Chapter 8

We spent a week trying to find a temporary job. We had thought of going back to McDonald’s to work. However, according to Xian, our pay would still be $2.40 per hour, which was not ideal for sixteen-year-olds. He suggested factory work.

After scanning a week of The Straits Times Classifieds, we went for a few interviews as production workers. A few days later, both of us received a call from Kenny Clark Limited: We were employed as temporary full-time production workers.

Kenny Clark Limited deals with diapers and paper products. The factory is located at the furthest end of Tuas: We had to take a one-hour company bus trip from Boon Lay MRT Station just to get there.

On our first day, we were wowed by the size of the factory. It was bigger than our school. When we went in, we were assigned a Team Leader. Then, our Team Leader introduced the team members to us.
There were about ten members in a group. All of us were waiting for ‘O’-Level results. The Team Leader – a skinny guy who seemed to shout whenever he talked – briefed us a little on our job scope and then got us to wear our gears before we started work.

We were supposed to pack the diapers into a box, seal it and then stack it up. The first hour was fun, the second hour tiring and the third hour hell. Lara helped me whenever she could. She worked like a horse: She was fast, effective and productive. Everyone sang her praises, including our Team Leader. As for me, I was always scolded by the Team Leader.

On our fifth day, I had intended to quit. Lara talked me out of it. “Come on, work is all like that. We’ve got to suffer a little. Think of the pay, dear dear. Fifty bucks a day! So much better than McDonald’s. We can buy two to three portable CD players! Then we don’t need to share the earphones!” she laughed.

“Like shit. You can be so relaxed because TL never scolds you. I make a small damned mistake and he scolds me upside down.”

“Come on, sometimes you got to work faster. Complain less-”

“You don’t understand me!” I yelled. Recently, I tend to get angry for little reasons. “Don’t act as if you understand! How slow am I?”

Lara kept quiet. She held my hand. We were on our way to work. I could just turn and run off.

“Huh? How slow am I? I tried my fucking best and the fucking TL gave me his fucking scolding. He’s just a horny fucker.” I stared at Lara’s clothing. She was wearing a t-shirt and jeans: A standard dress code for work.

“Relax. We’ll try one more week, okay? When we get paid? I’ll be beside you always.”

“Yes, that’s the reason why I always get scolded! You’re so fucking fast! So fast that it appears that I am slow.” The company bus came and I hesitated before I boarded it.

“Sorry.” Lara said softly before the long journey to hell started again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That day, after our lunch break, I was about to apologise to Lara for my outburst earlier when our Team Leader approached me again. I gritted my teeth and told myself to calm down no matter what he says.

“Jie Lun, you’ll pair with Valentia for the packing. Lara’s going to operate the machine.” he said. Valentia? I tried to remember the introduction that he had given on our first day. Valentia seemed to be one of the girls who dyed her hair brown.

I could not find Lara. Instead, when I went back to work, I was faced with Valentia. She had long highlighted brown hair. Her t-shirt and jeans were so tight that they totally showcased her hourglass figure. The moment I saw her, I nearly drooled. She might not have the prettiest face in the world but her figure tumbled over everything.

I had the opportunity to talk to her more. She was a year older than me as she was from Normal Stream. She wanted to go to Ngee Ann Polytechnic as well. When I asked if she had a boyfriend, she blushed and said, “No, I am single. You?”

I tried to look for Lara but could not see her. There was no one operating the machine. I turned to her and said, “I am single as well.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“How’s work today?”

Lara called me that night. She told me that she had successfully changed Department and kept on telling me that she had changed Department not because of what I had said to her in the morning: It was because she wanted a new work scope.

“Great.” I told her.

“Who paired up with you today?”

I played with the cable of the phone, thought for a while, then said, “Some girl. I don’t know who she is. Didn’t talk to her. I miss you.” I said.

I could almost hear Lara’s giggling at the other end of the phone. We talked for three more hours before we hung up. Upon hanging up, I called Valentia instantly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, I had another quarrel with Lara.

To be exact, it was a one-sided quarrel. I had waited for her at her void deck for more than twenty minutes and called her twice. I was about to go to the pick-up point myself when Lara rushed down.
But it was too late. The bus had gone off. I called our Supervisor and he told us not to come today.

“It’s all your fault!” I yelled at Lara in front of many people.

Lara said nothing. She just hung her head.

“See! Now what? Idiot!” I went towards the stairs and sat on one of the steps. From my view, I could see that Lara was crying. Again! “Cry, cry! You only know how to cry!”

“Sorry, my alarm-”

“And why didn’t you wake up when you hear the phone ringing? You’re a pig. No, you’re worst!”

I thought of Valentia and wondered who would pair up with her today. I had promised her yesterday that I would be there today!

“Dear dear…” Lara strolled towards me and tried to reach for me.

“Get away from me!” I yelled, stood up and rushed off the scene. Lara’s sobbing distanced as I walked further away from her.

Get away from me...

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