After he fell asleep and started snoring I changed my mind and pulled the pillow away from under his head. I just held his head on my lap between my hands trying to remember a song whose tune was at the tip of my tongue but whose words I couldn t recall. Oh, he called, Oh Simon, please! Please! That night, and I promised myself that night only, I decided to let him have the pillow. When we made love he mentioned my name several times, as if it was the only name he knew. When we finally kissed, he could only reach the corner of my lips because half my face was buried in his pillow.

My hand rested on his chest as if to both push him away and support him as he leaned forward, first into my neck, as I rolled on my back, then my ears, my hair, his lips grazing over all the places his tears couldn t reach. He reached out his hand and took away the pillow. It was a smile to show him how tired I was, how late it was, a well-worn smile excavated from a time when I was still young. 1 BY THE SAME AUTHOR plays Bisik: Antologi Drama (2003) Collected Plays One: The Optic Trilogy, Fugitives, Homesick, (2010) Collected Plays Two: The Asian Boys Trilogy Dreamplay/ Landmarks/ Happy Endings (2010) Cooling-Off Day (2012) poetry One Fierce Hour (1998) A History of Amnesia (2001) The Invisible Manuscript (2012) prose Malay Sketches (2012) CORRIDOR 12 SHORT STORIES BY ALFIAN SA ATĢ Contents Project Video Orphans Pillow Corridor Duel Winners Cubicle Umbrella Bugis Birthday Disco Glossary About the Authorģ I just kept silent and smiled at him.

Corridor by Alfian Sa'at