Nanyang Butterflies - Chapter 7
Silence by Jay Chou
Su Zhen spent 45 minutes in the shower. What happened just kept replaying in her mind. She was crying, angry, depressed, ashamed and tired.
She wished time could reversed. She should never had gone to Tanjong Pagar. She should just leave when she saw that TLL sign that looked like some huge talisman.
She felt so stupid and started sobbing again.
She thought about Brian. How can she face him now? What will he think?
Mama Su shouted over the door.
"Zhen are you okay?"
"Zhen are you okay?"
"Yah" She managed to give a small shout back against the sound of the shower.
She dared not tell her parents. She turned off the shower, wiped herself dry and put on her clothes. But when she reached her room, she took everything off, used the wet towel to clean her body again. Tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably. All she could do was try to shut out the replay whenever she closed her eyes. But to no avail.
She saw her Certificate of Entitlement protruding from her bag. She grabbed it and tore it in pieces. She didn't care whether it was worth five or six digit. To her, it looked more like a death certificate. She threw the pieces out the window.
She wiped her tears, took up her pencil and started drawing.
* * * *
Next morning, Su Zhen arrived late at work. She looked terrible, her hair uncombed and her eyes swollen. She could only do 13 pieces that morning. Half her usual target. Mrs Tee was not around. Someone said she was in Mr Moe's office.
Su Zhen thought about Mrs Tee for a moment. It was ironic that the person she trusted most in Ocean turned out to be the source of her current demise. Or rather, her husband was the source. But it didn't really matter that much. Su Zhen felt that she was not the same girl as before and all the more she wasn't worthy of Brian. She wanted to cry again.
Su Zhen thought about Mrs Tee for a moment. It was ironic that the person she trusted most in Ocean turned out to be the source of her current demise. Or rather, her husband was the source. But it didn't really matter that much. Su Zhen felt that she was not the same girl as before and all the more she wasn't worthy of Brian. She wanted to cry again.
Ms Lim saw Su Zhen and was very concerned. She could tell instantly that Su Zhen cried the whole night from her swollen eyes. Ms Lim always put on a strong front but deep inside, she was most feminine. Now, she all the more she had to be.
“Su Zhen, are you ok?” She asked affectionately.
Su Zhen broke out in tears and confessed the whole story.
“Oh no...” Ms Lim was very worried.
“How could this…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Tears blotted out.
“30 girls from our factory!” Ms Lim was sniffing and her voice crackled. But she picked herself up and tried to console Su Zhen.
Su Zhen was sobbing.
“30 girls from our factory!” Ms Lim was sniffing and her voice crackled. But she picked herself up and tried to console Su Zhen.
Su Zhen was sobbing.
Ms Lim softened her voice and said, “Su Zhen, it's okay. Don’t think too much. Keep your mind occupied. Go watch a movie or draw something. Ask your boyfriend out.”
“I cannot face him.”
“If he is the right guy, he will be a pillar of strength for you. He will be able to comfort and console you.”
Su Zhen was silent. She saw the warmth in Ms Lim's eyes. She was not like the stern lady who bullied her on her examination day. Another of life's little ironies. Su Zhen was just grateful now that Ms Lim was beside her. She hugged Ms Lim and sobbed uncontrollably. Ms Lim rubbed her back soothingly.
"Trust me, your boyfriend will make you feel better. Have faith in him."
Su Zhen nodded her head.
"Trust me, your boyfriend will make you feel better. Have faith in him."
Su Zhen nodded her head.
* * * *
Ms Lim picked up the phone at her desk. It was the police.
They informed her that Mei fell off the 5th story of a condominium block and was now in hospital. Her condition was critical. Ms Lim rushed to the hospital through the heavy afternoon squall.
The police informed her that Mei had been working as a social escort at some karaoke. She was at her client's condo apartment. There was evidence of drug taking and she probably hallucinated and fell off the balcony accidentally.
Ms Lim's heart dropped like a butterfly hit by rain.
She stood by Mei's bed. Mei sensed her presence and opened her eyes slowly.
"Ms Lim..." Mei said.
"Mei, don't talk, just rest." She squeezed her hand lovingly.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"I am no good. I couldn't keep my job at EM One. Now I couldn't even moonlight anymore."
"No, you are good. Not working at EM One doesn't mean no good."
"Please say sorry to my Mum for me."
"You can say to her when she comes."
"If... I don't... make it, you must tell her... Tell my Mum, I'm sorry..."
Mei paused to catch her breath.
"Tell Mum... I love her very much..."
"Tell my sisters... I am going to study overseas... for a long time..."
Ms Lim fought back her tears. Butterflies were meant to fly. They could fly distances human could not imagine they could. But not today. The rained poured on, the room was filled with the sound of raindrops tapping on the window pane.
Mei did not live pass the night.
* * * *
Ms Lim confronted Mr Moe immediately after she parted with Su Zhen. She was ready for war.
“Did you know that Tee Lifestyle Limited is a prostitution ring? And you sent our girls there?”
“Prostitution? No lah, it’s just drinking place with a bit of touching. Our girls just served drinks, what the other girls do after that's their pasar, that's not his pasar.”
“You really think our girls just served drinks?” She shouted angrily.
“The girls have their choice. If they don’t like the job they can choose not to do it. I did my best to help them find an alternative.”
"You pushed them into a shit hole!" Ms Lim was not herself, she never used vulgarity. "This is just like what you did to Mei..."
"It was an accident, she fell off a building! For goodness sake!" Mr Moe protested.
"I told you not to transfer her. I offered to make up the pay difference, you said no."
"She shouldn't have moonlighted."
"Our workers moonlight because you, MOE... you are not providing enough! You only cared about rankings, results, costs..."
"Don't make this personal. They moonlight because they are kiasu. They are trying to win the rat race. I cannot stop that."
“You are such a jerk” Ms Lim was not giving any respect.
“Am I?” Mr Moe said in a slow and obviously annoyed voice, “Maybe I am. All you do is teach and spend enjoyable time with your girls, laughing with them. And you just complain and complain. But I have to make the difficult choices. Last year I tried to help the girls by asking our clients to accept the lower quality Mandarin uniforms. The clients told me to fly kite!"
Ms Lim said nothing.
Ms Lim said nothing.
Mr Moe continued speaking, in an awkward but annoyed calmness, "We are just a small company, there is no room for error. One wrong move and we are gone. While you and your girls sit here sheltered, I am out there scouring for business to keep this going. I have to make sure that our clients are happy. I have to make sure we can pay every worker every Saturday, make sure that we have orders to last the next quarter. Every order is exchanged with this jerk’s blood and sweat.”
Ms Lim just stood there quietly. Eyes still burning with fire.
“We just got another reject.” Mr Moe sighed. “$100,000.”
Ms Lim eyes were saying: I told you so.
“I am thinking hard how we can pull this through without firing any more girls. I know the two big orders are coming. It’s just two months from now. I just need two months of cashflow.”
“I have an idea.” Ms Lim said. “I quit.”
Mr Moe said grimly, “Ms Lim, don’t do this to me.”
“That’s my line. All my seamstress-trainer teammates had quit. It's time for me to do so. Besides, I cannot face my girls. I don't want to go through last week again.”
“You won’t. I can do it myself.”
“I have already made up my mind.”
“Is that so?”
Ms Lim nodded. A somber look filled her face.
“Go home and sleep over it. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
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