The Tamil street wastrels on the corner back there had sourced themselves a fine, slim manikin from one of the stores over toward the river, the foul, stagnant channel. Presumably it had been discarded; these were not rowdy, wild kinda guys. Once propped against the wall at their nook, the blouse of the babe was brought down to modestly cover her chest. A little trophy seized. The lads’ tenderness and feeling had not been stripped from them by the dirty, ragged street. Mornings the guys took up positions on that wide corner like the cowboys of old on a stake-out, 5-6 of them ready for custom. Far too many here for purpose, but that was no never mind. Others took up places further down toward the river. Their operation worked a large car-parking area, where the regularity suggested reliable returns were involved. Mornings greetings were always offered in the passes, warm and bright greetings that rather embarrassed a chap who could not quite return in kind; who had turned into that elegant, enviable gentleman / Boss living the life. (The new white panama with the black ribbon was a glory.) Have a good day for you, one little guy has thrice now offered over the single week. A younger on the other side toward Muthu showed his gleaming pearlers on every occasion. (Hiding the gaping dentistry now includes even the street people.) No sign of unruliness among these men, nor any sign of the juice – their thirsts were likely slaked at night. Usually one or two were stretched out on their cardboard at a recessed entryway against one of the shuttered shops. Often there was not even that cushioning and awkward postures could be maintained for 2-3 hours. Landlords in that quarter were awaiting their chance with the Mainland Chinese investment a stone’s throw away toward the water, the Sing towers directly opposite. In the evenings the lads gathered the blue notes from the drivers they had helped steer their chariots and shared the toddy from the traders on Ah Fook, over the bridge. The police HQ sat just the other side of the block by the river, the officers there never called upon at the other end. The lads do no one any harm.
Johor Bahru, ML
