Spent the day sleeping.
The long weekend's been pretty crappy for me because of work and the vampire hours. So when the whole world is out and about having fun, I am stuck in my big 'coffin' of a bed during the daylight hours, snoozing away.
And K's away in Hanoi on holiday wif a girlfriend.
Well I dragged my sleepy arse to the coffeeshop for some grub at 9pm just now. Couldn't find a table to myself cos its Mudders' Day and the place was absolutely bustling wif families and their Smiling Mummies, still in the final throes of makan-merry-making.
As I stood there, arms akimbo, looking abit lost and bewildered, I spied a weather-beaten old man, sitting cross-legged and perched on top of a stool, his table tucked in a corner, away from all the joyful banter and wailing children. After asking politely in Mandarin if I could join him, I plonked myself down. Old Joe had just finished a bowl of Duck Congee and was sipping his black coffee.
He looked contented.
I concluded that he was about 70, with the sun-soaked mien of a sailor. As he brought the cup to his lips, I could see he had stocky, calloused fingers and yellow, nicotine-stained fingernails. Old Joe also had a rasping cough, much like mine lately, and he turned around frequently to let fly a greenish gob of spittum onto the floor behind our table.
"You're not going to order young man?" he croaked in Hokkien. "I'll save the seat for you dun worry".
I thanked him and ordered a plate of Beef HorFun. And as I returned to the table with a glass of iced black coffee, he sniggered jokingly.
"Why you youngster like to put ice in kopi ah? Learn from angmo ah? Spoil taste not nice", he admonished in broken English.
"But its not bad, you should try it uncle", I stuttered back, still surprised at his sudden switch to the
Lingua Franca.
"Your girlfriend where?", he asked.
"Erm, my wife is on holiday", I replied.
He looked amused.
"Mine also. But she never come back", and then he let off a huge vulgar guffaw.
I chuckled outwardly. But inside, I thought he was a little eccentric.
I ventured a 'Why?"
"Because I have Indon girlfriend when I am 60", he confessed. "actually girlfriends", emphasising the 'S' like a leathery snake high on caffeine.
"Uh huh", I smiled. "Now leh?"
"No more liao, I old man liao", he laughed
"Still can lah uncle, you look strong what", I joked.
"Look lah but I got lung cancer", he said nonchalantly.
I instinctively stubbed out the ciggerette I was smoking in the dirty condensed milk-tin ashtray on the table. Just great.
"Sorry to hear that uncle", I muttered while absent-mindedly blowing my last puff of smoke into his face.
"Nevermind. Anyway young man, husband and wife is like strong kopi hor, you put ice not nice liao, buay gao (not thick) liao. The ice is like girlfriend you know or not?" he said rather solemnly but smiling nonetheless.
"I think so" I replied.
Old Joe then stood up, took one last sip, and hobbled off.
My Hor Fun came soon after. And I ordered a 100Plus before finishing the beverage I had gotten earlier.