My Last Day

On Sunday, while I was working, my manager J asked me what time my shift ended. I turned around and said that my shift ended at nine o'clock. He then said, "After your shift, I want to see you." Immediately, my mind started shifting into overdrive. All sorts of scenarios started playing out in my mind. But as usual, the worst scenarios took precedence. Was I about to be fired for taking quite a number of days of? Did any one of them see me and my gang running around Kuala Lumpur trying to complete tasks on the day that I had taken leave with the excuse that I had college activities? Or did one of them see me having fun at college when I skipped work because I had "extra classes"? Was it the swearing incident? I really didn't know what to expect. But then, just as I was beginning to think that all I was going to get was the axe, a more kinder thought came to my mind. It suddenly hit me that it was already the 3rd of March and I have not yet received my pay for the previous month and maybe, just maybe, J had wanted to give me my pay. Or at least, that's what I thought. Heck, it even got me smiling. But who would have ever known?

Then, when it was around 9.10, I punched out and I proceeded to look for J who was at manning the cash register. I went up to him and asked him the reason why he had wanted to see me. He looked at me and told me to wait outside. Without hesitating, I
took my bag and walked out of Big Apple and sat down at one of the coffee tables with my back facing the entrance to Big Apple. As I waited, my team leader, Sheila walked past me, giving me a slight smile before going back in. I returned the smile.
A couple of moments later, J walked out and sat opposite me. Without wanting to waste any time, I asked him what was up. He said, "I regret to have to tell you this, but the Datin doesn't want to hire anymore part timers. She wants to replace the whole bunch of you with full time staff. And therefore, Wednesday would be your last day at work. I really wouldn't mind having you around but this is the Datin's decision."

And at that moment, I really didn't know how to feel. It was like I was happy and rather disturbed at the same time. Happy because I could now have more time to do my other activities and disturbed because I was quite surprised at the way in which the whole matter was dealt with by the Datin. But nevertheless, I smiled and shook the managers hand the way I would normally do with my close friends. Because, I really respected him and I knew just how hard it was for him to break the news to me. Since day one, he always supported me and showed me due respect. And even during the swearing incident, I particularly respected the way in which he handled the situation. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank him as well as the others over at Big Apple for treating me as an equal.

And though, that day wasn't supposed to be my last day on the job, I decided the next day, five minutes before my shift started, that I didn't want to return for one last kick at Big Apple. Therefore making that Sunday my last day on the job. And eventhough, I did feel bad at the beginning, something else later on in the day helped ease my guilt of having to skip my last day of work. And that my friends, is nothing more than an empty North-South Highway and the Arctic Queen being under my control. I gave it a good beating at almost 120 km/h. But as usual, my mother made more noise than the car ever did. But with my dad cheering me on, I just had to keep on going. As they say, opportunities are far and sporadic. But when it comes to you, make full use of it and it will be you that smiles the widest. I know I did. I must have looked like a lunatic at that point. And as for you, the one who sent me the email with a picture of a mangled Kancil, you're email was the first thing that came to my mind when I was having all this fun. (You know who you are.)

But on a more smaller note, I think I am starting to understand just why people line up so long just to eat donuts.