Rocky Master opposite Evernew Book Store on North Bridge. Ever sits between the library & cyber up on the veranda beneath the HDB block. Textbooks, fiction, bargain boxes, China paraphernalia. Mao and his crew kept behind glass fetched quite high prices.
Rocky on Seah corner paid rental for a site immediately opposite Raffles Hotel. Fitted for the neighbour—faux French/NY patisserie, where, like the plants in the boxes over in the library forecourt, the leaves likely got regular wiping by the staff.
The trade name was patented, which was made clear on the menu. Otherwise there might be imitators mushrooming all over the island. Rocky the classy brawler paired with the great Buddhist teacher in a powerful union. An inspiration capable of drawing crowds from the pavement.
Biz types lingered at the adjacent table after lunch. Conversational spurts. Louder voices raised with an offering from a new quarter.
It was not easy to keep the ball rolling. The group saw too much of each other at work; perhaps they didn't know one another.
They kicked it along well enough, passing the ball off, doing their best.
The high point arrived after some lesser exchanges, some uninspired footwork and forced giggles.
The thigh-slapping, raucous laughter when it came boomed under the alcove and overran the noise of the buses and cars.
Ho-Ho-Ho. That was a good one. What a blast.
None of the five—no, six; one woman was hidden amongst them—felt able to offer anything further after an anecdote like that. Stinging silence following such hi-jinks. A fitting riposte after such riotous fun defeated every last one of them.
It was the grey-haired white guy in the striped shirt who had delivered it to the table. In his corner seat he sat helplessly with the rest afterward, craning his neck toward the roof, unable to help them. Not really his role now, but no one else could manage.
Clearly the elder in the group; a guest in fact.
Was there an element of politeness in the response? Man didn't seem to be the boss/manager.
Somehow a Porsche was involved in his gag; pronounced with the German inflection, although the man himself was English.
Other lunches and drinks this chap has joined at Raffles next door, where an expertly delivered story from his store has enlivened other gatherings.
Last weekend the manager of an auto dealership had taken out a Ferrari late night and smashed it up in the red-light district. All the guys would have seen the reports.
Excel came up subsequently; sales of some problematic kind. Certain prevailing conditions made that tough to move right now. Something like that.
Middle-aged; the Pom on a steeper slope than the rest. Families at home. Cost of living high in Singapore, especially given the expectation.
A reservoir of warmth was evident in the woman at the farewell not long after the Porsche story.
After a series of lulls, from one quarter of the table had come release.
Let's go.
The instant relief was shared by all.
The men were much more perfunctory in their farewells. In the case of the buck-toothed, horse-faced woman, a bright, rich charm flowed out.
The two beneficiaries received her swelling, lingering adieu stooping a little, gathering it to themselves.
The shaded corner at the edge of the awning over the pavement was charged with the woman’s pulse. How much she was able to draw up for them from her deep well of feeling.
Everywhere these people provide reminders of former ways, biz. types often included. Many were from humble stock, still new to the caper.
Singapore 2011-25
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