[ilikeoldchangke]

22nd Feburary 2015

Sunday


1.35am


I carefully lifted the box and look at the pen inside, looking at the intricate details and wordings carved into the body of the pen.

I wrapped it up properly and kept it away.



That would surely come in useful one day.


6.30am

I was back at the noodle stall and my muscles ached , I think I had a visible bruise on my face and Kate came over to ask me what happened and where did I go the day before.

There was no point lying to her about it and I came clean.


Her eyes widened and she hit me several times, cursing at me for not telling her about it.



Kate : HOW could you !!!! How could you not tell me !!!!



She stormed off and ignored me for the rest of the day.



10pm


Johari sent a picture of the sculptures at Bukit Chandu to the group chat. Everything had been replaced and touched up. With a few construction cones and signage indicating restoration works, there was no trouble at all getting the replacement done.


Gabriel was both puzzled and upset that his grandfather’s legacy was not found at the site.


He says he would get to the bottom of the matter and he thanked everyone for our help.




23 Feburary 2015

Monday

10.30am


I thought I would try my luck getting in touch with Lucy to ask about Bill but there was no reply from her.


I have yet to see Bill around the coffee shop that couple of days too, probably resting at home, wherever that may be.

Kate came over right before I left the coffee shop with my parents.



Kate : I manage to get another chance to talk to King… you interested ?

Jake : Yes.. yes… of course…


Kate : See you later at 4pm… we’ll meet straight at his shop.


4.15pm


Kate was 15 minutes late.



4.30 pm

I dropped Kate a couple of messages before I tried dialling her phone but it was switched off.

This is weird.



Kate was seldom late when she meets up with me and going uncontactable like this was virtually unheard off. It’s not like I knew her for the longest time but she’s not someone who would just go off the grid like this.


By 4.45pm, I was starting to get worried.

I decided to go on ahead to King’s shop.


King’s shop is separated into 2 as mentioned earlier , one sells everything for the living, and the other sells everything for the dead. I asked the staff where King was and he gave me a suspicious look before saying he’s in the office.


Jake : He’s expecting me…. I mean us… actually there’s one more… but I don’t know where is she…



The staff just pointed down the rows of shelves at the back of the shop.

I knew it.

I knew King would do this to us.



As I walked down the shelves stocked with offerings for the deceased , I felt as if there were several pairs of eyes on me. That weird creepy feeling of someone watching you.


I walked pass neatly arranged rows of paper iphone and Ipads, laptops, hardisk. Even paper VR googles. Anything you would possibly find in the world of the living, chances are King has one version for the dead.


I reached the old timber door with a large square glass panel in the middle and I knocked on the door.

Jake : Hello ? … hello ?

I could hear voices inside the room.


I tried the door knob but it was locked.

I knocked on the door again.


Jake : King…. Hello… King ?

The voices got a little louder.


It sounded like people wrapping up their conversation.


There was some shuffling, chairs being shifted and when the bolt for the lock snapped opened, I jumped backwards a little.


The sudden snap gave me a shock, being in such a creepy shop did not help either.


The door opened and when I laid eyes on the people inside King’s office, I realised the shock from the lock was nothing.


It was nothing compared to seeing Ah Keong, Suwen and King staring at me.


Ah Keong : What are you doing here ?

I paused.


I was about to say I came together with Kate when I saw something familiar on King’s table.

It was Kate’s phone.



King : What are you doing here Jake ? …. You need something ??

My heart started thumping and I tried to think of an excuse.



Jake : I… I needed to get something for a army friend who just passed away….

The 3 of them kept their eyes on me, no doubt unconvinced about what I just said.



Jake : I just thought maybe I could get a discount you know…. Since we sort of know each other …. ??


5 seconds passed and we remained staring at each other.


It was such a bad lie that I was sure they saw right through me.


Kate’s phone was right there on the fucking table.


Yet she was nowhere in the room.


I never expected Suwen to speak first ahead of King and Ah Keong.



And when she did, I turned on my heels and I ran.


Suwen : Get him !.... get him !...


I tore up the concrete floor as I sprinted as fast as I could towards the exit and into the staircase. I jumped 3, 4 steps at a time, desperate to get out of the compound.


I literally flew towards the nearest bus stop and hopped onto the 1st bus to arrive, panting and catching my breathe as I looked out the window, trying to see if they caught up with me.



Not good.


This is not good.


The bus barely went forward one bus stop when my phone rang.

It was a number I don’t recognised.


Jake : Hello ?


Suwen : Jake… it’s me… Suwen…


Her voice was a stark contrast from before. It sounded gentle and sweet.


Suwen : We are all reasonable people…so let’s talk things through.


There was a short pause before she went on again.



Suwen : Kate is not even your real girlfriend…


Another pause followed.

Suwen : Why are you wasting your time on her ??



It was obvious she was taking instructions from someone else. It had to be either Ah Keong or King.

Suwen : I mean it Jake… we can pay you… just look the other way….pretend you never see anything…


Jake : Let her go..

Suwen : I can’t…


Suwen was pretty insistent that we should talk things through.

Jake : You grabbed Kate… what assurance do I have you wouldn’t do the same to me…


Suwen : Don’t be crazy… why would we do that… we didn’t grab Kate… we just need her as a guest for a while…


After some deliberation, I agreed to meet with Suwen but only if I get to speak with Kate.


King got on the line and repeated what Suwen had already told me.


King : Stay out of this Jake.. It’s for your own good.

Jake : I want to speak with Kate…


He hung up on me.


I alighted a few stops later and my phone rang again.


Jake ; Hello ?


Kate : JAKE!!.. JAKE!!.. TELL Gab….ahhh