Jake : Relax… I’m not interested in your election and stuff…. I’m just a passer by… but… but… I heard… a rumour…
King ; What rumour…
Jake : That… that Suwen was cheating on Terry…
King’s grin returned to his face and he chipped in to add on.
King : It’s true… I think it’s true at least….. after Terry forced Suwen to sleep with other men…. Their relationship became a little enstranged….and I think that pushed Suwen to cheat….
King added that people tried to dig around but no one knew who Suwen was seeing.
King : She covered her tracks well it seems…. But the signs were all there….
I nodded and smiled as I tried my luck asking King about his video.
Jake ; I don’t suppose…. I can see the videos ?? haha
King shooed me away with his hand.
King : CHey… crazy… why should I show you ??
I smiled and casually asked King another question.
Jake : Just asking… anyway… if those are tapes… make sure you keep them well….. if it gets mouldy…..game over…haha…
King : You live in what era…. Still tapes… it’s ….
King paused and thought about what I just said for a moment.
King : Your tape… you mean those VCR tape ??
Jake : Those older cam corder also use those smaller tapes what…. Today is all digital….
King sat up and asked me if those will turn mouldy.
I have no fucking idea but if you asked me what is the best way to lie to a uncle in his seventies, I would tell you anything IT related and shit is the best way to go.
Jake : Of couse… all tapes get mouldy…
I pointed to the room.
Jake : There’s all these fungus pores everywhere…. You don’t store them properly..sure gone fuck…. Singapore is so humid…
King looked at me, unsure of what to say.
Jake : Ok… relax… make sure you keep them in a dry place…. Put them properly… not too hot… not too cold…. And make a copy of them la… covert to digital copies… put in hardisk or CD… can last decades…
King ; Really ?
Jake : I bluff you for what….. you don’t believe you go to any computer shop ask…. But please ah…. Don’t take your porn tapes and ask those people to convert….next day sure on news…
King ; Then how ?? What do I do ??
Jake : I can do it for you ….
I said it with a smile.
King : You fucking son of a bitch….
Jake ; hey… I won’t take them… I can do it in front of you… take a chair… sit beside me…. all I get to do is just see them once and that’s it…. Besides… what can I do it it ?? I’m not voting in your crazy election…
Suwen came out of the shower at that moment and he ogled at her body which was by then wrapped with a towel.
Suwen : I… I have no clothes to wear…they’re all dirty…
King : We stay here tonight… wait for the clothes to dry… heee.. heee…
Suwen ignored King and she turned to me, half expecting me to give her a solution.
Jake : What ??
She glared at me with a dirty look before stomping off back into the bathroom to wash her soiled clothes.
King : how long does the conversion take…?? To.. you know… put from the tape… into the computer those thing…
Jake : A couple of hours…give and take… come on…. You have to do it sooner or later… better get it done before it’s all gone…
King : You sure will get mouldy ?? I keep in a very safe place… I think it’s impossible to get mouldy….
I pointed to the streets outside the window.
Jake : 10 years ago if I tell you orchard road will flood when it rain….you’ll say I’m crazy..
King thought about what I just said for a while before he laughed and replied.
King : You chee bye… it’s not flooding…. It’s ponding la… ahhaha…
Jake : Hahaha…. So…. Give me a call when you’re ready ….??
King nodded with a smile.
King : You will fucking blow your load I tell you Jake… you will fucking cum..
Jake: Is the video any good ??
King : Just imagine seeing Suwen’s unwilling face…. Getting angry and pissed while she gets fucked by someone she doesn’t know…. And Terry ?? .. Terry’s filming… and trying to coax his wife to play along….. you tell me is that good ?? hahaha.. .
Suwen came out with her washed clothes and lingerie, hanging them out to dry in the room.
Suwen : I booked this room… I want you all to leave now…
I checked the time
It was coming to 3am
I got up and put on my clothes as Suwen glared at me with her folded arms.
King remained seated on the couch, sneering at Suwen
Suwen : You too King… get out !…
King ignored her as I pulled on my top and went to slip on my shoes.
King : I’m not done yet…
Suwen ; yes you are.. !!…
King : I’m not… ahahhahaha…. Not yet…
King took out a blue pill from his trousers and he popped it into his mouth, swallowing it without water.
Suwen : No… no !! I’m not doing it…
She turned and looked at me
Suwen : Jake… JAKE!!!… don’t go… JAKE!!! Stay please… JAKE !!!!!
I was about to open the door when Suwen ran towards me. King got up and intercepted her, grabbing Suwen by her waist as she screamed and kicked. King may looked frail but he’s stronger than he looks.
Suwen ; NO!!!.JAKE!!JAKE…please … JAKE !!!!…. wait …wait… no !!! JAKE don’t go… JAKE !!!
I stepped out of the suite and closed the door behind me, shutting out Suwen’s screams as I walked towards the lift lobby.
I too a cab back home and bumped into my parents right when they are about to leave for the stall.
Mum : You always taking urgent leave…. How to be hawker…
I gave her a sheepish smile and told her I’m going on a date with Kate.
Mum : Yah right…
Jake : You don’t believe… you see if she’s at the stall later…. I’m meeting her in a while
Mum : Where are you going ?
Jake : An adventure I hope…
They shut the door behind them and I made myself a thick cup of coffee.
I gathered up some tools that I think I will need.
Screwdriver, scissors, a cutter, gloves. I just dropped them into my bag.
I opened up google map and looked at the map of King’s shop in Tai seng.
I tried to remember the roads and immediate alleyways.
In case someone comes after us, I need to know where we can run.
I left home at 4am, taking a cab down to Tai seng and settled myself near the train station for the wait.
4.30am
King sent me a short 5 second video of Suwen on the bed. Dollar bills were strewn all over the bedsheets.
Suwen’s body were covered in sweat and cum, King was rubbing his excess cum on Suwen’s buttocks as she gathered up the notes in front of her. I could even see several pieces of 50 dollar bills stuck on her body by King’s semen.
I shook my head and kept my phone.
5am
I repositioned myself across the road from King’s shop and waited. I checked to make sure I was in the shadows, well away from his’s staff’s line of sight when he leaves to get breakfast.
5.15am
I got a message from King .
King msg : good luck.. I’m on my way back to the office….. Ah Keong is on his way too…. He’s moving Kate to his house… he prepared a guest room…
I kept my phone and stared at the roller shutter of King’s shop.
5.20am
A small door beside the shutter opened up and I saw King’ staff stepped outside the shop. He lit up a cigarette and pressed some concealed button to raise up the main shutters.
After he was done, he started shifting some shelves with goods out.
5.25am
King msg : I just hopped onto a cab…… Keong left bukit timah 10 minutes ago.
My heart started pounding as the staff took his time bringing out more stuff including a paper model the size of your bicycle. He looked up into the sky and checked the skies before dusting his hands and crossing the road to the hawker centre.
No one would dare to steal offerings meant for the dead.
The moment he was across the road, I dashed into King’s shop.
Using my phone as a source of light, I went right to the back of the shop, calling out for Kate as I did.
Jake : Kate … KATE !!… you there ?? Kate ??
I called out several times but there was no reply.
I found the door to the make shift sleeping quarters and I opened it.
Jake : Kate …KATE!! You there ??
Kate : Jake … JAKE !! is that you… JAKE!!! Let me out !!
Jake : Hold on …
I unlatched the bolt and opened the door.
Kate was on the bed, her wrist were tied up using several cable ties.
Her black leggings were torn on her left calves and as I approached her I could smell pee.
Jake ; Oh god… did you do what I think you did ??
Kate : Shut up Jake… I’ll kill you if you dare tell anyone about this….i had to go to the bathroom really bad… and I was being ignored the whole time… I’m starving too…
I cut through all the cable ties and Kate took a couple of mins to get mobile. Her legs and arms were all numb, the pins and needles took a while to go away.
Jake : We need to go now…. King and Ah Keong are on their way over …
Kate : How did you find me ?? how did you know they’re coming…. ??
Jake : Long story…. Quick… follow me…
Kate and I crept out of the quarters and into the shop.
The moment we were out, I cursed under my breathe.
I could see King’s staff heading back already.
He was right outside the shop, sipping his coffee from his bag.
Jake : Fuck…
Kate : What do we do ?
As if that was not bad enough, he compounded the problem by hanging his coffee on the shelf and he entered the shop.
I was holding onto Kate’s hand and I could feel her squeezing mine.
I looked around King’s shop and I saw something that would save us.
It might save us.
It’s a chance we have to take.
Over by the corner, there’s like a dozen of those paper figurines, standing as tall as a average adult.
I dragged Kate over and we squeezed ourselves into it’s ranks.
The lights in the shop were not on.
This might just work.
Both of us just froze as the staff shuffled his feet and walked right pass us. We saw him enter the quarters and immediately took to our feet and ran, knocking down several figurines along the way.
Jake ; Fuck… fuck…
We burst out into the morning skies to see a MPV pull up .
Kate and I locked eyes with a shocked Ah Keong behind the wheels.
Jake : Shit… shit..
It took 2 seconds before anyone of us manage to react.
Kate and I sprinted and ran, as fast as our feet could carry us.
I turned back to check and I could see King’s staff running out of the shop while Ah Keong was already on his phone.
We turned a corner, hailed a cab, panting and coughing away.
Jake : Uncle Tampines…. Pant.. pant.. pant…
Kate turned and looked behind us as the cab pulled off from the industrial estate.
We did not speak along the way.
6.20am
Jake : Welcome to my humble abode…I hope you don’t mind…. I was thinking the coffee shop would be the first place Ah Keong would go to and you stay just above….
Kate : it’s ok… I’m just so tired and hungry…
I went to my room and grabbed a fresh towel for Kate.
I forgot totally about the clothes. I don’t have anything for her.
I showered in my parents soon and when I came out, I saw Kate with her hair dripping wet, my towel around her body as she ransacked my wardrobe for clothes to wear.
I could feel an erection stirring as well as I looked at Kate’s body.
Memories of me penetrating her came back , sending warm waves of emotions down my groin.
I could feel my dick harden but it went away after a while.
I’m just too tired.
I’ve been up the whole night.
Kate pulled out one of my grey work shirt.
Kate : Lend me this can ??
I nodded.
Too tired to even try to crack a corny joke.
Kate came out of the bathroom dressed only in my shirt, and I could see the bundle of her soiled clothes in her hands.
Kate : I’ll need a bag later too….
I made instant noodles for both of us and we ate without a word. After draining the hot and spicy soup, Kate’s eyes could barely open.
Jake : Here… take my bed… I’ll sleep in the living room…
Kate : You didn’t sleep the whole night too ??
Jake : Yah… long story…
I switched on the air conditioner for Kate and watch her crawl into my bed and put her tired head down on my pillow. It’s a queen size bed actually, so there’s room for the both of us.
I pulled the covers up to her chin and I could see her eyes struggling to stay open.
Kate : Thanks…. For everything Jake…
Jake : You’re welcomed..
I could not resist the pull of my own soft bed and I crawled onto it as well but I lay down above the covers.
Then we just drifted off.
I don’t know how long we slept but I jumped a little when I felt some movements beside me.
It was Kate, she was trying to pull the covers over me.
Perhaps we were both just tired, we went right back to sleep.
The next time I woke up, it was because Kate’s hair was tickling my nose and it was then I realised that I was literally plastered against her back.
Kate was cuddled up by my chest.
We were both out for a long time , it was 4pm when we woke up.
My phone had almost 50 missed calls.
Kate called Gabriel and told him what happened.
5pm
Gabriel came by together with Andy to pick Kate up.
Kate : Jake… thanks… for the top…. I’ll.. wash and return it to you another day….
They drove off and I did not see Kate again for an entire week.
It was a weird and surreal week.
It’s like nothing happened.
My life went back to normal at the noodle stall.
Kate text me her new number and told me she’s fine , she’ll be keeping a low profile until the election.
15th March 2015
Sunday.
A week before the election.
Kate finally showed up at the coffee shop.
Jake : Hey… want to eat noodles or not….
Kate : Yah… maybe later… I need a favour from you Jake…
Jake ; Yah ??
Kate : We are not finished with visiting all the elders. …
Jake : What ? …. You cannot be serious…
Kate : we have to try…
Jake : Who else is left ??
Kate : Terry….
I swallowed a gulp of saliva and Kate looked at me eagerly.
Kate : I …. I really don’t want to meet him on my own… so… I was thinking if we can drop by his gold shop together… and…. Have a chat… or something…
I nodded and agreed.
Kate smiled and passed me a brown envelope.
Kate : Thanks !… here..
I opened it to see it filled with money. There had to be like several thousand dollars inside there.
Jake : You meant if I had said no…you… you wouldn’t pay me ??
Kate : Yeah… I probably wouldn’t have given you the money… hahha…
Jake : Fuck…
Kate : TSK !… don’t curse at me …
Kate picked a time and I agreed.
5pm
Chinatown.
Kate was right on time and both of us stood barely 20 metres from the entrance of Terry’s gold shop.
We just stared at the entrance, waiting for the other to make the first move.
Kate : Oh boy… I really hate him…. I really hate talking to him…. You too right… I’m sure…
I took in a deep breath as I looked at Suwen and Tiffany who were in a corner of the shop as well, trying on the jewelleries and taking selfies of themselves.
Kate : Jake … hey… stop looking at Suwen and Tiffany !… I know they’re hot…
I laughed and turned to look at Kate who was wearing a white sleeveless dress that day.
Jake : Not as hot as you. ..
Kate laughed.
She held up her hand, I offered up my arm, linking both our bodies together.
We took the first step towards the shop and I added.
Jake : You know the story of us being together is already blown right….
Kate : Yeah… I know…
Terry’s eyes locked onto us as we stepped into his gold shop.
Tiffany looked our way too, so did Suwen.
Kate : No rule to say friends can’t link arms right ?
I smiled and took a deep breath as Terry walked right up in front of me, staring me down as if he wanted to pick a fight.
Terry : What….. the fuck….. do you want ??
Kate : Can we have a chat Terry ?
Terry : Still the same… need women to speak up for you…. Hah !…
I ignored Terry’s comment.
The 3 of us stood there for a few seconds before Terry barked to his staff , saying that he would be back in a few minutes.
Terry walked towards a café , Kate and I followed behind him.
We sat down, Terry ordered 3 coffee without even asking what we wanted.
Terry : I go straight to the point… I know what the fuck you all want…
Kate : Ok… name your price then… say it…
Terry sniggered and looked at Kate with disdain, checking out her whole body before turning back to me.
Terry : How long more are you going to put up this fake boyfriend girlfriend act… it’s getting boring….
Kate : How much ?? just say it…
Terry pointed finger at Kate.
Terry : You know what I hate about people like you….. you think just because you have money…. You can buy anyone you wished…. Pui !!
He sipped his coffee in a cocky manner and looked at Kate.
Kate : I thought you want to go straight to the point… so just say it.. how much ?
Terry : You cannot afford me…
Kate : Try me…
Terry laughed.
Terry : 300k….. and …… I want to fuck you…. In front of your so call boyfriend… ahhaa..
I hit the table so hard with a smack that coffee spilled out of the cups as I stood up
Terry shook his legs in a cocky manner.
Terry : Why …. Why ??? What’s the problem…. You don’t have the chips… then don’t negotiate. .. haha…
Kate took a deep breathe, sipped her coffee and wiped her lips with a napkin.
She stood up without a word and we left Terry at the café.
When were got far enough from them I asked Kate the question that was burning in my head.
Jake : please tell me you are not entertaining that thought….
Kate took a while to reply me and when she did , she did it in a light hearted manner.
Kate : would you get jealous ??
Jake : Tsk … don’t be an ass…
Kate : hahaha…
We stepped into the train and right before the doors hissed to a close, Kate added softly under her breathe.
Kate : It’s hope it doesn’t come to that then…
…………………….
Elections
It’s something we’re all familiar with in Singapore.
The excitement that filled the air.
You could feel it all around you.
There’s this tingling in my bones that I cannot describe.
21st march 2015
Saturday
It was the eve of the election and the preparations are in full swing.
There’s no rally speech, no TV broadcast with candidates speaking.
You don’t get feeds and meme on your social media account but you could feel the vibe.
That energy that flows through every corner of the coffee shop.
It’s like a campaign headquarters but no one is really campaigning.
It’s more of preparing.
8.00 am
There were a lot of things happening at the coffee shop. Instead of helping at my parents’ stall like i was used to, i was given a mountain of wanton fillings and sent to a corner of the coffee shop.
I found out on that day that come every election, my parents would sponsor close to a thousand fried wantons served with mayonnaise. No prize for guessing who’s making them that year.
As i wrapped wanton after wanton , i started to pay a little more attention to the rest of the hawker in the coffee shop. I felt a chill run down my spine when i realised every one of them were preparing in their own way for the big event tomorrow.
It had to be something significant on their calander.
I mean weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, to hawkers is very precious. It’s one of the days when they get bigger crowds, families would come out for breakfast together and all. It’s a day that would affect their takings for the entire week.
Yet on that Particular Saturday, more emphasis was being placed on the preparation rather than their business.
Auntie Geok was talking loudly to her kueh supplier that morning while serving the morning crowd. The man was going through the orders with her as she worked.
She kept reminding him about the timing to make the delivery the next day.
We’re talking about hundreds of kuehs and otahs.
Much more than her usual orders.
Auntie Geok : don’t you dare be late …. i’ll kill you ahhh…
Delivery man : Auntie …. i know… i know…. not my first year doing it…. don’t worry.
Uncle Salim too had several huge bags of ingredients at his stall.
They filled his usually empty store front.
He even borrowed a few of those huge pots you see caterers use to cook for large volumes of guest during weddings and festivities. He had to be preparing to serve a few hundred servings of mee rebus the next day at least.
No one openly said anything about the election in the coffee shop, but it was obvious they were all preparing for it. Not only were they sponsoring food , I found out that all the stalls would be closed the next day.
Everyone would be at the election venue.
Orh pao and Kate were trying to juggle the coffee stall with the Saturday crowd and at the same time trying to manage all the calls that were coming through.
I overhead Kate telling her drinks supplier to send the orders directly to the address she gave him.
Kate : Not the coffee shop yah….. don’t come to the coffee shop with this order…
Even the tze char store that usually operates at night in the corner came down in the morning that Sunday.
They will be frying bee hoon and noodles for the next day, i could see the chefs busy cutting up vegetables and other ingredients.
I don’t know their level of involvement with the organisation but one thing for sure, i know none of them were charging for the food.
I was surprised beyond words when I saw a nice gentlemen arrive at the coffee shop and I was told he’s Uncle Salim’s son.
Remember i mentioned in the beginning of the story that his son is a doctor ?
Yeah, Uncle Salim’s son came down to the coffee shop 10 minutes before Andy and Gabriel arrived.
I was introduced to him by Uncle Salim who proudly announced that his son is a doctor.
Uncle Salim : Eh… eh Jake… Jake… my son… my son…. Doctor Rizwan leh… hahaha… don’t play play….
Jake : Haha…. Hello…. Nice to meet you…
Rizwan wanted to shake my hand but i was wrapping the wantons halfway through, i signalled awkwardly with my dirty hands and he laughed, saying it’s ok.
I stood up and was about to go washed when he stopped me.
Jake : Paiseh… paiseh…. is… is meat la…. let me go wash up first…
Rizwan : It’s ok… it’s ok…. later… later… never mind…
Rizwan tapped me on the side of my arm and say we’ll grab a coffee later, he’ll go help his dad first.
Jake : Sure… sure…
He struck me as a very humble guy, all smiles and cheerful. He’s definitely one of those top students in class, teacher’s pet and then a good Junior college before going to med school.
Rizwan had a very calming effect on people when he talked. It’s like when shit is about to hit the roof but the moment he opens his mouth, he’ll solve half the problem or something.
It’s that kind of gentle voice, yet you could still feel the authoritative vide in them. Good news or bad, if you had to receive it from a doctor, Rizwan’s voice would be the ideal choice.
That was the first time I saw him and I liked him immediately.
Then i saw him remove his shirt at the back of the coffee shop to change into a plain t-shirt to serve the customers, he had a tattoo behind his back on his shoulders. A dagger with 2 wings at the side.
A familiar logo for many of us.
The text below the tattoo was broken by a scar. The spacing were too wide , the scar had to be there before the tattoo went up.
A half inch thick of pale raw skin ran down close to 30 cm diagonally from the right of his lower shoulder blade down to his left Kidney. You could see the centipede like legs of the scar the stitches left behind. They stood out like another tattoo of it’s own against Rizwan’s dark skin.
The text ‘For honour and glory’ was tattooed above and over the scar.
The word ‘glory’ was spaced far away from the ‘and’ because of the scar, it was done on purpose.
Rizwan happened to turn, and it was his turn to look a little embarrassed.
Jake : wah…
I gave him a thumb up with my eyes wide open.
There were several more scars across his chest as he sheepishly pulled on his t-shirt.
Rizwan : Aiyah… we were all young and stupid once… haha…. old days la…
Rizwan settled comfortably into the role of a hawker, helping his dad pack food and serve the customers.
Gabriel and Andy arrived around 11am and they started thanking the hawkers for helping with the big day tomorrow.
Gabriel : Rizwan…. thanks for coming….
Rizwan : Gabe…. don’t mention it… it’s the least i could do…
Gabriel : No… no… I really appreciate… all the help you’ve given us….
Rizwan : nah… nah…. Without your grandfather…. I won’t even be where I am today…
They were only at the next table and i could hear Gabriel opening thanking him for the help after the evening at Bukit Chandu.
Gabriel : That night…..at Chandu…. all the bill and stuff….send to me…
Rizwan : aiyah…. small thing la…. don’t worry about it… but Herman…..
A truck rumbled past the coffee shop and i could only make out small bits of the conversations.
Rizwan : stiches i can do…..then…….. bo bian…. x ray …… they set it
back….will recover…
Gabriel listened intently and told Rizwan that he visited Herman the next day but the rest of their conversation was cut off when they turned and walked towards the drinks stall to grab some coffee.
They returned to the table next to me and I caught more snippets of their conversation.
Gabriel : Bill…..heard he…..there too…….how……bad ?
Rizwan : Stubborn….very stubborn…. …
I strained my ears and tried to block out the background noises in the coffee shop.
RIzwan : Bill ah……Lucy…..fuck….. jia lat … jia lat…. ..
Gabriel : hahah… then how ??
Rizwan : In the end…….go over……Lucy place…. .. settle on the spot…
Gabriel’s phone rang and he said he got to go.
Rizwan : Go ahead… go ahead…. I see you around…
They shook hands before Gabriel turned to leave.
Before Rizwan could get back to the stall, Andy came over and they sat back down again.
Andy and Rizwan chatted like old friends too, talking about a couple of common friends they had. Their conversation volume is a lot louder, with more laughs in between.
Rizwan : So you’re up this year ah… haha..
Andy : Sigh…. What to do…. It’s a thankless job… but someone’s got to do it…
RIzwan turned and looked around his shoulders before chuckling to Andy
Rizwan : Ask Terry to do it la… hahaa..
Andy laughed.
11.45am
Uncle Ben arrived, together with Johari and gang as well.
Everyone exchanged greetings, crowding in the coffee shop. Drinks were served before they broke up into separate groups.
I was not included in any of their meeting but i could tell they were discussing security related matters.
Johari and his men were tasked with managing the guest that day.
Only the 8 elders and the invited guest were allowed into the voting area.
Gabriel was worried things would get rowdy especially with Ah Keong’s men.
Matthew had the habit of bringing his entire army for the elections as a show of power to the guests. There’s no reason why his son would not do the same.
12.30pm
My parents packed up the stall and they helped with the wantons before we finished up at close to 1pm.
They stall would be closed the next day. We would only be coming down to deep fry the wantons and send them to the election premise
Kate came over right before we left and I asked her how is she.
Kate : I’m ok…
Jake : Did Ah Keong ??
Kate : No… don’t worry….
Jake : What’s the situation now ??
Kate : Gabriel knows about it…. Everybody does… but no one wants to speak up at the moment….
Jake : That’s shit man…Gabriel’s going to just let it rest ??
Kate : There’re bigger issues at stake at the moment…. This has got to wait…
She told to me get a good rest, the next day will be an interesting day.
Kate : We’ll be expecting guest from overseas as well, Gabriel and Andy are busy with the logistics.
Jake : Who’s coming ?
Kate told me that her granduncle will be one of the VIPs that would be present.
In the event of a tie, he would have the final say, that includes the option of him taking over the helm.
Kate : We wouldn’t want that…
Kate’s granduncle has been in Taiwan for the longest time. He set up his own offshoot of the organisation that is related to the local triads. On the surface, everyone is friendly but her granduncle is looking to gain a foothold in Singapore.
And come every election, he would pray for a chance. A chance to get back into the local scene to restore the family to it’s formal glory.
Kate : Fungye, that’s that everyone calls him. Grandpa wind. He’s fast, he was fast, base on the stories my grandfather told me. He could strike you before you even realised what was happening.
Kate recalled fondly of sitting by her grandfather’s bedside while he tells her stories of Singapore back during the Hock Lee bus workers strike that sparked off a riot.
Kate : It was chaos. … the rioting spread, my grandfather was just staying at the next street…… he could hear the shouts, see the skies turn crimson with the fires that were started by the clash of the unions……..but Fungye and my grandpa, they stood at the entrance of the courtyard that led to their house as the clash spilled closer and closer.
I sat upright, listened intently.
Kate : My grandpa and Fungye each held a 9 inch Parang, they stood steadfast and unmoving. A couple of students tried to drag them into the conflict and to get into the house compound but they soon realised it was a mistake…
My eyes widened and I asked her a critical question.
Jake : Your granduncle is Fung(Wind) , is your grandpa Yun ( cloud ) ? !!!!
I did a martial arts stance and spoke a little too loudly.
Jake : FUNG….. YUN….. !!!
Several heads turned and Kate rolled her eyes at me.
Kate : Don’t be lame Jake…
Jake : Sorry… it just came into my head… so what is his name ??
Kate : Make a guess ?
Jake : Leigong !! ( thunder god ) ?? Qinglong !! ( green dragon ) , Jin Mao shi wang ( golden hair lion king ) , qing yi fu wang ?? ( green wing bat king ), bai mei ying wang !!! ( white brow eagle king ) !!!
Kate : You watch too many TV serial….
Kate stood up and before she turned her back she told me what her grandpa was called.
Kate : My grandpa was a combination of a snake and a dragon. … he has a tattoo of them on his…..
Jake : I KNOW !!!… SNAKE AND DRAGON !! … SNAKE (ZHUAR) DRAGON (LONG) ,,, ZHUARLONG ( PLASTIC BAG )
Kate ‘s eyes reduced to a slit before she put up a palm at me, sucked in a deep breath and turned away.
Jake : Kate… kate… wait… hey… don’t like that la…. I was just trying to lighten up the atmosphere….
Kate : go and die la…
Jake : Sorry… sorry…. So what do they call him ??
Uncle Ben came by then and answered on behalf of Kate.
Ben : We call him boss…. because he is the boss… and he doesn’t like those cheesy names…
Jake : Fungye and boss …. Has a nice ring to it…
Kate : Yah… better than your Jake tio ( sprain )
Ben laughed and before returning to his table with his men.
I went home and tried to get my parents to talk about the organisation. They were reluctant to reveal what they know or what they’ve seen over the years.
Mum : Why don’t you go back to your old job…. Aircon…. Not oily and smelly…. No need work weekends…
Dad : It’s been a few months…. Play also play enough already…. Time to go back to your old job…
I tried to prod further but they would not budge.
They kept telling me to stay away .
Mum : If one day you have family, you would also tell your kids the same thing…. Stay away… nothing good comes out of being associated with them…
Jake : Then what about you guys ??
Dad : We had no choice…. We didn’t get to study…. To go to school…. There’s not much things we can do….. unlike you….. Jake.. you have a good education…you should make use of it…
I could see what the conversation was going so I cut it short and I went back to my room.
22nd March 2015
Election day .
We woke up later than usual since the stall would not be open that day.
My parents woke me up at 6am and we got to the stall by 7am.
We fried the wantons and laid them out on several big trays.
Uncle Salim and Rizwan were already stirring big pots of gravy when we got there. Kate was nowhere to be seen and only Orh pao manned the counter. He turned away all the customers that came, saying that the stall is closed.
It took us close to 3 hours to finish frying all the wantons.
My mum stayed to clean up and my Dad delivered the food together with me to the election site.
The place where the election was to be held is a private house along Thiam Siew Avenue. Just a stone throw away from Katong Shopping centre.
A simple none descript house that sat in the middle of a large plot of land. Trees and palms filled the boundary behind the red brick walls, obscuring the views from the outside. Tents were set up on the courtyard. It’s a huge space.
I’m talking like 2 basketball courts side by side upon entering the main gate. In land scarce Singapore, this is a luxurious amount of space to be left empty. Tall tents with headroom of about 3 metres were set up, fans, air coolers were placed at regular intervals.
My dad dropped off the food and says he will go back to pick my mother up.
11.15am
The election will start at 1.30pm
There’s still a bit of time.
Johari and his men were hovering near the front gate. No cars were allowed to enter the compound. Vehicles came, people alighted and they were directed to park somewhere else.
Not even the elders’ cars were allowed within the compound.
Kate showed up out of nowhere with a Bluetooth earpiece on her left ear.
Kate : hey…
Jake ; Hey…
Kate : Excited ?? ….
Jake : Why ? … I’m not the one in the election…
Kate : Haha… but it’s your first time seeing something like this happening no ? …
I nodded my head and Kate took it upon herself to orientate me around.
Kate : follow me…
She explained as we went about the compound.
The round tables in the middle of the tent were meant for the men and staff of the elders. Since they were not allowed to enter the voting area, that would be where they wait. The rectangle tables surrounding the sides, those were meant for food and refreshments.
Jake : Errr….. ok…. I can tell…. I mean the food is all there…
Kate : Keep quiet…. And listen…
It’s been known that things would get rowdy during elections. Fights do break out at times and with so many people around, there were instances food caterers were injured as a result.
Kate : So…. If anything happens… stay on the rectangle tables… it’s a unspoken rule….
Jake : Orh… so those around round tables can wack… rectangle ones leave alone…
Kate : Something like that….
We entered the house and I could see 3 tables set up in the middle of the living area.
A table of 8 right up front and 2 tables of 10 flanking each side.
On the table of 8 for the elders, there were 2 tokens in the shape of a octagon coin. One in silver, the other in bronze.
Kate told me that Silver is for Ah Keong while Andy is bronze.
Kate : There’s nothing significance to the materials, it was drawn via a toss of a coin.
A red box stood on a dragon pillar about 1.2m tall.
Kate : That’s the voting box. … you cast your votes in there….
Inside the box, there will be 2 compartments for you to drop your vote. You go up, drop the token of the candidate you want and you keep the other.
Jake : Who reads the vote ?
Kate : A neutral observer from overseas…. Usually one of the VIP…
Kate then pointed to this imaginary boundary that started from a 1.5m tall white vase with blue crane paintings to the other side of the living room where a similar vase stood.
Kate : This is the line…. No one crosses this line the moment the elders are all seated….
Jake : Where will you be ?
Kate pointed to a spot at the corner just behind the line.
Kate : There… you can still see the action from there….
Jake : Can I stay with you ??
Kate : Of course… you’re my boyfriend right.. hahaa..
I laughed and we heard some commotion at the entrance.
Someone has arrived.
Umbrellas were out and about, at least 6 black umbrellas went up, sheltering the guest from the sun as he or she was led into the house.
I could hear people speaking in dialect and Chinese and as they got closer, Kate told me that was her granduncle. Fungye.
Kate : Always the first…. Always the earliest.
Fungye had to be in his mid to late seventies by now. He walked with the help of a walking stick and he had several aides by his side.
His skin is tanned and wrinkled. His eyebrow were almost white, with random strands of black. Fungye had a permanent grin on his face. A sinister grin if you read more into it.
He took his seat at the VIP spot together with 2 of his men and the rest went outside.
Gabriel arrived and ran into the hall, immediately heading forward to greet his granduncle, he gestured to Kate to join him and she did. They spoke for less than a minute and all I saw Fungye do was nod his head and smile.
His smile creeps me out.
11.45am
King arrived with 6 of his staff. He entered and greeted Fungye warmly.
12pm
Terry came together with Suwen. He’s the only one that had little to nil manpower under his charge. With a struggling sunset business, a blood sucking wife, it’s a wonder he managed to remain a elder for so long.
12.10pm
There was more commotion at the gate.
I went out to take a look and I saw 3 cars pulling up one after another. The occupants stepped out together with their aides and more black umbrellas went up into the air.
When the 1st guest stepped into the house, I literally had the air knock out of my lungs.
She is so fucking beautiful.
She had to be at least 1.7m tall and when she smiled, I could see all the men in the room turn. There was this sweetness to her that reminded me of some pretty female lead in Taiwan dramas.
Those with the sweet squeaky voice but when she spoke, you can tell she meant business. Gabriel walked briskly towards this lady and shook hands with her. I heard Gabriel call her Tracy.
Tracy : 几时来台湾玩 ? ( When are you coming to Taiwan to have fun ? )
Gabriel shook Tracy’s hands and from his body language alone, you could tell he accorded Tracy a lot of respect despite being at least a decade older than her.
He told her once he frees up some time, he will head over and buy her a meal.
Tracy wore a power pant suit and every gesture she made, every move, every turn, she oozes confidence and charisma. It’s like she could move the entire stock market if she wished.
Tracy was surrounded by no less than 6 men, mean looking young chaps with no expressions on their faces.
Right behind Tracy’s entrance, 2 more guys entered. They spoke with each other softly and they looked to be about my age as well. In fact, they looked like one of the young executives you see in town.
The only difference is the number of people that they have by their side catering to their every whim and fancy.
Gabriel went forward too to shake their hands.
Gabriel : Ollie….. hi…. Leonard…. Long time no see…
They shook hands with a smile and Gabriel ushered them to their seats.
Tracy, Leonard and Ollie sat at the table on the right, while Fungye sat on the table to the left.
Gabriel gestured to Kate and she went over.
I could hear Gabriel introducing Kate as his sister from where I stood.
Gabriel : My sister Kate… . she hasn’t had a chance to meet you guys yet….
My jaws almost dropped when I heard him do the introductions to Kate.
Gabriel : Tracy from 竹聯 ( United Bamboo ) ,Ollie from 四海 ( 4 seas ) , and Leonard from 天道 ( Heaven way alliance ) ….
You got to be seriously shitting me.
Kate shook hands with them and made some small talks.
More commotions at the gate and when I turned, I could see Ah Keong coming with his men. True enough, he turned up with close to 30 men as they crowded the entrance, staring down Johari and his men.
You could feel the hostility in the air.
Neighbours from across and opposite sides of the roads gathered, curious as to what was happening in the usually quiet house.
Uncle Ben came into the hall and Andy arrived shortly as well.
12.45 pm.
Lucy arrived with her entourage of girls, inviting wolf whistles and stares from the gathering of men.
Huimin and Jane were there too and they eyed me with a cheeky stare before giving me a wink.
Kate was standing right beside me and she immediately asked.
Kate : You explain that Jake ok…. You explain that….. if the say comes you really becomes my boyfriend….
I swallowed a gulp of saliva and I pretended not to hear her.
Lucy entered with Bill behind her, looking every graceful and pretty.
Roland brought up the rear with 3 of his guys and the gate was closed.
For a good 20 minutes, all the elders and the guest mingled in the hallway, much like the reception before a wedding banquet.
Introductions were made, small talks a plenty. I tried to listen in to as much of the conversation as I could.
The invisible boundary was not being observed at the moment. It was the perfect time for me to snoop around.
I saw my parents desperately waving at me from the entrance, gesturing for me to get out of the hall but I ignored them.
I picked up short snippets from Roland talking to Ollie about business.
I heard Lucy and Tracy talked about beauty products.
I heard Andy talking to Leonard about stocks and oil prices.
Suwen was trying desperately to avoid eye contact with King and me.
1.20pm
There was a jingle of a bell, much like the dinner bell and people started heading back to their seats.
The moment the elders started taking their seat, Johari and Herman gestured and pushed the crowd back behind the invisible boundary.
An old man who looked like he just crawled out of his grave came from the back of the house and I assumed he’s the one chairing the election.
Terry : UNCLE PO !!!… helloe !!!.. ahaha…
The old man waved weakly as he wobbled to the front of the pillar where the box was.
I tried to recall the current tally as my fingers fought hard not to tremble .
Gabriel, Andy, Ben, and if Lucy kept her promise, we have secured 4 votes for Andy on this end.
Terry, King and Ah Keong is definitely on the same side.
Which leaves us Roland.
He’s a wild card.
Base on our past conversation, he would likely vote for Ah Keong, which meant the election would turn up to be a tie.
If that happens, Fungye would have the last laugh.
I did something very stupid that day.
Very very stupid.
Uncle Po : Alright…. You all know the drill…. Let’s not waste time…
Terry : SWEE LA….. don’t waste time… let’s do it… !
Uncle Po held onto the red cloth covering the box and pulled it off signalling the start of the election.
Gabriel was the first to stand up.
He cast his vote under the watchful eyes of the guest and fellow elders, dropping the token into a small slit at the top of the box.
Terry walked towards the box with a swagger and dropped his in too.
King got up the same time as Ben but Ben gestured and allowed King to go on ahead.
Ah Keong went next followed by Andy.
Roland and Lucy eyed each other for a brief moment before Roland gestured with his hand, allowing Lucy to cast her vote first.
Lucy got up and made her vote as she gave me a look from across the hall.
Kate caught that too.
Kate : Add that to the list of explanations… and don’t pretend you never hear me…
I swallow another mouthful of saliva.
My heart started to race and my palms were starting to sweat.
Uncle Po got up, sealed the box with his red cloth.
Uncle Po : And now…. For the results…
I was trying really hard not to shake.
It’s not because I was nervous or anything, I’m not the one running in the election.
I fingered the 9th vote in my pocket as Uncle Po invited Tracy up to tally the votes.
My heart was slamming against my ribcage as I prayed that Roland or perhaps King or anyone, anyone would change their mind and vote for Andy.
Tracy walked up gracefully towards Uncle Po and he gestured her towards the box.
It’s 8 votes.
8 tokens.
8 pieces of token in a box the size of your regular cake box.
You don’t need a long time to count.
In fact, you don’t even need to count.
Tracy went up, she was smiling initially but as she removed the cover of the box and the moment her eyes saw the votes at the bottom of the box, her smile was gone.
This cannot be good.
I reached into my pocket and fingered the 9th vote, praying and praying for a miracle.
Tracy’s eyes looked up from the box and all eyes were on her.
The hall fell so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Terry broke the silence first.
Terry : Hurry up la !!.. just declare Ah Keong the winner… ahaha
Ben : Diam la… haven even count the vote you think you sure win ah…
Tracy’s men, sensing something was wrong began to stand up from their seat but she gestured for them to sit back down.
Ah Keong’s fist were clenched.
Gabriel looked nervous.
Then Tracy’s eyes met Fungye’s line of sight and he started laughing.
He laughed and he laughed and he laughed.
Fungye : hahah..hahahahaha…whahahahahahah….. ahahahahahahahaha ….
Ah Keong stood up from the table and demanded to know who won.
Ah Keong : Tell us … NOW!!! … who won !!!!!
Terry : YAH.. WHO !! …?? WHO won ??
Tracy replied in a voice as cold as the freezing touch of death itself as she reached in and retrieved all the tokens at once.
Tracy : Everybody lose…
The hall fell silent and the only sound that came was from Fungye.
A low growling laugh, like the wheezing of a hyena.
He laughed.
And he laughed.
And he laughed… ..
………………………………..
It took a while for the realisation that the results were a draw to sink in.
What started as a initial confusion soon evolved into panic. The chattering started, the volume of the voices got louder and eventually people were standing and gesturing.
Terry demanded a recount, accusing Tracy of making a mistake.
I almost rolled my eyes at him if not for the grave atmosphere in the room. There’s only 8 votes, how many times you need to count that ?
Tracy held up the tokens in both hands, flashing them to the floor and declared the vote a tie. Uncle Po stepped forward and verified the vote before nodding as well.
The voices from the floor got louder and louder.
Terry was literally shouting while Ben asked him to shut up.
Ah Keong was in a daze, he blinked a few times, looking at Roland, Lucy, Terry and King, and even as he looked at them, he seemed confused and lost at the same time.
Only Fungye grinned and laughed , so did his followers that sat at the same table as him.
Uncle Po : 4 Votes for Ah Keong….. 4 votes for Andy ….
That was all he managed to say when the room erupted into chaos. Ah Keong’s men who were peering through every available crevices and windows tried to push their way into the main hall.
It’s like a switch had been activated, all of the guest’s followers stood up at the same time. With Tracy’s men taking the lead, they formed a impenetrable human wall along the invisible boundary.
It happened so fast I had no time to react.
They just shoved and pushed everyone out of the main hall.
Uncle Po : Only the guest and elders shall remain in the room….
He came down from the stage, and walked behind the men that was chasing everyone out of the room.
I was in a blur as well.
I’m not even sure what to do.
With so many bodies shoving and pushing around, I did what I could to protect Kate, shielding her from the mass of bodies.
Once we were out of the room, I quickly pulled Kate aside towards the edge of the action, closer to where the food and refreshments were.
Jake : Kate… Kate… I need to tell you something….. it’s urgent…
I whispered harshly as I dragged Kate a distance away from everyone onto the grass patch at the side of the house.
Jake : I have the 9th vote…
Kate : WHAT !!!
Jake : I have the 9th vote !!!….
Kate’s eyes widened in shock as she looked behind her shoulder and to our immediate surrounding.
Then she started hitting me seriously with a frown on her face.
Kate : You fucking idoit !!!
She landed several punches on my arm and shoulder, hammering as she cursed at me.
I told her I found it on that day at Bukit Chandu by accident.
Jake : It just landed on my feet…. In front of me… i…. I also don’t know what to do !!..
Kate patted her own chest and tried to calm herself down as she glared at me.
Jake : Look… we can fix this…. Let’s go in… I’ll vote for Andy…. We’ll win… !
Kate screamed and grabbed a tuff of my hair, shaking as I yelped in pain.
Jake ; Ahhhhh…
Kate : I want to strangle you so bad !!!
Kate took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she paced around the grass patch.
Jake : Quick… tell Gabriel… call him… we need to get inside there now… !
Kate : Don’t be stupid Jake.. !!… the vote works only if you bring it up before the vote !!!! NOT AFTER !!!
Jake : Why not ??
Kate : Have you voted before ??? You dimwit…. You ever saw people waving their vote to tell their MP they haven voted yet after the election is over ?!!!
Jake : Oh… that’s true…
Kate sighed and buried her face in her palms.
Jake : Then what do I do now ???
Kate looked around and lowered her volume before warning me.
Kate : You keep your bloody mouth shut…. You tell no one about the 9th vote you hear me !!!…
She grabbed my shoulders and shook them.
Kate : You understand me Jake ?
I nodded my head.
Kate : Tell no one and keep it safe…. No one must know you have it….not even any of the elders…
Jake : Why ??
Kate : We can still use it…. At the inauguration…. …If Fungye decides to muscle in….as a matter of formality, he needs to throw a banquet…. Introduce himself to the organisation formally….
Jake : I can use the vote then ???
Before Kate could answer me, we saw Uncle Po come out from the back door, he was walking down the side where Kate and I were standing. We were the closest to him and he approached us right away.
Uncle Po : Hey you… bring some drinks… and food in…
Jake : Ok… ok… right away…
Kate and I sprang into action and she went to my parents and grabbed 2 trays of fried wantons, stacking them on top of another while I grabbed 2 cartons of drinks from the table.
Uncle Po gestured to us and we followed him to the back.
As we were nearing the back entrance, some of Ah Keong’s men spotted us and they shouted that the door at the back is opened.
Uncle Po : Quick … come in !
Kate and I rushed into the back of the house and Uncle Po barely shut and bolted the door before a few of Ah Keong’s men arrived and started hammering on it. They shouted to be let in but were ignored by Uncle Po.
2 of Tracy’s men arrived and they stood guard at the door we just entered.
Uncle Po : Follow me…
We fell in step and entered the hall once more. Uncle Po directed us to distribute the drinks and leave the food on the tables. It doesn’t look like another was in the mood to eat anything.
I saw Gabriel trying to reason with Tracy as I set down the drinks.
Gabriel : Tracy !…. look… this cannot be right…
Tracy remained expressionless and she held up her palm at Gabriel with her wrist still resting on the table.
Tracy : Gabriel….. we’re here as neutrals….our role is to validate and enforce the decision of the elders….. the same reason and role that you undertake during our own elections….
Tracy took a drink and opened it , taking a sip before she went on.
Tracy : We have 80 branches , all over the world… if rules are not enforced…. And people object to the results of elections just because it does not align with their choices and beliefs, we would have collapsed a long time ago…… I believe the same applies for you as well…
Gabriel : Tracy…. But…
Tracy turned away from Gabriel, her body language is clear. There is to be no more debate on this matter.
Suddenly Gabriel stood up and announced he would void his own vote.
Gabriel : I concede my vote…. Ah Keong wins…
Ah Keong was still in a world of his own and he looked shocked and puzzled at Gabriel .
Andy immediately followed suit and announced his withdrawal from the contest as well.
Andy : I give up my contest as a candidate…..i’ll concede to Ah Keong….. he wins…
The expressions on Ah Keong’s face is a mixture of pure confusion and bewilderment. He still hasn’t wrapped his mind around what was happening.
Until Uncle Ben got up and said he would void his vote as well did Ah Keong finally get what they were trying to do
Ah Keong : ohh… ohh.. yes… yes…ermmm..errrr… so I win…. I win… they void their vote right… so I win… ??
Uncle Po : Doesn’t work that way guys…. and you know it…
Uncle Po raised both his hands to silence the floor before announcing that as per the rules of the organisation, if it comes to a tie, Fungye would preside over the rest of the election.
All eyes went to him and he grinned.
Fungye’s voice was surprisingly loud and powerful given his age.
Fungye : Let’s here what the candidate have to say before I decide…..
He pointed to Ah Keong and said since he was the hot favourite, he would like to know what he can do for the organisation .
Fungye : Get up there…. And tell me…. tell me what can you do…. For the family…
Ah Keong looked a little lost and nervous as he stepped up to the front. Some people are just not used to public speaking or to address a crowd. Ah Keong is one of them .
To put it bluntly, he’s just a grunt.
He was unprepared and he was not confident enough to project his voice loud enough.
Ah Keong : I…. I have….. I have the most men…. Among all the elders !…
I saw Roland closed his eyes and massaged his forehead with both hands as Ah KEong went on.
Ah Keong : I…. my…..I have one of the largest construction company….we also hold several properties….
Fungye : yes… yes… I know all that….. what I want to know… is what can you do…. For the organisation !!…..
Ah Keong : I will take it to greater heights…… I will restore it to it’s former glory !!! We will increase our headcount… and manpower… !…
Fungye just laughed, smacking the table in amusement.
He pointed to Ah Keong and turned to the rest of the elders.
Fungye : Him ??? You all are voting him to be your leader ?? hahaha.. hahaa…
Ah Keong stormed off the front and got back to his seat, fuming in anger from the humiliation.
Fungye turned next to Andy, gesturing rudely to him.
Fungye : Andy !!… you’re up… go…
Andy was a lot more composed and he stepped up confidently.
Fungye : Tell us…. What is your plan….
Andy spent a second too long exchanging glare at Fungye before he started.
Andy : Times are changing…our old ways don’t work any longer…. This is the reason why the family has been constantly evolving as we move along…. We’ve diversified slowly over the years into business, properties and investments…moving forward….
Fungye : Don’t try to act professional la fuck…. A gangster is a gangster…. Hurry up…
Andy was pissed but he continued his speech to the floor.
Andy : We’ve phased out some of our activities over the years, gambling, 4D betting, sports betting….. going forward, our core focus should be on legitimate businesses….
Fungye cut in for the 2nd time.
Fungye : Fuck you understand…. You are just giving up a lucrative side of the business to your competitor…..you stupid fool….
Andy shot back immediately with a salvo.
Andy : What we did….. is right…. This is the very reason why we are out here now…. And not rotting in jail with our competitor. !..
Fungye : It’s a fucking stupid idea I tell you…. You’re burning boatloads of cash by not taking in the bets….
Andy : We made good use of our previous revenue, diversifying into investment grade properties…. Their returns…..
Fungye slammed his hand on the table and shouted again,
Fungye : Don’t fucking tell me about the returns of your properties when you are charging shit rent to everyone you lease to….
Andy was quiet for a brief moment and Fungye continued his rant.
Fungye : Every mother fucker on that table is paying rent so low ….. it’s ridiculous….so don’t tell me about your returns…. It’s shit… it’s time you start bringing drugs back in…
Andy : No. giving up the drug option was the best move Boss made when he was alive…..we need to understand the environment in which we operate…..there are grey areas of the law, where money could be made…. But in areas where there are zero tolerance….. like drugs… we maintain our stand in not………
Fungye stood up and raised his voice so loud that it silenced the people outside the hall as well.
Fungye : That…. Was the MOST…. STUPID…… THING… I EVER HEARD !!!…. AND I TELL YOU….. NOT BRINGING IN DRUGS…. IS THE MOST STUPID DECISION MY BROTHER EVER MADE….
Fungye turned , not only to the elders but to the rest who were peering in from the windows and addressed everyone at the same time.
Fungye : You stupid fools…. Everyday I see news of you bitching….. and complaining about how packed your trains are…. How expensive your cars are….bitching and complaining about your miserable lives in Singapore…… you know the reason why ???
Fungye paused and pointed a finger at the crowd, running it across an arc at the crowd, challenging anyone who would answer his question.
Fungye : That’s because you people… don’t know how to have fun !!… that euphoria of shooting it into your veins… feeling it go into your bloodstreams…
Andy : We shall not discuss this any longer…
Fungye : I’m not finished !!!
Andy : You are !!….
Fungye and Andy spoke at the same time. Each trying to outdo the other with their voices.
Fungye : I can buy every fucker in this room a car with one shipment.
Andy : You bring anything beyond 15 grams…
Fungye : Fuck you and your grams… I’m talking hundreds of KGs….
Andy : Our men… have wives and family !!! who’s going to carry it for it…
Fungye ; This is why you would remain at the bottom of the ladder !!… you only need to sacrifice but 1 man for the shipment …. And hundreds would benefit !!…
Andy : Fuck you…
Fungye : Fuck you Andy … you know who you are talking to
Andy : You have no fucking idea what you are talking about… this is Singapore we …..
Fungye : I am born here as well !…. so don’t fucking go …and…
Andy : We are moving forward…. As business men…. Not some half fuck low grade criminals…
Fungye : The most successful businessmen are all criminals in their own right…. Don’t come and…
Andy : You live under fucking rock….
Fungye : You…. Are not fit to lead …
Andy : No one would buy your drugs…
Fungye ; That’s because you don’t know how to market them !!!! ….
Fungye slammed the table several times pointing a finger at Andy.
Fungye : You have to penetrate the schools….. start them young… introduce them to this wonderful world…. Create the market and demand…
Andy : Go fuck yourself Fungye.. …
Fungye : hahahah… whahaha.. hahaa…
He laughed as Andy stared at him , speechless.
Fungye : Look at all of you…. Like a bunch of loose sand…. Pussies…
He lectured the elders, telling them that they are in that exact position because of their own doing.
Fungye : Your disunity…..gave me this opportunity… I will make this organisation rise again…
He turned to Andy next and added.
Fungye : Don’t worry…. It’ll probably take a few months for me to get into the groove of things….see how is everything being run here…. Then… we’ll see what is the best way to bring my good stuff in here eh… ahahahahahah…
Andy glared at Fungye with a grim expressions with both of his hands in his pocket.
Fungye addressed all who were listening.
Fungye : Don’t worry about the police… or authorities…. I have so many of them in my pocket in Taiwan…. How much does it cost here??? I’ll buy them all !!!hahaahha….
No one laughed , that is until Andy opened his mouth.
Andy : Oh… that is one thing I’m sure you cannot afford….. that’s our politicians…. You know what is the pay they are drawing… ??
Scattered laughs broke out among the men and elders as Fungye glared at Andy.
Fungye : We’ll be reorganising alright….restructure as you call it…. For the future…. And along the way…. If any elders….. wishes to leave…. You are welcomed to do so….
Uncle Po pressed Fungye for a decision.
Uncle Po : Fungye…. Do you have a decision ?
Fungye : Oh fuck yeah….. neither of the 2…. Are worthy to lead…..
Fungye walked to the middle of the floor with his hands stretched out like Christ the redeemer statue in Brazil. With his hands out, he slowly turned anti-clockwise a full circle before announcing his intent.
Fungye : I will…. Gladly accept… the position to lead the family….. into the future…
Voices of protest broke out and almost all the elders stood up at the same time.
Fungye : That is all I have to say… hahah… hahaha…. Hahahahahha…. Haha…
Tracy stood up together with Leonard and Ollie while the rest of their men cleared a path for their departure.
Gabriel went over to Uncle Po and whispered something in his ears. Uncle Po nodded.
Fungye went over to Gabriel and said he looked forward to the handover and for a tour of the country like what Gabriel promised.
Fungye : I hope this won’t affect our relationship….. as relatives….it’s a… practical decision….. and I look forward to the tour….of your beautiful country…. Haha…hahahahah….
Fungye turned and left as Gabriel gathered the rest of the elders.
Everyone else was to leave the room including Kate and me.
I got back out into the open and my parents chided me for staying inside the hall for so long.
Mum : Which part of not mixing with this group of people do you not understand Jake !!
I ignored her and I went over to Kate again.
Jake : What now? ?
She just gestured for me to wait for a minute.
Tracy was still waiting for her ride and she came over to say goodbye to Kate.
Tracy : Maybe we can grab coffee…. This couple of days…when I’m here..
Kate : Sure… let’s do..
I waited till Kate was alone before I went over. She dragged me back to a corner of the courtyard.
Jake : We’re all fucked aren’t we….
Kate : You can say that…
Jake : What do we do now ?? We should tell Gabriel and the others about the 9th vote..
Kate : NO!…
Jake : Why not ??
Kate reasoned that they would be so angry with me that they might just kill me on the spot. If either Ah Keong or Andy had that vote, none of this would happen.
Jake : Shit… what have I done…
Kate : Keep that vote safe…. Tell no one… it will still come in useful…
Jake : Yes… you were saying something about the inauguration …..i can use the vote then…
Kate : Yes… but we don’t know when will that be… the date can only be decided by Fungye…
Jake : We’ll hold out till then….. I’ll vote him out the moment I get the chance to…
Kate stared at me for a couple of seconds, as if she was thinking of what to say to me.
Kate : Who said anything about voting ??
Jake : Huh ?
Kate told me that the 9th vote can only be exercised before election.
Jake ; Huh ? I don’t understand… then why you tell me I can use it during the inauguration ???
Kate : you don’t vote on that day Jake…. You use it to challenge Fungye’s right to leadership. ….
My jaws dropped 2 cm as I stared at Kate.
Jake : What….what if I win ??
Kate : Then you’re the boss…. until the next election… it’s not going to be easy…. Not only would you need the elders to be behind you…. You need the buy in of all the men as well…..every single one….
Kate looked around to make sure no one was near us before going on.
Kate : Which is why you must keep this a secret…..word has gone out that the 9th vote was missing for a while……there were rumours on both sides….…some claimed Ah Keong took it…..others suspected Gabriel kept it for himself………. If Fungye so much as get a wind of what you will be doing…… all he needed was to bribe one of the elder or the man….
Jake : You…..
Jake : Got to be….
Jake : Fucking… kidding me…
I said it so slow because I had to replay what Kate said to me barely a few seconds ago several times just to be sure I was hearing the right thing.
Kate walked up to me , her body almost touching mine.
I could smell the shampoo in her hair and her face was literally less than a finger’s length away.
Kate : Am I smiling right now Jake ?
I shook my head.
Kate : That means I’m not joking…
Kate walked off as she spoke.
Kate : We need to get the logistics of the next few days sorted out…. There’s so much things to be done… we also need to start shifting some documents out of the offices… stuff we don’t want Fungye to know….we… …Jake… Jake… are you listening ??
Jake : yah….yah….
Kate came back and grabbed my arms.
Kate : Get a grip on yourself Jake… this is important…. We cannot allow Fungye to do what he wants…
I nodded again.
Jake : How… the fuck ….. do I get the elders…. And their men…..people that barely know me….. to agree to follow me… ?
Kate pondered my point for a moment before replying with no expressions on her face.
Kate : Start working on a good speech…
Jake : … fuck…
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