Yellow Menace

Suddenly, the whole apartment smells of durian.

A sneak attack! This is definitely not all right. This is unacceptable. Someone on the 30th floor has brought home DURIAN, that beloved reeking custard of rotten egg & bad feet. That fruit is a public menace! So I'm a flaming bule: my gorge is rising. There should be laws. More laws than there already are. No one should be allowed to bring a fresh durian indoors. Not into the hot elevator, fumigating every floor in turn as it rises. I throw open the door & look around the sweltering landing: perhaps it is time to meet my neighbors.

Through one door I can hear something being unwrapped from plastic bags. A little girl is saying, “Yichh. Yechh,” a fatherly voice answering, “Yum!”

But I can’t handle it anymore and duck back inside. Excuse me, I have to go stick my earplugs up my nostrils now.

Later: I can smell that they are cooking it with something sweet. The maddening perfume settles a little. It actually smells pretty good now. I am told it is worth it, eating durian. I am not so sure.