She did not ask me to but after the 1st couple of days, I just took it as part of the routine and she never rejected me. I would go up to her place, we would talk, she would answer my questions if I had any.
It was like visiting a tuition teacher.
The more I got to talk to Kate, the better I got to understand her.
How she thinks, what makes her tick.
Her likes and dislikes.
Sometimes I spent an hour, sometimes two.
There was once I fell asleep in her living room because I was exhausted. I woke up with a blanket on me.
7th Jan 2015
Wednesday
3.30 pm
I’ve been going on the theory part for about 2 weeks. Kate said something about moving on to the practical portion of my role the day before.
I gave up trying to decipher what she was up to after a while, there’s so much I don’t understand about her family structure and I guess the only way to find out would be to plunge myself in slowly.
I finally had a better idea of the election Kate mentioned when we first talked about this.
It’s a small one, there will be only 8 votes.
You guessed it.
The votes come from each of the so call elders within the organisation.
Gabriel has been at the helm for 5 years and it’s time to pass the baton.
Now comes the tricky part.
Ever since the beginning, the baton has only been passed between 2 families.
One would be Gabriel and Kate’s family, the other is Andy.
It made logical sense because Andy’s family has both an accounting/audit firm and a small law practice. Gabriel’s managing his family’s investment holding company. They would be the best to take up the post to lead the organisation.
The other elders held a mish mash of weird business that i wondered if they were actually making money.
Well, Uncle Ben is a rice distributor, I’m pretty sure he’s doing ok.
Let just say given a choice, I don’t think I want to venture down the route the other 5 did.
Simple math, 8 votes, you get more than 4, you win.
In the event of a tie, which everyone would do all they can to avoid because it opens up a can of worms. If 2 candidates are tied, Kate’s granduncle, who currently lives in Taiwan, would have to preside over the matter and decide who would lead the organisation.
If he deems both of them unfit, he has the right to take over. Given that he was cast aside by his brother, ( Kate’s grandfather ) , he held a bitter resentment for the family. If he gets a chance to do it, he would fuck everyone up.
You can vote for yourself, unless you are the current leader, which meant Gabriel’s vote would go to Andy since Gabriel wanted Andy to take over from him.
Together with Uncle Ben, our side has already secured 3 votes.
We need only 2 more.
Next comes the headache.
People are unhappy.
It’s the same everywhere, when the status quo remain unchanged for so many years, everyone gets restless. They start to question, would it not be better if they themselves take up the leadership of the organisation.
Kate told me that there had been rumours going around for a while.
The other elders no longer trust their families. They wanted someone else to represent them. They don’t know who yet but it would not be any of the 3 on our side.
Now, none of the elders can go around canvassing for votes or to poke their noses around asking who’s voting for who, which is where I come into the picture.
Out of the other 5 elders, one is a woman, the other 4 are men. It would not be convenient or nice for Kate to be talking to them. They don’t really respect the girls, but if Kate introduces me as her partner, it would give me an opportunity to poke around.
Why would they trust me or even talk to me you say ?
They won’t trust me for shit according to Kate unless they think I have information they might want.
They’ll talk to me, meet me up alone even, perhaps arrange a secret meeting to ask me about what Kate and Gabriel were up to.
Yeah, dagger and spy stuff I know but when the main motivation is money, you can be surprised what people are willing to do.
Money.
A lot is at stake.
3.35pm
I rang the doorbell to Kate’s place and was surprised that Andy was there as well.
Andy : EH hi…. Come in come in… we’re short of time…
I entered the place and realised all the curtains were drawn.
It’s dark and the lights were not on.
Jake : What’s happening ?
Andy : Your first practical lesson on how to deal with each of the assholes you would be meeting…
Jake : Oh…
Andy leaned against the table and gave me a summary of what I already knew. The characters of each of the elders, what dirty tricks they have and how they would manipulate people.
They had these information complied when Gabriel was poking around on behalf of his dad many years ago.
Andy : Jake… look at me.
Jake : Yah ?
Andy : These….. are not nice people… they may seem nice on the surface…. But you should always know they have an agenda….these so call practical lessons won’t prepare you much but it would at least give you a taste of what these people would do or how far they were willing to go.
I nodded my head and loosen my shoulders.
I flexed my fingers too and looked around the house.
I’ve seen this in the movies, a few guys would jump out, screaming and shouting , I would hit them, maybe they would hit me. Then they would tie me up or some shit, make me betray my friends and stuff.
Finger tips.
Andy : Here…
He showed me a few letters and digits on his phone.
“xot19”
There is no meaning to it.
Andy : All you have to do is not reveal it.
I rubbed my hands together and nodded.
I’ve been through POW (prisoner of war ) training back in the army. They can dunk me in water a hundred times and I held on. Not even a hot cup of milo could tempt me to get out of the freezing water as I struggled to keep myself afloat.
This will be a walk in the park.
Andy : Alright…. This is for Lucy …. Just to give you a taste of what to expect from her… ….. good luck.
Lucy.
The only female among the elders in the group.
Lucy owns a chain of 4 massage parlours and a KTV. No prices for guessing the extra stuff she provides on the side. Lucy had a good stable of Malaysian girls through her connection with her aunt back in Malaysia.
Lucy is a vampire in my opinion. It’s like she doesn’t age.
I’ve seen her pictures. She’s supposed to be nearing 40 but my god.
She don’t look a day over 30.
Her skin is fair and flawless. She looks good without makeup and even better with some. Lucy is snake according to the information I had read so far.
She has a great figure, from the pictures of her in her social media account, I could tell her breast is a comfortable ‘C’ . A handful. Her cleavage would make a nice resting spot for your face .
Depending on the way Lucy dressed, she can look like the hot career women you see in Raffles place, or maybe the up and rising banker at the financial district. Even in her casual wear, she looks like the hot your mother on her way to pick up her kids.
Lucy is pretty, prettier than Kate if I were to be honest. She has that matured women charm that men of all ages would find it hard to resist. I bet my savings if you see her, you would be gay if you didn’t want to fuck her.
She had taken over the spot of elder from her mum a few years ago and Lucy is a wild card. No one knows where her allegiance lies.
I cheekily asked Kate what would happen if Lucy made me sleep with her that this was her reply.
Kate : Technically we’re not really in a relationship , so I can’t do anything if you slept with her…. But you can kiss your chance goodbye after this is over.
Andy : Go in when you are ready…..
I opened the door into Kate’s room, feeling a little amused as I closed it.
These people sure are creative.
I came face to face with Kate who was playing with her phone in her chair.
Jake : Oh hi..
Kate looked up from her phone before putting it down.
The aircon was on in the room, humming softly above my head.
Kate wore a pair of light pink sleep shorts and a black singlet. I could see her bra strap on her shoulders and I felt a tinge of excitement.
In fact my erection was already starting to stir.
Kate walked towards me and I was so excited that my palms started to sweat.
Before I could say a word, Kate held onto my waist and pressed herself against me, squeezing my erection against my body.
Jake : Woah… woah…. So serious ah… hahah…
I looked down at Kate but she was not smiling.
You got to be really naïve if you think just being a little touchy feely would get me. This was the perfect chance for me.
I held onto Kate’s shoulders and she did not reject me or push me away.
This is it I told myself.
Maybe she would have sex with me, in exchange for the information.
I tried to be cheeky and bent down to try and kiss Kate but she turned away, visibly irritated.
I tried not to laugh.
I can be a pervert if I chose to.
Kate’s fingers went under my shirt, tracing my stomach and finally settling on my nipples.
Jake ; Erghh.aahh….
Her other hand joined the first and soon she was playing with my nipples under the shirt.
I did the only natural thing every guy would do.
I held onto Kate’s waist and slowly slid my hands up.
I got close.
My hands got closed, so closed to cupping Kate’s breast when she retreated and slapped me on my face.
Smack !
Jake : Owww !… hey…
I lost it at that moment and I tried to grab Kate’s wrist, within seconds I realised it was a fatal mistake.
She jumped me.
She fucking jumped me, and put me in a choke hold, catching me totally off guard. I was dragged backwards and I landed onto Kate on her queen size bed.
I was gagging and choking, tapping furiously on her arm.
Instead of letting up, Kate’s legs went around my body and she fucking tried to hyperextend my neck from my body.
Jake : oei !!!.. oeareh!!… cough!!!.. aweogig!!!!
I really thought I would black out for a moment and when Kate let go of me, I was sucking in precious gasp of air.
Andy knocked on the door and asked.
Andy : Everything ok ??
I was about to reach for the door when Kate pulled me by my hair back down onto the bed.
Jake : arcgghghghghh!!!! Cut… cut… wait… stop… time out !! aRGHH!!!… are you mad !
Kate straddled me near my groin and I froze, breathing heavily on her bed as she asked me for the information.
Kate : Tell me…. Lucy would surely seduce you with her body…. You already know what to expect…. Quick… tell me so we can end this…
I shook my head.
Part of me was stubborn and the other part a little upset she was so rough.
Kate, while straddling my body, started to move on her knees.
My breathing got faster, my heart thumping harder.
Kate got close to my face as she balanced herself with her hands by my ears. As she got closer, her hands left the side of my face, eventually Kate’s knees were right beside my cheeks.
I could not breathe.
My erection was throbbing so hard, begging to be left free.
Kate’s privates were so close to me I could smell them.
I could detect the fragrance of the detergent she used for her clothes. I could see the opening of her shorts. Not only could I see the opening from the bottom, I could see the layer behind her. That purple lace panty she was wearing.
Jake : Arhh.. aghhhhh….
Kate grabbed a handful of my hair and she bent down a little , whispering softly to me.
Kate : I’ll give you a blowjob if you tell me…
The mere mention of a blowjob shook my resolve but I gritted my teeth and ignored her.
Kate continued whispering to me .
Kate : You don’t want ? …. No ? really ? …. You don’t want me to suck your cock ?? huh ? …. Jake…. Look at me….. you really don’t ??
I was shaking so bad I knew I had to do something.
My hands were free, I tried to grab Kate’s body and pull her off my but she was faster, Kate clamped her knees against the side of my head and ears, squeezing against my temples and I tapped her arms again for her to stop.
I also forgot about the tuff of hair she was holding on and was left nursing a sore patch above my head.
Kate : I mean it Jake… I’ll give you a blow job… you don’t want ? …
I knew it was a lie. She would say anything.
Jake : huh….erghhhhh. !!! …
My eyes widened as I gasped in a breathe of air.
That feeling.
The sensation.
I looked at Kate and say her left hand had gone behind her body and she was reaching my my dick.
I tried hard not to moan as Kate rubbed her fingers playfully against the swollen tip of my cock.
She would graze them lightly before tracing the path of my zipper, pressing the cold metal down onto my erection.
Kate : Last chance Jake… I mean it… you don’t want a blow job ??
Her rubbing of her fingers intensified and I was about to beg her to stop when I felt Kate reached for the top of my zipper.
Within a split second, the zipper was off and I could feel my cock desperately straining to get out of my pants. My boxers had to be badly stretched by then.
Kate was still facing me while her left hand gripped the tip of my cock. I could feel her going for the buttons on my boxers. She realised she could not do it with one hand so she used her right as well.
By right that would give me a chance to push her off but I can’t
I was caught in a trance.
Both of Kate’s hands made short work of the buttons and I could feel the cold air of the room hit my naked dick once Kate took it out.
Her fingers.
She smooth slender fingers touching and playing with my throbbing dick.
Kate : You don’t want ? really ? blow job ??
I was losing it.
I was really losing it when Kate let go of my cock and instead stood upright with her knees, positioning her bottom right about my face.
Kate : Then how about you give me something to moan about ?
Kate parted her soft cotton shorts and I could see her lace panty.
I could even see the wet patch that was slowly growing.
Kate : I’m….. I’m wet already Jake…. See…
Kate’s finger went under her panty before emerging with sticky strand of her natural juice. It was in front of my face, right in front of me.
That strand stretched and floated above my lips for a while before falling off, landing on my chin.
Kate : I’m really wet already Jake….tell me… tell me and I’ll let you fuck me…. I’m already wet…
Kate’s right index finger pressed onto the ridge of my nose. The same right finger that she had coated with her pussy nectar. She slowly traced the ridge of my nose down before wiping it down above my lips.
I could smell Kate.
I could smell her.
That alluring scent of pheromones was driving me nuts.
Kate whispered again.
Kate : Last chance… the most we call it off and move on to the next practical… it’s fine with me…
I was shaking, shivering and I watch Kate slowly pushed her index finger under her lace panty again before emerging once more, this time round her nectar seemed more thick, more viscous and Kate pressed it onto my lips.
Kate : Tell me Jake… please….
Her finger dug into my mouth forcing me to taste her and I did, sucking and swallowing everything on her finger.
Kate laughed and asked me again.
She removed her singlet, leaving only her bra.
Kate : Tell me Jake… quick… tell me and we’ll have time for a quick fuck before Andy knocks on the door again.
I could not take this any longer.
I can’t
I need to fuck her so bad.
I nodded my head eagerly
Jake : I’ll tell you…. I’ll tell you…
Kate smiled and unbuckled her bra causing me to groan for no reason.
She lowered her body towards me and I could feel her bra cups rubbing against my nipples as Kate kissed me by my ears.
Kate : Tell me…. what is it…
Jake : X….. Xot19…
Kate kissed me again and she slowly lifted herself off me to buckle her bra back.
Jake : What… why are we stopping ?
Kate ignored my and started to put on her clothes.
I tried to get up when Kate grabbed a tuff of my hair and shook me hard a few times.
Jake : Arhhhh.. ahhhhhh. Arghhhhhh !!!
Andy started knocking on the door again.
Andy : Everything ok ??
Kate shouted back.
Kate : He said it…. Lasted barely half an hour…
Kate tidied her hair a little and opened the door for Andy.
Andy came in and saw my exposed cock.
Andy : Oh fuck…cover that please…
I regained my composure and sat back up to cover myself.
Andy : Ok… I doubt you will survive Lucy but anyway…. Next up…. Roland. … I got to go Kate… you brief Jake about Roland…
Roland.
Oh…Oh…
Roland..
I remember Roland.
Just before he left Kate asked Andy to flash me the digits once more.
Kate : Andy… show him the digits..
He looked a little puzzled but did it anyway before leaving.
My eyes widened as Andy flashed me the same set of digits on his phone.
“Xot19”
It’s the same set of number
As soon as he’s done, he left the room and Kate locked the door.
Roland.
I immediately stood up on her bed as Kate started rummaging in a box before taking out a condom and a 6 inch dildo.
Roland….. is gay…
I looked at Kate who was waving both of it at me and shouted.
Jake : You got to be fucking kidding me ….!!..
I backed away and went for the door but it’s locked.
Jake : NO!!!.. no.. no… Xot19… I tell you now… I’ll tell you now…
Kate laughed and walked over to me.
Jake : Stay back… stay back….. xot19…. Xot19….take it… take it…. It’s the same… Andy showed me the same…….stop….. stay back…… I swear I will fucking punch you Kate !!.
Jake : I will fucking punch you !..
I pointed a finger in a threatening manner at her.
Kate ignored me and came over before sitting down on the bed.
She patted to her side , asking me to join her.
Kate : Come here Jake…don’t worry…
I hesitated for a moment before heading over and sat a distance away from Kate.
Kate laughed and added it’s not for me.
Kate : It’s not for you la !
Kate put it away and said it was a joke.
Roland is not into that.
Kate got up and switched off the air conditioner before drawing back all the curtains.
Kate : We’ll talk about Roland in the living room
Right before we left the room I asked Kate one question.
Jake : Just curious… do you use that ?
Kate turned, looked at the dildo before turning back to me.
Kate : Yeah… all the time… haha
I joined Kate at the table and the moment she opened her laptop, I knew the playful Kate was gone. She’s got her game face up again.
Gabriel, Andy, Ben, Lucy.
Kate : Ok….. Roland.
………………………………………
Kate tapped away on her laptop for a while before turning it over to face me.
Kate : Roland is smart. He’s probably the smartest of the lot. He’s well travelled, devours books for snacks and he’s an avid art collector….
Jake : Oh…
Kate : How good are you with Renaissance Arts ?
I had to stop my jaw from dropping as I replied.
Jake : I’m very very good at not knowing shit about them…. Who the fuck would know this ? …
I waved my hands around the room.
Jake : You pluck a guy off the streets and tell me if he knows about this !…
Kate rolled her eyes and ignore me.
Kate : Well, it’s ok, the worst you can do is pretend you know when you don’t. Roland knows his stuff and I would rather you be honest and say you don’t know what he’s talking about if he brings up a subject that you are not familiar with.
She pulled up a screen and showed me cutleries arrangements.
Jake: What is this ?
Kate : Roland would likely invite you for a meal, he likes to host and especially you’re a guy, I’m betting he would ask you over for dinner…
Jake : will you be going along ?
Kate : I would if he asked. ….
Kate went on to tell me that Roland was particular with table manners.
Kate : Use the wrong utensils for the wrong meat, he might just throw a fit…. The word out in the street was that he once stuck a dessert fork into someone’s car bonnet. That poor chap used it for his steak after cutting them up into small bite size chunks and dunking it in the gravy.
Jake : That’s anal man…
Kate : And don’t mention anal in front of him….. unless you are prepared to do it.
I swallowed a gulp of saliva and Kate went on.
Kate : He likes to drink too. What’s your poison ?
Jake : I’m ok with wine, beer and whiskey.
Kate : He loves his whiskey, you have any particular favourite ones ?
Jake : ERmmm… Chivas ?? Johnny walker ?? ….
Kate paused for a moment before suggesting a few others.
Kate : Hibiki ? Glenmorangie ? Glenfiddich ? …. Laphroaig ??
My eyes stared straight at Kate as she tried to elicit a response.
Kate : No ?
I sighed and replied.
Jake : As my general rule, I don’t drink anything I can’t pronounce ….
Kate : hahaha…
Jake : It’s not funny, I can’t order them if I can’t pronounce them… the fuck is wrong with the distillers these days… all these fancy names…
I raised up a few fingers and counted them off.
Jake : What does Roland like ? Tiger ? Anchor ? Carlsberg ? Guinness ?
Kate shook her head and ignored me.
Kate returned to the screen and asked me to be mindful when Roland raised his glass to mine.
Kate : He’s older than you, hold your glass lower than his and look at him in his eye. … do you smoke Jake ?
Jake : No I don’t…
Kate : Roland does, he’s a pretty heavy smoker so get ready for some 2nd hand smoke.
Kate went on and asked me to keep the conversation going.
Kate : He likes to talk… so keep talking to him. Don’t zone out and don’t fucking look at your phone and scroll through facebook or some shit.
Jake : okayyyy…..
This was starting to feel like a lecture.
Another 15 minutes passed and we wrapped up Roland’s discussion.
5.15pm
Kate : Are you tired ? Can you go through one more ?
I looked at Kate and the setting sun outside the window. This might actually be a good chance to have dinner with her.
Jake : Let’s do it all today… all of them..
Kate : What ? …
She looked at the time and pointed to the clock.
Kate : You don’t need to be at the stall tomorrow ? We’ll probably be done only at 10 or 11pm…
Jake : We could … have dinner and …. Ermm…. Go through them at the same time ?? haha..
Kate’s eyes narrowed, reading my thoughts immediately.
Jake : Come on… I’ll treat… I’ll go Dabao ( order take away ) from the other street or something…
Kate nodded her head and I wanted to pump my fist in the air.
A series of crazy thoughts ran through my head.
And I meant really crazy thought.
Maybe I should get her drunk ? Or drug her fried rice or something.
Kate was still wearing the same singlet and shorts, definitely the same lace panty.
The same one she wet herself in a few hours ago.
If only I could take those article off her piece by piece, I would die with no regrets.
I tried not to grin as I asked Kate what she wanted for dinner.
Kate : Anything… you ordering Tze char ? just get something to share ?
Jake : Fried rice, stir fried vegetables and…. Sweet sour fish ?
Kate : Sounds good… I’ll go get ready for the next one.
Jake : Who are we doing next ?
Kate replied without turning back.
Kate : King.
I let myself out of the door as Kate disappeared into the store room.
Jogging down the steps, I made my way across the road to the seafood stall and placed my order.
I leaned against a old pillar and waited for my order to be cooked.
King.
Unique name I must say , Out of all the elders, he creeps me out the most.
King has only 1 business, he deals with incense and joss paper. Not only is he one of the big distributor in the country, he also has his own walk in shop. I’ve seen the photos, it’s like a minimart, the shelves stocked with a variety of household items for the dead.
Iphone , imac, bags, keyboards, cars, planes, houses, everything.
If you can find it in the real world, King has one made for the afterlife.
Some of the items were designed in house available uniquely for Singapore market, I’ve seen a picture of a COE ( certificate of entitlement ) and a IU ( In vehicle unit ) in one of his cars package.
Talk about being creative.
King is a man of few words.
He hates it when people are superficial. He’s direct, very direct when he speaks, which is why he offends people most of the time.
King is considered an outcast among the elders but he pulls his weight when it comes to money matters.
Kate subtly hinted that if any elders needed some magic done with their money, King is the one to go to.
No one can question why that paper house you are about to burn cost $13888, or why the 2 maids that comes with it cost $1888 each.
Not even the tax man can ask you why you choose to spend a 100k on offerings to burn for the dead. The dead don’t talk.
Neither does King.
Dealing with paper products made King really good with paperwork.
With Andy’s company doing his accounts and tax, you can be sure no one would ever bother him.
5.45pm
I collected the food I bought and headed back to Kate’s place.
As I walked up the stairs, I could smell something burning.
Incense, perhaps candles, I’m not sure.
I rang the bell and Kate opened the door a moment later.
Jake : You got to be shitting me …..
Kate lit a couple of candles and joss sticks on the dining table. There is also a stack of incense paper beside it.
Kate : I’m Christian actually so I’m not sure how this actually works but anyway…. These are something you should properly be familiar with.
I set the food down on the table and I immediately jumped.
Jake : Fuck !… what the fuck ! man…. What is that ?? !
I pointed to the paper figurine standing outside the storeroom.
You know the figurine of the boy and girl you see at Taoist funerals, Kate has the boy leaning against the wall, on the verge of toppling over while the girl’s face was slightly crushed.
Jake : What are you doing !!
Kate replied nonchalantly and asked me what is wrong
Kate : What’s wrong ?
Jake : What’s wrong ?? I almost fucking pissed in my pants… why do you have that here ??
Kate looked genuinely unconcerned as she walked over and picked both of the figurines up and came over to me.
I backed away immediately and started to pray to no one in particular.
Jake : Sorry ah… sorry ah…. Brothers, sisters…. Uncles…. Aunties….. sorry…sorry…. Little kids don’t know anything…
Kate : Don’t be silly Jake… come over here…
Kate put the 2 figurines on 2 chairs at the dining table and went to her laptop.
Jake : I’m not eating with the 2 of them there man… no way…
Kate laughed and explained that it was Gabriel’s idea. He wanted to see if I would freak out over things like this.
Kate : You have to deal with your fears man…. If not, you would not even get to speak with King.
Jake : Can we skip King ? He’s very creepy…
Kate : No…
Kate dragged me over to her side and pointed to the photos on her screen.
Kate : Now… it’s very easy to tell if Kings likes you or not….
She pointed to King’s place of business. His office, retail outlet and warehouse are all within the same industrial building.
Kate : This…. Sells everything meant for the gods…..while this…. Sells everything meant for the dead….
Jake : So ?
Kate : So… when you meet with him, see where he asks you to go.
Jake : Oh fuck… this cannot be happening..
Kate : I’ve been to the shops, honestly the one for the dead looks more interesting….
I swivelled my eyes without moving my head towards Kate, looking at her sideways before shaking my head.
Kate : Ok.. .. the key word here is respect… That’s what King is particular with.
Kate raised up 3 fingers.
Kate : Respect the gods, respect the dead, respect the living….
I nodded my head and asked if Kate can put away the figurines.
Kate : HAiyah !!!.. you very sissy leh…
She grabbed both of them up and shoved them right into my face.
I reared back and started praying to no one again as she laughed before keeping them in the storeroom.
Jake : that’s very rude Kate…. Some times… these things… must respect.
Kate raised up her 3 fingers again.
Kate : What did I say earlier. ??
Jake : Respect the gods….. the dead…. And the living….
She nodded her head and pointed to the storeroom
Kate : tell me which category those fall into ? Paper ?
I was speechless for a moment and Kate waved me off and began to set the table for dinner.
We did not talk about the elders as we enjoyed a quiet dinner. We hardly talked in fact but it was not awkward at all. I just felt comfortable; hopefully Kate feels that way too.
7pm
Kate made a pot of tea and we moved to the sofa.
Instead of taking the seat opposite her, I tried my luck by taking the one beside.
Kate did not react and instead opened up the next folder, putting one half on her lap and the other on mine.
Next on the list ;
Matthew.
Matthew is also Ah Keong’s father.
Yup, the huge burly chicken rice seller.
Matthew is a contractor and he rakes in a healthy profit every year. He’s not well liked by the other elders too because he’s too power hungry. Truth be told, Matthew is the one that goes around stirring up everyone’s emotions.
He plays dirty, real dirty. His forte is driving a wedge between people.
One major discontentment he has is with his son. Ah Keong.
Not only is Ah Keong fiercely loyal to Gabriel, he also refused to touch his dad’s business. This caused a strain in the father and son relationship.
Kate : One thing I should let you know about Ah Keong…. He sort of likes me I think…
Jake: What ! ..
Kate shrugged her shoulders and went on.
Kate : He expressed his feelings for me a year ago but I told him I only see him as a brother…
Images of him wielding his chopper sent a shiver down my spine and I shook my head to get rid of the image.
Kate : You should look out for him Jake… be careful… don’t be easily swayed by his words…
Jake : Orh…
Kate brought up pictures of Matthew’s office and staff annual dinner.
Kate : Matthew has the most men among all the elders…
That picture of Matthew sitting in the middle with 3 rows of men standing behind him spoke volumes. It was taken in front of some builders association. Normally you would expect rows of indian workers but not for Matthew.
Mostly are locals and Malaysians with a few Thais and Chinese.
If the occasion calls for it, other elders go to Matthew for manpower if you get my drift.
When you can no longer solve problems in a law abiding manner, you have to get creative .
With employees looking like they belong in a Hong Kong triad film, I’m sure you can resolve all your conflicts.
It was close to 9pm when Kate closed the file on Matthew.
Kate : It’s late…. You better go back and rest.
Kate stretched on the sofa and the fullness of her breast got to me again.
I could feel my erection stirring once more.
Kate saw me looking at her and she stopped stretching.
Kate : What do you want ? … I’m not sleeping with you…
Jake : ERmm… earlier you mentioned a blowjob…
Kate shot me an evil stare and I looked away.
She came back out from the kitchen after clearing the cups and teapot and asked.
Kate : We’re down to the last one. ….Terry…… You want to finish it off ?
Jake : It’s late… ermm… can I stay over ? … I mean I just work downstairs…. And…
Kate’s folded arms and narrow eyes gave me the answer I seek and I stopped myself halfway.
Kate : It’s very….. weird Jake… if you stayed over… come on… don’t do this…
I gave a sheepish smile and said my goodbyes.
As I descended down the steps, I could feel my footsteps getting lighter.
I don’t know why but I felt happy.
I’m just glad I got to spend time with Kate.
Right when I was about to get to the bottom of the stairs, I heard a commotion.
I can hear several men shouting.
Suddenly a figure flashed past me before falling down onto his back.
Curses were tossed about and several men started shouting and cursing at each other. The pushing and shoving started within seconds and the first person I thought of was Kate.
I wanted to run back up, to warn her that some men were fighting below her place. It’s getting late and that area can get a rowdy at times when people had a glass too many to drink.
I could hear someone trying to break up the fight.
Man : Aiyah. Suar la… suar la… ( forget it, forget it ) … gia la.. ( let’s go )…. Lim jiu lim jiu, ( let’s go drink )
Everyone was trying to speak and it was utter chaos.
I remained where I was, unwilling to step out of the stairwell into the 5 foot way.
Another few seconds of pushing and cursing ensure before it stopped.
Not only did the commotion stop, it stopped really abruptly.
Like as if someone flicked a switched and hit the mute button.
I saw a couple of men turned to their back before gently nudging each other back down the direction where the pubs were.
Within seconds the scene cleared.
It was surreal and I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was not dreaming.
Peace returned to the 5 foot way.
I stepped out into the open and barely 2 metres from me stood this familiar figure.
My eyes widened.
Bill tipped his dirty cap at me and I returned a nod.
He lid up a cigarette, started to sing in Hokkien and settled onto the floor right in front of the staircase.
I looked down the alleyway and I could see the group of men a distance away, whispering and pointing at Bill.
I got into a cab and made my way back home.
I never expected life to be so interesting at a coffee shop.
Gabriel , Andy , Ben , Roland, Lucy, King, Matthew .
Last one up, Terry.
I spent the most time on Terry’s files, because he’s 65, has a 37 year old wife from China and a 17 year old daughter.
You see, I’m not a pervert but when you see the pictures of mother and daughter looking like siblings instead, it’s bound to catch your attention.
They’re hot.
I pictured the shot I saw of Terry’s wife and daughter in bikini and I chuckled.
I wouldn’t mind talking Renaissance Arts with them.
I could drink fancy whiskey too, those with names I can’t even pronounce.
Hell I might even consider a selfie with a paper figurine as I visually undressed the 2 of them in my head.
11.15pm
I was about to sleep when a picture message arrived on my phone.
I regretted it the moment I opened it as I cursed in my room.
Jake : Fuck ! .
Kate took a selfie with the paper figurine and sent me a picture of it, totally killing my mood.
I threw my phone aside and sighed before closing my eyes.
Weird people, estranged families and colourful characters, it would make a hell of a story if I decided one day to pen it down.
………………………………….
When I next met up with Kate to talk about Terry, she warned me about his manners and attitude. He’s loud, thinks he’s always right and would not hesitate to get into a fist fight if he thinks he has the upper hand.
Terry is another oddball with his own quirky habits.
He’s in the gold and jewellery business and it’s been on a steady decline for a while. His designs are a dated and they cater more towards the older crowd. Terry’s usually at his small gold shop in Chinatown in the day and closer to the evening, he would head over to his workshop to keep an eye on things.
Yup, he has his own workshop with 4 staff churning out the jewelries base on his sketches and designs. According to Kate, he isn’t exactly making money and she knows he’s been asking Gabriel for money pretty often.
Terry also happens to be Kate’s grandmother’s nephew, and she suspects that he’s been asking money from Gabriel to keep up appearances and all. After an accident on a bike in his early 20s, Terry has been walking with a limp on his left leg. It gave him a phobia to get back on the road again and he never picked up driving.
He’s probably the only one in the entire group that does not own a car or drive so he takes a cab everywhere he goes.
Terry’s greatest conquest so to speak would be his young wife from China.
He married her when she was only 20 and they had a daughter that very year. The wife, Suwen, does not work, and her only goal in life would be to spend Terry’s money.
Their Daughter is in Junior college, no one had really interacted with her before so there was not much information. We only knew her name is Tiffany.
No prize for guessing what was on her mother’s mind when she gave her that name.
Most of the elders have a common problem with Terry.
His foul mouth.
He curses regularly and is said to be the most uncouth person in the organisation. He likes to antagonise people with rude and sarcastic comments, and he always likes to win an argument. He would raise his voice higher and louder until he shuts everyone out.
There is just a problem.
Terry always loses his argument, but he made up for it with his loud voice so it appears as if he’s won.
31st Jan 2015
Friday
By the end of January, word has spread among my ex colleagues that I’m helping at my parent’s place and that I’m going to take over the noodle business.
A few of my ex colleagues dropped by on weekends to support my parents stall and to catch up a little. Even my boss dropped by one day for a coffee. He kind of hinted that my position would still be available if I decide to head back but I was to give him an answer soon.
Boss : I can’t keep that position open indefinitely… but don’t worry… let me know… I’ll see what I can do.
Within that period of time, I had picked up almost all the things I needed to know at the stall with exception of the cooking part.
I could fall into the mute mime like routine my parents did every morning. Which sauces to top up, which item goes where, where to put the necessary utensils and stuff. I know the rough timing which suppliers deliver their goods and where to put them.
Small insignificant things that you would not even realise food stall owners had to do if you are not in the trade. Yet without all this behind the scenes preparations, it would not be possible to deliver that piping hot place of noodles you ordered.
I no longer got in my parents’ way at the stall, knowing exactly where to stand, which spots to avoid.
I also know some of the regulars by then, the good , the bad, the ugly.
There’s an asshole who would always pay by coins. We are fine with coins, in fact I love them but this ass always tries to sneak in a few Malaysian coins with his payment.
It was something that my parents caught on to and insists on counting his payment in front of him before giving him his noodles. I would collect the money from him in advance and spread it out in my hands while he gave me the dirty look.
He would sneer at me with his eyes when it was all ok while if I happen to catch him using other currencies, he would make some nasty remarks that we don’t trust our regular customers, in future no one will patronise us.
I always made sure he sees me rolling my eyes before dropping the coins into the money box.
Then there are those who would turn up with extra large dollar bills.
I mean come on people, how much loose change do you think a small food stall carries ?
If the 1st couple of customers comes with a 50 dollar note, it would probably wipe out all their loose change. I saw it happen a couple of times and it made me remember why some stall owners gave me the dirty look when I paid for a $3 plate of chicken rice with a 50 dollar bill.
Thankfully, the whole coffee shop functions like a community. Everyone helps each other out.
Kate has a steady supply of loose change which she would gladly exchange with us.
This brings me to the another issue about the stall.
Money.
I know my math and after a couple of months at the stall, I’ve seen all the delivery invoices.
I’ve never actually counted the daily takings but just seeing the number of large denomination bills would give you a rough idea how much you are grossing in a single day.
It’s surprisingly little.
I counted about 170 in 10s and 50s on a average day. Raw materials probably cost close to 80 a day. This doesn’t include the rent, the utilities and miscellaneous expenses.
Something just doesn’t really add up.
I don’t know how much they are paying for the rent but utilities alone for the stall is close to 500 a month base on the amount of water, gas and electricity they are using .
Don’t forget there’s still the car. They need it to travel to and fro the stall.
I asked my mum honestly one evening if they are making enough for themselves.
Mum : Aiyah… enough to get by can already…
She did not seem like she wants to go into detail so I did not probe further.
My mum however, did notice Kate and I getting closer. We talked more, and at times when the busy peak hour is over at the coffee shop, the 2 of us would retreat to a corner to have a chat.
Mum : Are you dating Kate ?
Jake : Aiyah… you don’t ask so much la… anyway… I’m not heading down to the stall tomorrow…
Mum : Tomorrow Sunday leh !…. very busy..
Jake : I have something on…
Mum : What you have ?? You go no social life after leaving your job .
Jake : Hey !… I have… things to do also ok…
Mum : You going out with who ?? your girlfriend is it ? You going out with Kate ar ?? haha..
Jake : yah la… ya la… I’m going out with Kate tomorrow..
My mum’s eyes lit up and she gave me the thumbs up approval.
Mum : don’t do anything stupid ok… use a condom…
I ignored her and went back to my room.
10 pm
After several weeks of preparation and discussion, the big day is finally here.
It was the eve of Kate’s grandmother’s 80th birthday.
I was to be formally introduced to her as Kate’s boyfriend, not that it carries a lot of weight in the family but it would be the perfect place for me to get noticed.
Gabriel said there were hardly any new faces at such gatherings for a while, everyone knew each other and being the only newcomer, I would be getting quite a bit of attention.
Gabriel : Be careful, don’t take anything anyone said at face value. These people are snakes…
That was the warning Gabriel gave me.
Andy on the other hand was a bit more casual, he just asked me to be myself and that everything would be fine.
Andy : Just stick to the plan of poking around for information and don’t get involved with other matters.
I was excited.
I felt as if I was going for a holiday or sort, exploring some foreign country I’ve never been before. All I had was a guide book, and even with the guide book, you can never be sure what surprises the new place would have for me.
One thing for sure, everyone would want to talk to me, at least that’s what Gabriel told me. He has prepared for me a list of stuff to say as well. Information that I was to casually feed to the elders should they ask.
I was not to reveal anything unless they asked and even if they do ask, I have to act nonchalant and uninterested.
What manner to release the information will be decided by me base on the situation.
Pretend to be drunk, slip of the tongue, or just plain trading of information if I think it’s worth it.
10.15pm
Kate dropped me a message to ask if I remembered to get her grandmother a present and I told her I did.
She reminded me not to get anything expensive, just a token will do and that she would reimburse me for the present.
Kate msg : Are you ready to meet the family ??
Jake msg : I hope so..
1st Feb 2015
Sunday
10am
Kate would be busy with the preparations and I was to make my own way to the restaurant for lunch.
I went to get a haircut, headed back for a quick shower before making my way down to Toa payoh
The birthday banquet will be held at a old Teochew restaurant, one of grandma’s favourite spot.
They had booked the entire restaurant for the birthday even though there would be less than 10 tables.
11.20am
I wanted to be early and I got there with plenty of time to spare.
I was dressed casually, just collared t- shirt and pants. I tried to recall the information I had digested over the past few weeks, I was full of anticipation.
There is something shady going on with Kate’s family that’s for sure but to what extend, I don’t know.
Lunch was scheduled to start at 12 noon.
The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, served by a old lift and a long flight of staircase. The restaurant had placed a sign to indicate that the place is closed for private function until 4pm. A staff was also stationed there to turn away walk in crowds
I saw a few guys milling around the bottom of the restaurant. They looked like they’re there for the birthday celebration too.
I joined the crowd and tried to blend in. It was almost like heading for a wedding reception of a friend and you’re there early. Some of us exchanged looks, most of them just looked at their phone. A couple talked among themselves.
11.30am
King was the first to arrive and he looked exactly like the picture in the file. I saw him walked towards the restaurant with both of his hands in his pocket. He strolled casually, slowly. King is thin, really thin. He’s about 1.7m in height and his clothes hung off his body. His cheeks looked sunken. A few of his staff walked behind him, a couple of them wore the company t-shirt with the name of his paper product company printed in red.
At one glance you might think he’s malnourished or something but he’s not, he’s just thin.
King took a glance around, saw that he was early and he said something to his guys before walking away.
Kate beckoned to me from the top of the restaurant and I went up to join her.
Kate : They’re mostly here, Andy told me he saw their cars at the carpark. Everyone just waiting for one another to go up first.
Jake : Is it very embarrassing to be punctual ?
Kate : Don’t ask me…. I have no idea. …
Jake : Where’s your brother and grandmother ?
Kate : On their way, will be here any minute.
Kate’s phone rang again and she left me alone, pointing to the tables inside the restaurant and asking me to make myself comfortable.
11.45am
By 11.45am , There were at least 30 guys loitering at the foot of the restaurant, they separated into groups and only talked among themselves.
Nothing was happening and I got bored.
I went in and found a seat in the corner of the restaurant. I made sure to avoid the tables with names of the elder’s companies on them. I don’t want to accidentally step on anyone’s toes.
My spot gave me a good view of the entrance, I could quietly observe everyone that walks in
11.50am
Gabriel, Kate and their grandmother arrived at the restaurant.
Kate beckoned me over when she saw me.
I was immediately introduced to the smiling old lady as Kate’s boyfriend. She gave me a really warm smile and tapped my hand a couple of times, asking me to take care of Kate. I liked her immediately.
Grandma was showed to her table by Gabriel while Kate pulled me aside.
She whispered to me that we will be sitting at the same table as Grandma but only after everyone says their birthday wishes to her.
Kate : You don’t want to be seated there like a block of wood when all the knives are flying around
Jake : What knives ?
Kate : haha… words Jake… words…. You will be surprise how terrible these people can be.
Kate took out her phone and started to unroll her headphones.
Jake : What are you doing ?
Kate : They’re very vulgar and uncouth…. I would prefer not to hear some of them speak… haha… just enjoy my music.
She gave me a smile and plugged herself in.
We stood a distance away from the main table, leaning against some chairs. Not too far that we can’t hear what is going on but not too near that we would be draw attention.
11.55am
There was some commotion at the door, people speaking loudly in various dialects. Someone just came up and was about to walk in through the door it seemed.
I looked around the restaurant. It was not what I had imagined. I would have expected staff lining up at both sides of the entrance, and probably some music from god of gamblers plays in the background as the elders strolled in like they own the world but that was not the case.
The servers were mostly old aunties and uncles, they looked tired and bored.
I sat upright, anticipating the arrival of the characters I read and heard so much about.
Uncle Ben walked in first. His hair slicked back with gel. His shirt had the top 2 buttons off and he strolled in with a swagger. A few of his staff followed close behind him and I recognised a couple of them. They usually followed him on his delivery round.
Uncle Ben has 14 employees, 9 of which are male. Out of those 9, 7 of them are Malay. I don’t see any of them around since the restaurant don’t serve Halal food. I recognised one other Chinese driver that does the delivery and I gave him a friendly wave.
He returned my wave and I felt a light smack on my arm.
Kate : Don’t anyhow wave to people.
Jake : Orh…
Uncle Ben’s staff went to the table with his company’s name written in gold on a red card and took their seats while he continued on towards Grandma.
Ben : Ah Jee !… ( Sis ) Happy birthday !!! to youuuuuuu….
He spread his arms wide and sang in an overly dramatic manner before laughing heartily.
Grandma laughed and spoke to Ben in Hokkien dialect.
Grandma : Mai dee xiao xiao la… gui huay liao … ( Don’t do stupid things, you’re already so old )
Ben just laughed and gestured to one of his staff who brought up a box.
I looked in intently as Ben slowly removed the covers.
My jaw almost dropped when I saw Uncle Ben revealing a gold longevity peach. It’s intricately carved, not very big, probably the size of a large kiwi.
Ben : 999 eh . .. swee bo !.. ( Pure gold , nice or not ) Happy birthday ah… hahaha…
Gabriel thanked Ben on behalf and accepted the present and displaying it on a table with red cloth a few steps away.
I looked down at the present I bought and felt a trickle of sweat fell from my forehead.
Uncle Ben took his seat the moment Terry stepped into the restaurant.
I saw the look they exchanged and I could immediately feel the tension in the air.
T