1 more Step Towards Truth
No sight of you today… can’t help but keep thinking whether you are going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kenny, how you 2 are going to celebrate, what gift you have gotten for each other, whether you are happy…
Well, as long as he gave you something, it would easily be better than my cheap flower sitting at the bus stop…
Ah, I have to stop thinking about you, or my tears will flow down in front of everyone again…
*****
Ah Guan has messaged me today, and asked me for Ah Ji’s unit no. When I asked him what happened, he told me that ah Ji has called him names in front of his friends last night at the KTV, so he is fuming and wants to go up to his place to look for him after ah ji didn’t reply to his messages at all
Shortly after that he came to WG. While complaining about ah ji, he started asking me about what exactly happened between me and ah ji last Saturday.
So we sat down and I’ve explained to him in detail how has ah ji lied to me, how much I have transferred to him, and how he has used the money etc. The more I say, the more anger I can see on his face.
“This asshole is really asking for a beating. Owe so many people money still can go ktv enjoy and call me names in front of my own friends” Ah guan said.
But as I have orders to send, I left 1st and let Allan and yifa help me continue the story.
*****
But when nearing the end of my shift, suddenly mingyi messaged me that William wants to meet me at Bukit batok 155. William is the owner of the handphone shop which ah ji has lied to him about using mingyi’s handphone to pawn for $500. Ah Guan must have told him the story I shared with him earlier about how much money Ah Ji has scammed from us and part of it went to William as both of them are close friends.
So, right after shift, Mingyi brought me over to Bukit batok 155, the mookata coffeeshop where we celebrated mingyi’s birthday last year. The coffeeshop where I was so sad when Jayden and LinLin doesn’t want to sit beside me…
It was just a causal dinner with William and ah guan. I still couldn’t eat much, so I was just sitting there most of the time watching them eat. While talking about what happened between me and ah ji, both William and ah guan shared a lot of stories about ah ji, for example, how he has scammed his past friends to take up legal loan, took the money and ran, leaving his past friends to clear their own debts, how ah ji kept lying to his own father in order to cheat money from him to clear his debts etc. yifa, mingyi and me was so shocked to hear that we are not the 1st one, and I’m certainly not the one whom ah ji has cheated the most amount of money from.
The only reason why William is still in contact with ah ji, is simply because he owes him money that’s it. As for ah guan, he simply know his father and grandmother since young cause they were neighbors. They know he is a liar and has never trusted him for years till now…
Then I shared with them that I was hoping that they know the 20 year old friend Vincent whom has been helping you to link up with mookata since last September, the couple whom we met last year under ah Ji’s block and passed your 1st 3 months of salary and CPF to. The one whom ah ji claimed to have lost money during last Dec World Cup and stolen your 2 months salary and CPF
But, they do not know Vincent at all. They only heard of him from ah ji, but they have never gotten to talk to him before. Ah ji has been keeping Vincent close to himself for fear of his lies being exposed…
Feeling disappointed, I showed Ah Guan ah Ji’s transaction records where it shows money being transferred to a lady called ‘Sharon’. 14th Jan $1406 (from the 1st legal loan I took), 30th Jan $3040 (from the 3rd legal loan) and 6th Feb (which you transferred to Ah ji). Because this Vincent and Sharon are the ones whom has been sending money to mookata for your salary and CPF, I wanted to talk to them to understand exactly what happened to your money, whether did they really lost it during World Cup like what ah ji claimed and how much salary and CPF has mookata sent to you.
Not that I didn’t trust what you have told Allan that everything is settled, but I just couldn’t stop worrying. Cause your house is the key to securing a future for you and the children… I have to do whatever I can to help u get it
But when ah guan saw the name ‘Sharon’, he looked a bit surprised and then told me, that he knows someone who have links to mookata. He told me that he will check it out, and see whether he can find these 2 people who helped you with your mookata salaries.
We all left the place around 12am. And I became much more hopeful after ah guan’s words. Cause I have tried to find this Vincent for the past 2 weeks but failed, as no one else near ah ji have close contact with this vincent, and even mingyi only seen him once over some drinks. I went back to the coffeeshop near my home to wait for orders, while praying ah guan is really able to find this vincent or Sharon.
*****
About half hour later, ah guan gave me a call. He told me that he has found Sharon! Sharon is all along a close friend of William and Ah guan, and she has been working in William’s handphone shop. I can’t believe the person I’ve been looking for is right under our nose. No wonder Ah ji has not introduced this group of Bukit batok people to us. All along he has been trying to hold control and continue being the middleman between us and them.
Ah Guan has already explained briefly to Sharon how Ah Ji claimed that they have stolen your money and arranged for a meeting tomorrow between me, Sharon and his boyfriend.
Yes! Now I am able to find out what exactly happened to our money, and what exactly was the status of your salaries and CPF. Especially if you really still need your 6th month like what ah ji claimed as the reason for your last transfer of 1406 to him on 6th Feb
Suddenly, unbearable feelings of jealousy and emptiness just overwhelmed me again… it is still Valentine’s Day night, and images of you in Kenny’s arms wearing the lingerie I bought for you came into my mind again…
Although painful and sour… at least you are not alone on Valentine’s Day… Happy Valentine’s Day, Em Yeu…