The Greener Side of the Fence

That Friday night was busy at the restaurant and the drive home got me thinking about a nice cold beer, some really loud music and then some more cold beers. It was a cool night with not a cloud in sight and the stars filled the skies of Kuala Lumpur like diamonds on black velvet. A light breeze brought a refreshing burst of coolness to the night. The kitchen was frantic and hot, organized chaos. So the quiet drive with the windows down was a calming change.

I threw my cigarette out the window just as I approached the entrance to the condominium block I was living in. The barricade lifted and the Gurkha guards, two of them, waved slightly acknowledging me as a resident to let me pass. I waved back, quickly parked and made my way to my eighth floor unit. As I undressed to shower I noticed the time, 11.45pm. The shower was very refreshing and I felt like I could go on partying all night. I dressed simply in a pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers then made my way out the door.

Life in Kuala Lumpur I found to be vastly different from Australia. The last year or so since moving back from the country that brought to the world kangaroos, koalas and Steve Irwin, I found myself feeling restless from lack of activities, outdoor activities in particular, and companionship. It was my mistake to think that moving back to the city I grew up in would be better since I had left behind a bunch of good friends and heaps of relatives to pursue what I thought to be a better life; but like they say, the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. It never is.
And how true it is, I thought to myself. All my friends had either moved away, married, busy with work or all of the above. I found myself working a lot more, sleeping a lot less and partying way more than I should. Tonight was no different. Driving to Club 9, a pub I frequented most weekends, I reflected on what I came back to this bustling city to do. Drifting away following my train of thoughts, with the wind in my face and Trouble by Coldplay blasting from the in-car cd player, I realized it was too deep to think about what the future held for me in this city that is slowly eating me up inside. I hated the life here! The only good thing was Club 9! It was the only spot where everyone accepted me for who I was. It was a place for me to shoot some pool. It is the only time I don’t think of anything else. It’s almost therapeutic.

I found a parking spot vacant in front of the establishment. This must be my lucky day, I thought to myself. I didn’t realize how true that was at the time. It was twenty to one in the morning when I walked in and the place was just starting rock. Dire straits belting out Sultans of Swing at full blast, the barmen were busy enough not to notice me walk in and the pool table, situated at the end of the pub had a line of coins on it already. I made my way there, acknowledging the regulars along the way. As I approached the pool table, Lina was the first to greet me. She was the only female pool player in the group. We exchanged pleasantries then she pulled me to one side before I had the chance to say hi to Kala, the other regular. He was in the middle of a game and it was his shot anyway. I’ll have to wait for later to say hi.

“I want you to meet someone”, she said to me.

“An old friend and she’s good at pool too. She might even kick your arse.”

“Is that right?! Well then I have to meet her”, I replied with a smile.

“You bringing reinforcements or you just wanna see a chick kick my arse”, I asked cheekily.

“A bit of both, you cheeky prick”, she replied quickly as Lina dragged me by the hand to this girl standing by the corner with a cue in her hand. I hadn’t realized that she was Kala’s opponent. She was kicking Kala’s arse. I was impressed.
“Matt, this is Brenda”, Lina said as she pulled the girl towards us. She smiled and stuck her hand out.

“Hi, nice to meet you”, I said smiling at her as I shook her hand.

Brenda smiled back and she had the most addictive and attractive smile I had seen in a while. This is potentially a catch, was the first thing that crossed my mind. I am a cheeky prick!

Brenda walked away at that point to cue for the black in the corner pocket. Kala buried his face in his hands and I laughed. Kala was just not in form tonight and he admitted it, blaming the lack of alcohol content in his bloodstream. Brenda then looked at me, smiled cheekily and nodded to the table. She wanted a game with me. I smiled and nodded back. I racked up, motioned for her to break then went to choose my cue.

As I strolled back to the table, I leaned over to her as she was cueing to break and whispered, “Be kind.”

She looked up and all she said to me was, “Fuck off!” Then she smiled and broke to start the rack.

At that moment I knew that this woman was the kind I could get along with. She plays pool, she drinks quite a bit and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. I loved her smile and she had a very good sense of humour. I kicked her arse playing that rack, looked at Lina and shrugged my shoulders. Brenda gave me an evil look. I would have been splattered all over the wall behind me and my body sprawled on the floor if looks could kill. I went on to rule the table that night although Brenda and I got to know each other better between cues, sneaking small talk and cheeky one-liners. There was an instant connection between us. After my reign ended at the table we chatted and drank all night. I know, we were flirting all night.

I never realized how lucky I was that night. Never once did I think that the city that choked me and suffocated my sense of being human could flower a rose among thorns. I went home that night alone but still I was happy that I had met someone I could potentially call a companion in this hell hole I was currently struggling to wake up to every morning. I went to bed with a new look on life, a new resolution and a new reason to wake up in the morning. I was drifting into a deep slumber remembering the conversations, her laugh and her smile. Her voice echoed in my head as I finally rested my body for the day.

“Hey baby, what are you thinking about?” the voice asked me asked it startled me out of my dream. It was a familiar one to say the least.

“You babe”, I replied and smiled at her. She smiled back as she got up to pick her handbag up; that same addictive smile that gets me feeling warm inside.

“You always know how to say the right things, you cheeky prick!” she said teasingly.

“And you always know how to accept a compliment graciously”, I shot back sarcastically.

“Fuck off!” she said.

“Be kind” was my answer.

Sometimes remembering how we met still gives me goose bumps and it can still make me day dream. It’s true what they say. The grass can sometimes be greener on the other side of the fence. Kuala Lumpur is not such a bad place after all. Those thoughts linger as we get into the car for a night on the town and maybe a rack or two.