Poor Rich Kid

Last tuesday there was a meeting between the company I work for and our local JV partner.

The attendees of the meeting were the board directors of the JV company and moi, the only small fish. However one director was missing and had informed he would be running late.

This "running late" director was appointed to the board by virtue of being the son of a director of a toll road company that had given our JV company the billboard concession along an elevated highway in Jakarta.

Confused? Don't worry. Understanding the above is not a pre-requisite to continue reading.

He's a young chap. Only 26 years old. I never could get along with him since the beginning. But of course, the "pelakon sinetron" in me takes over everytime we meet.

"Bapak ****, wahhh... udah kurus ya sekarang. Sering fitness ya? Bertambah cakep. Pasti ceweknya seneng"

"Bener? Bapak bikin SPT perusahaan sendiri? Wahhh... untung ada direktur yang pinter" (SPT is the annual corporate tax filing).

Berlakon. Nak hidup. Lihatlah Dunia!! (sambil imagine pegang award).

Occay. Almost an hour after the meeting convened, came in the young director clad in long sleeved batik. He sat himself at the head of the table.

Almost immediately, he started babbling about the JV company's changes in M&A. He took out a file from a paper bag full of documents (yes, he carried a paper bag into the meeting) and continued talking.

He had just hijacked the meeting, I said to myself.

I thought I was the only one who didn't understand what he was saying. When I looked around the table the other directors had the same baffled look on them.

So my eyes were back to this young director. I carefully studied him. Tenung tajam le kata orang kita.

His lips were quivering. His voice a bit shaky. He was slurring at times. Tremors in both hands.

Everyone's attention was fixed to the chap sitting at the head of the table, trying to figure out what in the friggin world he was talking about.

I just could not believe not even one of the other directors tried to stop this young director and ask what he was trying to say.

Fortunately, my boss managed to end the meeting in no time. My boss stood up and almost instantly everyone else stood up as well. Errr... except for the idiot at the head of the table, of course.

Well, my suspicion was right. This poor young man was high. He probably had taken it the night before and still had the effects on him.

Hmm.... macam cerita Yusof Haslam pulak. Anak orang kaya yang addicted to illegal substance. From the outside nampak happy but he's lonely and felt ignored by his parents. Tak cukup kasih sayang.

What's next? A. Galak come bursting in our next meeting to apprehend the suspect... Hmmm...

Sorry... My imagination on the loose.