He and She: Part 3

He waited. And waited. But, nothing. Mother didn't show up.

"She's gone," she said.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"You and I both saw that she just jumped out of that window."

"I know," he agreed. "But she didn't answer my question yet."

"About making you lunch?"

He nodded.

"Maybe, she'll prepare for you in heaven."

She laughed hard. But everyone knew that it was a bad joke.

She cleared her throat and pulled his hand. "Come. We'll find something in the kitchen."

He followed.

Suddenly, they could hear noises came from under their feet.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"It's under our feet," she whispered back.

Both of them lay down and pressed their ears against the floor.

"I think it's an alarm."

"From a clock?" he asked in whisper.

"No, idiot. It's a police alarm. A siren."

"There's a police under here? But, we're on the thirteenth floor."

"They're far under our feet."

"On the twelfth floor? Sure, the stairs going down is quite high. Using the elevator is much more convenient."

"I think, they must be on the ground floor."

He listened harder. He couldn't agree more.

"Wait!" Suddenly, she stopped breathing. Her eyes went rounder.

He caught what she heard. The sound grew louder. And nearer.

"Footsteps!" Both of them screamed simultaneously.

Suddenly, the front door was knocked.

Kongsi Lagi...

He and She: Part 2

"Mother?"

Mother glanced back. "Son! How do you know I'm standing outside here? I've told no one that I climb up this fence and almost jump down to crash myself on the road."

"I heard your sobbing. It's quite loud."

"Is it?" Mother bent down and wiped her tears with her skirt with one hand gripped tightly to the fence.

He nodded. "Are you alright, mother?

"Don't you worry, dear. I'm fine. You should go back to sleep."

"I wasn't sleeping. It's 3 o'clock in the evening."

"Really? Shoot! I should buy myself a watch and use my eyes properly. Why don't you go watching your favourite cartoon on the television? It's good for your brain." Mother tried to push her mucus up from flowing heavily by her fingers now. But, it's flowing freely through her hand.

"Mother, we don't own a tv."

"But, our neighbour, Mr. Gowdy owns one."

"He won't allow me to join him watching tv. I heard he left Mrs. Gowdy for turning off the tv on dinner time one night."

"You won't turn his tv off right, honey?" Mother bent her body again and wiped the mucus with her skirt. He could see the bright yellow skirt became darker slowly.

"Uh-oh," he shook. "Plus, I don't have the remote."

"Mr. Gowdy must've hid it under his flabby armpit."

"How do you know, mother?"

"Well, I don't really know about it. I'm just guessing."

"Are you going to jump, mother?" he asked by watching only half of mother's soles stepped on the edge.

"That was the plan," she said. "But, it's quite high. I wonder why we moved into a house on the thirteenth floor."

He shrugged.

They both silent. Only the wind whispered.

"So, when you are planning to jump?"

"I wasn't planning when I'm going to jump. I only plan to jump."

"I see." He sat down, putting both palms under his chin. "Did you plan when you are going to come back after jumping down? Because I'm hungry."

"I think..." She bent down once more to wipe the flowing tears and mucus with her skirt but failed. Mother fell down from the thirteenth floor balcony, straight to the road with a 'splat' sound.

He turned to the clock on the wall. "I hope she doesn't take too much time to come back."

Kongsi Lagi...

He and She: Part 1

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am your friend," she replied.

He looked down straight to the ground. "I don't have a friend."

"Then, let me be the first!" she exclaimed.

"How do you know that you will be the first?"

"Since you said that you don't have any," she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I know everything about you."

"Everything?" he repeated.

"Everything," she nodded. "Try me."

He made a face. "I don't trust you."

"You just have to trust me."

"Why should I?"

"Because I will be your good friend soon. Very soon."

"How can you be so sure?" he raised one eyebrow.

"I know that you broke your mother's best vase this morning."

He looked shock.

"And you hid under the bed before your mother could find out that you broke her vase."

"I am under my bed," he murmured.

"That's not all," she went closer to him and started to whisper. "I know that you also hid the broken vase in the toilet bowl."

"I flushed it."

"And do you know that your mother will die for that vase?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, to be honest..." she cleared her throat. "... she is trying to kill herself right now."

"By cutting her head off?"

"No, silly!" She tapped his head. "She's standing outside the balcony and trying to gain the courage to jump down."

"No way!"

Kongsi Lagi...