The man took my business card, wiped away his tears, and left the rooftop. I followed closely behind him, but he seemed to want to shake me off, moving erratically. Seeing this, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, so I chose to disappear from his sight. If he chose to return to the rooftop to jump, I would be powerless to stop him, but at least I had done my best.
Reflecting on the "workplace bullying" incident I faced one year ago...
The best solution is actually to resign.
However, due to my "dignity", it seems that "resignation" would also become extremely complicated.
After delivering the milk tea, I drove back to the parking lot near my cafe.
My milk tea cafe is located in Section 15 of Subang Jaya, Selangor, a bustling gathering point suitable for people of all ages. With several well-known universities nearby and medium to large residential neighbourhoods, along with various chain stores entering the area, prices have skyrocketed. The streets are crowded, and parking spaces in the lot often require drivers to circle around two or three times to find an empty spot.
Today, however, I was particularly lucky.
As soon as I passed the entrance gate, I found an open parking space. I muttered to myself, "I should buy 4D later!"
*4D: A type of lottery in Malaysia.
I hadn't even turned off the engine when someone knocked on my car window repeatedly. "Hey! Brother Lim, you're finally back."
To be honest, I don't like it when people knock on my car window, no matter which part of their finger they use; it's just impolite.
The elderly man before me is the people's representative of Section 15 Subang Jaya, and also the local priest of the neighbourhood church. I couldn't help but wonder if he had been waiting for me, lying in wait at the parking lot. Could that lucky parking space be his trap?
As I pondered this, I was filled with dread, and my scalp tingled. The church's priest, whose name is Albert, has a thick head of neatly groomed grey hair. He has few wrinkles on his face, and his age is a mystery. Some say he's already in his sixties, while others insist he's just in his fifties. To me, he might be around seventy, but he stands straight than I do.
He was dressed in a black collared shirt, long blue jeans, and a thick purple scarf hung deliberately around his neck. Walking around in this outfit on such a scorching day, he was definitely in complete compliance with the will of the heavens.
I opened the car door, got out, and greeted him with a polite smile. "Hello, Mr. Albert! Are you here to discuss the two-way road issue with me again?"
"You know it well!" His voice was exceptionally loud, resonating throughout the parking lot. The loudspeakers set up in the parking lot couldn't compete with the strength of his voice. "You must remember to vote for the two-way road I proposed on Sunday!"
"Sunday?" I opened the rear trunk, taking out my backpack and folder. "Isn't Sunday supposed to be for going to church and praying? Why would it be for voting at the city council? Government officials really work on weekends?"
Mr. Albert made a clueless expression, "You see, I don’t know! The government decided on this day. They might have assigned some volunteers to help out. Let me tell you, if you don't vote for the two-way road, this congested road will never get improved."
He clearly knew everything.
I turned my head and walked out of the parking lot. "I think this congested road can't be improved, whether it's a two-way road or a one-way road. Don't you find the two-way road too narrow?"
Walking on the sidewalk, I looked at the line of cars on the road. The one-way road was already packed with vehicles, moving only one or two meters in a minute.
"I believe what needs to be improved is expanding the parking lot we just passed! With more parking spaces, there won't be so many cars parked on the roadside." My pace didn't slow down, and I continued in the direction of the milk tea cafe.
However, Mr. Albert walked closely beside me, chirping away about the benefits of the two-way road.
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"If we change it to a two-way road, there won't be cars parked on the side, blocking others' vehicles."
"Just think about it, two-way traffic allows cars to move in both directions, and it can save a lot of time!"
"Double is always better than single, don't you think?"
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I didn't want to look at him at all. "If there's a lorry [truck] making a delivery, it also needs to park in front of our shop, blocking the entire road. In that case, a two-way road isn't practical. On the other hand, a one-way road allows the lorry to park on the left side, so you can pass on the right; if the lorry is on the right, you can go left."
"No, no, no, no, no!" His steps seemed to be even more hurried than mine. "You're clearly spoiling those despicable businesses!"
After all, I am a cafe branch manager who approaches things from a business perspective! I always felt he couldn't grasp where my standpoint was.
My milk tea cafe, Frog-Eye Bubble Tea, is just 70 steps away from the parking lot, so it's neither far nor near. We are known for our wide variety of boba, all of which are handmade and completely free from preservatives and other chemicals. Our parent company has a production facility in Malacca that produces over 10,000 boba per bag, which are then divided into six different flavours and shipped to our branches in various regions.
Boba flavours: brown sugar, white sugar, caramel, cactus, matcha, three-colour (white sugar + cactus + matcha).
Our signature signboard is the large frog's eyes, and the 2D models filled with bubble tea. Customers line up outside, and the shop is usually full. The interior features a black wall and white counters with some green plants as accents, giving it a very ordinary and simple look. "We want people to come for the tea, not the decor," said the interior designer hired by the owner. I suspect she must be a relative of the owner; otherwise, she would have been dismissed. There are many photos on the walls showing the process of making the boba, which looks artistic but has poor pixel quality. As I step inside, the rich aroma of bubble tea fills the air, a scent I'm well accustomed to. It not only lifts my spirits but also makes me feel that I am still "alive."
Albert continued to follow me around, "I must convince you to vote for the two-way road this Sunday."
"Alright, I'll vote for you."
Are you satisfied now?
He suddenly fell silent for a moment and then said, "No! You're just trying to appease me! No, no, no, no, no! You young people like to say nice things to deceive us elderly folks, and that's not good, you know! It's a sin of deception."
Seeing his determination, my fists clenched. As the leader of the early shift at my milk tea shop, Mok was busy behind the counter but shot me a glance that seemed to say, "Why did you get the priest involved again?"
I returned his questioning look with a puzzled expression that said, "This is God's will, not what I wanted. Please save me."
At that moment, Mok stepped out from behind the counter and greeted Mr.Albert warmly, "Father, would you like a bubble tea? How about a cup of brown sugar bubble tea? It's even blacker than your clothes!"
Mr.Albert thought carefully for a moment and then shook his head, "No, no, no, no, no! I have serious matters to discuss with your manager. Please don't distract me." He waved his right hand vigorously, brushing off Mok.
Mok was tall and thin and wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. He liked to wear his cap backwards, which violated the dress code. He was honest and kind but enjoyed taunting his subordinates with verbal jabs. Personal attacks were his favourite pastime at the tea shop.
I quickened my pace and deliberately moved into the counter area. However, the space was small, and everyone was busy. It seemed there was no room for me. Since I was carrying a backpack filled with things and clutching some files to my chest, two boys focusing on making tea told me, "Boss, I don't mean to criticize you, but you're kind of..."
"Being extra, right?"
I knew it!
But that clingy priest just wouldn't leave. Mr.Albert stood outside the counter area, continuously pouring out his thoughts, even repeating the same information over and over, more "looped" than the songs playing in the shop. The customers standing beside him started to get annoyed and naturally took a few steps back.
I squeezed my way into the kitchen, but it could only accommodate two people standing.
In the narrow kitchen, the young boy was earnestly brewing tea. He remarked, "Manager, how did you end up here? And you're carrying... Oh, I get it! That priest came to our shop to find you again, didn't he?"
Pretty sharp, I must say!
The trio of young boys in the kitchen and the two outside were collectively known as the "TF BOYS," the youngest in the shop. There were Kyle, Boon, and Darren.
Let's start with Kyle! He is a boy of action, working at lightning speed. But his only drawback was that he was too quick. Before you could finish speaking, he would have run off to do the task. As a result, as you might expect, he either did it wrong or did it hastily. Among the three, he had the most handsome features, but this also made many girls assume he was a "definitely taken" male god, so they admired him from afar.
Next, there was Boon, with cute and round facial features, single eyelids but big eyes. His small nose and tender lips made him very popular with older ladies and aunties. However, he wasn't very skilled in communication or conversation, often ending chats abruptly.
Darren was the most mature among them. His work experience earned him recognition from all the shop owners. From a young age, he had worked to afford an iPhone. Darren's dad didn't spoil him, so he had to earn money himself to buy the things he liked. His appearance was average, but he had excellent people skills and was someone all the staff liked to be around.
The one preparing the tea inside the kitchen was Darren. He said, "I have a way to distract the priest!"
"Are you sure?" I had full confidence in his abilities, but I was skeptical about getting the priest to leave. "He's been talking and talking non-stop. Do you really have a way to get rid of him?"
Darren nodded, "Leave it to me!"
He stepped outside and said to Mok, "Mok, my tea will be ready in 4 minutes. Watch it for me." Then, he approached the priest with a foolish expression, "Father, let me ask you something... What if a person doesn't know how to speak Mandarin, not a word of Mandarin, and suddenly, one day, he just keeps using Mandarin to curse people!"
"Huh?"
Mr.Albert fell silent and listened attentively.
Darren continued, "But this person only knows how to curse people in Mandarin. It's kind of... unusual."
"Ah!" Mr.Albert was shocked! He took out the cross necklace from his collar and tightly clenched it in his fist. "He must be possessed! Tell me, where is this person?"
"Yeah, I saw him this morning at the CHAGEE's shop across the street. You can go check it out."
"Is he still there?"
"He should still be there... You see, it's crowded over at the CHAGEE’s shop. It must be this unusual person causing some trouble..."
Mr.Albert immediately made the sign of the cross and then turned to go to the tea shop across the street.
Darren looked back at us and smiled triumphantly, "See! Aren't I clever?"
We almost applauded him! Why did I say "almost"? Because Mr.Albert suddenly turned back and said, "Brother Lim!" He called my name with a troubled look.
I gave him a nod, "I will vote on Sunday." I kept giving him thumbs up and various OKAY hand gestures...
But he said with a slight tremor, "Your cafe... seems to have something eerie... I feel like something evil has entered..."
To be continued…
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