Nanyang Butterflies - Chapter 1
Mr Moe sat in his office, legs crossed over his desk. He held up his glass of Johnnie Walker whisky and swivelled it twice. The Blue Label dignified oak aroma filled his senses. He took a sip and smiled. His company, South Ocean Garments made a million dollars last year. This was something unthinkable just four years ago when he left the Federation and decided to strike out on his own.
He allowed himself to marvel at this for a short while. Imagine. One million dollars in four years. Little did he know that this moment marked the pinnacle of his lifetime net worth.
He started with just $9,819.65, bought an old smallish factory, fitted a few sewing machines and was up and running in a month. He reflected at those times in the beginning. It was very tough, but also fun. There was one time, he and his workers were singing while working, "Wooh ho-oh^oh! Wooh ho-oh, oh oh!" They sang so loud that the next door factory owner Stephen came over and complained. He jokingly threatened to stab them for such terrible singing.
Well, Singaporeans complained about everything. Mr Moe chuckled as he reminisced those crazy early days.
Well, Singaporeans complained about everything. Mr Moe chuckled as he reminisced those crazy early days.
A remake of the song Mr Moe sang with his workers
Ironic as it seemed, he couldn’t help wondering whether he was happier now or then.
"Boss, you need to take a look at this.", a lady's mild dissatisfied voice came across the door.
"Give me a minute." Mr Moe replied curtly, frustrated that his moment of tranquility came to an abrupt end.
"Look at the quality of these uniforms, they're worse than third world countries' T-shirts, we gotta do something about this." Ms Lim complained as she held a piece of attire in her hands, checking the stitches.
Ms Lim was a typical Singaporean lady, prim and proper at work, driven and demanding, even towards her own boss. Although she had the capacity to be really sweet if she wanted to. She could bring a policeman to his knees with her feminine charm. Literally. Her last date was the Deputy Commissioner. But for now, her priority was work.
Ms Lim joined the company since its inception. Before Ocean, she worked for two years with another firm, NIE Logistics. Mr Moe needed a capable assistant for his business. She came to the interview and got the job on the spot. She proved to be a competent worker. With her credentials now, she could easily switch to another private competitor. But she stuck around.
She didn't particularly like South Ocean Garments or Mr Moe. What she loved most was her current core job as the trainer and role model for young factory seamstresses that the company had to hire and train every year. She was a born teacher. She was adept at showing the ropes, stern at work but a friend and confidante for new workers in times of need.
She never minded that her pay was way below her responsibilities. While she was hired to train young seamstresses, she also had to take care of the company's administrative work, sales and marketing, PR and liaison with government officials. She had a team of fellow-minded staff but one by one, they resigned as the going got tough. Things took another leg down when a colleague in a similar senior position went on maternity.
Her workload exploded. Still, her love for her factory girls kept her going. She couldn't wait for her colleague Mrs Tee to get back. Just a few more weeks.
But for now, she was worried. Both for the company and for her girls.
"Boss, the girls are not given enough coaching. They worked too long. They are tired all the time. The quality of their work is declining. Look at all these shoddy uniforms, they won't last ten washes."
"It's okay. The important thing now is to hit the numbers. Our order backlog is piling up. We don't have time to conduct so many training days. Especially for Line EM Two and EM Three."
"But EM Three has the biggest problems"
"We can only do so much for each Line. Yesterday you spent a whole day with that new girl, Su Zhen right? She's not even EM Two right? You should focus only on the Top Line."
"Give her some time, she will make EM Two."
Mr Moe grimaced. He needed to convince his best assistant. She was not easy to work with, but at least she's honest upfront. He had a few foreign senior staff in the past. They were really good with words and always painted a rosy picture of how well their section was doing, but left to join his competitor the next day, leaving a pile of leftover shit for him to clean up.
"Okay, let her do the Final Examination tomorrow. If aga-aga can already, put her into EM Two." Mr Moe said.
There was no particular reason why the Lines had the EM label. Nobody remembered what they stood for. But it stuck. EM One produced the cream of the crop and EM Three was condemned.
There was no particular reason why the Lines had the EM label. Nobody remembered what they stood for. But it stuck. EM One produced the cream of the crop and EM Three was condemned.
Su Zhen was the company’s newest hire. A young Singaporean Chinese girl, full of hope and fun. She never really had any childhood and now before she knew it, she started working. She was good at day-dreaming and drawing. It could be complementary skills. She would day-dream while holding a pencil, some time later, she would produce a beautiful picture of flowers and butterflies or a scenic landscape. She could create magic with pencil and paper. Well, dreaming does help to fuel imagination, the more important attribute, as some scientist once said.
One of Su Zhen's drawing
(originally by Lin Ying)
Su Zhen's parents knew Mr Moe for a long time. They wanted her to work at Line EM One, where the uniforms needed to be of the best quality. But her capabilities now did not allow that to happen. When she was young, she did sewing with her mother. And her mother drilled her for four weeks before coming to Ocean. But some young minds needed time to flourish.
Ms Lim saw a lot of potential in Su Zhen though, the young bubbly girl twelve years her junior. Yes, Su Zhen was still inexperienced, her skills were still far below that of the EM One workers. But with enough time, Ms Lim knew she could surpass them. She believed Su Zhen could be so much more. Not just labelled as an EM One or EM Two seamstress but something bigger.
"Ms Lim, I know it's been hard on you too. All the more so since Mrs Tee went on maternity. I will see what I can do okay?" Mr Moe said.
Ms Lim nodded unwillingly. Mrs Tee was the senior ex-colleague who joined 6 months later than she did. She remember that fateful day vividly. Two ladies came to the company for their interviews. She was with Mr Moe who conducted the interviews. Mrs Tee was a confident lady who became her strong competitor at work. The other girl was very young. Even younger than Su Zhen. She was boyish and loud.
When asked for her name, she replied curtly, in just one word.
"Mei."
A melancholic feeling dawned on Ms Lim as she thought about Mei, the girl who died in her arms.
When asked for her name, she replied curtly, in just one word.
"Mei."
A melancholic feeling dawned on Ms Lim as she thought about Mei, the girl who died in her arms.
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