Thursday, February 5, 2015
Promoting Bitter
Bitter, my new book under Merpati Jingga features a collection of my stories. My publisher, Faisal Mustaffa informs me that Bitter
is currently selling at the Pesta Buku Selangor at Pusat
Konvensyen SACC Shah Alam, Selangor Malaysia from now till Feb 8 ( this weekend)... To promote my book, I will be showcasing a snippet from one of the stories that is featured in Bitter.
All About My Mother
By Bissme S
“You are too beautiful to belong to one man.You should become a prostitute.”
The first time I heard those words, I was only thirteen.I was having a dinner with my parents in a restaurant. A tall man in a blue jacket sat at the table next to us.The tall man in the blue jacket had been staring at my mother from the moment we entered the restaurant.
When we finished our dinner, the tall man in the blue jacket stood up and approached our table. Looking at my mother, he said: “You are too beautiful to belong to one man. You should become a prostitute.”
There was complete silence at our table. None of us knew what to say to him. We just stared at him.
The man in the blue jacket had big smile on his face. Slowly, he
turned around and walked out of the restaurant, laughing loudly.
After the strange incident in the restaurant, our lives were never the same again. My mother stopped being a wife. My mother stopped being a mother. My mother abandoned us. My mother became a prostitute....... to read more, grab a copy of Bitter
Monday, February 2, 2015
25 Quotes From Bitter
My publisher Merpati Jingga has done their job - publishing my book, Bitter. Now it is my job to promote the book Bitter. So I am highlighting 25 quotes from my book Bitter. Currently, my book Bitter is selling at Pesta Buku Selangor, till February 8. Grab a copy of Bitter at Rm 21. Enjoy these quotes.
1) We are not meant to love one person for the rest of our lives.
2) It is not every day you get a chance to paint a man who hanged himself.
3) Some people will see what I have done as cruel and utterly mad.But most people don’t understand that every great art must have a touch of cruelty and madness.
4) Tragedies have shaped some of the best artists in
the world. You should make good use of your tragedy.
5) I was depressed. I missed my husband. I missed my friends. I
wanted to kill myself. But killing yourself is not easy. You need tremendous strength to end your life
6) Give a man a fish and you will feed him a day but give him religion and he will starve to death while praying for a fish
7) Save your tears, Madam. This is only the beginning of your tragedy. You have more tears to shed.
8) She should understand nobody should be put on the pedestal of perfection. Not even God.
9) You are too beautiful to belong to one man. You should become a prostitute.
10) I learned that there are some enemies you cannot defeat in fairness. You have to stab their back
11) When you have no friends, you must have books to keep you company.
12) Never underestimate anyone. Everyone has the potential to be a vicious murderer, including your own mother.
13) I always tell the truth even when I lie.
14) Why are you so obsessed with the truth? My darling, the truth is overrated. The truth is not important
15) Slowly, I was beginning to hate the woman I love. What do you do when you hate the woman you love?
16) It is a job of every son to make his father happy.
17) I told you that the Devil will not let us down.
18) I should have known there are some mothers you cannot trust.
19) My parents soon learned a bitter lesson that kindness is not always rewarded with kindness.
20) God is my enemy. If you love God, then you are my enemy, too. And my enemies are not welcome in my house.
21) They saw what they wanted to see. They heard what they wanted to hear. They smelt what they wanted to smell. They believed what they wanted to believe. The bitter truth was not important to them.
22) Madness is necessary when you cannot handle the truth.
23) We could have been happy. Why did you choose sadness?
24) Sometimes, to be truly happy, one needs to be a little selfish.
25) She taught me what love is. After her, I cannot bring myself to love anyone else. Love begins and ends with her.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
BITTER
Bitter, my new book publish under Merpati Jingga features a collection of my short stories. My publisher, Faisal Mustaffa informs me that Bitter will be a selling at the Pesta Buku Selangor at Pusat Konvensyen SACC Shah Alam, Selangor Malaysia from Friday January 30 to Feb 8... To promote my book, I will be showcasing a snippet from one of the stories that is featured in Bitter.
1) Breakfast in Bed
By Bissme S
My father used every trick in the book to save his marriage, from tears to begging. But he failed miserably.
“We are not meant to love one person for the rest of our lives,” my mother said.
Carrying only her handbag, my mother walked out of our house, to a waiting car. The driver of the car was a young man clad in a yellow T-shirt. He was my mother’s new lover. As soon as my mother got into the car, the young mandrove away quickly. My mother did not look back. My father, meanwhile, locked himself in his bedroom.
I said: “Father, please open the door. In times like this, we should be together. You can always talk to me.”
My father answered: “For now, I want to be alone in my sadness. I want to grieve in peace.We can talk tomorrow. We can have breakfast together.”
The next morning, I entered my father’s room with a tray of toasted bread, two half boiled eggs and a cup of coffee. I wanted to surprise my father. I wanted my father to have breakfast in bed.
But the tray did not reach my father’s bed. I dropped it on the floor. My father had hanged himself. Tears streamed from my eyes.
"Do not call the police yet, Malena," my sister said.
My sister took an empty canvas and started painting my dad.
“It is not every day you get a chance to paint a man who hanged himself,” my sister said.
I was speechless. I did not know to how to react to what was happening infront of my eyes. My mother has just abandoned my father for her young lover, my father had just killed himself, and my sister was calmly painting him hanging from the ceiling. I felt as if I was in a surrealistic movie which had no head or
tail.After two hours, my sister had completed her task.
“Now, you can call the police,” she said.
“Some people will see what I have done as cruel and utterly mad. But most people don’t understand that every great art must have a touch of cruelty and madness.” ......
( To read the rest of the story please get my book Bitter at Pesta Buku Selangor....)
Friday, December 19, 2014
Dog
I am highlight a story that was featured in my book Doubt published under Merpati Jingga. Doubt is being sold for RM 21.
Dog By Bissme S
"Have you ever eaten dog's food before," she asked him.
He looked at her strangely and answered: "No. Never."
"Neither Have I," she added.
Slowly she got up from her seat and went into the kitchen, In less than ten minutes, she was standing in front of him with a bowl filled with dog food. She ate everything that was inside the bowl and gulped down a glass of wine.
Then, he asked her :"Have you ever eaten a dog before?"
She looked at him strangely and answered:"No.never."
"Neither have I," he added
He got up from the his seat and left the house. He was gone for hours. When he returned, he had a roasted dog in his hands.
"I hope you did not kill Rocky," she shouted.
"Rocky is like a family to us. I will never kill our dog," he said,
"Then, whose dog is that?" she asked furiously.
'It is our neighbor's dog," he answered
She was no longer angry. She smiled. Then, she gave out a huge laughter. She moved closer to him and gave him a passionate kiss.
"Eat your roasted dog before it becomes cold, darling." she said.
As he was eating his roasted dog and enjoying his wine , she looked at him and asked him: "Have you ever eaten a human before?"
He looked at her strangely and said: "No, Never"
"Neither have I," she added.
She got up from her seat and left the house. Holding an axe in her hand, she was heading towards her neighbor house.....
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Doubt Goes For Second Print
My publisher Faisal Mustaffa of Merpati Jingga has informed me that my book Doubt has gone for second printing . As a writer for the book, one of my job is to promote my own book. So I am highlighting some interesting quotes from my book, Doubt. Hope these quotes inspire you to buy Doubt.......
1)"I do not want the truth. I am not interested in the truth. The
truth is not important. I just want to be happy.”
(Page 6)
2) I know what I have done is madness. But when love is not madness, it is not love. When the time comes, I will be ready to face God's wrath, his punishment and his hell.”
(Page 12)
3)"Why do you hate me so much," I asked his mother, once.
She didn't have any rational answer.
"Not all mothers are meant to love their children,” she explained.
(Page 13)
4) "Jebat must not die," he says
"He did not commit any crime. I will not allow Jebat to die. I will save Jebat any cost."
(Page 20)
5) It was strange to have my twin brother undressing me.... to
have his lips kissing my lips ... to have his naked body brushing
against mine... to have his hands touching my manhood.
(Page 22)
6) I have been married for the past seven years. And in all those
years I have not been faithful to my husband. I had slept with
countless dashing man that had shown any slight interest in me
and the worst thing is, I feel no guilt.
(Page 27)
7) Love is not enough to keep my mother happy. My father failed
to understand that. He was utterly shocked when she wanted to end
their marriage.
“Do not leave me…I will change… I will become a better man… I
will change… I will change,” my father kept begging my mother.
Truly, there was nothing to change. There was nothing wrong with
my father. He had been a great father, a great husband and a great lover. He had showered my mother with love, laughter and happiness.
Most women would die to have a man like my father as their
husbands. But my mother was not like most women. She wanted more out of life. Simple happiness is not for everyone.
(Page 29)
8)Death is the only thing that could give me the peace I desperately want. Sometimes death is not bad thing. Death is ending of all misery.
(Page 35)
9) I was her secret. And I was tired of being one. I wasn't expecting her to shout our love from the roof top of the Twin Towers. But I didn't want her to hide me, either. I could not totally blame her. She has a lot to lose if we display our feelings, openly. Ours is a society that is not comfortable with two women falling in love…with two women lusting for each other.
(Page 38)
10) “God had failed me, once,” she said.
“God will not fail me again. He would not let me lose my son. God
is great. God is not that heartless. God is not that cruel. God
is great….”
(Page 47)
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
More Reviews on Doubt
1) A reader Needa Lim recently wrote to me to my email after buying my book Doubt and this is what she says :
"Hello sir! I purchased your book, Doubt two weeks ago. At first, the cover and the summary does not attract me that much. But as I opened the book and I still remember, I read chapter 17 and I was like, this book is non like others (well, as far as I know, not much local writers would write this kind of story). So, I decided to buy it and I read the whole book. It was entertaining, some have made me speechless or in disbelief. And most of the stories, I did not expect the ending of the story would be like as it is. I also love the trademark that you have inserted into that book. The suicide part, where mostly they will go naked and went towards the train? That is like, odd but interesting. I cannot describe how much I love your book. And not forget to mention the randomness of one of your story, the mermaid and the werewolf. Hahaha its hilarious, I don't know what do you expect from your readers reading that but I thought its funny. And the story of An Earth without rain is also one of my favorite, because like I've said, I didn't expect the ending would be like that. But sir, I think what's best describe your book is what madness can cause people do and how mad people can be. Overall, I enjoy your book and it actually triggered my creative side. I actually Imagined all these scenarios as I read them. Plus, most of the short story you wrote, I have thought about it when I was younger and especially when I was playing this one game : The Sims where I always destroy a perfect family when I get bored of it. But, don't get me wrong, I love my family and they are perfect. Its just that sometimes, our mind needs to be open to something else too, that is out of the norm ones, I guess? That's all. Keep it up!"
PS To Needa Lim, I would like to say thank you very much for the lovely compliment. Your letter had brought a big smile to his face
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://wasan-on-line.blogspot.com/2013/09/best-book-by-malay-writer.html
This is what he says about my book Doubt:
"I bought this book at Time Square Shopping Mall, KL. This is one of the best foreign books I ever read. This book helped to boot-up my reading after it had been drought out for years. It's 45 short stories of Life, Love, and Loneliness. I like the technique of the writing and also it twisted stories. The writer uses the beautiful language to compose all the stories. This short stories show that short story can keep it short and still remain interesting until the last word. I spent 2 days reading this book until the last page. I have a lot of fun and stunned by the stories. Great work by Bissme S.." 👍
PS: I am glad you love the book and thank you for the lovely review on my book
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Chaos
Chaos By Bissme S
The first time I saw him was at
the cafe that my parents run. It was raining like cats and dog. He was cold,
hungry and was looking some warm food to eat. He was a photographer from the
big city. He wanted to shoot our small
beautiful village. He wanted to feature these photos in some travel magazine.
“Can I find a hotel here?” he
asked.
There was no hotel in our
village. Out of kindness, my parents offered our guest room to the stranger. But
my parents soon learned a bitter lesson that kindness is not always rewarded
with kindness.
*****
Four days later, the stranger
had disappeared into the air. The stranger did not leave our house, alone. The
stranger had abducted me. My mother
screamed her head off when she learned what had taken place. The doctor had given
her a sedative to calm her. My mother
spent her days in bed, feeling dizzy and depressed. My father had a high hopes my
tragedy would have a happy ending - I would be found and he would be hugging
me.
But my father had forgotten
that sometimes God loves sad endings. My kidnapper was nowhere to be found and
I was no longer breathing. The police found my body, brutally raped and badly
burned.
*****
I was only
thirteen when my life ended tragically. I have become a ghost, wondering in the
house that I grew up in and hanging around my parents who love me with all
their hearts.
My parents
could not see me. My parents could not hear me. But I could see their agony. I
could hear their cries of miseries. I could feel their unspoken sadness.
“It is a
norm for a child to bury his parents,” my mother said.
“But when
the situation is reversed – when parents have to bury their child – the pain
can be unbearable.”
My mother had lost faith in
God. My mother had stopped going to church. Our regular priest, Father Danny
Fratine, visited our home. He wanted to convince my mother to return to church.
“I cannot pray to a God who had taken away my
only child,” my mother shouted.
“There is no place for God in
my heart any more. I wish God will be burned in hell.”
My mother took the broom and
literarily chased away Father Danny Fratine from our house.
“God is my enemy,” my mother shouted
“If you love God, then you
are my enemy, too. And my enemies are not
welcome in my house. ”
My mother had become a bitter
old woman who constantly cursed God and anyone who love God. My father was in
far worse condition than my mother.
“The police had made a
mistake” my father said.
“The dead body they found is
not my daughter. They just want to close the case as soon as possible. They don’t
care about justice.
“I have
done my research. Most paedophiles are not killers. He raped my daughter and most
probably, sold her to some brothels. He is not that heartless to kill my sweet Sophia.”
One morning, my mother and I
could not find my father anywhere in the house. There was a letter from him
waiting for my mother on our dinner table.
My father had gone to the big city to find me, the daughter he loved and
adored.
“I will only come back after I find our
daughter,” my father wrote.
*****
Nine months passed. There was
no sign of my father. I had lost any hope that I would see my father, again.
Then, one evening, my father was in my living room.
“I am so glad you have
returned home,” my mother said while hugging my dad.
I thought my father would
have realized that his idea of finding me in some brothel home was a crazy one
and would finally accept the bitter truth that I was no longer alive. But I was
wrong.
“I found
Sophia,” my father said.
“Our
daughter is not dead.”
I was shocked
listening to what my father had uttered. There was no way I could be alive.
“I went from
one brothel home to another to find my daughter,” my father said.
“I could not find her. I felt
helpless. I felt defeated. I wanted to kill myself. But killing yourself is not
easy. I was sitting on the road, crying my heart out. Then, God had shown me his
mercy. God had shown me his greatness. I
saw my daughter on the opposite road, begging. I rushed towards her. I hugged
her. I whispered in her ears: I will not let you go.”
Looking at my mother’s
expression, my father said: “I know you don’t believe me. Let me prove to you
that our daughter Sophia is alive.”
My father called out my name.
A girl appeared in front of my mother. She looked like me. She dressed like me. But she was not me. My
mother slowly walked towards her. My mother hugged her. There were tears in my mother’s eyes
“Your father is hero,” she
said to the girl.
“Your father has found you. My
daughter is alive... My daughter is alive....”
*****
The girl was willing to adopt
my name. The girl was willing to wear the clothes I wore. The girl was willing
to tie her hair just like my hair. The
girl was playing me. The girl did not care
that she did not have an identity of her own.
I suspected that her life on
street was a hell. In my house, the girl has food to eat, clothes to wear, a
bed to sleep in and the love of my parents.
My house was like a heaven for her. And most people always choose heaven
over hell.
*****
My mother wants to embrace
God, again. My mother wanted redemption
for saying unkind things about God.
“God has given my daughter
back to me,” my mother said.
“God has been kind to me. I
have a lot to be grateful for.”
When Sunday came, my mother
and my father proudly entered the church with their new daughter. I was sure
the villagers will not accept their reality... I was sure the villagers will bluntly
tell my parents that that girl was not me... I was sure the villagers will
force bitter truth- that I was no longer alive - down their throats.
But I was wrong. Just like
parents, the entire village had gone insane.
They wanted me to see what
they see. They wanted me to hear what they hear. They wanted to smell what they
wanted to smell. They wanted me to
believe what they believe. They hugged my parents. They hugged the girl that
supposed to me.
Watching my parents and the
people in my village jumping with joy was like watching a bandwagon of madness.
I cannot make sense of the chaos that
surrounded me.
I thought our church priest
Father Danny Fratine will bring calm to the chaos that was taking place in my
village...I thought Father Danny Frantine will bring sanity to the madness that had erupted in our
village. But he did not. Instead, he joined
the bandwagon of madness.
In his mass, the good old
Father said: “God works in the most mysterious way. God had brought back Sophia
to us. What God have done here is a miracle and we should always be grateful to
God for this miracle.”
*****
Two years passed. Initially I
was furious that my parents and the people in my village had easily replaced me
with a girl that my father found roaming in the streets. I did not want to be
replaced. I did not want my identity to be taken away. I wanted them to mourn
for me. I wanted them to remember me, forever.
But, now, I am no longer
furious. I have learned to rationalize their madness. I have learned to
rationalize the chaos that surrounded my life. I am looking at my parents and
the people in my village with the eyes of sadness than with the eyes of anger.
They came from a village
where nothing bad really happen. They are simple folks. They are not trained to
handle my kind of tragedy. My tragedy had broken them. My tragedy had pushed
them into the world of madness.
They were tired of living in
sadness. They wanted happiness. They wanted hope. They wanted me to be alive.
They wanted my tragedy to have a happy ending. Madness is necessary when you cannot handle
the truth.
The End
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