FUTURE IS FOR THE FUCKING BRAVE

Here it goes. 19th December 2007. The motherfucking black wednesday.

Started work in the bar at 6pm. Everything started quite alright. Just like any normal days. Untill...

I had to photocopy some documents in the office. Looking at the security cameras recording everybody moves in cafe del mar, my attention was focus on the office camera recording it's front door. I saw one of my bar colleuges on the camera, Ricky was the bloke's name.

I turn around and Ricky told me ever so politely, "Zul, Mr ken is looking for you". The first thing that when through my mind was "Did someone faint? Or did someone complain about the drinks? It couldn't be me cause i haven't made any drinks since i started work. Well even if i did not make any drinks, it is still my responsibility if something stupid happens. Better get this paperwork over and done with" So i rush out of the office, not in haste and not too slow.

Ken was in the bar checking the equipments. The only thing i did once i step in the bar was to say "Ken, you looking for me?" He quickly replied asking me about the cleanliness of the bar yada yada yada and that Prima Deli is under investigation for food poisoning. In my heart i kept asking myself that cleanliness should be check like once a week or twice a month at least. Not until some Prima Deli place gets it than we start moving our asses. I think it must be a Japanese thing. I hope so, than i would at least think that Ken is still a bright fellow.

Than he drop me a really tricky question. "Zul whats the co2 opitimum guage ar?". I mean wow Ken you got me stump. I had to think quickly and i replied in a not very smart way "Erm i'm not really sure" and he gave me a not really smart answer in return, "Wow bartender also don't know ar! Go ask your captain ar!" Thanks Ken you're the best.

So he checked the front and the back of the bar. He instructed me to clear the shit at the back. I did that. He ask me whether this certain kind of bill folder was still in use when he found it stash in the drawer under the cash register. I say i go ask Ju whether she's using it still. Than he left. UP YOURS KEN!!!

A couple of minutes later Ju walked past the bar. I showed her what i did to her back area cash register. She nod. I told her about the bill folder. She ask me where is it. I say i passed to Alex. I ask Alex. He told me that he think Ken took it already. So i ask Ju to double check with ken on what to do with this certain kind of bill folder before anyone decides to throw it away. She nod and say okay.

Now this is the best part. Ken came storming to the bar like a fuming japanese emperor who thought i cheated on his othello game. "Wow Zul, play ball ar?! Why you told Ju that i take the bill folder ar!! I where got take ar!!" Now at this moment i was like what the fuck man and in a split second while i tried to explain that Alex told me otherwise, Ricky who was on my left, took the bill folder from under the fridge and when "It's here" (Thanks Ricky you're the best). Ken,"There blah blah blah, yada yada yada arrrrrrrrr" Got it twice in a row from him. Ken is the champion!

I was piss. Not piss as in i'm going to kill your family kind of thing but piss as in pissing piss. Short and warm. Next up was the episode when i shouted at my china bar back.

3 times!! 3 times i told him to top up the fridge so that he can go back on the dot at 8pm. And 3 times, 3 times he when back to wiping the wall. I shouted. I don't regret that i shouted at him but i regretted not talking to him slowly, word by word to t o p u p t h e f r i d g e. NEXT BETTER EPISODE..

A group of young foreign people came up to the bar, 2 of the blokes ordered 2 shots of grey goose. Yes Sir right way Sir after you show me your fucking IDs (i whisper under my breath) "Can i see your IDs" was what i really said. The ID slip from one of the guys hand and it when straight into the ice bin. Now slip and throw is two really different thing but i would like to call it throw just for the fun of starting a fight. "Sir" i raise my voice slightly, "I don't think you need to throw your card at me" saying it while pointing my finger (the second not the middle) at his long nose. "Well" he said in his accent "I must have buttery fingers". Now pause for awhile. At that very moment, at that second i wanted to jump over the bar and give him a stone cold stunner but i didn't cause Xander was looking at me. Xander like to look cause he's a looker. So i didn't do anything but someone certainly made things worse for me and it's non other than the japanese guy himself.

Ken, yes ken had to come in this picture as well. ZUL DON'T SERVE THEM YET AR>BUT KEN I'VE CHECK THEIR ID ALREADY>WHY YOOOOO CHECKKKKK ARRRRR!!! GOT SECURITY FOR WHAT AEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
The only thing i did after that was to wave at him and smile. My anger has taken a back seat. My anger is useless. It has lost it's mojo at that very instance.

End of the night i got a block nose and luckily nothing major happen at work like maybe a japanese flag caught fire or something. Nope that didn't happen but got a block nose still. Got change and walked to our company transport for our tour-like ride home. Block nose still there. Tour-like as in tour-like slow. Nose still. I, Kathi, Mez and Song decided although not willingly to go for supper to go for supper anyway. Am still blocked. Song took the front seat so i decided to seat behind him. Blocked. When in. Still can smell anything. Hey why is the cushion damp? Still can't smell. With further investigation i realised that i just touch a seat covered with PUKE!! BLOOOOOOOOOOOCKED NOOOOOSE!!!

God damn it. I quickly when out of the transport, almost puking myself, "THERE'S PUKE IN YOUR VAN FRANCIS!!!!" "WHYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!". kathi when to investigate with francis. The rest all went "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE". At the end of that episode the four of us decided to take another vehicle and thanks to Kathi we alighted at Vivocity to take cab to our supper destination at Kallang. Got blocked nose still and puke soaked hand.

Fast forward a little. Was joking in the cab how bad and so wrong my day could end up and we had a little laugh when someone said that my food will have onions cause i hate onions and my tea will have ginger cause i had ginger. "CLOSE!!" Kathi shouted in the cab. Close? What close?. I turn my head to the coffeeshop. ARGH The coffeeshop is close. Today is eve of Hari Raya Haji. Numb. I just when numb. Numb like times when you squeeze your upper and lower lip together. I was speechless. Just numb.

I started to get moody. We alighted at Geylang instead. We walk around and we still can't believe why nobody had forsee that Kallang would be close tonight. I didn't have a clue neither did anyone else.

We walk for quite abit. Decided to settle for this shop around lorong 10 i think cause it was showing football and the street hawker was selling carrot cake. Started talking about work, my unlucky day and the future for the four of us. To be honest i couldn't concentrate on the conversation. Was dumbfounded on how my day had turn out the way it is. And being a guy who believes in signs and celestial prophecies yada yada yada, i was just trying to figure out what has just happen. Decided i was too overwhelmed to decipher anything, i decided to refocus my energy and watch football instead. Than..

BOOM! Blackout. The coffeshop when dark, the tv off and me? Well this was a whole new level of things that in two simple word best describe today's unfortunate events,BLACK WEDNESDAY.