17 Short Stories

What you read here are those events going on around you. Perhaps you are too busy to notice them. I put them in writing so that you will still enjoy reading them even though you might have the feeling that you have heard of those events. Well, it is better to revisit them before you forget them. If you are offended by any of by stories, please tell me politely, and I will delete it. I am not here to provoke any guy. Writing is only my hobby and my livelihood is not depended on the money I receive from writing. But when a person tells me he or he enjoys my story, I will be very happy. Didn't they tell you money cannot buy you happiness?

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in book reviews, scholarly journals, blogs, and noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

 DISCLAIMER

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to actual places, incidents, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

 

The Shanghai Graduate (1)

 

At the age of 16, David obtained a scholarship from the University of Shanghai to read for a 1st degree in Mechanical Engineering. He left his poor hut at Kumpong Bugis and was very happy to leave Singapore and have a chance to have a better look at the other parts of the world. He studied hard and was able to graduate with flying colours. While he was doing his practical training in Shanghai, the emergence of the Red Guards forced him to flee for his life. His target was Hong Kong. A bribe of one thousand Hong Kong dollars allowed him to sneak pass the sentry and swam his way to Hong Kong which was then more crowded than Singapore. At Hong Kong, the British Secret Service recruited him to spy on the Chinese affairs. After four years of intensive training at Scotland Yard he went to Nanking where he set up his office, and his profession was Foreign correspondent. This terrific young man, 1.75 meters in height, weighing 70 kg could be the next movie star to act for James Bond. He was quiet and serious and seemed to have only one interest, to have as much as he could out of life.

" I’m David, a British correspondent from Fleet Street, London," he introduced himself to the editor of the New China daily.

" Glad to know you, David. What can I do for you?" Mr. Tan stared at David.

" I’m working for the betterment of the Chinese," David studied Tan from head to the feet, wondering if he should tell the truth, which means risking immediate arrest.

" We’re always looking for bright ideas from young people like you," Tan’s words assured David that this editor might be interested to corporate.

" Please tell me Tan. What do you think of Mao Tse Tung?"

" Chairman Mao was a soldier. If the Chinese had assisted him to go to the University and study for a degree in Economics, the fate of China would have been very much better. No doubt he was the greatest soldier. But after a war, what else can the soldier do? Can you name me two countries which are led by soldiers and are yet successful ?"

David knew his chance had come. He found the person who might be willing to corporate with him. He therefore frankly went on:

" If communism can prevail in Asia, it has to be successful in China. And men are by nature selfish. I don’t see how communism can benefit majority of the Chinese. You’re Chinese and I’m Chinese, let’s work together so that the Chinese can one day walk with their heads high and therefore respected all over the world. My father had to flee China after Sun Yat Sen took over from the Manchus. The Manchus were people from the mountains. What did they know about governance? The British were unhappy with Sun and the Americans who helped him were not sincere. There was string attached. There were chaos all over China."

" What are my rewards?"

" USD50,000 now and a monthly salary of USD3000 plus an English Cottage with a garden in the English country side all under your name."

" How do we begin?"

"Employ me as a reporter with your Daily. Assigned me to visit the Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board and give me a column to write about all the glories about the NPB. I’ll need two months to have my works published. By then the new government will think of me as a young loyal Chinese and will allow me to travel freely within the country. I shall be doing a lot of welfare work to raise my social status."

The chairman of the NPB was Dr.Tee, a bold headed scientist who worked his way up the ladder by whatever means he could think of. He did not believe in retribution. He said when a person dies, that will be the end. There could not be anything else. Those after lives were all nonsense as far as he was concerned. Dr.Tee disclosed that by the 1980’s, the existing nuclear plants would be able to produce all the power needed by all the major towns in China, bringing shame of the so-called advanced countries like the USA, Britain, Germany and France.

" Could you please show me round the plant? " David enquired.

" Yes. You will leave the camera with the guard house," Dr. Tee assured him.

It was impossible to destroy all the seven nuclear plants scattered all over China in one mission. David had two small size time bombs hidden in his shoes. The guests led by Dr.Tee visited the plant at Nanking on Monday morning. In August 1976. The sentry guard collected the passes and showed the guests to the main entrance. Dr. Tee took them round and answered all the questions raised. David sneaked to the reactor core telling the technicians he was going to pee but did not manage to find the toilet. He had enough time to stick the time bombs on the wall of the reactor and hurried off. Ten minutes later, as Dr. Tee and the group was on the way to another part of the plant, the reactor core exploded frantically. People living within 10 kilometers thought the whole world was going to an end. Debris were blown sky high. There were roadblocks everywhere. Dr.Tee and all the visitors were detained. The evening paper reported that nine capitalists were arrested for blowing up the main artery of the nation.

David thought of other plan even though he was in the jailhouse. The other eight companions slept so soundly that they could be mistaken to be dead. With the hand grenade, David threatened to blow up unless the guard open the gate. This guard had heard of suicide bombers in the Middle East and therefore did not want to take the chances. As David was dashing out of the room, he punched the guard so hard on the solar plexus that the guard dropped dead. He dashed off without looking back and after about one hour of running, he noticed there was a house on a hilltop. He slowed down, staggered over to the house and knocked on the door.

" Please hide me in your house. The police are after me," David told Ah Yun, who was still keeping the door only slightly opened.

" Why do they want you?"

" For blowing up the nuclear plant!"

" Oh, you traitor. I’ll report to them now," she ran out of the house towards the police station.

David fired two warning shot into the air. The girl jerked forward. David grasped at her hair and gazed into her eyes and promised to shoot everyone at home unless she offers him a hiding place for a few days.

A group of soldiers and policemen were approaching the house.

" Anybody came here about an hour ago?" the inspector asked, at the same time staring round and round the house as if someone was going to hurl a hand grenade at him.

" No, Sir, no one was here," the farmer felt the chill ran down from the neck to the feet.

The party searched everywhere but found nothing. They marched off, obviously exhausted by now. David came down from the ceiling to assure the farmer that none of the family would be harmed and that he had to wait for a day or two to catch a train to Shanghai.

" Mr. Chin. I’ll need the corporation of your daughter. She’ll have to travel with me to Shanghai to avoid the attention of the police."

" That can’t be done," Chin declared, very much annoyed.

" I’ll pay you USD10,000.00," David persuaded.

" I can’t allow my daughter to endanger her life," Chin pretended to hesitate.

"I’ll take care of her. When we reach London, I’ll bank another USD10,000.00 into her account. That’s a lot of money. She can then come back to you and no one will ever know anything about it. That is the reason I do not intend to return to Singapore. It will attract a lot of attention. I have not the slightest intention of hurting China. Only the political principle stands on the way. You see, when majority of the foreign countries wanted to see the Chinese government going bankrupt by refusing to buy Chinese goods, we the Singaporeans kept on buying. Isn’t this a sincere gesture? "

Chin pretended to persuade his daughter but was actually forcing her as could be understood from his tone.

The night train arrived from Wuxi heading to Shanghai. Police surrounded the station. All passengers were scrutinized thoroughly one by one. David pasted a false mole on his forehead above the right eye, exactly as it appeared on his passport. He disguised as an oversea Chinese coming to China to fetch his bride. A senior immigration cast a hard look at David. David nodded at him and quickly moved forward. The train shrilled and the driver pushed the button. The fast speed and the darkness gave David a sense of security. Ah Yun was worried in the cabin. She could lose her life for collaborating with a foreign devil.

" Come, sit up and have a chat," David studied her body carefully.

She sat up, still very afraid. David began to be ravished by her beauty. Are women more beautiful at night? She had a well-shaped figure and a voluptuous bust.

" The train won’t reach Shanghai until tomorrow night, " David assured her. " That doesn’t matter."

" Ever been traveling before?"

" Never."

" The first time on board a train?" "Yes."

" What’s your age?"

"22."

" Educated where?"

" Nanking Girls’ High School."

They chatted for more than an hour. Ah Yun lied down to sleep. David woke her up few minutes later. She lied there, watching the ceiling. She was healthier and better developed than an average city girl.

" Ever been in love before?" " Never."

" Why?"

"No suitable one."

"What about me?"

" You are a foreign dog." " Yes, and a better dog."

" Chukok gave you scholarship to study here. Why do you want to hurt the lands of your grandfathers? Before your country got independence, it was agreed that all people of Chinese origin would not be granted an International Passport. Without passports, you cannot travel overseas. Chou En Lai pitied you people and clearly announced during a meeting with overseas reporters that all overseas Chinese who could not obtain an International Passport may go to the nearest Chinese High Commission, wherever that office may be, to obtain a Chinese Passports. It was for this reason that those foreign countries offered the passports to those Chinese who happened to be born in those places. “

" I don’t like the communists because they could only bring chaos to the world. They have no sense of running a business. They are only good at polishing guns and boots.”

David pulled her up and embraced her. She did not resist. He unbuttoned her blouse and kissed her on the lip. She put her arms round him, surely a sign of approval. David gently pulled off her skirt and began to massage her calf and thigh and then her abdomen, chest, big and beautifully shaped boobs, nipples, and her neck. She was there ready for him. She would cry if David did not get on top of her. Blood flew out between her thighs. The bed was smeared with it. They went to sleep. It was dawning.

Two security men from the Railway Company were checking the passengers on board the train in the morning as instructed by the police. They questioned David as to what he was doing in China. David said he came to fetch the girl who he married yesterday. The guards wanted some concrete proof. Tears could be seen coming out from Ah Yun’s eyes. David pointed to the blood stained towel on the bed. The guards laughed and walked to the next cabin to continue their job.

For their first morning as husband and wife, David ordered four eggs, two cups of Chinese tea, two plates of onions fried with pork, and some bananas. Ah Yun ate quietly, as if some serious thing had struck her.

" What about staying at London with me?"

" Why do we stay at London? You told me you came from Singapore?"

" Yes, I’m from Singapore. But we have to hide in London for a few months. Later on I’ll take you back to Singapore. You can find a job and will be offered a Singapore PR."

From Shanghai they flew to Hong Kong, obviously free from the dangers now. Unfortunately David received a second order to go for another mission to destroy the nuclear plant at Canton.

" Hong Kong calling London. Mr. Heath, small size shoes are very popular in China. Please airfreight two thousand pairs."

" Wait at Kaitak airport tomorrow at 1200 noon. Our representatives will hand over the bills for you to sign," Heath confirmed at the other end.

As arranged two men fetched David at the airport. They arrived by Air Vietnam via Singapore. The three men went to the Mandarin Hotel after a ride on the Star Ferry to Room 502 on the fifth floor. David began to sense he was trapped. The two men Chong and Wong were Chinese spies stationed in South East Asia. The robust Chong pointed a pistol on David’s neck, and moved five steps backward and shot at the bulb at the ceiling to show off his skill. The bulb shattered and pieces of glass were scattered all over the carpet of this sound proof room.

" Speak or we’ll make you do," Chong told David.

" My shoe is hurting me, may I take it off?"

" OK, but don’t raise your hands above your waist or I’ll fire," Chong agreed.

David bent down to pull the pin on the hand grenade and flung the shoe at the enemies and dived to the farest end of the room. The heads of the enemies were partially blown off. David cleared the dust on his body and hurried off through the emergency exit to catch the boat to Kowloon within ten minutes. The nuclear power plant was fifteen kilometers from the town. David killed one of the guards, as that guard was alone outside the gate. The corpse was dumped into the nearby drain. The other guard happened to march out from the main building. David fired the .2 pistol at the guard and pulled the body away to avoid attention. He moved very carefully wondering if this was to be his last few minutes to live. The two nuclear scientists were in their air-conditioned room. They noticed David was there and told him to get out since not even the guards can be there. David apologized and went off, but not before planting the time bomb on the wall near the reactor core. That was late evening. At 10.00 pm the second nuclear plant explosion shocked the whole world. Foreign critics intimated that he Chinese nuclear scientists did not know what they were doing.

All foreigners in China were detained and questioned. No radio communication with the outside worlds was allowed. David was on board a bus when the armed forces investigators arrested him.

"You look like that wanted guy, " the tough private told him. " I’m a sales man from London," David argued.

David was brought to the 30th Battalion in Canton.

Col. Chua studied him thoroughly, from the boot to the head.

"You are the man. What have you got to say now? We the communists won’t kill. We’ll have some fun out of you. Look at this British spy of yours. We caught him in 1964 and cut off both his hands." The colonel stared at David.

Two executioners were called in. The chain saw was still running. David pretended to faint. They propped him up and revived him.

" I must take off the shoes. I prefer to die without the shoes on," David begged.

" Do anything you live. My guards are around with guns. If you move away from that spot, they will open fire, but only to bring you down," the colonel laughed scornfully.

David pulled the pin and flung the shoe at the guards and the colonel. Col. Chua was thrown out of his armchair. For the first time in his life, Col. Chua realized that he was not invincible.

David dived towards the guard and snatched the gun from him to pump some leads into the colonel to make sure he would die. To avoid the approaching guards, David had to run upstairs to the tenth floor and then slid down to the street by using the sewage pipes. He was lucky because the military jeep was there with only one guard. He opened fire and instantly killed the guard. He went to the driving wheel and sped off, pieces of leads could be heard still dropping at the back of the jeep.

David dumped the jeep into a valley and hurried back to Victoria hotel where Ah Yun was waiting. The couple boarded a Royal Thai Airline and spent the honeymoon at Pattaya before leaving for London.

At Pattaya, two Chinese Nationals wanted the Thai authorities to deport the couple to China. They were under arrest by the Thai police. It seemed death was the only sure thing to happen to the loving couple. However, just as the couple was to board a plane heading to Shanghai, a couple of representatives arrived from London with a British passport for David and one for Ah Yun, proving beyond any doubt the young couple was innocent.

As David and Ah Yun arrived in London, they were very surprised to see Ah Yun’s father and mother waiting for them at the airport. They were British citizens.

The truth was two tourists assisted the old couple to leave China, knowing that death within the next few days was surely to occur to them.

END

Copyright © 2003 Poh Tiong Ho

 

 

Vengeance (2)

 

 

The fifty-acre fabrication yard lied opposite the Pulau Ubin. Ali and the other 600 workers were busy with their jobs. Engines roared and shrilled. Okai Kong, a foreman was brought up in JB but a Singapore citizen. He had small and narrow eyes, which were located too close to the nose. The side burns, beard and mustaches gave others the impression he was Japanese. His favorite means of pleasing young ladies was to buy them expensive perfumes, the most up to date dresses and shoes.

" If you are smart you don’t have to come from Indonesia to work here," Okai Kong yelled at Tan.

The humiliated worker perspired under the fierce hot sun. He came from Batam and the $1300 he makes every month is for his family. Tan liked to bring his girl friend to watch the setting sun at the Punggol beach. One Sunday the couple went back late. Before Tan could step into the car, a man approached from behind with a coke bottle grasped in the right hand. That bottle landed on the top of Tan’s head, leaving him sprawling on the sand. The assailant vanished into the forest. Tan’s girl fried cried but managed to stop the bleeding. When Tan woke up the next morning, it was 11 o’clock in the hospital. The matter could not be investigated further. For his personal safety Tan was advised to leave Singapore. Not many people in the yard knew the coke bottle incident. Many months passed and as could be expected, one incident after another cropped up at this construction site.

" You trainees are bastards," Okai Kong shouted at the boys. " You don’t work hard and you keep on complaining about the foremen."

" You rapacious villain. When I kick, you’ll never stand on your feet again," Ali assured him.

The matter reached the Personnel Manager who actually sided Okai Kong. The reputation of the trainees went from bad to worst. The finger was pointing at the engineers who interviewed these trainees and found them to be worth employing.

One Saturday night, Okai Kong invited his girl friend to dance at Bar 69. Ali happened to be there.

" That’s my helper," Okai Kong told his girl. " There are twenty of them in the company. I don’t know why they want to work there. Prospects are not good in that company."

" Hey Ali, I saw you last night at the dance. Why didn’t you bring a girl along?" Okai Kong asked sarcastically and went on, " If you leave the company and work in an office, there will be plenty of girls for you to tackle."

Ali blushed and did not know what to say next. He waited until evening and stopped Okai Kong at the gate for an explanation of the topic of girls in the morning.

" Please don’t denigrate me again. I’m better educated than you and may one day hold a higher position than you."

" That’s still to be seen," Okai Kong sneered scornfully.

" You are jealous of us because you don’t have half our qualification. You don’t even have a Primary 6 certificate. Every one knows how you got a job in this company. My annual reports are full of accusations and lies. If you can just prove one item mentioned in the report, the management would have terminated my service long ago."

" Yes. That’s what the company is considering now. Do you want to be the first to go? Do you want to be the hero?"

" If I go, you will be the next to go, don’t you know bastard? You and your cronies have been using the material issue vouchers to draw a lot of materials and sell them to the hardware shops. Shall I write to the managing director about his? What about the service requisition you raised? Only half the labourers turned up to work. The labour suppliers must have given you a lot of money? No wonder you have so much money to put up girls in the hotel rooms waiting to entertain those engineers, department heads, and the engineering managers? Aren’t you afraid of bad karma? You’re only good to fan the flames and beat the drums in this company. Racism exists in every country, but not as bad as in this company. Your barbaric lust for sex, money and power will never be satisfied. You want more and more every day. "

Suddenly Okai Kong kicked Ali on the head. Ali fell but struggled on his feet again. Ali charged at Okai Kong like a mad bull and both of them dropped into the monsoon drain. Ali’s hands were on Okai Kong’s throat. Okai Kong went unconscious.

A week later, Okai Kong found Abdul, a fitter trainee, sleeping in the warehouse and terminated his services straight away even though Abdul had earlier requested for leave because of fever. As Okai Kong was handing over the termination letter, Abdul punched him on the nose. Blood spurted all over the wretched and maladjusted victim’s body.

This seemingly tough foreman wanted to avenge. He bought a parang and left it in his car. Losing the job did not matter really much for Abdul. In order to eat honestly Abdul had to work hard. He bought a hoe and a parang to clear his kumpong land.

Four years passed and Abdul’s fruit trees began to blossom. His produce from the land was then many times more than what he could ever receive from the former construction company. Abdul’s daughter, who worked in an emporium, was pretty enough to be the queen of any king. Okai Kong spent a lot of money to seduce her and fathered the child that was in her. Abdul did not know who the father was until one day when Okai Kong came to his orchard to declare that Salmah was very juicy on bed, and that Salmah should now tell the whole world that the sky-god had fathered the child that is in her.

" You must be working terribly hard these days," Okai Kong put on a smiling face.

" Bloody dog. What do you want?" Abdul spat at him.

Okai Kong snatched the hoe and charged at Abdul who rolled in time to pick up a bean stake. Within seconds the hoe landed on Abdul’s face but Abdul managed to pierce the enemy’s stomach with the wood.

The cries and howls attracted the attention of the neighbours. Salmah was shocked to find out her prince charming was the bitterest enemy of her father. When the child was born Salmah took him to Canada where she was to begin her career as a domestic servant. We later heard that Salmah found an Ang Mo who was formerly a Singapore PR. This gentleman married her and also took care of Salmah’s first child. Why did the Singaporeans at home think of her as a loose woman?

After five years behind the iron bars, this thug was again ready for troubles. One December night when Abdul was catching the insects and worms on the vegetable plots, Okai Kong rushed out from the lalang and thrust a gun at him.

" Cool down, Okai Kong. Do you want to create a lot more bad karma?"

" A rustic like you know better than me. Tell me before you die: why are the good men poor and the evil ones rich?"

" A man might be living a clean life formerly and is therefore now prosperous. The evil ones too might be living a clean life formerly and is now prosperous. Unfortunately they may not be able to continue to lead a clean life this time because forces like greed and hatred are very strong. Not many people are able to resist them. I once saw you pushing a welder into the sea. I did not report this to the police because I was the only witness."

" That son of the bitch was a thorn on my neck. He wrote to the Prime Minister’s department complaining that the foremen and the engineers were running their own company to bring in Filipino engineers to work as skilled technicians here and they deprived the locals of many jobs. Why should I care if Singaporeans are jobless? A postmortem confirmed the bastard was drowned. Are you smarter than the doctor?"

" Say what you want. He’s dead and can’t argue now. I can see all the evils written on your ugly face. Sooner or later your retribution will come. Don’t you remember your own crony George Sadas? The senior foreman who was so greedy that every day he must receive something from the subcontractors? So the cheapest way was to give him a bottle of Black Label every day. This greedy ghost took the liquor without diluting it with water. He could not sleep every night, so again he had to drown himself by the concentrated liquor. He died of liver cancer within one year. Today our best joke in the yard is that the bastard drowned himself in the cunt which was full of liquor, because all the ladies who worked under him must also satisfied him sexually or their contract would be terminated."

Abdul’s anxious wife Chiku came to look for him when he did not return at the time he normally did. This thug, horrified by the appearance of someone, pulled the trigger. Abdul fell silently. Chiku dashed over only to find him dead. Okai Kong pointed the gun at the petrified woman, who was too shocked to shed tears.

" If you move, you die too," he made it clear.

Okai Kong pushed her on the grass, tore her blouse and pulled down her sarong and jabbed his evil root into her. When the animal tension was released, he took the gun and knocked her on the head. The woman too lost her life.

Investigation cleared up the rape and murder mystery. Okai Kong’s lawyer begged the High Court for leniency saying that Okai Kong’s parents were slashed to death in front of Okai Kong when he was only 5 years old, and that it was a neighbour who brought Okai Kong up. According to psychiatrists this childhood incident affected his life unfavourably.

On the gallows, Okai Kong told the executioner that the untimely death was to be blamed on the society that failed him. He was only partly right. The truth was, Okai Kong was killed by his own greed.

End

 

The Oppressed Labourer (3)

 

 

Young Bala came from Afghanistan when he was a kid. His father started a tailoring shop in Singapore before World War II. Bala who was small in size was always looked upon as the pigmy of the class. He completed his primary education in an English medium school. He used to try very hard to join the primary school football team and his training in other games and athletic events were persistent. After trying hard and failed to be selected for any team to represent his school, he diverted his attention to something else. He made himself the Sports Officer of the Singapore Association of Youths. Expensive dance tickets were sold every month.

One Saturday morning, a student knocked on David's door.

" Good morning, Sir. Would you like to buy a dance ticket?"

In order to please this innocent girl, David bought one even though he knew it meant more drink and smoke for the organizer.

The following month, David's door was knocked again. This time, a man with two Form 5 girls were there.

"Mr. David, would you like to contribute to the National Disaster Fund?" Bala asked.

" I'll donate only if you show me the official permit from the government," David answered.

Bala apologized and hurried off. The two girls thought they met another nasty guy.

" Don't you think he had been rude?" Carol whispered when they reached the car.

" Yes, indeed he was very rude. We should not see him again," Bala answered.

" Why didn't you bring the letter from the O.C.P.D.?" Carol enquired ignorantly.

" I forgot it."

Many months passed. No one knew about the fund raising incident. During a cricket match, Bala met David, who was the bowler from the education team. When the ball went too far from the sticks, Bala would deliberately boo sarcastically.

" David. Go back to Pulau Ubin. It's your best place," Bala commented half jokingly.

" Why didn't you remain in Afghanistan eating tapioca?" David began to show his temper.

At 12 pm, the match ended not too happily. All the players, went as usual, to the recreation club which was just next to the field. David ordered a roast chicken and some rice. The steaming fowl made saliva poured and the more intelligent ones started to sip their tea. That was why I didn't enjoy going to restaurants where the service was slow. Bala, whose salivary gland was most activated, made himself invited.

" Pull a chair and sit down, " David invited him as he was standing by the side of the table, and pulled a drum stick for the guest who devoured it straight away. Sweat rolled down from