'A Soup'

At five-twenty in the morning, the collective barks from various dogs around the vicinity of my neighborhood woke me. One went off and the rest followed - this unwelcome choir of strays and pets did serve a purpose: to ready me for sound-duty this morning (though slightly earlier than what I originally planned). I never knew we had so many strays roaming around - I could hear them almost right outside the house. It's only a matter of time that a band of residents would rise up and get an exterminator into the picture - it's happened before, in my grandmother's area, a few kilometers away - when there's too many strays.

By then, my formulated playlist consisting of two albums worth of what I deem to be suitable sleep-music had done its 1:47:07 length, and fragments of what I dreamt had followed me out to the waking world:

My company had a new director in: my Bahasa Melayu tuition teacher for almost three years during highschool - the world is getting smaller, I thought then, in the dream. I was supposed be lining up for something, along with the rest of my colleagues but I had to hide my Tong Sui (sweet soup) first. And so, I did - only to find that my ex-tuition teacher/new director was doing the same - we ended up in the same room (almost bare, save for the large desk in the middle, the interiors all white), with the same type of soup container - the one which my mother always uses for her soups.

"Hurry back into the line!" he shouted at me, his face creased into a frown. I left relieved, knowing that my dessert was in good hands.

When I returned to the place where I was supposed to be waiting with the others - the line was no more. Instead, everyone was crowding over what was taking place between two of my colleagues, both of whom were executives in the sales and marketing department. She was accusing him of poisoning two of her subordinates who were based in Thailand (or was it Cambodia?), and he with his demeanor: meek, even in this dream-world - hardly raised his voice in defense.

I was rooting for the guy and wondering if she was lying. But I never found out the dream-truth.

( _")