The Curse of the Toyol

Chapter 1

"Laziness is the mother of all evils."- Sophocles

The weather was somewhat confusing that day. It quite felt like there were two seasons constantly fighting over the modest Malaysian village of Morten. After a long session of abundant rain, a blinding ray of sun fell over the streets, covering them in gold. Somewhere in the distance, people could still see traces of thunder and lightning, a clear assurance that the storm was not too far and would soon come back to take its revenge and cover the sun furiously.

The community was haphazardly moving. Every person had something to do because even in the face of the storm, the animals had to be fed, children who fled dangerously had to be guarded, and hungry, hard-working husbands had to be fed by hurried wives. There was only one man who would not obey these silent rules, and despite his poor condition, he was not concerned about employment, family or housework. He was only dreaming about getting rich, but without sweating for it in honest work. He fantasised about winning the jackpot at the local gambling den, as gambling seemed to be the only activity that he could do forever without getting bored. You see, this man's name is Meon, and he was the laziest man in the village. He didn't have a house of his own, but his wife's parents gifted one to him to shelter their daughter. He didn't have animals, except for a few chickens. Meon was always seen dressed in ripped clothes, and he was dirty almost all the time. The only thing he did in a day was to sleep, eat and gamble.

Meon's family had no control over his shallow behaviour. Every time his wife, Laila, would confront him, he would calmly reply:

"If you are so worried about our well-being or mine, you should get a job. Who decided that men have to work while you stay at home all day, doing nothing?"

"Doing nothing?" said Laila, obviously offended. "Meon, I have to take care of our daughter. She is still weak, and she cannot eat on her own. I have to take care of the house because you never help me clean. I have to travel miles every day to help my parents because they offer us food in exchange of my services. I have to humiliate myself by begging our neighbours to give me something to work."

"That is your problem, and the child is your responsibility! Now, can you bring me a glass of milk? I am thirsty!"

"Go get it yourself!" she yelled.

"I guess I will die of thirst because I won't move from here until the gambling den opens."

It was unbelievable how ignorant he was. He neglected his lovely family that, despite his attitude and flaws, loved him endlessly. Laila's parents would always advise her to leave Meon and find another man who would be strong enough to provide a better life for her and her child.

"But I love him, Mother! I do not know why or how am I still able to accept and forgive his dirty ways, but I cannot help it! I am stupidly in love with this lazy man!"

But there was not a single way in which you could make Meon work because his goals seemed so genuine to him, so achievable that he did not want to waste any time with temporary jobs. He was confident that there was a jackpot destined for him.

The gambling den was a small neglected shophouse owned by a local rice farmer who, just like Meon, was caught in the clever trap of luck games. He opened the business in an unpainted building, with windows covered by dark curtains so no one would see or hear the dirty deals. There were a few improvised games, but Meon loved trying to make winning bets in cockfighting. Meon made friends with the proprietor. They would often hang out inside the gambling den before it would open, and sometimes they played cards, betting on their money. The friendship seemed odd to everyone: such a prolific man, a farmer who has worked long hours for everything he owns, and Lazy Meon, who loved to stay and sleep. It was simpler than people thought: addiction was more powerful than their personality.

"Sir, I sometimes wonder how would it be to have everything I have ever wanted. I would finally make my wife happy and afford to heal my daughter, who is sick all the time, poor creature. I need a miracle, otherwise there is no future for me or my child."

"Meon, there is only one path to success, and hard work and discipline cover it from start to finish. With your laziness, you won't be able to honour the money even if you'd have them. Money is easy to spend, and falling into wrong hands is equal to their absence."

"Work, work, work! I should punch everyone who pronounces that word around me. It makes me so tired and upset!"

Meon was not exactly a terrible person. He had a soul in which he held his wife and his daughter, and, deep inside, the lazy man was suffering because he felt that he wasn't good enough for them. He was scared of losing the most valuable things he possessed, but he understood their pain, too. He would accept Laila's decision to run as far away as possible from him. Even though he had a hidden kind heart, false hopes and addiction were clouding his mind.

"I wish people would understand that I am not good at their primary duties. I have tried agriculture, but the harvest was never satisfying. Working in constructions was too difficult for my weak arms, and I would often fall and harm myself or others. I tried cleaning people's gardens, but they didn't like how I was arranging their stuff. There is nothing I can do with this mind and this body! Staying in my warm bed seems to be the only thing that truly suits me."

"I believe you haven't found your place yet. But there will always be room for people in this world. There is for sure a place for you, too."

Meon was sceptical. It was easy for the wealthy farmer to speak about finding your path because he had already achieved his highest goals, but for a man like him, there was no room, no place, except for his cosy couch or the gambling den. Those were his places, and he knew that those legs wouldn't take them any further than that.