On the Shittiest Boss in Kuala Lumpur

I was in my favourite bookshop in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, sitting in my usual spot at the staircase and browsing for books. (I eventually got myself a copy of Boccaccio’s Decameron, thanks for asking hehe.) As I was browsing, I spied at the corner of my eye, someone who used to be the boss of a friend of mine. My friend had related his travails of working for this man – the shenanigans, the tantrums, the late salary payments. I pretended not to see him, which was not that difficult, since I didn’t really know this man – only that he was a terrible boss.

Not long after, I got up and made my way to the cash register, paid for my book, and walked upstairs to the cafe where my wife was sitting, drinking water while going through her own reading.

I saw down and immediately said, “Hey, guess who I saw!”

“Who??” Kat looked at me quizzically.

“I just saw the shittiest boss in KL, just browsing for books!”

“Wow! So **** is here looking for books??” Kat asked, her brows furrowed.

“Err, nope. Not him. Guess lah. I’ll give you another guess!” I said, enjoying this little game.

“Hmm. Ah, I know! You saw ****!!” Kat made her declaration with gusto, utterly convinced that she was right this time around.

I frowned for a while and said, “Wow! Hmm you are right, that person really is a shitty boss!! Wah this is rather stiff competition! You might be right, she might be the shittiest boss in all of Kuala Lumpur! But no, it wasn’t her that I saw.” I shook my head in denial, even as I was marveling over the fact that it really was stiff competition.

“Oh, I don’t know! Who is it???” By this time, Kat’s curiosity was really piqued. She needed to know.

“Haha it’s **** lah! Remember??” It was Kat, after all, who was regaling me with stories of this man’s horrific treatment of our friend.

Kat laughed out loud and said, “Oh yes, haha yes he really is a terrible boss! But you must admit though, **** really is a terrible boss herself! In fact, I think the margin is pretty thin between the two!”

I laughed along, nodding my head in agreement with my wife. I suppose there are quite a number of shitty bosses out there!

On Changes

I’m goin’ through changes -
the vicissitudes of Life,
they ain’t stop’n for me.

Tentang Birat-Birat

Birat-birat itu adalah
Biru lebam yang belum padam
Seakan cakaran yang cukup dalam
Pada tubuh dan jiwamu
Takkan kau lupakan
Meskipun bertahun lamanya
Meskipun dia sudah lama mati
Dendam marah itu masih sebati
Marak kesumat
Merah meligat
Api kecewa seorang anak yang terbangsat.

On Plucking the Bitter Fruit

They asked me to describe 
what it is that
I am feeling right now:

The disappointment of a son
and the alienation of a man
the bitterness of hopes
and the sweetness of vindication
the smallness of petty disagreements
and the enormity of loss
even if it is just the losing of you

I buried you yesterday
and I accepted your mantle
but I refuse this myth-making
this farce of false memories

You left us yesterday
but I left you long ago.

On Winning

I came home and
opened the door
It was early morning
and my cat meowed
welcoming me home

I stooped down to pet her
with tears in my eyes, saying
“You won, Monkey. You won.”