Oily
Rozana was fuming. She’d been hired to do social media for the department but had somehow ended up here, as a ‘PA’ but really a secretary. A government secretary. Farid would be so upset. At least he was out protesting black market human meat, genetically mutated organism coverups, and corrupt politicians. What did she have? Doing all the work of a kuih-munching tapir with the brain of a tree shrew. She felt bad immediately. She thought tapirs were cute. Every time Encik Din saw the cages — cells — filled with people, it brought to mind chickens coops or cow pens. Not that there were many of those anymore. After the border shutdowns caused by the ’20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in food scarcity all over the world, Malaysia didn’t see much beef. Rabbits, on the other hand — his wife was making rabbit rendang for dinner. The lack of beef rendang wasn’t the only thing that could be blamed on the more-or-less permanent border closures. His increased workload was the result of refugees fleeing countries that were already cruel, turned crueler with lack. People came in, legally, illegally, all expecting him to process them and give them a new life or decide to deport them. He just wanted to go home and watch RTM Awani. Thank goodness for people like the visitors today, taking bodies off his hands. His mind flinched away from acknowledging the true reasons they came: corruption, black market, exotic meats,
30
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs