Chapter 8 Judgement By the Plantation Manager.

Fabian was never in the employment of the Plantation Management yet was a hauled up by them to stand before the Manager.It could be serious if Fabian does not know how to handle that case.

Fabian was not only friendly with the Yap brothers but also with a neighbor's son.One fine weekend holiday he invited Fabian to look for dry rubber wood and Fabian immediately agreed.That young boy who was also of similar age had a big bicycle with a huge carrier at its back.Poor Fabian had a small bicycle with a tiny carrier.

Despite of the disadvantage Fabian went with him to look for fire wood at a replanting field.There they came across a dead tree with a beautiful dry branch.Kam could not climbed that tree or dared not climbed it.So he beckon Fabian to do it.

Fabian gave a second thought and hesitated to do so,because there was no way he could transport the amount of wood from that branch.Kam seeing this assured him and offered to transport the bigger pieces on his bicycle and Fabian carried those smaller ones.On returning home he would share the wood with Fabian.

So Fabian agreed to climb and chopped down that branch with eased.Then both of them chopped up the branch and loaded on to Kam's bicycle.Whereas Fabian loaded the smaller pieces on to his carrier.

On reaching home Kam's sister saw the two loads of wood and laughingly made a sexist commend saying ,"Aiya,see my brother very clever,bringing home very nice big pieces of firewood whereas you,Fabian had nothing but small twigs, shame on you".Kam at that instances without hesitation admitted to her that was his wood.

Getting tired and irritated,the furious Fabian rushed near to Kam and asked,"Where is my share of the firewood?."No,no nothing is yours, what is on my carrier is mine nothing to do with you".replied Kam.

"Oh yeah",said Fabian,at the same time releasing a powerful right cross blow to Kam's nose,which sent him sprawling on the ground with a bleeding nose."You are a liar and a cheat,talk some more I give more punches",shouted Fabian.

"Fabian punched Kam,come and help",shouted the sister.Kam's parents came running out of the house seeing Kam's condition shouted'"How dare you beat my son?"
"I report to the Plantation Manager about this ",said Kam's mother.
"Go ahead,I am not afraid",said Fabian.

Next afternoon Fabian was asked to present himself at the office of the Plantation Manager,Mr. Dobbins.Kam also went along.When Fabian entered the office he wished the Manager,"Good Afternoon,Sir",whereas Kam kept quiet.

"Good afternoon.Well,young man what have you to say about yesterday's fighting?",asked Mr.Dobbins.
Fabian related the Manager the whole events that took place the day before and concluded by telling the Manager that Kam had cheated him and that it was out of sudden raged that he punched Kam on the nose.

The Manager than asked Kam,"Who climbed the tree to cut that branch?"Kam admitted it was Fabian.He however,insisted that the wood was his because he carried those wood home on his bicycle,"why should I share with him?".
"Did you agreed to share with him?"asked the Manager.
"But I brought them back on my bicycle not his",insisted Kam.

"Then Fabian,you can go home,you did right in punching him.Next time add two more punches on my behalf of me",request a jovial Manager.
Turning to Kam he said,"Next time you all bring such trivial matters to me again,I sacked both your parents,then you know,now get out of my sight".

Mr.Dobbins and Fabian had an uncanny linked,because during the initial stages of his career in planting he had meet with Mr Dobbins in a neighboring Plantation namely Eagle Hurst Estate,Ulu Sapetang,Taiping,Perak.While Fabian was in Hurst Estate.However Dobbins did not recognized Fabian but Fabian knew who he was.
but he let it be a secret.