CHapter 16 At a Dead End

With that failures he was now at a dead end,was it going to be his end in life.He was now forty-three.No ,he believed he still had a long way to go.Without money in hand he and his family needed to do something to survive on.

His wife was damn sure her family could give them temporarily shelter until he could find his own footing.Of course that one fat hope.Her mother unwillingly let them stay put at her plantation and she adamantly shot down any ideas they harbored.She believe their present there will eroded their pride in that town.Life had been unkind and extremely difficult towards Alex and family and they were seeking only temporarily shelter from the strong and unfriendly storm.Even a friend in need could be offered some assistance but here the odds were stacked against him.

Everyone sometime or other had their misfortunes,an up and down format in life.Fortunate ones do not experienced them like Alex.Even her own son had that shortcomings but that did not made her relent,apparently threw the blame on Alex for their misfortune. she stood aloft and proud as a peacock in pride.What were so proud of that pride?What she had it will forever be hers and no one can steal it away from her.Perhaps she as always had considered Alex an outsider.As the Chinese saying goes,"Daughters once married were likened to water splash out of the household.Once splash out it was gone with the wind never to return- no more acceptable to them as a family member anymore.

It was sad memories that at one stage Alex and family were already down , was nearly thrown out of her plantation,with her aggressively wanted them to leave to work for others as if the shame already bestowed were insufficient and had to be buried further,had it not been the timely interference by another son of hers.

The tears that flowed out were unstoppable and it remained a stigma in Alex's life forever.So that was why when he secured a position in the plantation may it be a tiny plantation he would do the utmost to preserve that job,dedicated to it with his entire life.No amount of money can erased those grieveneses incurred which almost put them on their knees.

But when things were down everything apparently seem against you.Even when speaking even on a telephone (on her phone} she will definitely shout out loudly why Alex were you so long on the phone?.Poor Alex had to endure this,even he was speaking to the Boss on a plantation job.Thereafter he abstained touching her phone even until today,all these badly memories lingered on.Events like this were unnecessary but when the chips were down the heavy stomps by others on you could be unbearable and so much heavier.

How to respect someone else who do not respect you one wee bit.All Alex can do was to remain silent.Should she not treat him like a son-in-law why should he called her mother-in-law,simple.This might upset the other siblings but was it his faults?Should the mother-in-law made it so distinctively clear that her sons were their in bonds and all undertakings.all other were outsiders.When there was a separation so loud and clear what could Alex do,only to look ahead stupidly like a bloody fool.At least where his position was in that family.

All these could be a blessing in disguise as because of these he strifed on in his new endeavor with a different attitude and determinations.Taking each working day cautiously by itself make to achieve ultimate success than only look forward another coming day.That changed in out look and attitude actually saved the day for him many atimes.Honesty and working hard beyond his own capacity ,diligently and always had the utimate end result be always be a plus sign in favor of the Boss.

Most important with those achievements there must be togetherness,food and happiness in his family,that was what really matters the utmost.He may have to toil all day but that does not matters as his family can enjoy.His failures had taught him how to survive and made the best in life.That why the fifteen wonderful years of good life enjoyed by his family.The Lord surely look after those to who strived hard honestly,Praise the Lord for his everlasting love.

In an unwelcome situation Alex and his family shifted into a rented terrace house in Bentong.With no way to go that was in fact a last resort.It was a three rooms terrace house costing $200/= rental per month.Temporarily he and his wife worked in the mother-in-laws plantation.

They had with them a van which was utilized to transport other tappers as well earning some transport fees.Work actually began at 5.00 a.m. each morning.Every thing went on smoothly without a hitch.Actually their moving to Bentong was they hope to secure a place to plant vegetables etc.etc., should thee be no other alternatives.

Those were the days when you required a work permit issued by the relevant Authorities to work in the small plantation as there were frequent military present there.The bandits have longed gone but this military still conduct a lot of jungle patrols there.However there was no intrusion incidents whatsoever.Permits were free and ahd to be renewed every year.

All were not fine when one fine day the mother-in-law filled with hatred ordered them to terminate working at her plantation giving a lamed excuse that the job done by his wife was not up to stand she set.Alex and wife were told to look for jobs elsewhere.This was a stab in their backs as not knowing much about Bentong where the hell other people will employ them.

They were already in a mass of troubles and being turned away so abruptly was leased they expected.Both husband and wife thus shed tears in grief at a point of going down on their knees.Who would not be?Being turned way from a place where his wife expected can give her refuge temporarily.Instead of helping send them packing.

Fortunately the timely interference of another brother stopped the rot and they were allowed to work there.The little income derived was just sufficient to cover their livelihood.All three children were transferred to schools in Bentong.Two girls in secondary schools and the youngest son in Standard six in a Chinese Medium school in Ketari.

Having been taught a severe lessons Alex slowly drew up courage to apply for a vacancy in a plantation in Pahang.Weeks later he was called up for an interview.The head office was in Kuantan and he went there in a taxi.He had anticipated a huge crowd at the interview but never,apparently he was the sole candidate for that position.

He met with the Boss who was quite impressed with him.They had a long chat where Alex told him much about himself.When it was finally over he was told to see his brother.Instead of showing him to his brother the Secretary by mistake ushered him to another executive of the company.Nothing good materialized with this meeting and he left keeping his fingers crossed.

He though all were lost when he did not received any letter of appointment weeks later.Saddened by this he returned to slog in that plantation with a thick skin adhered.Working with head bowed down with grinning his teeth all the time in shamed.Driving the workers to work and assisting his wife in her tapping.It surely was very hard work but for the sake of their children they had to shoulder on under the scornful eyes of someone who was so reluctant to offer them the aids they so required.Whatever it was he had to endure with a gobble.

Then one fine day a letter came requesting him to see the Boss immediately and he rushed down to meet the Boss.In surprised the Boss told hm that he should be working had he seen his brother that very day.But nevertheless the position was still intact and waiting to be filled.After which he saw the brother of the Boss,a Dato and he never made another mistake this time.

Few days later an appointment letter came requesting him to report for duty with immediate effect.It was a blessing indeed the Lord must have heard his grievances and granted him a relieved.His wife rejoiced at the news so were the rest of his family.

The days of having to help his wife to tap rubber will now be over but nothing could be taken for granted,so his beloved wife got to hang on and endure slightly longer until his position in his new appointment was secured.His wife helped him to pack before he left for the job.

The elder brother-in-law sent him to the town where the plantation was situated.It was Kampong Sri Jaya.Prior arrangements had been made with an executive to take him into the plantation from Sri Jaya.It surely was a long wait at the coffee shop.It was his first visit to that place therefore was a stranger there.He waited for more than one and a half hours before he finally appeared.

The plantation was a long way from that town,at least five over miles.Arriving at the office there were a host of surprises to welcome him.Firsty to astonished him was the wooden old building for an office.The executive introduced him to the staffs present there.There was an Assistant Manager and three other conductors.

The next surprised in line was the Manager's bungalow he was to reside in.It was a semi-D bungalow,with the first one occupied by the Assistant.The executive left him at the bungalow.He amazed to discover that there not much furniture in the bungalow and the beds were without mattresses.Well it surely would be a cold,cold night installed for him.

Only consolation was there was a motor-cycle and a Dathatsu jeep at his disposal.The Assistant must have laughed with his soul and maybe had anticipated that Alex would leave on seeing thise wretched conditions of the office and bungalow.He was overdue for a disappointment as Alex had come in to stay.He had no choice he had to remain and there was no turning back unless sacked.

Even should the condition be many times worst he would have to stay,for he do not want to return to a place where he and his family were never welcome.So nothing can obstruct him as he will definitely bite his teeth to overcome them with sheer grit and courage.Nor he wanted to disappoint his wife who had trusted him to perform.

With that jeep in hand he drove out to town to have his dinner that evening.That night he slept on without the comfort of the mattress.Those around must had laugh themselves out and expected him to leave the following morning.He dis appointed them by attending the muster and was much earlier than them at the office.

Later in the morning he meet with all the contractors of the plantations.From their eyes and body language Alex could feel their feelings as most of them had expected him to pack and had left by then.Armed with a plantation map he asked the Assistant to show him around the plantation.Later that day he called the head office about his requirements.

The amazed executive just laughed away promising to order all his requirements.Well at least he had to pass another two to three nights the comfort of mattress.Being a hardy man all these were nothing.Should all thought he will leave they were in for further surprises.He left the Assistant after two days and went on his own around the fields.Being an experienced planter all these were nothing.

For the initial few weeks he allow things to drift by as before,watching quietly ,noting and planning his next moved.By then,news had gone round that he was unsystematic when compared with the engineer from the Mill.The Dato was obviously shaking his head in disbelief that the Boss had selected a wrong man for the job.However he kept his cool.

With the passsing of the month he struck out showing his mental.First he ordered the bull doser to leave his grading of roads to established new bottom roads on all existing hilly areas,beginning from the young mature fields to the older fields.All existing bamboo grooves were cleared and pushed into nearby lakes.This moved pleased the Boss very much.With those roads constructed the Boss could go into areas he had never seen before.The clearing of all the bamboo grooves made those fields cleaner and clearer.

Now with all those new bottom roads all crops could harvested and fully recovered.Many areas not weeded properly by the contractors were all reviewed.thus they all have plenty to do which they forerly ignored.Within three months Alex's name
was no more unsystematic,and no one dared said he was not good enough.The Boss was full of praises for him.

The ignorant Assistant tried to scare him with all the rest of the paper work
which he seliently took over graciously with a chuckle.He surprised him by doing everything by himself.He did them to show him that he was an experienced planter and no amount of work could stop him or blog him down.With him performing everythings now the Assistant seemingly was left in a lurched without any responsibilities.He proved to him that without his assistant the plantaion can still perform.

Some times men in a fit of anger and in jealousy can be diverted to do stupid things
Of course who can blame him as when Alex's predecessor left the Assistant had expected to be promoted normally to fill in his place but never the Boss simply ignored him.Well,he should have crossed examined himself first as to the reasons why he was not acceptable to the Boss.

The Boss never like the job done by the previous Manager.In fact that Manager did not performed as per Manager should have as it was a known fact that he never go round the fields.He apparently was all the time conversing with all the contractors at the plantation's canteen.Of course being an ex-graduate of a Taiwan Agricultural University with no practical field experiences in a plantation,he could not have achieved anything good,let alone run the plantation

All field work were done by the Assistant and those work did not pleased the Boss,now should that be the case where will he stand in the Boss's eyes.Each time the Boss went around the plantation his anger grew and with the Mill's engineer breathing down their throats where will they be.Damn easy meat for the ferocious engineer to devour them each time the Boss came to the plantation.Poor thing????

Alex's family continued staying at that housing estate as their children were all school going.Shifting them to the plantation was never any better as the secondary school were a distance away and the standard of education extremely lower.So the children and wife stayed at Bentong while he worked far way but with no trouble as he can easy drive back home every weekends.