In the middle of a relatively quiet highway lies a small humble durian store with a couple of wooden chairs and tables that, with one glance, one can interpret that it’s old and barely stable. There was nothing nearby except mother nature, which meant no competition.
2022 OCTOBER 11TH [6.07 PM]
Ali parked his deteriorating rented Proton Saga nearby the durian store and sat down to prepare for his favorite food as it’s been a long time now. He was practically drooling when his Musang King was finally served.
His brain was feeding him dopamine from the anticipation of the heavenly taste of the Musang King. He begins eating it and compliments them on how delicious it is to Pali, the durian seller there. Ali was a 45-year-old chubby little man and gave the first impression of a baby being born elderly that grew into the body of a 16-year-old teenager.
Abruptly, a young muscular bald lad, having a face resembling a lost sheep and, ironically, a lost sheep’s tattoo on his biceps and wearing casual clothing, called out to Ali like a foreigner finding his kin in an exotic area.
”Woah, holy! You also like Musang King too?”
“...”
A bit took aback, Ali froze in time, then politely replied with an awkward smile.
“...Ye, my boy, It’s been quite some time since I ate my favorite.”
The lad, Jin, grinned after that confirmation, sat down with Ali without his permission, and began ordering a Musang King for himself too.
“It’s been quite some time since I ate my favorite too! Uncle…?”
“Ah! Ye, I am Ali, you?”
“I am Jin, nice to meet you!”
Jin offers his hand, and Ali shakes it firmly.
“I am from Melaka, what ab-”
“Oh ye? I am also from there.”
“Woah, what a coincidence that is!” Jin exhibited an expression that rivaled the likes of a devotee meeting its deity.
Jin thanked Pali, began eating his Musang King, and suddenly had a shift of mood from bliss to affliction.
“...Ma boy, are you okay?”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“...”
“…Ma boy?”
With a durian in his hand, Jin’s eyes started getting red and watery then he sighed exasperatedly.
“Actually Ali.. I-I mumble mumble.”
“Sorry?”
*Sigh*
“I-I… My girlfriend c-cheated on me….” Jin choked the words out.
Ali was taken aback and was cornered to fake console Jin.
“Ah… I see… Must have been hard eh?”
“...”
“...”
Ali felt uncomfortable with Jin’s awkward silence and blank stare on his durian. This kid needs to forget about his troubles… Ahh… What can I do to let him forget about it? Ah! Gambling! …Sigh, fucking Babi… Mm… What about Alcohol?? But there isn’t any here…
“W-What about drinking alcohol at a bar nearby here? Surely it can make you forget!” Ali suddenly shouts to break the silence.
Jin shifted his eyes from the durian to Ali’s eyes and started contemplating in silence. After a moment of awkward silence, Pali cut in and started wheezing with a shine in his eyes.
“...Sorry Jin, the nearest bar from here is 20 km away, however! I can offer an alternative. I have here coincidentally *wheezes* some Vodka bottles for you to achieve the pinnacle of pleasure and forget your troubles at the same time!”
Pali suggests confidently, darting his eyes around but standing his ground patiently.
Jin displayed a doubtful look, but the opportunity was too good to dismiss, so he asked Pali to bring the drinks that was on full display. Pali flinched but immediately went to his store and took the three bottles of Vodka that were on display already, 1 was blue color while the others were red. He placed it as carefully as he could to Jin’s table and started rubbing his hand.
Ali noticed the 3 bottles were arrayed in a reversed-triangle position and 2 bottles at close quarters was nearby Jin, the one nearer to Pali was a red Smirnoff Vodka bottle. All of them had loose caps.
Jin drooling from anticipating the taste, stared at the blue color bottle that was nearest to him with a whimsical look and pointed at its price tag ‘RM280.20’ and took out cash to give to Pali. He rubbed his hands more vigorously and started to flash his yellowish teeth disgustingly. Subsequently settled the glass cups, snatched the cash with the bottles and then shuffled away in a flash while leaving with an expression of anticipation and anguish.
Jin twisted the cap and started to pour himself a cup while Ali was gulping while staring at the bottle with a wistful look.
He began drinking and eating Musang King simultaneously and kept flashing looks of ecstasy as if he was climaxing. Concurrently, Pali was also imitating Jin and flashing looks of extreme confusion mixed with intense pleasure.
“You want one?” Jin offered after noticing his expression.
“H-har? Oh… No thank you…” Ali murmured wavingly.
Jin started patting Ali’s back and smiled warmly.
“Your mouth may say that but your body is contradicting itself, hahaha!”
“I-is it eh? Ma boy, I think it’s a bit too… Risky to do that…”. Ali replied weakly as if trying to convince himself.
“You're convincing no one man, look at Pali.” Jin points his finger behind him.
Ali glanced towards Pali and as if a psychic, he turned at the same time and beamed like he was in a dream.
“Don’t worry *wheezes* Ali! I been doing this fo them past 5 days, there is no *hiccup* risk except for maybe diarrhea, hahahaha!”
“I-is that so? I…-”
Jin made the decisive move by gifting him the last bottle of Vodka with the price tag of ‘RM201’ and Pali clasped his hand together and did not even try to hide his greediness. He immediately passes the bottle to Jin.
Jin smirks at Ali’s shocked face and pours Ali a drink himself. He lifts his own cup up and starts announcing.
“Today *coughs* is a sad day, but it does not have to be… Let us embrace the pleasure till we become brain-dead!”
Pali aggressively raised his cup and flashed a dreamy smile. Ali, afraid to be left out, without 2nd thoughts, raised his cup too and chugs it together with everyone.
“...”
“...”
“...”
In synergy, everyone laughed like they were best friends and everyone began wolfing down the drinks & durian and complaining about their horrible lives. It was the birth of new besties…
35 minutes later, Pali and Ali simultaneously went limp from intoxication. Jin nonchalantly called out to both of them, teasing them about their weak alcohol intolerance.
“...”
“...”
When he was met with silence, Jin started to panic a little bit and called out both of them even louder.
“...”
“...”
“Fuck… Are these guys in a coma or what…”
Jin shot to his car, eyes urgently flickering around his car mechanic equipment and scrambled for his black nitrile gloves and shot back to check both of their pulse from their neck and hand. No pulse…
Jin removed his gloves carefully and put his finger near their noses while counting mentally for 1 minute and no breathing was detected. Oh no… I think they are already dead…
He shot to the store to take something, called somebody, raced into his car and jump-started the engines.