“Ah di, Toto System 7.”
“1234, two dollars big, two dollars small for Saturday and Sunday.”
“Give me two pieces of Big Sweep tickets.”
These are the words that I hear every now and then in front of my counter. More than often, my friends asked me why I have chosen this job. Ever since I’ve quitted from the Force, I had tried to source for other jobs that do not require me to run about, do not require me at work extra hours, and of course I do not have to start work early. Well of course, it’s still from one form of service oriented job to another.
Today is another ordinary day, a Wednesday to be exact. The usual queue starts from morning ten o’clock to lunch time, and as well as early evening where most people have knocked off from work. There he is again; I can almost recognize the smell from across the street. This frail looking old man, wearing a torn white singlet and blue shorts, never fails to come into the shop on Wednesday to peep at Aunty Mei who works together with me. Aunty Mei is disgusted by him, totally. “Aunty Mei, your admirer is here again leh! Haha!” I teased. And as usual, she gave me those looks as though she wants to slap me with the stack of fifty dollars notes in her hands. The old man is harmless in nature; in fact he does nothing but peeps from the corner of the shop and smile at Aunty Mei. Aunty Mei mentioned to me about the old man once, ever since she had worked here for eight years, the old man strolls around the neighborhood and comes into the shop in the same attire without fail. Hmmm, I wonder he ever baths.
Just when I thought that the old man is about to leave the shop, he turns back and starts to mumbled something. No, he is not talking to me. Instead, he is talking to Aunty Mei! Having to get prepared to rush out to the front counter to hold onto the old man, I get off from my seat and hold onto the door knob. At this moment, the words that come out of the old man’s mouth stun me. “Yun Mei, please come home with me, please.” Alright, this old man knows Aunty Mei. And for the first time, I know Aunty Mei’s full name; well not exactly the full name but at least more than what I have known before.
“Don’t come here and disturb me lah! Can you see that I’m working??” And for the first time, I heard Aunty Mei shouted. She couldn’t have shouted at anyone, no matter how rude the customers may be. Dismayed which I think the old man is feeling now, he turns his back on us and drags his slippers out of the shop. The dramatic scene lasted for ten minutes however the silence lasted until the end of the operation hours.
“He is my husband lah.”
“Oh ok.”
“What ok?? It’s not ok, ok?
“So why aren’t you staying with him?”
“Stupid gambler, every week ask money from me to buy 4D lah, Toto lah, soccer lah, buah beh lah.”
“Hmmm. So where are you staying now?”
“At my sister-in-law’s place lor.”
“Go home to stay with your husband lor.”
“Don’t want lah. Very contradicting right? Husband compulsive gambler, wife works at a place for gamblers.”
Aunty Mei’s husband never visits the shop from the next day onwards.
