The new guy wolfed down the Koko Krunch (a sweetened cereal) with the milk his parents brought him as though afraid we might grab it from him and have it for ourselves. We had formed a pretty nice and tight clique by this time, the only ones with cigarettes inside the center. Fong with the money, Ming with the means, Seng with the might and me.
I don’t know why they took a liking to me, to be honest. I was tough, and showed it when confronted the first time I went in. Respect? I asked at the end of my stay and it turned out that they found me “different” and “interesting”. I’m not the usual type found in drug rehabilitation centers. I’m intelligent and possess a certain charm that got us away with little more than a slap on the wrist from the center’s administration.
Different – that’s the quality that got me into the crème de la crème clique.
We have been watching the new kid for a while now; inmates tend to regards the newbies with more than a little suspicion, if not downright hostility. He doesn’t share his goods and eats his bowl of Koko Krunch TOGETHER with the center’s ration of noodles (for breakfast), rice (for lunch) and biscuits (for supper).
It’s a cardinal sin according to the law of the jungle, I mean, rehab.
He probably sensed our hostility towards him and made overt attempts to get back in our good books. He knows we’ve been smoking and wanted in. He has nothing to offer in return (and neither did I, and to this day I still wonder why I was invited in the first place) and his selfish acts did nothing to gain our favor. He’s also a methamphetamine user – as most of us in there are.
I think he figured out our rules the second time his parents visited him, bearing gifts of two extra large boxes of Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Flakes and 2 liters of milk. He quietly arranged five plastic bowls on the table after lunch and opened all two boxes and started dividing it into the five bowls.
Ming: What are you doing?
Newbie: It’s my treat, I want you all to have this too.
Fong: Never heard you say that the first time your parents gave you stuff.
Newbie: Well…now that I’ve gotten to know you guys better…
Me: I don’t feel like I know you at all.
Seng: Yeah, and don’t think we don’t know why you’re doing this. You want in on the cigarettes right?
Newbie: No, it’s not that at all…though it would be nice…
We proceeded to help ourselves to several bowls of the stuff. He only ate a single lonely bowl, taking care to choose the one with the least cereal inside in a last ditch attempt at establishing good will.
We never invited him to either our afternoon or night contraband cigarette breaks.
The rule of the jungle…
You’re either the pack of hyenas, or you’re the dead carcass.
This is the first post under the category FINE which is an acronym for:
Fiction Is Non Existent
I will write the entire experience in time, but meanwhile, anecdotes (short stories) are the way to go. I’ll see how the response is, in all honesty, I prefer to see this one published. 😉
Finally… 😉
I can’t wait for next parts =)
Law of the Jungle 101 states that you must Take what you want, when you want, how you want, whenever you want.
Good to see you’re back to writing some serious stuff.
Good luck with the new job and life with the missus.
Veeeeeerryyy Iiiiintereessting…
We do not carry KoKo Krunch in San Francisco and check Asian stores none to be found. That why you will do good in trading business. Online is good take order of request and using paypal.
Dude, the storyteller is alive! Please include that Listerine episode.
Been reading your blog for years since the good ol’ days, first time commenting though.
Anyway, these stories are good stuff. Keep em’ coming 🙂
The law of the jungle isn’t just in there…but out here too. It’s everywhere…but like the jungle, there are things that are good and those that are bad. We just look for the good ones. Hope you had a good 1st day at work yesterday. Gook luck and do take care there.
I guess they found something different in you. Maybe it’s your charm and your confidence. Well, I say you’re lucky. This is good stuff.
remember what i said about you being a survivor? 🙂
This entry is great. Keep it coming 🙂
HB ur back!….so love ur blog!
Hey! Didn’t know u r back until yesterday.
Good to see u and welcome back (although it’s more than 8 mths late).
Darren: Yeah, been taking my time eh? 😉
YingYang: Cheers! It’ll be up before this weekend.
Fist of Asia: Thanks for the support and for the well wishes, my friend.
Avi: It didn’t seem that interesting when I was in there, more like daily drama, but now that I’m out…with hindsight, it was kinda fun.
…and at least I’m clean now.
Amy: Yeah, it’s a local (or regional) cereal brand. 🙂
e: I am still alive and kicking, my friend. =D
The Listerine happened at another rehab, not this one. It would be a bit confusing for me to tell it in the same context but I’ll try. The Listerine happened at this rehab too, quite funny, will relate that soon.
Vincent: Thanks for the words of encouragement, my loyal reader. Cheers and have a great day!
suituapui: Thanks buddy. Work over here is HECTIC. Very, very fast paced. Good training grounds though. 🙂
eiling: I was confident going in, very unfazed, since it was the third rehab. Yeah, luck had to play a factor in my life as well. I’ve been reasonably lucky throughout my life. 🙂
essentric: Yeah, I guess that must be true. 😉
estherlei: Sure thing! Thanks for the kind compliments.
Tz: My friend, I’ve been back for about 8 months…
tEo: Better late than never buddy. Thanks for reading again. Cheers!
Yea 🙂
i started reading a blog when i was a newbie drug user.. and now i’ve gone all the way. talk about digging a hole so deep that you can’t climb out of it. deep inside i wish my parents would put me in rehab. i think. just to make sure that i go all the way with being clean. you are so lucky.
i started reading your blog when i was a newbie drug user.. and now i’ve gone all the way. talk about digging a hole so deep that you can’t climb out of it. deep inside i wish my parents would put me in rehab. i think. just to make sure that i go all the way with being clean. you are so lucky. i hope the same goes for us all.
DON: More to come! 🙂
jono: Yeah, same here…documenting my life…it’s so easy to dig your own hole. Hey, hope you get clean, sucks to be down there alone. Email me if you need to talk k?
All the best. 🙂
Great account you’ve hog
i wish you’d have written more of your experience in rehab. were you allowed internet excess?
*access. wtf, rookie spelling error. /facepalm
Hey pal, I was following your blog for a long time back when I did drugs and traveled Asia. I am now 13 years clean and sober, even quit cigarettes. I still remembered your blog and looked you up just now. How is everything?