Check the previous part – Presage of Downfall Chapter 1 – 2
It was a Day off for Karume
Mr Ting Shark could not release Karume early in the morning on the day of his leave. This not only happened to Karume but also to all other workers. He had to work until late afternoon. The day’s work was hard, as they had to load lorries with building stones.
After a cold shower, Karume felt relaxed. He grabbed his heavy sledgehammer, which was a must to return when one was going on leave. He knocked at a door, entered and the secretary nodded as the man went straight inside the boss’ office.
Ting Shark Sat Relaxed Reading a Novel
Ting Shark sat relaxed reading a novel. He looked up as Karume entered then lowered his eyes like an owl and opened another page. On the table, there was the day’s newspaper still looking new, a pen on top of it and a closed executive file.
A stapler sat in front of a table calendar. On his right, an office phone and a small mobile phone sat close to each other looking like they were challenging one another. On another small table, a computer was running with a screen saver saying ‘Enjoy life while you can.’
Several music CDs lay scattered on the table. A flash disk was hanging at one of the USB ports at the front panel of the branded Dell computer.
“Hello sir,” Karume offered greetings.
Ting Shark remained mute. Only his eyes were rolling from side to side as he read from the presumably entertaining novel. Karume was disgusted. This was not a good welcome, besides his time was running out.
What Do You Want?
He looked around the commodious room. He located a metal chair and pulled it. The chair made a shrill grating sound that brought Ting Shark back to the present world.
“Who allowed you to sit? You son of…!” He placed the book he was reading down with a bang just as he cut short the rude word he was about to release and adjusted his glasses. “What do you want?” He demanded without trying to be friendly at all.
Karume did not know how to answer the question. Anger was beginning to build up in him. He picked up his sledgehammer and shoved it at his boss.
The man picked the point without being told. He picked up the pen, opened the file on the table and flipped through the pages.
“You have only tomorrow. On Monday at exactly 2.00 pm I expect you to be here.”
Karume stood up.
“And my money?” he demanded.
He Produced Some Crumpled Notes and Coins
Ting Shark fumbled in his pockets. He produced some crumpled notes and coins like the change one gets from a charcoal dealer, opened the file then marked something and gave Karume the money.
“This is not all.”
“No more,” Ting Shark said curtly. “Till you come back. Okay?” He adjusted his spectacles and as a sign of dismissal, he took his novel and began to read. He lifted it close to his long nose and Karume was able to read the title of the rather fat novel, ‘The Key to World’s Riches,’ engraved in gold letters.
Karume moved out with a bitter heart. There is something that he didn’t quite understand. Why did Ting Shark pay him half of his money yet he had worked for it? This is what Karume feared, to work under a tyrant for the rest of his life.
To be controlled like a machine by an oppressive man who knew nothing about labourers’ rights. Or if he knew, he cared less. His main interest was the billions he would make by the end of the year.
He was a Despot Boss
Ting Shark knew how to cut expenses; paying the workers peanuts so that the profit would be enormous. In the modern world, Ting Shark and the likes of him had indeed found slaves to use.
The despot boss knew his workers would do nothing and they had nowhere to go. The trade unions formed for the poor workers were impotent. Instead of helping the workers, they helped in draining the last energy from the tired workers.
Those who benefited were the union leaders and top government officials who siphoned money from the unions into their accounts abroad. The unions had been formed in good faith only to be hijacked by greedy fellow countrymen.
The knowledge of this fact made Karume feel unbearable pain inside him. The labourers were disunited while the union leaders and the employers worked jointly to violate the workers’ rights.
He likened the workers to the donkey that pulls heavy loads but he realized that the animal is better off – it is allowed time to feed and rest so that the next day it would be alive for more work. For the workers, there was nothing like that. If one died he was replaced immediately.
Check the next part – Presage of Downfall Chapter 2 – 1
