Mystery Door # 1

Uninviting

There are a few living areas, be it bungalows, semi-d homes, or apartments in urban KL that I find breathtaking. Once I do stumble onto one, I will often pull out the "Things-to-Purchase-at-Thirty" mental list, scribble away, and tuck it away in my head. Among the properties that I aim to own is this two-storey penthouse situated in the Pantai Hillpark area, to which my friend Prof owns.

This desired property features two large balconies, to which the balcony downstairs acts as a second dining room, and the upstairs a jacuzzy area fit for twelve. Each balcony also provides an amazing view of the city's skyline, especially during New Years, where you are able to catch fireworks from KLCC, the Shah Alam area and even Genting all at the same time!

Also, the moment when you step into the Prof's home, you are invited by the scent of jasmine, which lures you into the spacious living room and dining area decorated by his Spanish interior-designer wife. There you see and feel plush white sofas, heavy teak tables and cupboards, large Javanese mirrors, jasmine-scented candles, black and white paintings, and miniature banana trees. To me, it's the closest thing to Paradise.

And for every Paradise, there should be a party right? Prof and his wife do think so. Every so often, they would invite friends over for a good hearty meal, composing of red wine, cold salads, soups, bread and olive-based pasta. And then, they would allure all of us to lounge at "The Balconies", to feel the breeze, to sip iced tea, and to realise how peaceful and colorful KL is from up there.

During the first time I was there, I asked Prof who are the neighbors.

"There are two," he said. "The immediate left is owned by a Russian. He's a great business man, an artist and have the most wonderful parties."

Woohoo, I thought. Party central!!!

"The immediate right is owned by this couple," he continued. He then leaned forward to me, made a sour face and whispered, "And we don't like them."

When the party was over, I managed to look around the halls to see the doors of the neighboring homes. The Russian have a strong steel-based door, while the disliked couple have a wooden one. Who could this disliked couple be?, I thought.

After a few months down the line, I finally knew who they were. And even met them. Yes, people, the couple turned out to be my boss!!!

My boss invited my colleagues and I to chill over his place to celebrate the win of a client one day. When he told me the address to his place, I seriously thought it was familiar. And yes, my heart and head almost exploded when I realised that I was standing at that wooden door of the "disliked couple's" home. Shit!

My colleagues and I sat around at the living room, me drinking Coke while the rest some Bacardi. In his t-shirt and shorts, my boss walked to a chair, plunked down, raised his hands and asked, "So, what do you think of my place?"

"It's beeeeauUUUttttifffful!" my colleagues serenaded.

"Who are your neighbors?" one of my colleagues asked.

"Oh, I have a Russian neighbor and he is cool. The other one is this Professor and his Spanish wife." Pause pause. "And frankly," he continued, "I don't like them."

No shit.