Last of The Summer Wine

It was a good one and a half to two months that papalados had not seen The Prince Wale-wale. Exiting from his vintage Volvo that papa noticed him being the same in appearance with nay the weather beaten face papa half expected. The Prince could easily be economical with the truth when it comes to his real age. Easily any girl would have guessed his years to be 30 or plus instead of his early half century mark.
With a sling bag close to his belly and a mellow and very light brown but very subtle batik motive upon his short sleeved shirt papa could have been mistaken for an Ayahanda in an infamous organization that champions a certain select grouping or an archaic consociation doing its bid and much for an ancient philosophy that engenders the supremacy of a majority congregation. Woe betide anyone who questioned their relevance as a near militant sect of the main group. But political that they could be and never more than aggressive their stance. Except for the occasional sloganeering and illogical calls to banish a few to Timbuctoo they are largely benign.
A small company of the members rushed to papa and shook his hands and mentioned something like otai or old timer. Papa acknowledged them like an old village head and uttering soft gestures like 'how are you' and at the same time invite them to go up the stairs to the SM dangdut hall or it's back entrance only a few meters away. Of course the gesticulations were just customary and the chaps would never reciprocate his overture to actually join papa upstairs. Just protocols. And diplomatic actually to adhere to once in a while.
They think you are an Ayahanda whispered The Prince and he played his part too when he sort of strutted right next to papa giving much the impression that he was the aide or an informal bodyguard to 'Ayahanda' papalados.
The two walked up the famous backstairs of Seri Mutiara Dangdut and Karaoke Lounge but two flights up to the Karaoke Hall. They were going for a singalong session. Ayang the concierge immediately greeted the two and ushered them to the nearest karaoke chamber available. The aircond was duly switched on and a fresh gust of cooling air gushed forward from the vents. The aircond in the hall was OK but the cool air from the room unit further refreshed the two buddies. Want girls asked Ayang? Of course replied the two amigos but desirable ones please beseech papalados.
Ayang laughed and said that she will go ask Mummy. Dangdut, folks, is a mature industry waiting to altogether expire and the girls, must one say, are mostly mature too. But not that they are going to pass on with the industry. Most are in their late thirties and early forties and very few are the bombshells of early or mid twenties.
Mummy Ani Rock arrived all gushed from climbing the one flight of stairs from the back of the hall and a fraction of a second later asked papa and The Prince whether they want two ladies, one each for company. The Prince gave a nod and said a heavy set one for him. Mummy smiled and immediately exited the chamber.
Came two girl, one the heavier and younger one Mummy signaled to sit beside the Prince and the mature one next to papa. They were nice girls, courteous and soft spoken except for the looks department lacking a bit but their singing prowess and delightful company were superb.
Something about mature women that one can always talk with and what pleasant conversations that can only be the outcomes if their companies were sought particularly in SM. Topics can only be on their more than often grown up children and what surprises may be unearthed except that their kids were mostly college grads and students. The obvious fact that the matures make sure their children study well and do provide extensively in that regard.
Most definitely also the light exchange of banter with subtle phrases of sex and things associated but most times just those and nothing more. For spicing up the tete a tete only. Since Prince Wale-Wale does not dance papa invited his company( have forgotten the girl's name) downstairs for some cha-cha and dangdut boogies.
The dancing hall was quiet signaling the time was still a bit early for earnest prancing or that the dance crowd has not yet arrived. The dance floor was unoccupied except for a few of the dancing girls doing dance practices and one or two of the early patrons.
The band suddenly erupted into zapin music together with the disco ball lighting up and the entire floor becoming much brighter that the arrival came to be so abrupt. Immediately a group of oldies or rather dangdut veterans walked to the dance floor softly but eagerly pulling the hands of their rented hostesses for the evening. They all looked unfamiliar to papalados yet they do have the markings of dangdut veterans. Metallic long sleeved shirts with subtle batik motifs and all wore outside the trousers rather than tucked in.
Dunno really the name for that particular clothing material or the long sleeved near batik style mens' attire. An FB Buddy mentioned to that effect way back in one of FB posts. Another fabric the favorite of veterans is the crumpled Egyptian cotton of which shirts made from it are worn the same way as the metallic tops - loose and free.
Papa observed from the side as to how the oldies would start their moves upon the dance floor. Or that he is interestingly watching the first steps they're gonna make. As the first step would show their dancing prowess. How they 'bukak gelanggang' or how they officially but more rather formally enter the 'sublimed square'.
Horror or horrors they entered all wrong or more like bungling idiots rather than orang seni or people who knew the arts. None at all the silat stride even though they are not silating and the left foot first priority. Even Latin dances starts from the left foot and so does dangdut but not really for zapin but dancers still adopt it as its universal and practiced in every dance studio.
The girls were fantastic since they were all trained but their partners danced like cockroaches have escaped on their backs and moving about inside their shirts. Papa was hard to refrain from laughing but his partner just could not contained herself and nearly burst out.
Quickly papa pulled her hands and straightaway ran to the karaoke hall one floor up. There she guffawed like nobody's business and papa was hard pressed too not to stop laughing. Wow! Dangdut has really gone to the dumps as none of veterans can dance and only the girls proficient but they were trained and its their work. Where are the dangdut Kings of whom would stride like salsa Emperors their Art. Papa if compared is just a pretender or a lesser king by any standards. And should he be the only few left, then old hands of the same are really the last of the summer wine. The boys who kissed his hands are the only ones left perhaps but even they are more interested in contemporary club music. Dangdut as per old KL is just too difficult to step to the dance to!