Two people with childhoods marked by parental absence struggle to give each other the emotional intimacy they both crave. They bond over shared workplace stress and childhood loneliness, then decide to cope by drinking and watching zombie shows instead of talking through it.
Chapters
Surprise!
Wow, why you got flowers? It's not even my birthday.
Of course it's your birthday because every day is your birthday.
Oh, so sweet. Oh, you know, um, that day my colleague was feeling a little sad.
Oh, what happened?
Yeah, she was just, you know, going through something and it reminds me when I was young. There was a period of time when my parents are having some financial difficulties. And I have to really be alone on my own because they are very busy at work. So yeah, I was just feeling went down that day.
Thanks for sharing with me. You know, when you share this information with me about your life, it reminds me of my father and me as well. He always feels that he's not good enough, and so he has to work really hard, and in the end, he's not never really home. Yeah, I can connect with you because it's like I feel so lonely as a child as well. And I'm glad you get to meet because now we are connected.
Yes! Some people are so jealous of our relationship because my friend was telling me the other day that she and her husband can never talk about such deep things.
Really? Oh, that makes us like soulmates.
Yes! I'm so glad I found you.
Yeah, me too. Dear, look what I got you.
What? Wah! Oh, sili ah, thank you.
Oh yeah, you're welcome.
Thank you.
So how's your day?
Very overwhelming. My work ah, wah, every day ah, it's like fighting a battle at work. Today exceptionally bad because wah, the deal didn't fall through right? Everybody at work is blackface ah. And then I come home, see the blackface of Abu. I go, child, blackface eh? Wah.
What happened to our boy? Why he's angry?
I don't know lah. I don't know.
You don't know?
How was your day? Don't talk about me, eh.
Oh, okay lah. Today, yeah, one of my friends— one of my colleagues lah. He's like my friend because we've been colleagues for so many years that he's always getting bullied by my boss.
Okay, so you're not happy, right? I also not happy. Come, let's drink. Come, let's watch zombie shows and drink. Don't talk already. Talk no use one. Let's just drink away the sorrows.
