Lion Boy and Drummer Girl

by Pauline Loh

  “Mum will stay in Singapore to take care of you,” Dad told Ricky. “Now that I know you’re okay, I have to get back to Hong Kong because I left a few things unattended when I suddenly flew out here.” He turned to Lung San. “But before I leave, there are a few people I must visit.”

  Lung San nodded. He looked at Ricky and said, “I think we need to bring Ricky with us.”

  Mrs Kang protested, “Boy Boy needs to rest!” But Ricky shook his head. “Dad is only going to be here for a few hours more. I want to spend time with him.”

  CHAPTER 54

  THE LION’S PHYSICIAN

  After dropping Mrs Kang off at the hotel, Lung San drove the three men in the rented car to an old part of town and parked in front of a dingy coffee shop. It had cracked black-and-white floor tiles and fluorescent lights that buzzed fitfully. Red and yellow neon lights proudly spelt out the shop name, Koh Sinseh’s Beer Garden. Posters of models, who sported hairstyles and make-up from an era when Ricky had not yet been born, advertised cigarettes and beer on the walls.

  A short elderly man with extremely bowed legs, in a stained white singlet and striped pyjama pants, waddled out from the kitchen. The man’s upright bearing showed that he had had extensive martial arts experience.

  “Shishu!” Mr Kang surged forward to engulf the little man in a bear hug.

  Ricky recognised the elder. He was one of an elite club of old men, revered seniors in the martial arts world, who could stroll into a theatre midway through a performance and instantly be guaranteed a front-row seat, even if an unlucky ticketed patron had to be booted out to make room for him. He was also a renowned traditional Chinese physician.

  The old man was offended that Mr Kang had not visited him earlier. Lung San protested, “Shishu, Yong Gu lives in Hong Kong.”

  Mr Kang shook his head. “No, Shishu is right. I have been tardy.” He rushed to the car and opened the boot. He came back to the table with a bottle of Courvoisier and presented it to Koh Sinseh with both hands. Koh examined the cognac critically, then gave it a grunt of approval. He passed the bottle to his bartender, who stored it in a glass-fronted cabinet along with other bottles of Courvoisier, Martell and alcohol normally drunk only by older men.

  Mollified, Koh beckoned the three men to sit down. “Three beers, please,” Mr Kang told the bartender. Koh looked pointedly at Ricky and said, “I don’t serve babies.”

  Mr Kang clapped his son so hard on his back that Ricky coughed. “Shishu, let me introduce my son to you. Do you recognise him from the news? Maybe you saw him doing…this?”

  Mr Kang got up and did a slow, clumsy version of Lion Skips like the Ram. Ricky put his hands over his eyes. “Dad, please stop!” he pleaded.

  Koh laughed and stood up. “No, no, you got it wrong! It went like this.” Then he launched into a bandy-legged interpretation of Lion Skips. Lung San clapped, hugely enjoying his brother’s and uncle’s performances. He, too, jumped to his feet and started beating out a bass accompaniment on the marble table while the two men pirouetted solemnly among the tables and chairs.

  Ricky winced with embarrassment and avoided the eyes of the bartender, who he was sure was sniggering. After the three men had exhausted themselves, they collapsed back onto their stools and took long draughts of Koh’s icy cold beer.

  Lung San asked, “Shishu, can you please take a look at Ricky’s leg?”

  Ricky propped his leg up and Koh Sinseh inspected it. He nodded as Lung San described how Ricky had injured himself. Lung San ended by saying, “The hospital doctors are saying that our Ricky may never dance again. What do you think, Shishu?”

  Koh Sinseh fumed. He spat loudly into a spittoon that his long-suffering bartender had placed under the table. “These Chinese boys go off to Western universities and fill their brains with white man trash! What do they know about the bodies of lion dancers? I, Koh Sinseh of the Wudang Clan and a trained doctor with 50 years of experience, will personally supervise this boy’s recuperation. Then we’ll go in our lion skins to break down their precious hospital doors and dance on the doctors’ graves!”

  Lung San cheered. “That’s exactly what I told our Ricky,” he said, although Ricky was sure that he had not couched it in such bloodthirsty terms.

  “Shishu, watch your blood pressure,” Mr Kang murmured, massaging Shishu’s shoulders.

  But Koh Sinseh was well and truly riled. He slapped his bandy legs. “You see these legs?” he demanded of Ricky, “Some doctors brainwashed by the West took X-rays of them and predicted that I would spend my old age in a wheelchair. Wheelchair! Ptooi!” He spat again.

  “Let me show you what these legs can do!” he roared.

  “Your blood pressure!” Mr Kang pleaded.

  Koh Sinseh ignored him. He got up and moved into a routine based on the ma bu (horse stance), keeping his body straight and his torso taut. Ricky heard the whoosh of displaced air as Koh thrust his muscular arms outwards. He could feel the power emanating from the man’s shadow punches. And, despite the dozens of chairs and tables cluttering the coffeeshop, Koh flitted among them as lightly as a butterfly.

  Finally, he settled into a horse stance with his legs spread and knees locked. He commanded Lung San, “Come!”

  “Don’t make me do this,” Lung San protested. But he obediently ran at Koh Sinseh, stepping lightly onto his rock-hard thighs and then up onto his shoulders, where he stood for a full second before dismounting gently. Koh stood stolidly under Lung San’s full weight.

  Ricky rocketed up from his chair and applauded Koh Sinseh. Beside him, his father wolf-whistled.

  Now that he had shown off what he could do, Koh staggered dramatically to a nearby stool. “Aiyoh, my poor back. Why did you force me to show my power? Are you trying to kill an old man?”

  He gestured to the well-trained bartender, who brought him a bottle of ointment. Koh Sinseh uncapped it and a sharp smell assailed Ricky’s nose. Koh splashed a generous amount of ointment onto his hands. Instead of applying it on himself, he commanded Ricky, “Put up your leg.”

  Koh Sinseh dug the fingers of both hands firmly into Ricky’s thigh. He proceeded to knead Ricky’s leg thoroughly from thigh to calf. It was torture. Shishu’s strong fingers burrowed deeply between Ricky’s sinews. The pain was so profound that Ricky’s hair stood on end. And yet, after the tsunami of agony had subsided, what followed was a blissful euphoria.

  “How does that feel?” Shishu asked Ricky.

  Ricky said wonderingly, “There’s no more pain!”

  Shishu said, “Come back twice a week for the next few weeks, and we’ll make this leg as good as new.”

  CHAPTER 55

  HELP ME WIN HER HEART

  The men celebrated their reunion with rounds of beer at Koh Sinseh’s Beer Garden, except for Ricky, who had a soft drink. Ricky decided to ask his elders about something that had been bugging him.

  “You guys have had a lot of experience with women. How would you advise a young man to win a girl’s heart?”

  Mr Kang puffed out his chest proudly. “I may not be a great lion dancer, but I definitely know the ladies.”

  Lung San held up a remonstrating finger. “Nope, I know more ladies than you do.”

  Mr Kang ignored him. “Roses. You like a girl, you give her roses, lotsh of them.”

  Ricky frowned. His father had had one glass too many and was slurring. Ricky discreetly shifted the beer bottle away.

  Lung San pointed to the ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. “No. A wedding ring, that’s the ticket.”

  Mr Kang looked alarmed. “No, no. Roses first. Wedding ring lastsh. They’ll shackle you for life!”

  Lung San jutted out his jaw. “Do you know what I’d give to be shackled like you? A nice-smelling woman to come home to after work, who’ll rock you to sleep, and hug you when you win the trophy.”

  Ricky put his fingers in his ears. The conversation was not going the way he wanted. Shifu looked around for the bottle, saw where Ricky had hidde
n it and morosely sloshed himself a full glass.

  Ricky decided he had to be more direct. “What about a girl…like Ying Ying? How would a man go about winning a girl like her?”

  “Is he talking about your daughter?” Mr Kang asked Lung San.

  Lung San said determinedly, “No lion dancers! Her mother said so. The man who wants to court my daughter has to be totally devoted to her and blind, deaf and dumb to all other women. Oh yes, and make a good living so that my little girl doesn’t have to worry about money for the rest of her life.”

  Mr Kang clasped Lung San’s shoulder. “I know lotsh of rich men. I will introduce their sons to you.”

  Lung San pulled Mr Kang into a sloppy hug and said emotionally, “Do you promise? You’ll be my girl’s matchmaker?”

  Ricky interrupted loudly, “What if it’s me? Will you help me to win her heart?”

  Mr Kang cast his arms up in joy. “You like Ying Ying? My son, and my brother’s daughter! A match made in heaven! I will give you an allowance for life, and Lung Ge wouldn’t ever have to worry about his daughter.”

  Now it was Mr Kang’s turn to pull Lung San into a hug. But Lung San was still caught up in his own boozy train of thought. “No lion dancers. Her mother said so,” he muttered.

  Ricky threw up his hands. “You guys are no help at all! I’ll figure this out on my own.”

  CHAPTER 56

  AN UNWORTHY LION HEAD

  While holed up in his mother’s hotel room, Ricky had received news that Elite Hospital had lodged a police report against Sly Seetoh for trespassing. Sly had been fired from his company, but Ricky could not find it in his heart to be sorry for the unscrupulous man.

  Boss Ang had announced to the media that Ricky was back in Singapore and organised a press conference in Hot Plaza during which Ricky recited the brief speech that Boss Ang had written for him. Ricky remained seated throughout the event, his bum leg out of sight under the cloth-covered table.

  “I was very honoured to represent Singapore in Taiwan. Now that I am back, I plan to take a short break to reflect on my next move.”

  Privately, Boss Ang had chewed Ricky out, “How could you discharge yourself from hospital without my permission? What if somebody had spotted you?”

  “I think my parents have the right, more than you do, to make medical decisions for me. Besides, you were uncontactable.”

  Boss Ang bristled. “Taiwan boosted Hot’s popularity, and I was busy networking. Did you expect me to sit by your hospital bed and hold your hand?”

  Ricky decided to change the topic. “Sounds like a lot of promising events are coming up. So when is my next gig?”

  Boss Ang pointed at the crutch Ricky was leaning on. “How can I put you in a show with your leg like that?”

  Ricky looked woebegone. “The doctors say I will probably never dance again.”

  Boss Ang looked uncomfortable. “Maybe you should take a break and further your studies, like Zeus.”

  On the front page of the newspapers on Boss Ang’s desk was a large photo of Zeus shaking hands with the country’s president. The photo caption read: “Athlete and lion dance idol Lim Jung Hyuk wins the elite President’s Service Scholarship.”

  Ricky almost smirked, but schooled his expression. He had bet with Ying Ying on how soon Boss Ang would bring Zeus into the conversation. He sighed, “It’s so unfair. Zeus has looks and brains. The female undergrads were throwing themselves at him at the awards ceremony. I heard that President’s Service Scholars all end up as ministers, or heads of banks and MNCs.”

  Boss Ang said shortly, “If you see him, ask him to come by. Stellar will be back for a short break and I’ll like to bring the two of them out for tea.”

  “I reckon his schedule is really full, but I’ll check with him.” Ricky stretched his leg and groaned. “It hurts when I stand for too long. I’d better go home and put this leg up.”

  Boss Ang looked relieved and pumped his hand. “Rest well,” he urged.

  Ricky limped out of the gate and around the corner until Hot Plaza was out of sight. An old man sat at a roadside stall selling newspapers. Ricky handed the crutch to him. “Uncle, thanks for lending me this.”

  All traces of the limp gone now, Ricky hopped onto the motorbike he had parked nearby and roared away. He was due for his “physiotherapy” with Koh Sinseh, who had fed him tonics and massaged his leg a few times, but then the older man had said, “Enough pampering.” He’d then put Ricky on an intensive training regime to make up for the weeks his muscles had been atrophying when he had been laid up.

  Koh was more of a martial arts exponent than a dancer. With his deep understanding of human physiology, he was teaching Ricky many new things. Ricky looked forward to his sessions yet he could not help but groan—Koh Sinseh’s training was even more brutal than Shifu’s!

  CHAPTER 57

  THE RIVAL WHO WON’T LEAVE

  Later that day, Ricky headed back to Legends Hall. Now, he was truly limping. Every part of him hurt after Koh’s training sessions. He hobbled into the courtyard and saw Hercules supervising Hodge and the other pole trainees.

  A couple of months ago, the trainees had been weedy boys who goofed around, could not differentiate a flagpole from a clothes pole, and tripped over their own sticks. But they had bulked out from weight training and the diet that Hercules had put them on, and they now handled the poles as if they were extensions of their own arms.

  Ricky swaggered up to Hercules. “The exchange between Legends and Hot is over. Boss Ang no longer wants me, so I guess you’ll have to go back. It’s been nice knowing you.”

  Ricky stuck out his hand for a farewell shake. Hercules raised his brows and ignored Ricky’s hand. “I think I will stick around for a while. Ying Ying needs me to whip these toddlers in shape for the Pole War. She also mentioned painting the hall and wants me to choose the colours with her.”

  Ricky scowled ferociously. “You’re just making that up.”

  Hercules smiled patiently, as if he were dealing with a child. “Why would I do that? It’s natural she would consult me—after all, I am now a full-fledged Legend.” He pulled a letter from his pocket and showed it to Ricky. Ricky saw that it was Hercules’ employment contract, signed by Lung San.

  “But…your contract is with Hot!”

  “It expired a long time ago. Boss Ang never bothered to renew it. So I’m a free man who has decided to return to my old hall.”

  Ricky stomped away, then he whirled around and confronted Hercules again. “Bro, let’s get some things straight. I’m grateful that you protected Ying Ying from Boss Ang all those years ago…”

  Hercules lost his smugness and looked shocked.

  “Yes, I know about what happened, because Shifu told me. But if she wants new colours for the hall, it is I who will choose them with her, not you.”

  Hercules was unfazed. “Really? I don’t think Aunt Nara shares your confidence.”

  Ricky paled. A few days ago, he had taken his father’s advice and shown up at Ying Ying’s house with a bouquet of roses. But it was a disastrous move. Aunt Nara opened the door, looked at Ricky’s bouquet, then narrowed her eyes.

  “Are you dating my daughter?”

  He cleared his throat nervously. “I like your daughter very much. She likes me too.”

  “I thought you were dating an actress called Sassy in Taiwan?”

  “Oh that? Haha. You should not believe everything you read, Aunt Nara. It was just a PR thing.”

  “Um hmm. Jessica Yeo of Leopop News is my ex-colleague. She tells me that you are very nice to her. Is that PR too?”

  “Yes! But I can stop being nice to her, Aunt Nara! I will be nice only to Ying Ying! My feelings towards your daughter are sincere!”

  But it was no use. He had seen the cold finality in her eyes. Now, he looked suspiciously at Hercules. “Have you been talking to Aunt Nara about me and Ying Ying?”

  For once, Hercules looked compassionate. He shook his head and said, �
��Aunt Nara told Shifu that she’s bringing Ying Ying overseas to study and to ‘clear her head of lion dance’. Her boyfriend has a Canadian passport and Aunt Nara may move there with Ying Ying. Aunt Nara is in Shifu’s office now.”

  Ricky hurried, panic-stricken, towards Shifu’s office. Just when he had finally persuaded Ying Ying to give their relationship a chance, was he going to lose her? Lung San sat with his head on his desk. Ricky rushed forward in alarm.

  “Shifu, what’s wrong?”

  CHAPTER 58

  LOSING HIS DRUMMER GIRL

  “Argh! My wife! My daughter! They’re at the airport! With him!”

  “Already?! But Ying Ying never even mentioned anything.”

  “The three of them… I cannot bear to think about it. I’ve lost my wife and daughter. To an accountant!”

  “We must stop them!”

  “It’s no use. He has money, investments, a house in Canada!” Lung San put his head down on his arms again.

  Ricky squared his jaw. “Shifu, it’s not too late. I can still catch them at the airport.” He rushed out of Legends Hall, hopped on his bike and roared towards the airport.

  Ricky dashed towards the departure gate. When he scanned the information board, his blood ran cold when he saw that passengers were already boarding the flight. He speed-dialled Ying Ying’s number and cursed when he got an automated message saying the number could not be reached.

  He went to the reception counter for the airline of Ying Ying’s flight and asked for them to page passenger Ong Ying Ying. Nobody answered the page. Ricky collapsed onto a chair in despair.