Roaring Forties

My very first encounter with a prostitute was when I was 13 years old.

At that time I had a hockey game to attend at the NS Padang. I took the STS (yellow) bus and dropped off at the bus station next to the Malabar Restaurant. From there, I decided to walk past four blocks of shop houses starting from Birch Road towards Paul Street. As I was late, I decided to take a short cut through the back lanes and past the infamous “jalan belakang mati” lane at the back of Jalan Tuan Sheikh. 

It was only 3 in the afternoon but there were already 3 ladies sitting along the infamous lane. One of the ladies called out to me, “Boy! Where are you going?”

She was a thirty plus Malay lady, plumpish with brown frizzy hair. I recalled her size quite well because she looked like kinda big next to me as I was only 5′ 2″ then. Her hair was out of the world, something like Diana Ross of the Supremes. 

I answered “Oh! I am going for a hockey game”.

She said, “Come here, Boy!”

I stopped in my tracks wondering why was she asking me to go to her. I asked “Why?”

She repeated softly “Come here!”

I obediently went to her. After all she was an adult, weren’t we supposed to obey adults?!

She got up from her seat and took my hand.

She said, “Come!” and she led me into the building through the back door. The darkness hit me instantly! I could not see where I was going but I followed her with her holding firmly on to my hand.

She opened a door and by then, my eyes became accustomed to the dim lighting. I could see that it was a small room, spartanly furnished with only a bed and a side table.

Another lady who was with her in the back lane came into the room as well. There I was with two ladies of pleasure in a small room.

I was still an innocent 13 year old who has not known the full facts about sex. I have an inkling but not the full picture. At that point in time, I had no idea what the lady wanted.

I asked her “Yes!”

She smiled at me and sat on the bed.

She asked me, “Come! Sit down!” patting on the bed to indicate that I should sit next to her.

The other lady who was standing behind me and suddenly touched my shoulder. I turned around and looked at her. Standing lady did not say anything. She just smiled at me. The kind of smile you get from someone who wanted something from you.

I turned back to the sitting lady and asked again, ” What do you want?”

She smiled sweetly at me and made a circle with her left index finger and thumb while pushing her right index finger through the circle.

I was tired of the game she was playing as I really didn’t know then what she wanted and  I was teribbly late for my game.

I then said, ” Maam, I am very sorry but I am very late for my game.”

I rushed out and I could hear her calling out “Wait, wait!”

It only hit me what she wanted after I left the building. With my limited knowledge of sex, I put two and two together and I realised then that she wanted to do it with me.

With  my virginity intact, I joined the hockey game which had already started. I remember Dave was annoyed with my tardiness and commented ”Where the fuck were you?”  I did not tell him.