----
Ishak Idris is not the best of men.
At 36, he was unmarried, rented a room in an already crowded flat with 8 others who were all still students, and did not hold a steady job. Perhaps he could blame his bachelorhood on his not-so-enticing looks; he was short, flabby and had the complexion of a 15 year old teenager who did not use facewash. He was also rude; perhaps his last relationship was 15 years ago. He rarely kept a job because he was lazy and tended to slack off. He no longer has any family; his parents died years ago to disease, and he is estranged with any extended family he still has. He dropped out of school at 15, simply not bothering to keep up with education. In fact he hated school.
What Ishak was good at, however, was getting into trouble. He has had several brush ins with the police; twice for theft, once for assault, several times for 'disturbing the peace', and the list goes on. He was in a Pusat Serenti in his early twenties; got released only to relapse into a world of intoxicants. He was a drunk, shunned by his peers (who numbered a pathetic few), and tolerated in his rented flat only because he was rarely in the house anyway.
He manages to just earn a living doing odd jobs; driving lorries, cleaning toilets, sweeping streets, mowing lawns. In spite of that, he somehow manages to gamble whatever is left of his money as well. Not for wins either. He's never won a bet. Perhaps the outside observer would say that Ishak has spent most of his 36 years betting on the wrong horse. And dog. And numbers.
One of the few people who seemingly tolerates him is Kahar. Kahar is a small time drug dealer, working indepently but often for one of the many gangs in Kuala Lumpur. A fellow rehab relapser, it was Kahar who first introduced drugs to Ishak. Now, perhaps the worst thing about Ishak's drug problem was that he rarely had the money to purchase them. Despite the temptations, Ishak has amazingly ignored the urge to steal. He knew he would get caught easily if he did. So often he borrowed. And garnered debts. And he did not borrow from banks either.
This night, sitting in a mamak shop near Jalan Pahang, Ishak and Kahar were having chendol. It was Kahar who had invited Ishak for the treat.They were talking about life in general.. which was actually more of Ishak blaming people for his misfortunes, and Kahar listening patiently, even if he was not really paying attention.
"Eh by the way", Ishak said, wiping his mouth. "Do you have some barang for me?"
Kahar rubbed his neck with a grimace on his face. "Ada. But you can't afford it.."
"Ahh Kahar..", Ishak said, smiling and putting a hand on Kahar's shoulders. "It's not like we're not used to this.. Just lend me the stuff and I'll pay you back later when I have money"
Kahar shrugged. "And where do you think you have the money?"
"Don't worry my friend. I'll borrow some cash from Tommy". Tommy was the neighbourhood loan shark, with connections to a large, feared gang. Many have suffered the consequences of not being able to repay his loans. In spite of this, Ishak seemed casual about it.
"Tommy and I go back a long way", he said. "I'm sure he'll lend me some cash"
Kahar looked at Ishak uneasily. He edged his chair closer to Ishak, making the man look at him awkwardly, as if the gesture was somehow intimate. Not that Ishak would know what intimacy was.
"You see Ishak..", Kahar said. "That's the thing.. you've been borrowing a lot from Tommy, and he's been strangely lenient about your repayments... but..."
"But? But what?", Ishak said, suddenly wary and suspicious.
"Well.. I went to see him the other day to borrow some money myself. Then he asked me about you, and if I had seen you recently. I told him no.."
"Then? What did Tommy want?"
"It seems that he was, like, book-keeping or something, when he realized he had a large portion of money missing.."
Ishak was catching the drift. He swallowed, and asked Kahar. "It's the money I owe him isn't it?"
Kahar nodded. "Yes. RM34 000. Over 6 years. And that's not counting the 'bunga'.."
Ishak paled at the amount mentioned by Kahar. RM 34 000 was a huge amount of money for a man like Ishak, who had no steady job and therefore income. And if he added Tommy's interest to that figure.. he was looking at a figure of at least RM50 000. Maybe even more, if Tommy decided so. Ishak thought a moment; where had all the money gone? What did he spend that amount on? Drugs. Gambling. Women. Like a rockstar, only without the multi-million selling albums or talent.
"Tommy was furious.. he's coming for you, that's what he said..", Kahar said. "But it makes me wonder, why was he so lenient with you?"
Ishak again swallowed, hard. "Sometimes I do odd jobs for him.. Somehow his mind must have slipped and thought I was working for him. Maybe. I don't know.."
"Well, whatever it is, he's not going to play Mr Nice anymore..", Kahar said, shaking his head. He had heard of the horrible beatings and mutilations perpertrated by Tommy and his men towards the unfortunate who did not have the means to pay him back.
"He's coming for you", Kahar said. He finished his cendol and beckoned for them to leave. Ishak had gone pale all over. Like Kahar, he too was well aware of the atrocities that had been done on the people who went MIA with their loans from Tommy. He just nodded and got up, leaving Kahar to pay for their cendols. They got on Kahar's motorbike, and sped off for Ishak's flat.
It was dark and quiet when they reached the flats. Ishak got off the motorbike.
"I'd watch my back and start looking for money if I were you", Kahar said as Ishak stepped off the motorbike and handed Kahar his helmet.
"Easier said than done", Ishak said. He was sweating bullet sweat. He felt cold and terrified. If Kahar said that Tommy was coming for him, that meant dangerous times ahead, unless he magically appeared with at least fifty grand.
"What do you think I should do?" , Ishak said. Then as if on cue, a rock came hurtling out from about 20 yards to the side and hit Ishak on his temple. He fell to the ground, his hand touching where the rock had hit. It hurt like hell, and he saw stars. Kahar looked stunned as suddenly a group of four people approached them. They were young, muscular and menacing looking. The one walking ahead of the other three was clearly the leader. He stank of beer and cigarettes.
"You stay still there. Move and you'll get it as well", the leader said with a heavy accent. He picked Ishak off the ground easily.
"You", he said. Ishak looked at the man's scarred face and trembled.
"Tommy wants his money. RM60 000. He wants it in three days time", the tough man said.
"Three days?!", Ishak said, looking at Kahar as if for support. Kahar just sat still on his bike, with one of the thugs by his side. Ishak saw that most of them were carrying weapons; he saw a baseball bat, glimpsed a knife and maybe even a hammer on one of the men. Kahar looked terrified. He was a dealer, but not a violent one, clearly.
Ishak shook his head, trying to reason. "Three days is not enough time", he said and that was when the lead thug punched him in the gut and face. Ishak fell reeling to the floor.
"Three days", the lead thug said again. "If in three days Tommy doesn't get his money, we cut off your hands. You try to run away, we cut off your head. We're watching you. Get it?"
Ishak nodded quickly, too much in pain to say anything. In his head he hoped the man was just bluffing, but he knew that the thug was dead serious. He had seen it before; a Pakistani factory worker, owing RM20 000 to Tommy, decided to leave the country. But Tommy's men caught up. The Pakistani's headless body made national news when it was finally found in a state of bad decomposition in an oil palm estate.
The lead thug pulled Ishak's head up by the hair, and said again "Three days". Then he spat in Ishak's face and slapped him. Finally he beckoned for the other thugs to leave. As soon as they left, Kahar rushed to Ishak's side, helping the man up.
"I'm screwed, I'm screwed", Ishak kept on repeating. He sat himself on the curbside whilst Kahar stood beside him.
"Where am I going to find RM60 000?? In three days?!", Ishak said, almost screaming.
"Can't you hide? Or run away?", Kahar asked.
"No.. that guy said Tommy is watching me. And I have every reason to believe it's true".
The two men sat for a moment, thinking of various ways for Ishak to obtain the money. Ishak knew he couldn't bargain his way out of this one. By some miracle Tommy The Loan Shark had already been lenient for six years. That was too long a time. Ishak had no other way out but to repay his debt. But how? Robbery? Ishak was not good enough. Scams? There was no time. Ishak had no answer. Then Kahar said something.
"There is one way.. but it's strange, and I don't think you'd believe me anyway", Kahar said in a cautious voice. Ishak looked at him, his eyes full of hope.
"What? What is it? Just tell me dammit! I don't care if it's strange", Ishak said, impatient. He really had no other choice, and was willing to listen to any suggestion on how to get RM60 000.
"Well.." Kahar hesitated. "There is this place in Kemensah, behind the Zoo Negara, where you could get anything you ever wanted.. but it's tricky.. and frightening"
"Just tell me; it has got to be worth a try", Ishak said.
"Are you sure? You believe in shit?"
"I'd believe anything right now"
So Kahar told him the place and the way. Ishak listened with intent, at first unbelieving. But then the spirit of desperation and the fear of being murdered caused him to follow up on Kahar's peculiar advice anyway. An hour later, Kahar left him, saying good luck in a wary voice. Ishak watched his 'friend' leave, and went up to his flat. He sat at his doorway for a few minutes, thinking. Then he got up and went down to a pay phone. He called Tommy.
"Tommy", he said over the phone.
"Yes.", a soft voice spoke on the other line.
"I'll get your money in three days", Ishak said, and hung up.
Two nights later, Ishak found himself on a borrowed motorbike heading into Kemensah, a small village with a river running through it. It was well past midnight; the small kampung road was quiet and eerie, the only sounds being his motorbike and the constant chirrup of insects. It was dark, the only illumination coming from his headlight. He rode on the road until he found what he was looking for; a large tree, with a girth perhaps 6 feet or more. He stopped his bike. Peering into the undergrowth beside the tree, he saw what Kahar had told him: a dirt path, barely visible. He got off his bike and killed the engine. He looked up at the large tree, feeling the hairs on his neck bristle. The tree had grey bark, and stood out ominously. It was as if it was guarding the small dirt path. Ishak shivered, and turned his attention to the footpath. It was overgrown with shrubs and weeds, but it was there. He drew in a deep breath. He took a bagpack he had brought with him and a flashlight. He switched the flashlight on, and headed up the footpath.
As he walked he reminded himself not to look back; it was pitch black. He had passed by a village en route here, but further up the road he used the houses got sparser until all there was on the sides of the road was dark forest. Now, walking up the footpath with only a flashlight as illumination, Ishak was gripped by incredible fear. What he was about to do could only be done by night, as Kahar had told him. And he had spent the previous night making preparations: blood of a chicken, some fruit and a spoon. He thought it was crazy, but if this could get him RM60 000 and maybe more, he would do it.
Slowly he walked up the footpath in the darkness, his hands trembling, his breathing ragged. Sweat wet his brows. He continued walking. He noticed the sounds of insects began to die out. Finally it was quiet except for his footfalls. Occasionally he tripped on a root or rock, but he kept on going. His life perhaps depended on it.
After walking into the jungle for perhaps 20 minutes or so, his flashlight fell upon an object raised 2 feet above the ground. It looked like a tombstone, Ishak thought. He moved his light upon the object, inspecting it. He saw tell-tale signs of people, perhaps people who were as desperate as he is right now, around the object: spoons, seeds, plastic cups and bags. There was a foul smell in the air, which made him uneasy. The object itself was now overgrown with creepers; he set down his bagpack and using his free hand, tore off the plants. What was beneath the creepers scared the hell out of him; the object was an idol in the form of a naked man with bulging eyes and large, sharp teeth. He closed his eyes and remembered what Kahar had told him two nights ago.
"You go to Kemensah; but first you need the blood from a chicken, some fruit, preferrably bananas and durian, and a spoon. Then at night, go to Kemensah. Follow the main road until it gets smaller and you come across a large, grey tree. You won't miss it. When you find it, look closely near the roots. You'd see a footpath, which may be hidden from view. Go walk up the path. You will have to keep on walking until you find a stone idol", Kahar had said.
So here was Ishak, in front of the creepy stone idol. He was trembling, feeling cold sweat all over his body. He kneeled in front of it and grabbed his bag pack. He remembered the second part of Kahar's story.
"When you find the idol, kneel down in front of it. Lay out the blood, fruit and spoon in front of it", Kahar had said, so Ishak was now doing as he was told. "Then", Kahar had said, "you say this:"
"O he who resides in stone; i bring thee gifts to satiate thy hunger, and in turn i wish for thee to satiate mine"
Ishak said the words, shivering in fright as he did so. But his need was great, and he put that above his fear. He remembered the last part of Kahar's story: "Say it, wait a moment, and He Who Resides In Stone Will Appear. This is the hard part; you must not run! Wait, give him your gifts, and let him satiate his hunger first. This is important!! Only when his hunger is satiated will he offer you three wishes. And wish carefully!! He will grant them but be wary of what you say! And remember, you can only ask him this favor once! He will not entertain return customers, so to speak. Above all: be brave!"
Now Ishak waited. A few minutes passed by. Ishak was beginning to think that Kahar was pulling his leg when suddenly he smelled a bad stench in the air, the smell of rotting flesh. Then he noticed it; not at first with his eyes, but with his mind. A dark figure came walking out from behind the stone idol. It's hands pushed aside the plants. Then it stood directly in front of Ishak.
Ishak's eyes went wide in both fear and awe. His nerve strained to keep him there; he felt warm liquid seeping through his pants as he pissed himself. His body was trembling but he willed himself to be there.
The figure that had walked out of the jungle in front of him was vaguely man-like in shape, but it's face was flat, the nose just two holes. The eyes were a watery yellow, huge and bulging out of the sockets. The mouth was wide and large, with huge, crooked teeth and saliva dripping out. The creature's black skin was covered in rough but sparse hairs, and the limbs were long but disjointed, as if broken in different places. The creature stared at his Ishak, it's breathing deep and rumbling.
"What it is that thou want from me?", the thing spoke, it's voice full of malice and evil. Ishak soiled his pants, but did not notice it. Somehow he managed to stay in place.
"I.. I bring you gifts..", Ishak said, showing the creature the plastic bag of chicken blood, the fruits and the spoon. The creature eyes the offerings, and smiled a malignant, toothy smile. It remained quiet as it began to drink the blood and eat the fruits. Curiously, the creature took the spoon and held it in its hand. A few moments passed; Ishak somehow became calmer and bolder, despite the smell of urine and shit in his pants. Finally the creature turned to him.
"For thy offering to me I may grant you three wishes; anything you want. be wise and quick, for I do not have much patience", the creature said, the voice now somewhat gentler but still terrifying.
Ishak took a deep breath. This was it! He could get his RM 60 000 and live; but then he thought; if he could wish for anything, then why bother wishing for Rm60000? In fact, he might as well wish for his own wealth, or the deaths of Tommy and his no good thugs, or to be good looking and rich. He had three wishes, and he could wish for anything! Feeling bolder, Ishak looked at the creature. He decided his first wish would be infinite wealth.
"I wish for..", Ishak said, but just as he said it, some small, unseen animal bit his foot and he in pain he exclaimed "..argh lan***!!!", which was a Chinese word for penis. He placed his hand on where he was bit, feeling for any injury.
But suddenly the creature said "Very well. Your first wish is granted". Ishak turned to the creature in horror, wondering what it was he wished for. He got his answer when he suddenly felt itchy all over his body. Then the itch turned to pain as suddenly his body became run with protrusions, which emerged from his skin. He felt his hands all over his body, looking at his skin as the protrusions grew longer and formed appendages. In shock he realized he had said "I wish for" and exclaimed 'lan***' in surprise. He realized that his body was being overgrown by male genitals!
A few minutes later the sensations stopped; but Ishak now observed that he was covered from head to toe in genitalia; it was an absurd sight, and Ishak felt terrified. The creature, on the other hand, just looked at him indifferently. Ishak's sight was impaired by the 'appendages' which even grew on his forehead. What now? he thought. He had wasted his first wish, and now had no choice but to use up his second to rid him of the extra organs.
"Please", Ishak said. "Make all these lan***s disappear. I wish for them all to disappear"
The creature nodded. "Very well; your second wish, granted", it said.
And suddenly, as sudden as they had popped out of his body, the organs began to disappear. Ishak looked relieved bit by bit as the organs shrank and disappeared in front of his eyes. He rubbed his hands over his body again to make sure, when he felt something odd. His eyes widened when he realized what it was, and as if to confirm it, he looked inside his pants. His manhood was gone. There was simply nothing down there. His second wish had made them all disappear.
He looked stunned, and incredibly began to weep. This was not happening, he thought.
All thought of money went out of his mind. He did not want to live his life an incomplete person, even if it meant his life would be spared by paying off Tommy if he wished for money on his third wish. Incredibly Ishak was thinking that maybe he deserved to die, but he wanted to die a complete human being. He had blown his chances.
"You have one final wish; make it quick for I wish to slumber", the creature said solemnly. Ishak, now weeping, abruptly said:
"Please, I want to be back to my original state". Ishak knew that by wishing so he was essentially signing his own death warrant. Tommy would surely kill him now. But strangely, the thought of having no manhood frightened him more at the moment. I must be crazy, he thought.
"I wish to revert back to my original state", he said again, weeping, finalizing his wish. The creature nodded.
"It is done then. I will leave now", it said. Then it walked backward, back into the darkness of the jungle, and simply disappeared. The jungle was quiet.
Ishak was nowhere to be seen. His clothes lay bundled in front of the stone idol, his flashlight by lying on the jungle floor. The backpack he had brought was open and sat there like a creature with an open mouth. But Ishak was nowhere in sight..
No normal person would pass by this place. But if by some divine intervention someone suddenly came to be there, and that someone inspected the bundle of clothes, that someone would make a strange and perhaps gruesome discovery.
Inside the bundle of clothes, hidden amongst the folds and creases, was all that was left of Ishak: a foetus.
--------------
Ishak Idris is not the best of men.
At 36, he was unmarried, rented a room in an already crowded flat with 8 others who were all still students, and did not hold a steady job. Perhaps he could blame his bachelorhood on his not-so-enticing looks; he was short, flabby and had the complexion of a 15 year old teenager who did not use facewash. He was also rude; perhaps his last relationship was 15 years ago. He rarely kept a job because he was lazy and tended to slack off. He no longer has any family; his parents died years ago to disease, and he is estranged with any extended family he still has. He dropped out of school at 15, simply not bothering to keep up with education. In fact he hated school.
What Ishak was good at, however, was getting into trouble. He has had several brush ins with the police; twice for theft, once for assault, several times for 'disturbing the peace', and the list goes on. He was in a Pusat Serenti in his early twenties; got released only to relapse into a world of intoxicants. He was a drunk, shunned by his peers (who numbered a pathetic few), and tolerated in his rented flat only because he was rarely in the house anyway.
He manages to just earn a living doing odd jobs; driving lorries, cleaning toilets, sweeping streets, mowing lawns. In spite of that, he somehow manages to gamble whatever is left of his money as well. Not for wins either. He's never won a bet. Perhaps the outside observer would say that Ishak has spent most of his 36 years betting on the wrong horse. And dog. And numbers.
One of the few people who seemingly tolerates him is Kahar. Kahar is a small time drug dealer, working indepently but often for one of the many gangs in Kuala Lumpur. A fellow rehab relapser, it was Kahar who first introduced drugs to Ishak. Now, perhaps the worst thing about Ishak's drug problem was that he rarely had the money to purchase them. Despite the temptations, Ishak has amazingly ignored the urge to steal. He knew he would get caught easily if he did. So often he borrowed. And garnered debts. And he did not borrow from banks either.
This night, sitting in a mamak shop near Jalan Pahang, Ishak and Kahar were having chendol. It was Kahar who had invited Ishak for the treat.They were talking about life in general.. which was actually more of Ishak blaming people for his misfortunes, and Kahar listening patiently, even if he was not really paying attention.
"Eh by the way", Ishak said, wiping his mouth. "Do you have some barang for me?"
Kahar rubbed his neck with a grimace on his face. "Ada. But you can't afford it.."
"Ahh Kahar..", Ishak said, smiling and putting a hand on Kahar's shoulders. "It's not like we're not used to this.. Just lend me the stuff and I'll pay you back later when I have money"
Kahar shrugged. "And where do you think you have the money?"
"Don't worry my friend. I'll borrow some cash from Tommy". Tommy was the neighbourhood loan shark, with connections to a large, feared gang. Many have suffered the consequences of not being able to repay his loans. In spite of this, Ishak seemed casual about it.
"Tommy and I go back a long way", he said. "I'm sure he'll lend me some cash"
Kahar looked at Ishak uneasily. He edged his chair closer to Ishak, making the man look at him awkwardly, as if the gesture was somehow intimate. Not that Ishak would know what intimacy was.
"You see Ishak..", Kahar said. "That's the thing.. you've been borrowing a lot from Tommy, and he's been strangely lenient about your repayments... but..."
"But? But what?", Ishak said, suddenly wary and suspicious.
"Well.. I went to see him the other day to borrow some money myself. Then he asked me about you, and if I had seen you recently. I told him no.."
"Then? What did Tommy want?"
"It seems that he was, like, book-keeping or something, when he realized he had a large portion of money missing.."
Ishak was catching the drift. He swallowed, and asked Kahar. "It's the money I owe him isn't it?"
Kahar nodded. "Yes. RM34 000. Over 6 years. And that's not counting the 'bunga'.."
Ishak paled at the amount mentioned by Kahar. RM 34 000 was a huge amount of money for a man like Ishak, who had no steady job and therefore income. And if he added Tommy's interest to that figure.. he was looking at a figure of at least RM50 000. Maybe even more, if Tommy decided so. Ishak thought a moment; where had all the money gone? What did he spend that amount on? Drugs. Gambling. Women. Like a rockstar, only without the multi-million selling albums or talent.
"Tommy was furious.. he's coming for you, that's what he said..", Kahar said. "But it makes me wonder, why was he so lenient with you?"
Ishak again swallowed, hard. "Sometimes I do odd jobs for him.. Somehow his mind must have slipped and thought I was working for him. Maybe. I don't know.."
"Well, whatever it is, he's not going to play Mr Nice anymore..", Kahar said, shaking his head. He had heard of the horrible beatings and mutilations perpertrated by Tommy and his men towards the unfortunate who did not have the means to pay him back.
"He's coming for you", Kahar said. He finished his cendol and beckoned for them to leave. Ishak had gone pale all over. Like Kahar, he too was well aware of the atrocities that had been done on the people who went MIA with their loans from Tommy. He just nodded and got up, leaving Kahar to pay for their cendols. They got on Kahar's motorbike, and sped off for Ishak's flat.
It was dark and quiet when they reached the flats. Ishak got off the motorbike.
"I'd watch my back and start looking for money if I were you", Kahar said as Ishak stepped off the motorbike and handed Kahar his helmet.
"Easier said than done", Ishak said. He was sweating bullet sweat. He felt cold and terrified. If Kahar said that Tommy was coming for him, that meant dangerous times ahead, unless he magically appeared with at least fifty grand.
"What do you think I should do?" , Ishak said. Then as if on cue, a rock came hurtling out from about 20 yards to the side and hit Ishak on his temple. He fell to the ground, his hand touching where the rock had hit. It hurt like hell, and he saw stars. Kahar looked stunned as suddenly a group of four people approached them. They were young, muscular and menacing looking. The one walking ahead of the other three was clearly the leader. He stank of beer and cigarettes.
"You stay still there. Move and you'll get it as well", the leader said with a heavy accent. He picked Ishak off the ground easily.
"You", he said. Ishak looked at the man's scarred face and trembled.
"Tommy wants his money. RM60 000. He wants it in three days time", the tough man said.
"Three days?!", Ishak said, looking at Kahar as if for support. Kahar just sat still on his bike, with one of the thugs by his side. Ishak saw that most of them were carrying weapons; he saw a baseball bat, glimpsed a knife and maybe even a hammer on one of the men. Kahar looked terrified. He was a dealer, but not a violent one, clearly.
Ishak shook his head, trying to reason. "Three days is not enough time", he said and that was when the lead thug punched him in the gut and face. Ishak fell reeling to the floor.
"Three days", the lead thug said again. "If in three days Tommy doesn't get his money, we cut off your hands. You try to run away, we cut off your head. We're watching you. Get it?"
Ishak nodded quickly, too much in pain to say anything. In his head he hoped the man was just bluffing, but he knew that the thug was dead serious. He had seen it before; a Pakistani factory worker, owing RM20 000 to Tommy, decided to leave the country. But Tommy's men caught up. The Pakistani's headless body made national news when it was finally found in a state of bad decomposition in an oil palm estate.
The lead thug pulled Ishak's head up by the hair, and said again "Three days". Then he spat in Ishak's face and slapped him. Finally he beckoned for the other thugs to leave. As soon as they left, Kahar rushed to Ishak's side, helping the man up.
"I'm screwed, I'm screwed", Ishak kept on repeating. He sat himself on the curbside whilst Kahar stood beside him.
"Where am I going to find RM60 000?? In three days?!", Ishak said, almost screaming.
"Can't you hide? Or run away?", Kahar asked.
"No.. that guy said Tommy is watching me. And I have every reason to believe it's true".
The two men sat for a moment, thinking of various ways for Ishak to obtain the money. Ishak knew he couldn't bargain his way out of this one. By some miracle Tommy The Loan Shark had already been lenient for six years. That was too long a time. Ishak had no other way out but to repay his debt. But how? Robbery? Ishak was not good enough. Scams? There was no time. Ishak had no answer. Then Kahar said something.
"There is one way.. but it's strange, and I don't think you'd believe me anyway", Kahar said in a cautious voice. Ishak looked at him, his eyes full of hope.
"What? What is it? Just tell me dammit! I don't care if it's strange", Ishak said, impatient. He really had no other choice, and was willing to listen to any suggestion on how to get RM60 000.
"Well.." Kahar hesitated. "There is this place in Kemensah, behind the Zoo Negara, where you could get anything you ever wanted.. but it's tricky.. and frightening"
"Just tell me; it has got to be worth a try", Ishak said.
"Are you sure? You believe in shit?"
"I'd believe anything right now"
So Kahar told him the place and the way. Ishak listened with intent, at first unbelieving. But then the spirit of desperation and the fear of being murdered caused him to follow up on Kahar's peculiar advice anyway. An hour later, Kahar left him, saying good luck in a wary voice. Ishak watched his 'friend' leave, and went up to his flat. He sat at his doorway for a few minutes, thinking. Then he got up and went down to a pay phone. He called Tommy.
"Tommy", he said over the phone.
"Yes.", a soft voice spoke on the other line.
"I'll get your money in three days", Ishak said, and hung up.
Two nights later, Ishak found himself on a borrowed motorbike heading into Kemensah, a small village with a river running through it. It was well past midnight; the small kampung road was quiet and eerie, the only sounds being his motorbike and the constant chirrup of insects. It was dark, the only illumination coming from his headlight. He rode on the road until he found what he was looking for; a large tree, with a girth perhaps 6 feet or more. He stopped his bike. Peering into the undergrowth beside the tree, he saw what Kahar had told him: a dirt path, barely visible. He got off his bike and killed the engine. He looked up at the large tree, feeling the hairs on his neck bristle. The tree had grey bark, and stood out ominously. It was as if it was guarding the small dirt path. Ishak shivered, and turned his attention to the footpath. It was overgrown with shrubs and weeds, but it was there. He drew in a deep breath. He took a bagpack he had brought with him and a flashlight. He switched the flashlight on, and headed up the footpath.
As he walked he reminded himself not to look back; it was pitch black. He had passed by a village en route here, but further up the road he used the houses got sparser until all there was on the sides of the road was dark forest. Now, walking up the footpath with only a flashlight as illumination, Ishak was gripped by incredible fear. What he was about to do could only be done by night, as Kahar had told him. And he had spent the previous night making preparations: blood of a chicken, some fruit and a spoon. He thought it was crazy, but if this could get him RM60 000 and maybe more, he would do it.
Slowly he walked up the footpath in the darkness, his hands trembling, his breathing ragged. Sweat wet his brows. He continued walking. He noticed the sounds of insects began to die out. Finally it was quiet except for his footfalls. Occasionally he tripped on a root or rock, but he kept on going. His life perhaps depended on it.
After walking into the jungle for perhaps 20 minutes or so, his flashlight fell upon an object raised 2 feet above the ground. It looked like a tombstone, Ishak thought. He moved his light upon the object, inspecting it. He saw tell-tale signs of people, perhaps people who were as desperate as he is right now, around the object: spoons, seeds, plastic cups and bags. There was a foul smell in the air, which made him uneasy. The object itself was now overgrown with creepers; he set down his bagpack and using his free hand, tore off the plants. What was beneath the creepers scared the hell out of him; the object was an idol in the form of a naked man with bulging eyes and large, sharp teeth. He closed his eyes and remembered what Kahar had told him two nights ago.
"You go to Kemensah; but first you need the blood from a chicken, some fruit, preferrably bananas and durian, and a spoon. Then at night, go to Kemensah. Follow the main road until it gets smaller and you come across a large, grey tree. You won't miss it. When you find it, look closely near the roots. You'd see a footpath, which may be hidden from view. Go walk up the path. You will have to keep on walking until you find a stone idol", Kahar had said.
So here was Ishak, in front of the creepy stone idol. He was trembling, feeling cold sweat all over his body. He kneeled in front of it and grabbed his bag pack. He remembered the second part of Kahar's story.
"When you find the idol, kneel down in front of it. Lay out the blood, fruit and spoon in front of it", Kahar had said, so Ishak was now doing as he was told. "Then", Kahar had said, "you say this:"
"O he who resides in stone; i bring thee gifts to satiate thy hunger, and in turn i wish for thee to satiate mine"
Ishak said the words, shivering in fright as he did so. But his need was great, and he put that above his fear. He remembered the last part of Kahar's story: "Say it, wait a moment, and He Who Resides In Stone Will Appear. This is the hard part; you must not run! Wait, give him your gifts, and let him satiate his hunger first. This is important!! Only when his hunger is satiated will he offer you three wishes. And wish carefully!! He will grant them but be wary of what you say! And remember, you can only ask him this favor once! He will not entertain return customers, so to speak. Above all: be brave!"
Now Ishak waited. A few minutes passed by. Ishak was beginning to think that Kahar was pulling his leg when suddenly he smelled a bad stench in the air, the smell of rotting flesh. Then he noticed it; not at first with his eyes, but with his mind. A dark figure came walking out from behind the stone idol. It's hands pushed aside the plants. Then it stood directly in front of Ishak.
Ishak's eyes went wide in both fear and awe. His nerve strained to keep him there; he felt warm liquid seeping through his pants as he pissed himself. His body was trembling but he willed himself to be there.
The figure that had walked out of the jungle in front of him was vaguely man-like in shape, but it's face was flat, the nose just two holes. The eyes were a watery yellow, huge and bulging out of the sockets. The mouth was wide and large, with huge, crooked teeth and saliva dripping out. The creature's black skin was covered in rough but sparse hairs, and the limbs were long but disjointed, as if broken in different places. The creature stared at his Ishak, it's breathing deep and rumbling.
"What it is that thou want from me?", the thing spoke, it's voice full of malice and evil. Ishak soiled his pants, but did not notice it. Somehow he managed to stay in place.
"I.. I bring you gifts..", Ishak said, showing the creature the plastic bag of chicken blood, the fruits and the spoon. The creature eyes the offerings, and smiled a malignant, toothy smile. It remained quiet as it began to drink the blood and eat the fruits. Curiously, the creature took the spoon and held it in its hand. A few moments passed; Ishak somehow became calmer and bolder, despite the smell of urine and shit in his pants. Finally the creature turned to him.
"For thy offering to me I may grant you three wishes; anything you want. be wise and quick, for I do not have much patience", the creature said, the voice now somewhat gentler but still terrifying.
Ishak took a deep breath. This was it! He could get his RM 60 000 and live; but then he thought; if he could wish for anything, then why bother wishing for Rm60000? In fact, he might as well wish for his own wealth, or the deaths of Tommy and his no good thugs, or to be good looking and rich. He had three wishes, and he could wish for anything! Feeling bolder, Ishak looked at the creature. He decided his first wish would be infinite wealth.
"I wish for..", Ishak said, but just as he said it, some small, unseen animal bit his foot and he in pain he exclaimed "..argh lan***!!!", which was a Chinese word for penis. He placed his hand on where he was bit, feeling for any injury.
But suddenly the creature said "Very well. Your first wish is granted". Ishak turned to the creature in horror, wondering what it was he wished for. He got his answer when he suddenly felt itchy all over his body. Then the itch turned to pain as suddenly his body became run with protrusions, which emerged from his skin. He felt his hands all over his body, looking at his skin as the protrusions grew longer and formed appendages. In shock he realized he had said "I wish for" and exclaimed 'lan***' in surprise. He realized that his body was being overgrown by male genitals!
A few minutes later the sensations stopped; but Ishak now observed that he was covered from head to toe in genitalia; it was an absurd sight, and Ishak felt terrified. The creature, on the other hand, just looked at him indifferently. Ishak's sight was impaired by the 'appendages' which even grew on his forehead. What now? he thought. He had wasted his first wish, and now had no choice but to use up his second to rid him of the extra organs.
"Please", Ishak said. "Make all these lan***s disappear. I wish for them all to disappear"
The creature nodded. "Very well; your second wish, granted", it said.
And suddenly, as sudden as they had popped out of his body, the organs began to disappear. Ishak looked relieved bit by bit as the organs shrank and disappeared in front of his eyes. He rubbed his hands over his body again to make sure, when he felt something odd. His eyes widened when he realized what it was, and as if to confirm it, he looked inside his pants. His manhood was gone. There was simply nothing down there. His second wish had made them all disappear.
He looked stunned, and incredibly began to weep. This was not happening, he thought.
All thought of money went out of his mind. He did not want to live his life an incomplete person, even if it meant his life would be spared by paying off Tommy if he wished for money on his third wish. Incredibly Ishak was thinking that maybe he deserved to die, but he wanted to die a complete human being. He had blown his chances.
"You have one final wish; make it quick for I wish to slumber", the creature said solemnly. Ishak, now weeping, abruptly said:
"Please, I want to be back to my original state". Ishak knew that by wishing so he was essentially signing his own death warrant. Tommy would surely kill him now. But strangely, the thought of having no manhood frightened him more at the moment. I must be crazy, he thought.
"I wish to revert back to my original state", he said again, weeping, finalizing his wish. The creature nodded.
"It is done then. I will leave now", it said. Then it walked backward, back into the darkness of the jungle, and simply disappeared. The jungle was quiet.
Ishak was nowhere to be seen. His clothes lay bundled in front of the stone idol, his flashlight by lying on the jungle floor. The backpack he had brought was open and sat there like a creature with an open mouth. But Ishak was nowhere in sight..
No normal person would pass by this place. But if by some divine intervention someone suddenly came to be there, and that someone inspected the bundle of clothes, that someone would make a strange and perhaps gruesome discovery.
Inside the bundle of clothes, hidden amongst the folds and creases, was all that was left of Ishak: a foetus.
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