I had a date on New Year's eve with Ling at the Club. She had taken the night off having found someone to replace her, so we sat outside on the patio with our drinks, away from the noise inside. I was surprised that the Club wasn't as packed as I expected it to be. There were one or two tables of old tomcats having some kind of reunion and a few stragglers drinking on their own.
"Thanks, Ning for spending time with me," said Ling. "I'm glad I don't have to work tonight, those old geezers are going to get drunk any minute and start mauling me, yuck!"
I laughed and said, "Have you ever thought of getting a different kind of job like an acrobat or perhaps a lion tamer in a circus?" I teased.
She gave me a playful slap on my cheek and we both burst into laughter. I told her that it was good to see that she had got over that scoundrel JJ and hoped that he would never bother her again.
But I spoke too soon. We heard some movement in the dark and saw a shadowy figure approaching us. Ling gave a gasp when she saw who it was.
"JJ?" she whispered.
It was indeed a very scrawny and disheveled JJ. He was so thin that a few of his bones stuck out. He sidled up to her and said in a voice that trembled, "Ling, may I talk to you? I can understand if you don't want to talk to me. Look, here's some money, it's not much....that's all I could get to return to you ....please take it ...." he stopped there, coughed and brushed a tear from his eyes.
"Shit!" I thought to myself. "That jerk certainly knows how to act!"
Ling hesitated, then took the money and counted it . "It's a hundred short," she muttered.
"Sorry, please forgive me..." He turned and stumbled into the night. I was watching Ling and hoped she wouldn't fall for his play acting. But much to my chagrin, she did.
"Wait!" she said. "Look, can I get you something to eat? You look like you haven't eaten for days."
He stopped, then turned to look at her, a sly smile on his face.
"Thanks, I would much appreciate it."
"Wait here," said Ling and she ran back to the Club.
We stood staring at each other, then he said, "So you're Ling's new boyfriend, eh?"
"Shut up!" I growled. "Look, I'm warning you, you leave Ling alone, you hear?"
He laughed, then his face changed and he snarled, "Don't you dare threaten me! Just mind your own business or you'll be sorry!"
Before I could say anything else, Ling returned with some chips and a glass of beer. He gobbled both down, then purposely in front of me, gave her a kiss. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said.
"JJ," began Ling and I could see that she was sorry for him. "What have you been doing all this time?"
"Oh, this and that. Well, I'll be going. Goodbye, Ling and oh, I hope your boyfriend takes good care of you." And he turned and went off down the road.
"Looks like he's living off the streets now," said Ling, rather sadly, I thought, as she gazed after him.
"Ling, I hope you're not thinking of helping him after all that he did to you," I protested.
She smiled, then said, "Don't worry, Ning. I won't. He needs to learn that he just can't go around swindling people."
We sat outside until after midnight. Fireworks and fire crackers were booming around us and making quite a din as the humans welcomed in the new year. After a while, I decided to go home and bid Ling goodnight.
As I walked along the streets, I bumped into a few merrymakers who were wishing each other "Happy New Year" and some even bent down and patted me.
Then suddenly out of nowhere a couple of cats wearing masks jumped on me, dragged me to a dark alley and started beating me up. I tried to fight back but they were too strong for me. When they had finished, I felt like I had been run over by a steam roller.
Then, I heard a voice above me say "Had enough? Next time you try to be funny with me, my friends will rip you apart and throw you into the sea!". Before I passed out, I thought it sounded like JJ.....
"Ning, are you okay?"
I nodded, my throat dry and parched. She gave me some water, then said, "You know who did this to you?"
When I didn't answer, she said, "It was JJ, wasn't it?"
"Could be...." I whispered.
"Ning, one of our staff going home saw the whole thing. He ran back to the Club to tell me and we called the police. They managed to catch all three of them, JJ included. They're behind bars now. What did you say to him last night that made him so mad?"
I shrugged and said I could not remember.
I then asked, "Where am I?"
"This is my room at the Club," she said.
"W..What?" I gasped.
"We took you back here to get your wounds treated," Ling explained. "The boss said you can stay here temporarily until you recover since you're a regular customer at the Club."
"Oh." My head was so heavy that I could not say anything more and fell asleep.
The next morning, Ling woke me up.
"I've got news for you," she said slowly. "JJ hung himself in prison last night."
Damn. I was hoping I could get my revenge on him when I'm back on my feet. I hope he will be reborn as a worm or cockroach, I can't wait to grind him to bits under my heel....!
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