Chapter 5 -the fine line between being stupid and crazy

Saturday, it is morning. Yesterday was another boring day although making new friends to hang around in the podium during lunch. Amin is actually have a talent in musical instrument. Maybe that is the reason Mariam is drawn to him. Hana is looking after Sam, Mom ask me to clear some trash in the storage room.

Tonight is the orientation day in school, I wonder what that will be. While cleaning the storage room, I see a box written by Mom ‘old pictures’ I wonder what that will be. Ugh…that pics when mom was young. Until marriage, never realise that mom and dad was that long. I wonder what happen? But the funny thing is this picture of late grandma and granddad from Long Pasia. I was kid at that time, I see myself with my cousin, that is Clark, Jerome, Salva, Miranda, and another girl that’s not my cousin, who is this girl? Another picture that we are close to the point of holding hand. It is quite nostalgic feelings but I remember something deep within myself.

“Come on Alex!!”

“I don’t have much time left, because father told I had a sickness that could not be cured”

“Frederica…yeah that’s her name…”

Thats the only thing that I remember and she died. Yeah..because the village is deep within the jungles. It's inaccessible. Mom is an anthropologist like Mr Hawk, doing research in her own village for development in the area. I remember that we stayed there for at least 1-2 years. Then I check again, yeah I was born there in Long Pasia. Now I remember, but the only thing that I remember is my dad was not comfortable living there. Slowly I took any rotten stuff and trash behind. Hey I found my old toys, maybe I could give to Sam and Hana to play with. Once I separated the stuff and trash I threw outside of the house. I met Zuan and his friend offer me to join his afternoon activity but because I had an orientation tonight I can’t join. I forgot Zuan ask me which school I have join and I answer to him.

“I went to Borneo College…”

Zuan and his friend look at each other with a scared look in their faces. I wonder why.

“That damn elite school is something that most other schools feared. They really different compared to other school in Sabah”

“Really?”

“Yeah!! Because a lot of student quits during their first years there”

“Hmmm…I wonder….”

“but it is also one of the best school in Asia”

“Don’t really care about that…”

“Why did you not join the All Boys School St Joseph? Is nearby”

“I don’t know, my parents wanted it”

“Yeah every parent wanted to be there but once they found out, they just quit”

“My dad really wanted me to be there because my uncle was once there”

“Thats because each graduate have been enlisted with the government or any political party”

“Don’t even really care, do you how bored I am in that school”

“Yeah American style is totally different compare to Malaysia, I get it because I also studied in Canada before when I was young”

“But that’s elementary…”

“Yeah but I could see it”

“Sorry can’t join though really wanted to with Hana”

“Yeah next time”

They left and I return back home. Dad had left the first thing in the morning saying that he had a meeting with the parliament members. I know that he is just went to the second wife, that asshole. I clean the toys and showed to Hana and Sam, they were excited and played with it.

“Yay!! LEGO and DUPLO”

I played with them until the evening. Me and Hana preparing to wear our orientation attire. Mom sent us there. When I reach at the entrance, Dad and his second wife waited for us. I ask Hana to ignored them, Hana look sad to see Dad.

“Why’s Dad is with another woman?”

I still remember that when he beat mom, in front of Hana when she is only a year old. I tried to distract her. Once reach the entrance the prefect look different as if we are going through some ritual.

“The common class is here”

“This is my sister”

I give him my gangster look at the prefect, he look scared

“Is just that the tag is for the common class”

“Do I look I give a shit…”

Mr Rahman meet me and brought Hana with him

“Don’t worry Alex I’ll look after her, you go to the designated place”

Borneo theatre, a place where is famous for performers in the country. During the common student performance, Mariam is there alongside Amin playing the flamenco while Mariam is doing the dance. Not bad Amin, I saw Hana together with her friends. Steward is with Sylvia. But I was bored, only Mariam and Amin performance give me interest. The others is the common class perform the traditional tribal performance is interesting how this dance perform. I wonder why the elite student haven’t perform. I started to get bored and I left the seat, the prefect ask me to sit, I push him aside and went to the toilet. In the toilet I heard a conversation between Elite student.

“Vulgar performance from that scholar student and that guy playing guitar”

That is flamenco, a Spanish art idiot….

After the event I heard a commotion in the theatre. I slowly watch which I’m surprised why the common seat panicked. I slowly observed, and heard someone and I saw a water ballon. What the hell is this.

“Hurry up, the last event is about to start!”

I approach them and ask them

“Hey hurry up help me”

I punch them and kick the other guy knocking them out. I smell it, its sewer water. What the fuck!! My blood began to boil. I saw Dad and his second wife is sitting above the theatre. Then someone is announcing.

“All of the common class please gather at the centre.”

I observed them, it seems that they are going to hit them with this ballon. Amin and Mariam protecting Hana.

“This ceremony to show the difference between you commoners and elites”. One of them threw the ballon. I saw a rock and I took some of it. One of the ballon tried to aim at my friends. I threw a rock at the guy and hit his head, bleeding to his head. One of the ballon is already at them. I block them. It hit me, it smell like shit.

“Hey what are you doing there?”

I did not said anything because I’m boiling right now, Steward and Sylvia could not bear to see it. My Dad was surprised to see this.

“Hana close your eyes and ears”

“But big Brother…”

“Thats an order”

“Okay”

Hana close her both of eyes and ears.

“Is this what you call, entertainment, fucking boring…”

“Hey!! this is the school traditions”

The guy from the stage is like the leader of the elite group. I give him a middle finger, and showed them something. I open my shirt and showed my body filled with scars. Everyone is surprised.

“This is come from a 9mm bullet when fighting against LA gangs alongside my friend. This scar is a knife wound that I had a fight with boys in LA, this is a stab wound on my neck is with a pen while fighting against kid who think that they are better skin than me. So tell me now, what kind nonsense is this, if you hate them. Why not killed them, why not shoot them? Huh… “

The others went quiet, and one of them stand and said to me.

“This is teach them the difference between us and them”

“Asshole, do know how painful a gun shot is?”

“No…”

“You’ll piss your pants”

“What…”

“This back scar came from someone from my family hitting me with a leather belt….”

“You like doing this, this stupid traditions?”

“No wonder people around the world treated us like barbarians, uncivilised”

“Hey, who do you think you are?”

“I don’t know, how about you?”

“Forget it he is a traitor like them!!”

I threw a rock at the guy that wanted to throw the ballon it hit his shoulder. He shouted in agony. Good thing that learn to pitch in baseball. The look at the parents and the elites had scared look in them. Terrified looking at me. I showed them my latest scar.

“This scar is a knife wound, that tried to kill someone I loved”

“This is a system to teach them reality”

“Then I’m going to show you the real world how its look like when they retaliate…”

I threw a rock at the leaders and Dad. I stand at the stage and threw the leader out of the stage. I took the mic. A loud commotion among the elites shouting at me and I took a breath.

“JUST SHUT UP!!!! AND LISTEN!!!!”

The ringing sound of the speak vibrates through the theatre.

“I’m been observing this school and….” I gave a thumbs down “the worst school ever…the lousiest teacher, no imagination, don’t see kids as future prospect… that what I learn in this school”

The teachers is angry at me, and begin blasting at me

“You are a model student!! How could you do this!!”

“Really? Then how about this?” I showed them and threw the shitty water ballon at them.

“That smell right? That taste like shit”

“You know school had to be paradise for kids you know not hell, it is the only time that all of us enjoy before we face the real world…”

“SO…. ACT LIKE A TEACHER FOR ONCE!!!!” I throw the mic, and walk off down from the stage.

I saw Mr Rahman and he is not surprised and I said to him “transfer me!! Or change me to other school or whatever that you could think off”

I walkout and ask Hana to join me. Mr Rahman said to me “thanks…” huh what the… why does he said thanks to me. The elites and their parents hurried back in their cars and left, Dad and his second wife were terrified to see me. Typical… Mariam and Amin meet me including Sylvia and Steward. I wash my self from the sewer waters that hit me. Mom’s gonna kill me. While bathing in the water outside of the theatre. Someone give thanks to me, a parents from the common class

“I’m sorry that you to stand-up to protect my child” he bowed at me.

“I did nothing, I just felt what I want to say, that’s all”

“No son, no one is brave enough to stand up like that…”

“Its nothing better go home, and enjoy the weekend…”

They bowed at me and left only to see parents after parents thanking me, I getting annoyed but I understand their feelings. My friends waited for me, Mariam said first

“Not even LA street gangster got balls enough to said that”

“That’s because they just shoot at them”

“Yeah, but you got balls I give you that”

Amin look at me not scared but inspired

“Yo, that is cool man, like a hero”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Beside what are you going to do now…”

“If Big brother is not in this school, I’m going to follow him, and take Mom and Sam away”

“No wonder Nat fallen for you…”

Huh!? I look at her in disgust and wanted to tell her that’s bullshit but I could not because my blood is still boiling. Sylvia getting close to me

“Alex…”

“Now you know me, you better get away from me…”

“She suddenly kiss me at the cheeks”

“That is my knight”

“Huh!! What the hell bitch”

Steward said to me and look at my scar

“You look like a soldier experience in battle…”

“Big Brother is a soldier protecting us and Mom”

“You know that act is something could expel you from school” - Mariam

“Better than here, I guess” 

“Yeah, if you quit, I quit I will follow you” - Mariam

“If she quit, I quit as well, there no way I want to stay here” - Amin

“Guys…” we gathered like friends but an awkward friendship or so to say. The commotion have cooled down, Amin dad arrived and introduce himself

“Salam, Im Faruq, Amin’s Dad, so Amin where to?”

“Could I bring Mariam with me because her house is close-by our quarters”

“Yeah…Mariam, just call me dad okay”

“Okay dad”

“Hey dad!! That’s embarrassing”

“Alex you want me to sent you?”

“Nope I will wait with my friend, her dad have not yet picked them up”

“Okay we all wait here, for everyone to leave is already midnight, is dangerous to be alone here”

Amin explain what have happen and his dad reacted unexpected than what I expected because he is a policeman.

“Hahahahahahaha, that’s is man, when are you going to become like him? Amin when it time to protect Mariam huh?”

“Yeah babe, when?”

Amin is stuck in between and I pushed him

“Dude you got something that no other virgins got”

“That because you are not a virgin!!”

Sylvia eyes gaze at me and ask me

“What do you mean not a virgin?”

Marian devilish smile and whispered at Sylvia, her face suddenly turn dark like a yandere character.

“Oh…he did huh…”

“Hey, Mariam, what the hell are you doing?”

“I will book a hotel tonight…”

“What!!? Uncle Faruq are you gonna let this go!!?”

“This is between man and woman and you must face it like a man”

“Some policeman you are!!”

Hana instantly pull Sylvia’s hair

“Don’t you put your filthy hand at Big Brother!! Big sis is already with him!!”

“What a nice story I could share with Nat”

“Don’t you create another misunderstanding!!”

Sylvia’s dad is here and said to me “thanks kid to look after them”

Sylvia’s dad is also with the police but he is involved with commercial crimes. After everyone left Mom arrived, I just hope no one tell her about this commotion. Mom ask me about the orientation, I lied to her and Hana also lied to her in a good way.

Once we arrived, Mr Rahman is waited for us at our home. Dad wasn’t home though maybe could not accept that incident just now. Mr Rahman ask mom for me to meet him privately. After, Mom prepare ‘teh tarik’ for us. Mr Rahman and me is outside of the house.

“This is a nice drink…”

“Proud of it…”

“You really care for them eh? I wonder what Man is thinking…”

“Really…like I care about it”

Mr Rahman is enjoying the drink. It is a foggy night, kinda eerie for a late night drink. Mr Rahman show me something a document, its list of student including their profile.

“What the heck is this?”

“This is a list of student from the former elite class that never wanted to be in school. If you think that bullying between common class but this is also between elites as well.”

“Well? What the hell am I suppose to do?”

“As promise, I will transfer you to the class that you went before but just to inform you that class is the worst of the worst.”

“But I thought that I will be expel?”

“Well, after the event the principal and the chairman decide that not expel you fearing that you will spread news to others parties and the police as well, you already had friends with the police right?”

“So, what?”

“Like I said, the reason I agreed to your father’s request to attend this school is because you are special, in your previous school you have also had some incident like this which is even worst”

He showed me my own profile that is come from my old…school?!! How the hell he had that? Now I’m curious.

“i also had friend in the states. You not the only one”

Now I getting tired of this surprise and so called small world things. Anymore of this, I’m going to bed and sleep for the whole month.

“Unfortunately because of your action, you have been suspended for 1 week from entering the school”

That is good for me though. But I kinda bored for a week. Maybe I should try to look after Sam. If Mom going to work. What else Mr Rahman going to surprise me again?

“But that does not mean you have free time, since your stunts just give an extra work, so I wanted you to be part of it”

“Huh!?” What part of that work does Mr Rahman wanted me?

“You are going to help me find this student that always skip class for me and let them join back to school to your class”

That slinky bastard….that was your plan is it!! Looks like that stunts that I did is within his expectation as well!!? Now what else he wanted to add more to this?

“After 1 week of the your suspension, you will return to your school got it?”

“Fine…”

“Are you agreed or not? Or else go find another school then…”

“I said fine!! Damn old man!!”

He left the documents and he left.

“One thing that I left to wonder, why not stay in the States?”

He suddenly ask this question, a very rhetoric question. This asshole

“Depends on your question though but…maybe there is reason I’m here…”

“Very well I will go with your answer, when you already found it, please answered it properly”

Mr Rahman suddenly mumbled himself “with him maybe this will work…”

He left my home. I went to bed but, I’m smelly now. Mom called me to clean the my shirt, while I drop my uniform, I took out something from my pocket. Its a girls panties!? Who in the hell, lace and black? Kinda erotic. What the hell? Then a note from it

~hey Alex, I heard from Mariam, that you just broke-up with your girlfriend last month. So as cheer-up gift for being my knight here is your reward~

Love Sylvia

This is fresh from her!! What the fuck!? I’m not that perverted….. but suddenly I had a strong chill behind my neck that Natalie is going to kill me… but what do you mean broke-up?!