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Re: My Struggle
“LAI, GIA (let’s go)!!!” thundered Joshua, as he stood up and threw his cigg butt on the ground. As soon as he said that, the whole lot of almost 30 people stood up immediately to bid Joshua, Jasper, Boon Leng and Wei Kang goodbye.
“Joshua’s gonna bring us to see the Lao puays and our tai zhong today.” Said orh jiao.
In my head, I was trying to imagine how do they look like. Sure whole body ang kong with a few battle scars here and there I suppose.
We traveled to geylang via bus and arrived at Lor 16 after some walking. We followed Joshua to a staircase of one of the many shophouses and proceeded to the second level. Geylang back then didn’t have those satellite cameras thus vice activity are rampant even on broad daylight. Street hookers standing on the streets trying to get business with foreign men trying to hard sell you some sex pills nearby, Malaysian looking ahbengs trying to sell you cough syrups or contraband cigarettes and last but not least, the gambling den with a large group of men and women placing bets. Bouncers and scouts are seen around the vicinity, keeping a lookout for anti-vice. Picture this.
The second level of the shophouse belongs to an association. I walked through the doors and I was greeted with the smell of stale and fresh cigarettes. Almost to the point of choking. On the left wall, it’s a mural of black and white photos of old to middle aged men, 12 big ones and uncountable small ones. Right at the center is an altar of the God of War. The red altar lights gave off a fierce and strict no nonsense aura and I instantly felt nervous just by looking at it.
Orh jiao and xiaobai were there for the first time too. Both of them looked as nervous as I am and they were silent for the first time since I met them at the back gate. Right at the middle of the hall is a long and huge meeting table with 12 chairs and 4 ash trays, some filled with cigarette. Followed by 2 office rooms, one closed and another one ajar.
Then we heard a man talking on the phone in one of the office room, conversing in hokkien and a mix of English. I peered in and saw a man standing in front of the office table. Towering at around 1.85m tall, full of muscles and 2 full sleeves of tattoo with a lord Ganesha tattoo at his left neck.
He hung up the phone and walked out.
“Oi Joshua! Your ginna is it?” he asked rudely while point at the 3 of us…
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