It is usually cool at this time of the year. It had been raining for days and parts of the island were flooded. Outside the coffeeshop, it was still raining at this time at night and there was a nice breeze.
However the heated situation inside the coffeeshop at Geylang Lorong 81 was a stark contrast to the cool weather. Negotiations had broken down completely. The rival gang leaders had resorted to name-calling and their members were preparing for a fight.
"Geylang buay-zap-yit hang ow pai dio si nang eh teh buah. Ah si li gah tat wah eh lor, wah dio make sure li eh Mari-Kita gang die cock stand! (Geylang 81 Lorong in future will be our territory. If you dare block our path I will make sure your Mari-Kita gang will die cock stand!)"
An Tuah smirked at Dee Tao. "An juah? Wah eh kiah li ah? Li eh Bang Buah Liup toloh tuah? Siu gong li buah liup ji boon boh ah. (So what? I scared of you ah? Your Bang Buah Liup where big? I think your balls half also don't have ah!"
"HIEH AH! HIEN AH!"
Suddenly all hell breaks loose as the gang members flipped tables over and unsheathed their parangs hidden inside copies of Xingguang Wanbao. The two gang leaders retreated swiftly to the sidelines as their kah kiah surged ahead to fight. Frenzied shouting was accompanied by the loud clatter of rusty blades striking rusty blades.
Amidst this chaos, Ah Beng was still seated, calmly drinking his Laohor beer. A teenage rival gangster thought that Ah Beng was an easy target and charged furiously from behind, screaming "AHHHHHHH!"
With the elegance of a Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe acrobat Ah Beng flung his Xingguang Wanbao into the air. The young rival watched in slow motion as the parang separated from its newspaper scabbard in mid-air while Ah Beng leap up from his seat to catch it. Ah Beng made a half-twist in the air and grabbed the flying parang securely before slashing downwards with lightning speed.
*PLANGG!*
A loud clang was heard and the young rival stood frozen with fear. His right arm was still outstretched, but his parang was gone. It was cleanly knocked out of his hand by Ah Beng's lightning strike. He was so frightened that he was shaking and did not dare to look at this right hand, which he thought had been chopped off.
Bang Buah Liup reinforcements arrived and charged ahead to attack Ah Beng, five to one. Ah Beng fended them off easily with one arm tucked behind him and using only one parang-wielding hand, like a gongfu master. The rival gangsters backed off temporarily, dazed.
One of them, who was a one-eyed dragon, suddenly raised his arm. Ah Beng saw the dull shine of a dreaded weapon flash for an instant.
A Webbie revolver!
It was not aimed at Ah Beng - it was pointed in the direction of Gu Kiah, who was busy fighting other gangsters. Ah Beng rushed forward quickly with incredible speed and slashed down at the revolver just as a shot rang out.
*PAAAHK!*
Gu Kiah turned around and checked his own body desperately.
The shot went wide. Ah Beng had saved Gu Kiah's life.
But by passing so close to the enemy, Ah Beng had been slashed once on his back.
He turned to face them, with burning rage in his eyes. It was a dirty, despicable trick to use pistols during a parang fight. Guns were not allowed on the island - it must been smuggled in by a Peninsular gangster.
Ah Beng picked up the young gangster's fallen parang and stood steady, now with one parang in each hand.
"PARANG-DOH LUAN TAI! (Parang-Knife Anyhow Slash!)"
His special power.
With amazing speed and strength Ah Beng slashed so rapidly, so repeatedly and so randomly that when the attack was over, his rivals were no longer holding weapons and were covered with numerous cuts from head to toe. Bleeding and defeated, Bang Buah Liup members retreated quickly into the rain.
As Dee Tao ran away in fear, he shouted, "Goh ah buay liow geh! Wah eh deng lai eh! (Not finished yet! I'll be back!)"
An Tuah emerged from the shadows smiling, and gave a Ah Beng a slow applause of appreciation. They looked at each other for a while. An Tuah needed Ah Beng.
Just as the Mari-Kita gang was about to leave this scene of utter devastation, Ah Beng noticed that one table had not been flipped over. The old man who was having beer and peanuts remain seated, completely unfazed.
Their eyes met for an instant. The elderly gentleman then looked down and shook his head slowly.
Sunday, 31 December 2006
Wednesday, 20 December 2006
Settlement Talk
"Dak keh oh hwa wu... 大家学华语..."
The radio was broadcasting a cheery language education programme. In addition, the kopi tiam was decorated with courtesy campaign happy face posters and beer advertisements featuring sexy models.
Tonight, however, the mood was far from happy.
In fact there is death in the air.
Ah Beng leaned back casually on a plastic chair as he took another gulp of Laohor beer. There were six of them from the ferocious Mari-Kita gang, sitting around two tables in the coffeeshop and pretending to be reading newspapers.
Their leader smiled confidently at his kah kiah. He had neatly parted hair, wore gold-rimmed spectacles and was reading Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, which he had borrowed from the national library last week. All his gang members are fiercely loyal to him, but they don't even know his full name.
They only know his surname is Ng.
And they always call him An Tuah.
Ah Beng stirred and looked at the clock. He was supposed to be helping out at another coffeeshop tonight, but his An Tuah called him about this settlement talk, so he obliged immediately. He believed in yi ki (义气) and would never abandon his leader.
An Tuah needed him for the confrontation tonight, because Ah Beng had a special skill. He is a parang-doh king, and his fighting is so good that he can take on five men at once. And his trusty rusty parang-doh is right beside him, hidden inside a folded copy of Xingguan Wanbao, a popular evening newspaper.
"Bang Buah Liup eh lang leh? Mm si bang nang peh kee ah? (Translation: Where Bang Buah Liup people? They put us aeroplane ah?)"
The Number Three man spoke. They call him Gu Kiah, because despite his tender age he is as violent as a charging bull.
There was no one else in the coffeeshop except an old man quietly enjoying his bottle of Laohor beer and some peanuts. The Bang Buah Liup gang was late, and the Mari-Kita people were getting impatient.
Suddenly a familiar and hated face appeared from the darkness - Bang Buah Liup's gang leader, known affectionately as Tuah Dee Tao or Big Pig Head. They have been invading An Tuah's territory for a few weeks, harrassing people and taking protection money.
They must leave Mari-Kita territory. There will be no negotiation.
"Eh An Tuah! Jia bah buay? (An Tuah have you eaten?)" Dee Tao called out in mock respect. Seven of his men swiftly appeared behind him, all carrying folded copies of Xingguang Wanbao.
"Mai lai kan ni nah lah. Zeh. (Don't f*k with me. Sit)" Ah Tuah was in no mood for pleasantries. He pointed towards a chair.
The expression on Dee Tao's face turned very black as he took a seat.
"Dak keh dio si kang oh eh lang, an juah an neh hiong? Ai wu leh mao mah. (We are all Kang Oh people, why so fierce? Must have courtesy mah)" He pointed at the ubiquitous courtesy campaign posters.
"Gong seem mee leh mao. Jit dao is goon nang eh teh buah. (What courtesy? This is our territory)" An Tuah is firm; he will not budge.
"Jit dao si siang eh teh buah ko ah buay gong cheng cho. (Whose territory still haven't talk clearly yet)" Dee Tao was not giving way neither.
The negotiation is quickly breaking down.
At this moment, members of both gangs began putting their hands underneath the tables, ready to flip them over once the fighting starts.
They are preparing to hien doh.
The tension mounts.
The radio was broadcasting a cheery language education programme. In addition, the kopi tiam was decorated with courtesy campaign happy face posters and beer advertisements featuring sexy models.
Tonight, however, the mood was far from happy.
In fact there is death in the air.
Ah Beng leaned back casually on a plastic chair as he took another gulp of Laohor beer. There were six of them from the ferocious Mari-Kita gang, sitting around two tables in the coffeeshop and pretending to be reading newspapers.
Their leader smiled confidently at his kah kiah. He had neatly parted hair, wore gold-rimmed spectacles and was reading Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, which he had borrowed from the national library last week. All his gang members are fiercely loyal to him, but they don't even know his full name.
They only know his surname is Ng.
And they always call him An Tuah.
Ah Beng stirred and looked at the clock. He was supposed to be helping out at another coffeeshop tonight, but his An Tuah called him about this settlement talk, so he obliged immediately. He believed in yi ki (义气) and would never abandon his leader.
An Tuah needed him for the confrontation tonight, because Ah Beng had a special skill. He is a parang-doh king, and his fighting is so good that he can take on five men at once. And his trusty rusty parang-doh is right beside him, hidden inside a folded copy of Xingguan Wanbao, a popular evening newspaper.
"Bang Buah Liup eh lang leh? Mm si bang nang peh kee ah? (Translation: Where Bang Buah Liup people? They put us aeroplane ah?)"
The Number Three man spoke. They call him Gu Kiah, because despite his tender age he is as violent as a charging bull.
There was no one else in the coffeeshop except an old man quietly enjoying his bottle of Laohor beer and some peanuts. The Bang Buah Liup gang was late, and the Mari-Kita people were getting impatient.
Suddenly a familiar and hated face appeared from the darkness - Bang Buah Liup's gang leader, known affectionately as Tuah Dee Tao or Big Pig Head. They have been invading An Tuah's territory for a few weeks, harrassing people and taking protection money.
They must leave Mari-Kita territory. There will be no negotiation.
"Eh An Tuah! Jia bah buay? (An Tuah have you eaten?)" Dee Tao called out in mock respect. Seven of his men swiftly appeared behind him, all carrying folded copies of Xingguang Wanbao.
"Mai lai kan ni nah lah. Zeh. (Don't f*k with me. Sit)" Ah Tuah was in no mood for pleasantries. He pointed towards a chair.
The expression on Dee Tao's face turned very black as he took a seat.
"Dak keh dio si kang oh eh lang, an juah an neh hiong? Ai wu leh mao mah. (We are all Kang Oh people, why so fierce? Must have courtesy mah)" He pointed at the ubiquitous courtesy campaign posters.
"Gong seem mee leh mao. Jit dao is goon nang eh teh buah. (What courtesy? This is our territory)" An Tuah is firm; he will not budge.
"Jit dao si siang eh teh buah ko ah buay gong cheng cho. (Whose territory still haven't talk clearly yet)" Dee Tao was not giving way neither.
The negotiation is quickly breaking down.
At this moment, members of both gangs began putting their hands underneath the tables, ready to flip them over once the fighting starts.
They are preparing to hien doh.
The tension mounts.
Tuesday, 19 December 2006
Enter The Beng
A loud clinking sound emanated from a corner of the coffeeshop.
*Clang clang clang CLANG!*
It was the sound of a metal spoon being stirred vigorously inside a glass of milk tea.
Sitting with one leg perched on a chair, a young man in his mid-twenties stared out at the other customers. He had tattoos of fierce dragons running down both his arms, and a prominent scar on his left cheek. There was an awkward snarl on his face as he wiggled a toothpick in his teeth.
His menacing appearance caught the attention of a young school boy sitting with his mother one table away. Intrigued, the little boy stared at the youth for an instant.
"Kwa... kwa seem me lan jiao!"
Instantly the boy looked away in fear as his mother shielded him.
"Hurry boy and finish your Milo, the bus coming already."
The unruly youth simply ignored them and continued to sip his milk tea noisily.
His name is Yap Seng Beng.
Suddenly the coffee shop owner shouted "AH BENG! Kah kin lai dao kah chiu leh!" He needed help to move a few heavy plastic crates of canned drinks.
Grudgely, Ah Beng rose to his feet and gave the kid one last dirty look.
The school boy cringed. His mother whispered cautiously - "Boy, you must study hard. Don't be like this hooligan can only do doh sai doh djio job."
Ah Beng pretended not to notice, even though he heard every word she said. He was not affected because there was something else in his mind.
Something very important was happening tonight. This would be the final showdown.
*Clang clang clang CLANG!*
It was the sound of a metal spoon being stirred vigorously inside a glass of milk tea.
Sitting with one leg perched on a chair, a young man in his mid-twenties stared out at the other customers. He had tattoos of fierce dragons running down both his arms, and a prominent scar on his left cheek. There was an awkward snarl on his face as he wiggled a toothpick in his teeth.
His menacing appearance caught the attention of a young school boy sitting with his mother one table away. Intrigued, the little boy stared at the youth for an instant.
"Kwa... kwa seem me lan jiao!"
Instantly the boy looked away in fear as his mother shielded him.
"Hurry boy and finish your Milo, the bus coming already."
The unruly youth simply ignored them and continued to sip his milk tea noisily.
His name is Yap Seng Beng.
Suddenly the coffee shop owner shouted "AH BENG! Kah kin lai dao kah chiu leh!" He needed help to move a few heavy plastic crates of canned drinks.
Grudgely, Ah Beng rose to his feet and gave the kid one last dirty look.
The school boy cringed. His mother whispered cautiously - "Boy, you must study hard. Don't be like this hooligan can only do doh sai doh djio job."
Ah Beng pretended not to notice, even though he heard every word she said. He was not affected because there was something else in his mind.
Something very important was happening tonight. This would be the final showdown.
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