Fish

[rocha]

"My name is Fish", she said with a  smile.
We sat at a roadside bar watching the endless
stream of evening traffic pass by. Fish was our
waitress. She is 21 yrs old but looks more
like a 15 yrs old boy with her hair styled
like an extra from an 80's  Prince video.
She happily chats to us , but keeps one eye
for her boss.
"He don't like me spending too much time
at one table", says Fish.
Fish is a smart cookie. She would look at home
on the streets of London , Paris or New York.
"You should go to the Night Market. It
is very cheap...lots of bargains...keep your
money safe...many pick-pockets...and don't
get into yellow taxis....they will kill you".
      Out of the corner of my eye I see a
young man running along the side walk.
He looks Chinese and he is carrying a four-pack
of beers. Apart from his unkempt attire,
he has the look of a long distance runner
on the final lap of a tough race. A few steps
behind him and looking equally exhausted...
a shop worker wields the largest baseball bat
I have ever seen.
"If he catches him...he will beat his brains
out", says Fish.
The Police in Kuala Lumpur are happy to
let shopkeepers exact their own brand of
justice. We say a silent prayer for the
Chinese youth whose prize seems hardly
worth the risk and notice the trickle of
gentle amusement around the bar. I
ask Fish if she likes working here.
" It's ok....one day I will meet a rich
American...who will spoil me", she laughs
and we hope her wish comes true.
Her boss is circling....he mutters some
grim words .... she nods her head and
moves on. She wants to stay and chat
but her boss has his eye on her.
The young people flock to the city.
They have abandoned the countryside.
They search for fame and fortune
as advertised on T.V.
We finish our drinks and get ready
to explore more of the city.
We liked Fish and wish her well.
Kuala Lumpur is one of
the beautiful dangerous cites of
South Asia. A city of extremes like
so many others. The very ancient and
the ultra modern...the super rich and
the very poor...thrown together in a taste
of the future.

[vulcan13]

I like this Rocha, it is very interesting particularly to someone like me who has never really traveled. The only thing i will say is that the end sorta fades off instead of... well ending with a bang. That's fine if that was your intention. Otherwise it is a pretty picture! Thanks for sharing.

[rocha]

Thanks Vulcan..... kind of you to reply. There is so much to see in the world and so little time to do it.

[whisper]

I liked it, Rocha, it seemed to me like the type of writing that is an innocent story on the outside yet is trying to teach a lesson if you think about it. Like, by changing circumstances or settings, it can be seen more clearly. I like doing that, too. Very interesting!

[blackandwhite]

I agree with whisper with the whole innocent story on the outside, but some hidden message in the inside.
I liked it. It was a nice little read.
The name I found was also intriguing