The Land of The Thieves - Chapter 8
Episode 3: Fight Club (2)
Three years ago, when Theo first asked me to go to the “club”, I just shook my head lazily. It’s not my habit. I didn’t like spending time after work hanging out, drinking, listening to music, or gazing at people.
Theo had casually shrugged, saying it wasn’t his habit either. “It’s a different club, Thomas. You should like it.”
So half-forced, rather than tired of staring at the traffic jam from behind the thick window of my office, I followed.
Amazing! Having lived in Jakarta for years, I never knew that this city had a “fight club” like the one I saw in the famous film. Theo took me to an office building, on the sixth floor, with direct private lift access to it. I found not an office partition, a reception desk, and so on, but a large room with a striking red circle in the middle. Several club members were cheering on top of their voices. Tense faces, excited faces… Watching the two exchange punches right inside the red circle.
I swallowed hard. Theo was right, I did like it. It was a really cool, different club. While I was in awe, he left. He was already engrossed in greeting the other club members, waving to order two soft drinks for us.
“It’s a closed and secret club, Thom. Not many people know. The members can only invite friends they trust over here. You’re lucky to have a friend, Theo. He’s one of the early founders of this club. Your name is clean and secure.” That was what Randy had explained — he used to be friendly to me. “We gather every weekend, with the same schedule as tonight, to watch the fight. That’s outside of daily practice for anyone who wants to come. It’s not bad to get rid of fatigue after coming home from work, especially if it’s your battle schedule, that’s really a great refreshing friend.”
I nodded in agreement — I used to agree with Randy a lot. Watching the two fighters hitting each other, dodging, blood dripping from the wound on the temple, live, had burned up all the fatigue. Let alone fighting head-on, it triggered the adrenaline rush many times over.
“Nobody cares what your background is, Tom. That’s the rule of the club game,” Theo whispered. We were standing on the edge of the red circle, joined by the screaming faces of the audience that were hoarse from encouraging. “Randy works at the immigration office. I heard he just got a promotion last week as head of airport immigration. Erik, you see there, he’s a senior manager at a big bank.”
I cursed silently. Of course, I knew Erik. Just this morning we had a meeting together, arguing about the scope of consulting services required by their corporate bank.
“Rudi, well, the one who is fighting fiercely is the investigating officer in the police or whatever commission, I don’t know exactly, no one cares. There are young executives, employees, doctors, celebrities, writers, people in the government, businessmen. The one standing in the corner with his friends is the son of a party leader. People who love boxing gather here. Beyond that, work, background, who you are… forget it. Although in fact, almost all club members know each other.”
I was still busy sweeping the faces all over the room.
“In the past, we were only amateurs. Six people came up with ideas. We compete without a schedule. Club members who want to fight, just go to the red circle, challenge anyone who has been scolded by the boss, or annoyed with subordinates or has his luxury car knocked over. Although amateurs, it’s always exciting, one or two go home with bruised faces, they are forced to lie to their respective wives, saying ‘I fell down’.” Theo laughed. “Here, we pay professional coaches, make schedules, equip dressing rooms, bartenders, and everything else like a boxing gym. The only people that can enter and become members are those brought in and recommended by the most trusted old members, even so, the strength of the club keeps increasing. I think now there are about thirty members. That’s enough to make you wait two months for your scheduled battle to arrive. But it doesn’t matter. More members of the club just come over to watch the fight, bet, and have fun. Or just find a place for a punching bag practice.”