A Monday of Mixed Emotions
Today my department has reached its highest number of staff; four to be exact. Our latest member is the youngest amongst us and I would dare to say, the brightest. I remembered him precisely two years ago, when his mother, who was then a Prime Time Executive (she goes around and does wills for pensioners), asked me if I would let his son join my department for work experience. Back then, 18-yeard old Ryan was very soft-spoken, very shy and very timid. His curly ginger hair, countless facial freckles and a thick “Elvis Costello” styled glasses remain embedded in my memory. I tried to teach him everything I could possibly think of but as everyone would know, the world of Information Technology is forever endless. After three months, his time was finished here and went to University down in Kent.
Last year, he turned up again wondering if there was any vacancy for a summer placement. I took him onboard without much hesitation, even when I know I really need the go-ahead from the Partners first. His first year at Uni has done him some good. He looks different. He speaks different. This time, Ryan is more able, more confident, and able to make numerous calls to big companies the likes of HP and Canon to express his utter disgust at the functionality and robustness (or rather lack of) of their products. At the end of three months, it was time for him to leave again. But this time, not before extending his heartiest gratitude to me. As we had our last drinks together at the local pub, he told me that although I taught and showed him a lot of things, he learnt more from looking at how I do things, like how I speak to the rest of the staff, how I speak on the phone, how I handle critical situations, how I plan my day, how I try to come up with solutions, how I try to find another way to sort out a problem, etc. At first, I was perplexed. I had no idea one could learn so many things what just observing my actions, my behaviour. One could not help but to be glad that one did not pick one’s own nose when another was trying to learn from them. Then I felt pleased. Pleased that the time he spent with me had not gone to waste. Pleased to know that I have passed on some good to somebody else. Pleased, especially, that I do have some good inside of me.
Today, a man in a cool grey suit walked into my office. I still recognised his curly ginger hair, freckles all over his face, but this time, covered by an elegant frameless pair of glasses. “Good to see you again, Ahmad”, he greeted me in a tone of voice that has been polished by several milligrams of testosterone. Alas, Ryan is only here a short while to work on a mini-project. The company could not afford him to work for three months any longer. Only three weeks this time. He has far surpassed my expectations. “It’s a pleasure to have you again, Mr. Jones”, I welcomed him back to my department. I was his mentor. I’m very proud of him. Should I?
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I bring no joy to telling this incident. I am merely reporting what actually happened.
What could be more worse than to find out that somebody you know at work, somebody who has been pleasant and nice all the time, somebody who you would offer you a cup of tea in your presence, somebody who remains calm and patient while you sort out her PC, somebody whom you wouldn’t imagine anything bad could happen to………. was involved in a freak road accident?
Two weeks ago, Renuka made her way to work as she would normally do. She gets on the No. 121 bus from her home and gets off near the office. She had been doing it for over two years day in and day out. Nothing out of the ordinary, one would think. That day, she got off the bus in the morning. As that bus moved away, another bus pulled in, perhaps a bit too fast, and bumped into Renuka’s side. She got pulled under the bus and her leg got caught under the front tyre. Her leg broke instantly. The bus then dragged her leg across the tarmac for what must have been several feet before coming to a halt. I will not go into any more detail than that. I would have been very horrified had I witnessed that incident. As selfish as it may sound, I am very grateful I hadn’t.
Renuka Hijri is alive and recovering today. The doctors had changed her condition from critical to stable. The flesh of her leg had to be washed and wrapped four times to rid of any debris and dirt collected from the tarmac. A lot of her tendon muscles had to be reconstructed and rebuilt. Most of the skin had to be grafted. It could have been worse. The bus could have hit more than just her side. She could have fallen over differently. It is no use. No matter how I try to twist this, I do not feel any better. I wish her the speediest of recovery.
I almost lost a close friend in a road accident once. It was a horrible feeling. I cherish her until this day.
Last year, he turned up again wondering if there was any vacancy for a summer placement. I took him onboard without much hesitation, even when I know I really need the go-ahead from the Partners first. His first year at Uni has done him some good. He looks different. He speaks different. This time, Ryan is more able, more confident, and able to make numerous calls to big companies the likes of HP and Canon to express his utter disgust at the functionality and robustness (or rather lack of) of their products. At the end of three months, it was time for him to leave again. But this time, not before extending his heartiest gratitude to me. As we had our last drinks together at the local pub, he told me that although I taught and showed him a lot of things, he learnt more from looking at how I do things, like how I speak to the rest of the staff, how I speak on the phone, how I handle critical situations, how I plan my day, how I try to come up with solutions, how I try to find another way to sort out a problem, etc. At first, I was perplexed. I had no idea one could learn so many things what just observing my actions, my behaviour. One could not help but to be glad that one did not pick one’s own nose when another was trying to learn from them. Then I felt pleased. Pleased that the time he spent with me had not gone to waste. Pleased to know that I have passed on some good to somebody else. Pleased, especially, that I do have some good inside of me.
Today, a man in a cool grey suit walked into my office. I still recognised his curly ginger hair, freckles all over his face, but this time, covered by an elegant frameless pair of glasses. “Good to see you again, Ahmad”, he greeted me in a tone of voice that has been polished by several milligrams of testosterone. Alas, Ryan is only here a short while to work on a mini-project. The company could not afford him to work for three months any longer. Only three weeks this time. He has far surpassed my expectations. “It’s a pleasure to have you again, Mr. Jones”, I welcomed him back to my department. I was his mentor. I’m very proud of him. Should I?
------------------------------------------------------------------
I bring no joy to telling this incident. I am merely reporting what actually happened.
What could be more worse than to find out that somebody you know at work, somebody who has been pleasant and nice all the time, somebody who you would offer you a cup of tea in your presence, somebody who remains calm and patient while you sort out her PC, somebody whom you wouldn’t imagine anything bad could happen to………. was involved in a freak road accident?
Two weeks ago, Renuka made her way to work as she would normally do. She gets on the No. 121 bus from her home and gets off near the office. She had been doing it for over two years day in and day out. Nothing out of the ordinary, one would think. That day, she got off the bus in the morning. As that bus moved away, another bus pulled in, perhaps a bit too fast, and bumped into Renuka’s side. She got pulled under the bus and her leg got caught under the front tyre. Her leg broke instantly. The bus then dragged her leg across the tarmac for what must have been several feet before coming to a halt. I will not go into any more detail than that. I would have been very horrified had I witnessed that incident. As selfish as it may sound, I am very grateful I hadn’t.
Renuka Hijri is alive and recovering today. The doctors had changed her condition from critical to stable. The flesh of her leg had to be washed and wrapped four times to rid of any debris and dirt collected from the tarmac. A lot of her tendon muscles had to be reconstructed and rebuilt. Most of the skin had to be grafted. It could have been worse. The bus could have hit more than just her side. She could have fallen over differently. It is no use. No matter how I try to twist this, I do not feel any better. I wish her the speediest of recovery.
I almost lost a close friend in a road accident once. It was a horrible feeling. I cherish her until this day.
posted by iJun at 8:13 pm
