Jim rescues a Woman: Book One

 

Chapter 1

 

I hit the lowest point in my life when I turned 36.

Most of my friends and peers would be well entrenched in their careers at that age but not for me. It’s as if life wanted to make an example out of me.

The embodiment of everything that you should not have by this age.

I ticked all the check boxes for a typical Singaporean male in his mid thirties, at least for a while. Married, with a daughter, a government flat, a stable job and a car.

That checked the first few boxes.

Unfortunately I checked the next few as well soon after.

I got divorced. Wife became my ex-wife, I got made redundant and don’t even start on the car. It was the first to go. The government flat needs to be sold once it hits its minimum occupation period of 5 years and the proceeds split according to the divorce agreement.

So to put it in simple English.

I’m fucked.

It was a combination of bad judgement and bad luck.

My wife left me because I cheated on her. I can blame no one except myself for this. It was a stupid mistake, one that many married men fall for once the kid comes along. There was a period of dry sex spell for me and my wife after our daughter Tricia was born.

I started to think with my dick instead of my head and I went to engage a social escort. I got caught, and that’s the end of the story.

No Korean drama here.

My wife Anna was devastated; so was I when the gravity of what I had done to the family finally hit me. She could not bring herself to forgive me and after a torturing period of 6 months, we initiated the paperwork to split.

Anna wanted me to move out, she felt that perhaps it might be better that way. I could see she was stressed out with trying to care for a toddler and juggling work at the same time, I did not want to argue with her and I shifted back to my parents’ place.

We maintained contact, not as husband and wife, more as friends in a way. We would spend Saturday together with our child, pretending everything was fine. I got to visit Tricia any time I wanted as long as Anna was informed in advance.

By the time Tricia turned one, Anna was more or less over the fact that I cheated on her but she still could not forgive me.

Anna: Jim, I’m doing my best to forget it but I still can’t forgive you.

That was what she said.

Well, enough of the sad family story, I deserved it.

Just when the dust was beginning to settle in my personal life, I lost my job at a metal fabrication company. After 7 years in that place, I was convinced it was a job that would take me straight to my retirement. I was comfortable, paid decently, 2 months bonus every year, good benefits.

The boss made some bad investment decisions with a partner and the company almost went bankrupt. Then the son magically appeared from Australia with a fancy business degree to take over the reins and we had a major restructuring.

 

More than half the old staff were let go. As I packed up my desk, I was torn between laughing and crying.

Looking up into the skies, I almost wanted to ask the big man up there if he was toying with me. That he was bored and he was trying to see how badly he could mess up someone’s life.

I spent the next month sending out resumes and calling up some old contacts to see if there were any openings in their companies but there were none.

So how did I manage?

I did the only thing left for a Singaporean male in my situation. I drove a cab.

It was not easy making a living on the road. I thought it was a piece of cake, after all, it was just driving from point A to point B.

I was wrong.

The people you meet, the traffic conditions. Unreasonable riders, mad F1 drivers, you name it.

After deducting the rental, fuel and miscellaneous cost, I made 1.5k in the first month as a cab driver. This was me clocking 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. It sucked.

I was a total greenhorn to this, I made wrong turns. Wrong turns that led to a long expressway, or worse, directly into the jaws of the automatic toll gate that sucked the life out of my cashcard. GPS brought me around in circles.

Customers demanding a discount because I took the longer route. Queuing at the airport at the wrong time and wasting more than an hour in the queue. All the stupid newbie mistakes I made would probably be enough to fill a book.

The 2nd month I did a little better as I slowly learned from my mistakes. I brought home 2k. The 3rd month was better at 2.2k.

 

I was starting to get the hang of it, and although I kept sending out resumes when I was not driving, no one replied.

6 months into the life of a cabbie, I was averaging 2.7-3k a month in profit. It was not much but more than enough for me to get by for now.

My life became a dull routine of work, visit my daughter, back home to my retired parents and it all started again the next morning.

A routine.

I kid you not, even the people I met while driving a cab were more or less the same.

I categorise them into 2 groups. People who like the government and people who hate the government. Period.

It’s funny, really. Sometimes customers would get in my cab and start cursing at the government over everything and anything.

I would just smile and nod my head.

Sometimes they would get in and once the conversation got going, they would automatically assume that as a cab driver, I hate the government. Isn’t this the case, all cab drivers like to curse at the government?

Some would praise Singapore to the skies. Some would drag her down to the mud and spit on her.

All manner of weird, crazy and just plain scary customers, drive around long enough, I guarantee you, you would meet them all.

I would entertain them with a smile and nods of my head. I’m not keen on striking up conversation when I drive, it’s a personal thing. As long as they are happy, I’m satisfied.

If I were to put it bluntly, I don’t really care any more. I’m numb to the politics of the country and I’m sure many are as well. We’re common folk, simple common folk. Most of us are just trying to make a living. You can say I’m jaded, but put yourself in my shoes.

At my age, in my situation, would you not feel the same?

Sometimes I would lie in my bed at night thinking if this was how I would live out the rest of my life. A quiet nobody in a country that is moving so fast. That I would just fade quietly into the hustle of the growing city.

24th December 2016

Saturday

Christmas Eve.

My 37th birthday. No cake, no celebration, but my mum was nice enough to cook me a bowl of noodles and hard-boiled egg for breakfast.

A WhatsApp voice message from my 2 year old daughter wishing me happy birthday was the best present I could ask for. I played it at least 30 times before starting my shift that day.

I made a silent wish that day. That my life would get better soon. That I would get a stable job and move on.

I was hoping to make a few extra bucks that day since it was the weekend and it was the festive season. Had a good start initially, picked someone from my parents place at Pasir Ris to Jurong East. Immediately after that saw a family with luggage and it was off to the airport from the west.

I was smiling during the drive. Perhaps it’s my birthday, a pleasant day was all I asked for. From the airport, I got a couple heading home to Bukit Timah. They gave me a tip of $8 after I helped them with their bags. I could not believe my luck. Right at the entrance of their condo, I picked up a kid who wanted to go to Sengkang.

Can you fucking believe this?

I could hardly wipe the smile off my face as I started up the meter and pulled off into the road. Barely one junction later, the smile disappeared.

Fuck.

That kid, his eyes looked like they were about to close. He was probably in his early twenties, and the stench of his alcohol breath filled the whole cab.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I would see from the way he breathed heavily as he tried to suppress his guts.

Jim: Hey hey hey…. There’s a plastic bag behind… don’t puke in my car ah!!

Kid: ok… ok… don’t worry brother… don’t worry…..blerghhh.. berlgeehhh

Jim: HEY!!! HEY!!!

Kid: BERGGGGHEHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

The stench of his lunch filled the car as I pulled out of the expressway into Sengkang. I wound down the window and shook my head.

Great.

 

Shaking my head with my right hand dangling out of the window, I wanted to point a middle finger to whoever is up there fucking with me.

I pulled up to the address the kid wanted to go. He apologised, paid me $10 more on top of the fare saying that was all he had and that he was sorry.

Kid: Sorry brother… sorry….Merry Christmas….

I looked at the mess behind, the floor mat was totally flooded with his vomit.

Some birthday this is turning out to be. Who the fuck gets drunk at 3 pm on Christmas Eve?

I pulled into a car wash bay at the car park and opened up all the doors. As I waited for the water to fill from the wash bay tap, something caught my attention. It was a convoy of cars. No, not a wedding convoy.

2 black SUVS in front, followed by a Mercedes, sweet looking S class and another black SUV at the back. They came into the estate and slowed down as they made a left turn into the car park where I was.

The cars passed me one after another inside the car park. Their windows were tinted, and I was pretty sure it was more than what the authorities allow. The first 3 vehicle went past and up the ramp to find a parking lot.

The last one however slowed down when it passed by my cab.

It slowed to a crawl as I stared at the vehicle. Then it stopped about 7 meters away.

I saw the reverse light come on and my heart skipped a beat. Looking around, I was the only one in the car park, so why were they reversing? There was an empty washing bay beside my cab, perhaps this driver wanted to wash his car as well?

It continued moving back more and more until it stopped directly in front of my cab.

The water stopped flowing at the same time as the driver’s door opened. I dropped the sponge I was holding as my eyes met those of a familiar figure standing right in front of me.

I could not believe it. Without wasting a second, I ran forward and embraced the man in front of me. Rizwan was my School of Infantry specialist (Sispec) buddy back in the army when we did our National Service.

Jim: What the fuck man Rizwan!!! How are you!!

Rizwan: JIM!...!!

I’d lost touch with a lot of my army mates after losing my phone, and I’m not a social media guy so I didn’t have any means of getting in touch via those platforms as well.

Jim: How are you man?

Rizwan: I’m ok… I’m ok. Where have you been Jim? We’ve been looking for you.

Before I could answer him, another figure got out of the car.

Eric: JIM!!! FUCK MAN!!!

Jim: What the fuck. Eric!! Still rushing and nervous?

Eric: Fuck you man. I’m not nervous any more ok.

We hugged and shook hands.

The euphoria of running into 2 long lost friends barely settled in when Rizwan pulled out a walkie talkie from the back of his belt. Speaking into the talkie, Rizwan was smiling and grinning.

Rizwan: Boss you won’t believe who is here? We found that fucker finally.

Jim: Who is that? who are you talking to?

That was a pause from the walkie talkie before I heard the familiar grunt of a warrant officer that left a particular strong impression in me.

Warrant officer Soh.

This must be a dream.

What was happening?

Jim: What is going on? What is happening? How did you guys get together?

Eric: Jim… we have a lot to catch up and talk about.

Another 10 minutes passed without me even realising and I heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching from a distance away.

The hair at the back of my neck stood on end as I broke out into laughter. I couldn’t fucking believe this.

With his large bear-like body, Warrant Officer Soh strutted towards me with his signature swagger.

Right behind him, Tommy, Mohan, Derrick, Nelson.

This was my entire Sispec section right there. In front of my fucking eyes.

These were men that I would not think twice about going to war with.

It was an emotional moment for me as my hand went to my mouth and I choked back a tear.

Soh: JIM!!! What the fuck. Are you hiding from loan sharks eh!!

Jim: Sir, how are you?

Soh: I’m retired, just call me Soh.

I shook hands with the guys, hugs were embraced as memories of the times we were together when we were barely twenty years old came flooding back into my head. Warrant Soh back then was our Platoon commander and he took a particular interest in our group. He loved us as if we were his kids.

Soh: We need to catch up, all of us. What happened to you Jim?

Everyone’s eyes darted to my cab before looking back at me.

There was a moment of silence before I broke it.

Jim: Well, a combination of bad luck and a bad decision and this is where I am. How about you guys? You all working together now?

Everyone nodded and Mohan said they all wored for Warrant Soh now.

Jim: Wow!

Soh came over and took my shoulder.

Soh: Join us Jim, join us.

Jim: Of course!!! of course but… but what is it you guys do again?

Rizwan: We are about to open your eyes to a whole new world Jim. A whole new world.

Everyone laughed and Soh demanded that we have a meal together followed by drinks that day.

Soh: Your birthday right JIM!!! I remember I gave you extra duties on your birthday.

Jim: Yes for losing the blank attachment.

Soh: Fuck man that was so long ago.

I could see the genuine happiness in Soh’s eyes as he stepped back and looked at us all.

He said we were his best trainees. The best batch he ever had.

Soh: Finally, I have all my boys back together again.

Eric: That sounds fucking gay boss.

Soh: Fuck you man.

Everyone laughed as I took in how much Warrant Soh had aged. He had to be in his mid fifties at least.

Soh was about to get everyone to load up into the vehicles and head out for a meal when he saw the pail of water and the sponge.

His eyes drew the attention of the rest of the group and they all looked at the cab.

Rizwan was the first to see the vomit and he smiled before unbuttoning his cuffs. The others followed suit and started to roll up their sleeves.

Jim: Hey hey hey… stop stop… don’t need. You all go on ahead. I’ll meet you all at the eating place after cleaning up. Hey stop… don’t need!

Eric gave me a nudge on my arm with a ‘Tsk’

Eric: What are brothers for?

I sighed in resignation as Soh lit up a cigarette and barked at the group of almost middle aged men crowding around the dirty cab.

Soh: Hurry up. Waiting for Christmas are you?

Everyone laughed as they started to help me clean up the cab.

Looking back up into the skies once more, I shook my head and smiled.

Seems like someone heard my birthday wish after all.

Chapter 2

 

Soh lit up a cigarette and went to his phone while the rest of my friends started to help with the clean up.

I kept telling them it was fine but they would not have it. They insisted on helping.

In the midst of rinsing off floor mats, wringing clothes, spraying air freshener and wiping off puke, the group updated me about their lives after we lost contact.

Eric brought over a pail of water and he started first.

He told me he was divorced and his daughter was already 5 years old.

Eric: My ex-wife, fuck.. she… went back to her own country already.

Jim: Huh? She didn’t want the child?

Eric was not shy to admit that they married without thinking it through. They met at a Karaoke lounge and she was from Vietnam.

Eric: We had Claire, but when she got her Permanent Residence status she became difficult already.

He told me she literally walked away without even looking back before Claire turned one.

Jim: That’s fucked up bro.

Eric laughed in a bitter manner but said perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

Eric: I’m very close with my daughter. She’s the world to me. It was tough initially juggling work and an infant. I was barely making ends meet until I met Soh and the rest is history.

As I digested Eric’s summary of his post army life, Tommy passed me a mat he had already rinsed out.

Tommy: What about you Jim? How are you doing?

The group waited for my reply and I basically spent 5 mins telling them a condensed version of what happened.

Jim: Well, I fucked up. There’s no other way to put it and this is just me paying for my mistake.

I sighed and said I was prepared to make up in whatever way I could if I had the chance.

Tommy asked me to cheer up.

Tommy: Relax man. Things will be fine eventually.

Tommy was still single, we knew he was sort of a player back in the younger days. With his boyish good looks, Tommy was always popular with the girls.
His parents were separated too and now live separately in Hong Kong and Malaysia. All that remained in Singapore were Tommy and his grandmother who was in a nursing home.

Tommy: She has dementia and sometimes she doesn’t recognise me.

I nodded as Tommy handed me another wet floor mat he rinsed.

Tommy: Well, this is life man. We all grow old.

 

Soh: Hurry up, hurry up. Don’t take your own sweet time.

Rizwan: Heh Soh you still talk the same way as if you’re still in the army like.

Everyone laughed as Soh gave Rizwan the middle finger.

We wrapped up the cleaning and we all went to a nearby coffee shop to grab a drink.

Over several rounds of coffee and tea, I was quickly brought up to date with what my friends were doing for Soh.

Soh operated an events company but things were not as simple as they seemed. His clientele is in a class of their own. The super rich, high nett worth individuals.

The events which they organise are not something you can just ring up any company and ask for a quote.

They’re exclusive, special, customised and needless to say, expensive.

Jim: Can you give me an example? Something to anchor to. If not, you guys look like you are going around in circles.

Eric: We offer a wide range of services from say personal protection, party planning, baby sitting. Things like that. It can be as simple as escorting some VIP wannabe from the airport to the hotel or just standing next to some businessmen that wants to impress his clients.

Jim: Oh…ok.

Eric: Baby sitting wise, we don’t mean looking after a kid. Think something along the line of say some rich guy is going overseas and wants us to keep an eye on his wife and shit.

Jim: Oh…. Ok.

Rizwan continued after that.

Rizwan: Then there are the parties. Parties that happen in a hush hush place with activities that are not encouraged.

Jim: Don’t tell me it’s some fucking mass orgy.

Rizwan: No no… it’s not. It’s hard to explain now but you will see once you come onboard.

 

I could tell the guys were enjoying their work with Soh and they were definitely looking forward to having me on board as well.

Jim: I would love to join you guys man. I mean it seems you all are doing pretty well but I can’t just stop driving like this. I have got to give my cab hirer some time to find a relief driver.

Soh: Don’t worry. Come over to the office tomorrow. We’ll get you all sorted out. I have a need for your cab anyway for a couple of events.

 

Jim: Really?

Soh: Don’t worry Jim, I’m here.

Soh chuckled in a low bear-like growl as he sipped his coffee.

I nodded my head and said I would be at his office on Christmas Day.

Soh: Good. We need all the help we can get for the next job.

Eric: That Australian rich kid eh?

Soh: Yes that one. Fucking crazy son of a bitch.

We parted ways about 7 pm and I continued driving, picking up an endless stream of people on their way to parties and gatherings. I ended my shift at 1 am that day.

25th December 2016

 

Christmas Day

2 pm

I got to the address Eric texted me the day before. It wasn’t exactly an office.

I double checked the address given along Senoko road. The gate was open and I could see the SUVs parked inside the compound. I parked beside the vehicles and walked towards the dingy looking building.

It was a low 2 story structure that had seen better days. The paint was peeling from the outside and there were a lot of stains from the algae on the walls.

The ground was uneven, with large potholes, and a little bit of water in muddy puddles. Entering the structure, I came into this large warehouse.

It looked like a hanger where you do maintenance for large vehicles, except there were no vehicles in there. Instead there were several large shipping containers that had been repurposed into an office of sorts.

3 containers were aligned side by side with windows and doors cut into their shell. It looked pretty cosy from the outside. The working areas were not restricted to just within the containers. Right outside the office were chairs, benches, movable whiteboards, large tables, crates, boxes, even a row of lockers.

I could almost imagine this to be the scene where some Hollywood war movie is being set up. Like after landing in some secret airbase and this is where you work your shit.

The door to the office opened and Eric waved me in. The cool air of the office was a stark contrast to the humid exterior of the warehouse. It was simply furnished, cubicles for each and every one and a private room for Soh.

Eric: Come come, Mohan is waiting for you. Soh is on his way over.

I went over to Mohan, also known as the man of few words.

Mohan isn’t someone to make small talk and when he speaks, he gets straight to the point. He’s 1.9 m tall and at 80 kg, his muscles are ripped and well defined. He was always the fastest runner back in our younger days.

Being the only Singaporean Indian in our group, he was also the target of our many teases and jokes. He took them in his stride, calling us ‘Chinks’ the same way we called him ‘ah neh’ which is an expression often used to get the attention of Indian shopkeepers in Singapore.

Mohan: Jim come on. Come and sign all these papers.

Soh had put Mohan in charge of HR matters and money, and Mohan asked me to look for him for matters regarding pay and stuff. He was also the one hounding clients for payment. He was perfect for that role really.

With his dark skin, chiselled face and fucking huge eyes, the scariest expression you could get from Mohan was when he had no expression. You would think he was about to fucking bite your face off.

That was the vibe he gave off. But despite his looks, Mohan had a heart of gold. He was orphaned by the age of 3 and brought up by foster parents.

Mohan: Anything to do with money, look for me ok. Claims, allowance, pay or whatever. Bank account details, all me.

Jim: Ok, can I ask why Soh put you in charge?