100th (OK, 104th) Post Observation

I'd hit my 100th post 3 posts ago and had no clue till today. I decided that I could either post a crash shot recipe or go on a rant. I decided to go with the latter. Partly because it's a bit too early to cook and I am still trying to finish the previous night's leftovers.


But mostly because I had inadvertently hit on the kids channel on local telly. Yes, that is always cause for me to rant and rue except this was worse. The moment I heard the tell-tale over the top cheeriness and high-pitched whining unique to kids programmes and Chinese variety shows, I peered fearfully at the screen. Only to see a face I thought I would never have the misfortune to see again.


No, not my ex-husband although the sentiment is the same. A bald, grinning face beamed at me from my screen. At first glance, the man appeared innocuous with an almost child-like ingenuity perfect for a kids programme celebrity. However, I knew belying that outward congeniality was a sexual predator of the worst ilk.


More than a decade ago, I was at a house party with some friends and we were imbibing a fair bit, as you do. After a while, the boyfriend of a close friend asked if I had seen his erstwhile significant other. Imagining her drunk in some corner slurring nonsensical one-liners to some poor, unsuspecting soul, I assured him that she would not have left the party without us. Furthermore, the party was full of people we knew and saw on a fairly regular basis so I stupidly assumed that she would be safe.


How naive and foolish we are in our youth, believing that we are invincible and that the world is our oyster. You know that kairos moment? The ancient Greeks put much stock in a cosmically significant moment in each individual's life when a split decision or action would define the reason of his/her existence. I think it is possible to have more than one kairos moment. That night was one.


Ever the peacock, I sought to refresh my lipstick and muddled along to the bedroom designated as the handbags and coat room. Despite my half-inebriated state, I was a fairly silent plodder and when I entered the room, the two figures on the bed did not notice my unannounced entrance. My instinctive and initial response was to mutter an embarrassed apology and make a hasty exit. Then I recognised the bottom figure. It was my missing girlfriend and she was much the worse for wear.


From her inability to focus, her nervous giggles, hiccups, flushed face and alarming signs of impending nausea, I knew she was completely sloshed. Sadly, this was not an unfamiliar sight. What was unusual was the fact that the man on top of her - aggressively trying to peel her clothes of her and with his hands in more places than a frisky octopus - was not her boyfriend. In fact, it was a casual acquaintance. Yes, the present children's programme celebrity.


Back then he was just a struggling artiste. To this day, I still feel a sense of overwhelming nausea at the thought of how I spent time discussing art and viewing the works with this slimeball. In fact, I even dated his housemate and I remember being very uncomfortable when he was around. But never would I have expected to find him attempting to rape some drunk, defenceless woman.


Initially, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I sharply told him that her boyfriend was looking for her and it would be wise of them to desist before they were found out. I announced that I was going to bring my friend to the loo to freshen up and I would appreciate him getting off her. Any civility was thrown out the window when he told me to butt out and to stop being an busybody. He declared that she was asking for it and told me to get out. That was it. The gloves were off.


I am ashamed to admit that I resorted to violence. I violently grabbed him by the shoulder and began to pummel him with my handbag. I know. So girly but my handbag was a hard case, coconut shell which I thought would do a lot more damage than my fists. And I had just done my nails that day.


Fortunately, or unfortunately, my friend's boyfriend appeared at that moment. He sussed out the situation at a quick glance. I think it could have been because I was calling the rapist-wannbe some very bad names and pummeling and kicking him with my sharp-toed boots. Despite his smaller size, the boyfriend took over. I am not sure if he resorted to the same physical violence as I but I knew he definitely had words with the vermin. Leaving the boys to sort themselves out, I half dragged, half carted my girlfriend to the loo to sober her up.


I really felt sorry for her as she began to realise the enormity of what almost happened to her as sobriety started to creep up on her. The inevitable discussion with the boy friend was also something I did not envy her.


Fortunately, their relationship survived although they did break up later. We saw the miserable sod who tried to violate her a few times after that at other social events but we never spoke to him again. And he never dared to acknowledge our presence. Partly because I would always glare balefully at him every time I saw him. Suffice to say, a respectable distance was maintained by all parties after the attempted rape.


Years later, I would not have imagine seeing him on telly. In the same town at that! Talk about a small world. What's even more galling and scary is that he is on a children's programme. The idea makes my skin crawl and every nerve in my body is screaming in horror. It 's like putting Hannibel Lecter in a roomful of tender-fleshed infants.


It is true there is no justice in the world then. I had to turn my telly off as I feared the evil permeation of that manifestation. And now I have to take a walk to rid myself of the nausea and disgust at such an ungodly twist of fate.


Normal food posting will resume when I can put down food without barfing.

Categories - Rambling Prose