Chapter Four — Mango
Lucky number 4 — what could go wrong?
The next week was busier than the one before. Val regretted assigning book reports.
“Can we please work in groups of three?” The Tamil girl from the gang of three cried.
Val had anticipated these three putting up a fight. “This is a project for two people, and—”
“But there are nineteen people in this class, and everyone else has a partner — look!”
Val rolled her eyes and peered around her classroom. Sure enough, everybody else had already paired up. The three girls were the only ones left.
“You don’t want to single one of us out — do you? Wouldn’t it be cruel — so cruel, to make one of us do the whole project by ourselves? Wouldn’t it be—”
“Fine! Just make sure you actually focus.”
“Yes!” The three cheered while trading high fives. The girls had worn Val down. That was victory enough.
“Don’t worry, we’ll nail this.” The Tamil girl turned to whisper to her friends. “What’s this again?”
“It’s a book report Wani. Charlotte’s Web.”
“For our book report on Charles Webb! The man, the myth, the hero among the weak!”
Both girls elbowed her to shut up, but by that time Val had already made her way back to her desk— the one covered in scratches. Why would a desk be this scratched up? Val racked her brain for any explanation, but was interrupted by a soft “Ehm.”
Val peered up. It was the quietest girl from the gang of three, Zara. The poor girl was shaking. Val couldn’t help but recall a chihuahua.
“I’m sorry,” She sniffled, as tears leaked out of her eyes. “I forgot my book, I’m really — really — sorry!”
“It’s okay, you can use mine.” It was little Zara who had helped her out while she was recovering from the monster’s attack, which immediately made her Val’s favorite student. Her other two friends were obnoxious, but Val could tell the anxieties of pre-teendom were harder on Zara. “Just bring my book back when the bell rings.”
Charlotte’s Web fumbled in her trembling hands. “Thank-k you!”
After class was dismissed, Val packed up her belongings and scurried out the door. The entrance hall was a circus; one of the buses had a flat tire. Figures, too many potholes in these roads. Val brushed up against everyone as she made her way through the packed foyer.
Val had only made it halfway across when something stopped her… almost as if someone had grabbed her from behind. She spun around, ‘til she found herself facing the six statues…
Val shifted her eyes across the room. Everyone was acting normal. Students and teachers were chatting, laughing, even playing hand clapping games. It was as if only Val was experiencing any weird sensation…
What the fuck is going on?
The statues stood there, towering over her. The longer she stared, the larger they grew… her head felt tense, almost like a firm hand was pushing it down. She tried to fight it, tried to move, tried to scream… but her body was beginning to fold. Her eyes were now staring at the floor.
“Ms. Palacio?” Principal Arif pried.
Whatever seized her let go. Val unfolded her back and stood up straight.
“Is everything alright?”
“Uh, yeah, everything’s fine… what’s up?”
Principal Arif didn’t look convinced. “I heard you had a little run in with,” she glanced around, “with her, a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, yeah, I did.”
“I’m sorry about that. I’m guessing you wish someone had warned you sooner.”
“Uh, kinda.”
“As an administration, we haven’t figured out how to prepare our new teachers.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. When I started here, I went through the same thing you did.” She turned around, and pulled up her shirt, revealing a single, jagged scar that ran all the way down her back. “She gave me this as I was leaving the bathroom.”
Val nearly fainted. Any kind of wound made her squeamish, especially scars. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright, if you had asked me back then, though, I’d have disagreed. I was furious that no one had warned me. I vowed to make sure every teacher arrived informed and prepared to—”
“Then why didn’t you warn me?” Val seethed. “I met you the very first day of school, before any classes had even started! Why didn’t Ms. Nadar, or Ms. Mawar, or Ms. Dian warn me?”
“Because there was no point! After my accident, I warned every teacher who came after me for years. Do you know how many of them believed me? Zero, none of them. They all assumed I was insane. Then she attacked them all. It changed nothing, it did nothing to help!”
Val was too stunned to speak. “I, I…”
“After I became Principal, I decided it was no use to warn anyone. I figured it’d be better to have us keep an eye on our new teachers instead. Ms. Mawar, Ms. Dian, and I have helped as many afterwards as possible.” She gazed off to the side. “Unfortunately, she’s always a few steps ahead of us...”
Val nodded her head. She got it. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve had this conversation countless times.” She turned towards the statues. “So, tell me, who rescued you?”
“Imam Haruun.”
“Me too. I ask every one of my teachers that question, always expecting their rescuers to be the ones whose faith they share. Imam Haruum would save the Muslims, Monk Ho Kla the Buddhists, Father Kit the Christians… but there’s never any correlation.” She gazed up at the men admiringly. “Even in the afterlife, our spirits don’t discriminate.”
“That is nice.”
“I do want to ask you a favor, though.”
“What’s that?”
Principal Arif darted her eyes around the room. “While I’ve been at Semua Tangan, she’s only attacked a select few of our students. For some reason, she goes after our teachers more, but that might be changing.”
“Really?” Val gawked. “Why’s that?”
“The kids are more keen on their little groups. I know that sounds silly… but I keep getting reports of girls who are afraid to go to the bathrooms by themselves, or run errands without a partner. They just seem more anxious this year.” She gazed down at the floor. “It could be bullying, but I don’t know.”
Val recalled back to her required reading on bullying. She’d found it morbidly fascinating, the psyches of troubled kids. “Uh-hu.”
“We can’t rule bullying out, but I’ve been doing this a long, long, time, and this seems different.”
Val nodded her head. She tried to think of the students who could be a target, and one nervous chihuahua came to mind.
“I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Good.” Principal Arif checked her watch. “I need to get going, our contractor promised me a huge discount on some new pipes!”
“Ah — well, good luck.” Val called after her.
“Thanks.” Principal Arif waved as she hurried off, leaving Val alone.
Val kept alert the rest of the week, trying to detect any signs of odd behavior in her students, but only learned that all kids are odd, extremely odd.
Val never paid much attention to her students. It wasn’t a conscious choice, it was a very subconscious choice indeed, but now Val knew why— they irked her — like, really irked her. They were weird.
That Friday afternoon, two students put a full face of makeup on each other: eye liner, blush , lipstick… using whiteboard markers. They didn’t even have a whiteboard. Val used a chalkboard. The day before, at least six of her students held a slapping competition, which resulted in a ton of tears and detentions. Val had to accept defeat when she caught one of her students trying to eat her desk — with a knife and fork.
By the end of the week Val needed a break, so when Amina invited her out, she was more than happy to tag along.
“That movie was so dumb.” Jano griped as they left the theater. “The Possession of Adeliah?’ They gave away the entire story in the title!”
“What more did you expect?” Amina shot back. “The title was ‘The Possession of Adeliah’, and we watched Adeliah’s possession. What more did you think would happen?”
“I don’t know, maybe someone else gets possessed too?” He checked his watch. “Is it already one thirty?”
“Do you want Jano and I to give you a ride?” Amina offered.
Val was about to answer, when Jano cut in. “Amina, our house is in the opposite direction.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes it is, and I’m tired. Can’t Khoo Hun Chhiau take her home?” He grabbed Khoo Hun Chhiau by the shoulder. “From what I’ve heard, he already knows where she lives.”
Khoo Hun Chhiau shoved a snickering Jano away, which Val understood. He’d been giving him a hard time all night. No one could believe that he’d made it to two outings in a row.
“Would that be alright?” Amina asked. “If not, I will totally take you home myself.”
“It’s okay. I’ll see you Monday.”
The empty road back to Yeo A’i’s was frighteningly black. Val worried that their car might hit one of those tigers that could’ve eaten her.
“It’s so dark.” Val yawned. “I guess as a cop, you drive in the dark all the time.”
Khoo Hun Chhiau glared at her, but didn’t say a word. Val snuggled deeper into her seat. Guess he’s tired. I can’t be that annoying.
Khoo Hun Chhiau’s phone ringing made her jump.
“Lu ho bo?” He answered. Val watched his already serious face turn even more solemn. “Hamisu?”
It was all indecipherable to Val, but after a few words, Khoo Hun Chhiau turned the car back around.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, we just need to make a detour. I’ll get you home.”
Val wanted to keep asking questions, but she also didn’t wanna bother him right now. Something serious was going on, what exactly, who knew, but Val didn’t wanna be another problem. She sat in her seat until they arrived at a modest house engulfed by rainforest.
“Stay here!” He demanded.
“What?” Val grimaced as he disappeared inside.
“Pshh, stay here!”
Val adjusted the seat, and kicked her feet up on the dash. She tried distracting herself, but it didn’t work. The fear from “The Possession of Adeliah” was setting in, and her experience at Semua Tangan was not helping...
“You’re okay Val, just relax.” She whispered. “Ghosts aren’t real, demons aren’t real...”
But how could she be so sure? The Holymen sure were real. What was she? Could she be a demon?”
THUMP.
What was that?
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
“AH!” Val screamed at the tree branch thumping her window. She unbuckled her seat belt and sprinted inside.
Val ran without thinking, not stopping until she had slammed the front door behind her. Once inside, she heard grunting and someone complaining. Val followed the sound until she was outside again. Through the dim patio light, she spotted an elderly Chinese man lying on his back, while a disgruntled Khoo Hun Chhiau helped him up gently. He spun around at the sight of Val.
“I told you to stay in the car!”
“Sorry, it was just… is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine!”
“Do you need help?”
“No! Just go inside and wait for me!”
“Okay.” With that, Val retreated back inside, plopping down on the sofa.
“Oof!”
This sofa is not comfortable, better to just stay standing.
Val wandered around until she stumbled across an ajar door. She nudged it open, revealing a cramped bedroom with a low-hanging ceiling. Val poked her head through, and soon enough her feet followed.
The smell of must lingered in the air. A lone twin bed sat in one corner, a messy desk in the other. The floor was covered in piles of books and laundry that blended into one another.
“Sad.” Val mouthed to no one. At least when a woman lived by herself, there was an air of coziness that made her space bearable. This room had no soul. Val found that to be the case with most bachelor pads.
Something glittered in the corner. She stepped over clothes and overstuffed trash cans ‘til she was close enough to remove the dirty boxers that hid half of it, revealing a large trophy, stacked on top of other plaques.
Val picked up the little gold man in a Speedo. She tried to decipher the inscription at the bottom, but it was written in a language she couldn’t identify. It wasn’t English, or Spanish, but it wasn’t any east asian language either.
“What’re you doing?” Khoo Hun Chhiau snapped from behind her. Val spun around, nearly fumbling the trophy in her hands.
“Sorry!” she squealed, peering her intruder up and down. It was strange watching him stand upright in this room, like seeing a child wearing clothes they’ve outgrown. Tips of his hair scraped the ceiling.
“I just didn’t exactly know where you wanted me to go… is everything alright out there?”
“Yeah, everything’s alright.” He sighed. “My dad fell off a ladder. There was a branch on our roof that he was trying to remove. He should’ve waited for me.” His eyes found the trophy in her hands. “Why are you holding that?”
“Uh, I was trying to figure out what language this was written in. I’ve never seen it before.”
“This is Russian.”
“Why do you have a Russian swimming trophy?”
“I went to university in Russia. I was on the swim team.”
“You went to college in Russia?”
“I did my master’s there.” He placed the trophy back down on the floor. “I did my undergrad in Japan, and my Phd in Singapore.”
Val remembered Amina mentioning something about him traveling the world. Her eyes lingered over framed diplomas in various languages that hung around her.
“You have a Phd, in what?”
Khoo Hun Chhiau tried to tidy his surroundings unassumingly, but it wasn’t going well. More laundry toppled over, and a half-eaten protein bar fell into a statue of the Buddha’s lap.
“Criminology, right now I’m working on my second thesis from the National University of Singapore.”
“You teach at a University?”
Khoo Hun Chhiau nodded. “I fly back every Wednesday. In return, I take one of the weekend shifts at the station for whoever covers me.” He gestured towards his laptop. “My students’ tests are graded by the website they take them on, so all I do is lecture.”
Val glided around the room, staring up at each framed diploma. “So, do you speak Russian or something?”
“And Japanese, Hokkien, Mandarin, Malay, Baba, and English. I spent a summer in Denmark as well, but I can only say a few words.”
Val sneered when he wasn’t looking. In America, she felt special for speaking English and Spanish. It seemed like everyone here had her beat at languages, but not normally to this degree.
“What’s the thesis you’re working on now about?”
“Cyber forensic psychology — how different types of criminals use social media. Pedofiles use chat rooms obviously, but terrorists and arsonists operate on more mainstream platforms…”
“It’s no wonder nobody’s seen you outside of work. Who’s that?” Val’s pried as she picked up a photo of Khoo Hun Chhiau and an older Chinese woman.
“That’s my mother.”
“Did she sleep through your dad falling?” Val asked as she admired the woman’s dress. She should get one of these foreign gowns for her own mom. “Will she be mad that I’m in here?”
“She would be, but she’s gone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Khoo Hun Chhiau said softly, as they both stared at the beautiful woman in the beautiful dress. It panged Val’s chest seeing her there. How could someone so obviously full of life ever really die?
“That was one of the last pictures we took before she passed.”
“What happened to her?”
“Alzheimer’s, three years ago.” He said stoically, though Val noticed his voice choke up a bit. “She’d struggled with it for years, but taking care of her eventually became too difficult for my dad. That’s why I moved back.” He gazed down at the photo again. “I’m lucky the university understood, as long as I stay on top of things, they don’t mind.”
Val really didn’t know what to say after all that. “So, your thesis… do you write it in English?”
“Yup, it’s killing me. All the grammar, the spelling, I can’t ever get it right!”
“I can help.” Val sputtered, which was true. As a kid, Val had made the national spelling bee. She was eliminated after the first round, but it was good enough to win her family a mini-fridge. “I am an English teacher after all.”
“What time does school end on Monday?”
“Two thirty.”
He considered the offer for such a long time that Val almost took it back. She should’ve known better in a culture like this—
“I get off at five, do you wanna meet me here?”
“That’s okay… let’s meet at Yeo A’i’s. My room has a desk you can use.”
“Alright.”
The pair made their way back towards the living room. Val noticed the elderly gentleman trying to stand up from the couch as she walked by. Val didn’t blame him. She would need an ice-pack just to sit on that thing again. But Khoo Hun Chhiau immediately told him to sit back down, or so Val guessed, as he was speaking Hokkien. To Val’s surprise, the old man turned to her and said something she couldn’t understand.
“What’s he trying to say?”
“Nothing—” Khoo Hun Chhiau groaned as he pushed her out the door.
Val spent the next day tidying up her room, making sure all her dirty underwear was neatly kicked under the bed. She also relayed everything to Amina the next day on the lunch bench.
“So, he just agreed to meet at your place?”
“Yeah, I mean, back home that’s not weird, but is it weird here?”
“Yup, but men are men…”
“I don’t know if it’s like that. This whole time he hasn’t made any sort of move, actually, the opposite. He was very firm about being a cop and all the first night.”
“You never know.”
The bell rang, and Val spent the next several hours pondering over what Amina had to say. Could she be right? Nah, don’t be ridiculous...
Val killed the time before her meeting with Khoo Hun Chhiau by flunking Wani for her book report on Charles Webb. Val was almost impressed. She had never seen a Grade F paper with so much Grade A bullshit. Regardless, by five-thirty Val was showered, dressed, and mindlessly scrolling through social media at the table, waiting to see if he’d actually show.
There was a knock at the door. Val sprang up, but before she could reach it, Yeo A’i beat her there. She cracked the door open.
“Officer Khoo — is everything alright? Did Laina’s dog get loose and bite another child? I’ll check the backyard to see if she got in through the fence—”
“It’s alright, I’m here to see Val—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, Ms. Palacio.”
“Is she in trouble? Cause if so, I haven’t seen her all day.” Yeo A’i ducked her head inside, mouthing the word: “Hide!”
“No, she’s not in any trouble. She’s um, helping me with my thesis, since it’s in English.”
“Oh, give me a minute, ah-ha — she’s marching down the stairs. Must have been napping up in her room. Val, you have a visitor!”
Yeo A’i opened the door all the way, revealing a flustered Khoo Hun Chhiau sporting an overstuffed backpack. They nodded awkwardly to each other.
“Well come on in then,” Yeo A’i insisted, “before you get a heat stroke.”
Khoo Hun Chhiau shuffled inside. Val couldn’t help feeling childish, like she was asking her mom if it was okay for a boy to come over.
Yeo A’i pretended to clean the table of her most recent project.
“So sorry for the mess. If I knew there’d be company, I’d have tidied up.”
“It’s fine, we can just use the desk in my room.”
“Would that be alright? I could move this, but it’d be risky with all the needles I’ve lost so far.”
“No worries!” Val called from the top of the stairs.
The pair made it into Val’s room. She nodded towards the desk, and Khoo Hun Chhiau unpacked his bag. The two worked quietly for hours, unless Khoo Hun Chhiau was asking a question.
“Do you know how to use APA citations? Is this word spelled correctly? How do I format?”
Val helped him as she sprawled out on her rug on the floor, while peering up at this man, this strange, strange man… for weeks, they shared a routine. He would come over around six, stay until ten, and then retreat back to his own house.
“So he just does that every day?” Amina pried. “He just comes over and then leaves?”
“Except for Wednesdays, that’s when he teaches his class.”
“Well, he’s got a lot of self-control. Jano would’ve exploded if we were alone for so long with no contact...” She grabbed her stomach and grimaced. “I swear that man needs another hobby.”
“Are you alright—” but before the words were out of her mouth, Amina’s lunch was outside of her stomach. Val flinched as chunks of bile littered the grass in front of her.
“Jesus!”
“I’m sorry!” Amina whimpered while wiping her mouth. “I should’ve known that was gonna happen. I’ve been vomiting all morning.”
“It’s okay, do you have a fever?”
“No, just nauseous. I’m gonna swing by Nur’s tonight. I mean, she’s not just a baby doctor you know. She can do other things too. Anyways, so you said Wednesday nights he doesn’t come over?”
“Yeah, it’s just me and whatever Yeo A’i’s working on.”
“You should come to my house!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, my friends swing by on Wednesdays to watch whichever country’s version of the Bachelor is on. Right now it’s Romania, you’re invited if you want.”
Val remembered Nur saying something about this. “Okay, I’ll be there.”
“Cool.” Amina grumbled as she doubled over and threw up some more.
Wednesday night rolled around, and instead of a joking Jano at the door, Val was greeted by Amina’s kind face. They made their way into the living room, where a familiar group of girls were arguing.
“I think that’s the stupidest idea in the world— letting a baby name itself!” Tan Soan griped. “What’s it gonna choose — purple, triangle, triceratops?”
“I’m not saying I’m gonna do it, but don’t you think it makes some sense?” Parini protested. “Shouldn’t people have the right to choose something as permanent as their own name?”
“No, the only people I’ve ever heard of changing their names were fucking weirdos. Just name it after your richest aunt, when she kicks it maybe she’ll leave you a little extra something in her will. That’s what my mom did with me.”
Parini turned towards the kitchen, where Val was fixing herself a plate. “What do you think Val? I read online that people do this in America? Do kids choose stupid names like Tan Soan says?”
“I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before.”
“HA! See, even the Americans think it’s a stupid idea!”
Parini rolled her eyes. “Anyways, Val, how are you adjusting? How do you like it here?”
Val pondered this question while shuffling over to the TV.
“Mhm, well, I like being free from my cubicle.”
“Go on...”
“And my students aren’t too bad. At least some of them…”
“Some of them have been getting on my damn nerves lately.” Amina grumbled.
“I mean, I do have these three girls... I think their favorite hobby is to see how much they can get away with.”
“You know, yesterday, my last class decided that every time my back was turned, they’d inch their desks towards me. I didn’t catch on ‘til they’d trapped me!”
“It’s always those last classes—”
“They can’t contain their bullshit any longer.”
“My mom used to teach at the boys’ school,” Tan Soan started, “and to this day she never shuts up about it. Jano alone could take up a whole afternoon. Speaking of boys, I heard a certain officer has been stopping by your house lately.”
Damnit, now everyone was looking at her, with that look. The one that calls out your bullshit without saying a word.
“It’s not like that. I’m just helping Khoo Hun Chhiau with his thesis.”
“On his what?” Parini scoffed. “What kind of Policeman has to write a thesis?”
“The kind that’s also a Phd student, that’s why he’s always so busy.”
“Well, it seems like he’s been making time for someone lately.”
“Like I said, all he does is work. Some days he doesn’t even talk to me.”
“That is weird.” Nur whispered.
“Well, if that’s the case, I have a brother I’ll set you up with. He’s an actual doctor — and as you probably already guessed, good looks do run in the family.” Tan Soan sassed. “Alright, shall we get started with The Bachelor?”
“Actually,” Amina interrupted. “I have a little announcement... I’m Pregnant!”
“Congratulations!”
“Amazing!”
“Wow!”
“When did you find out?”
“I’ve been feeling sick lately, so I went to Nur, and she confirmed it.”
Nur ducked her head and grinned.
“Oh my god, is it a girl?” Parini pried. “What month will it be born? Will your baby be in the same grade as my baby?”
“I don’t know. I’m barely a month along, so you guys can’t go around telling anyone yet. I just told Jano last night.”
“He’s not gonna keep something like that a secret.” Parini scoffed.
“You should’ve told us before you told him!”
“We can actually keep our mouths shut!”
“I made him promise, and I let him know the consequences if he told anyone. I can’t hold the same threat over you guys... but I trust you girls.”
Everyone nodded. A slew of “I promise’s and “You don’t have to worry’s echoed around the room, until Tan Soan got back to the task at hand. “Alright, let’s go ahead and start it already!”
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