Do it again tomorrow

Little Mai was lost in the crowd, unable to squeeze in. Being late would mean losing the chance to choose food. But looking around, the food at the factory was hard to swallow, not delicious enough to fight over. The rice was made from bad rice, sometimes burnt, sometimes mushy. The chicken was mushy, the braised fish was bland, the stir-fried meat was all fat, the soup was watery with a few pieces of vegetables, and a banana with a slightly bruised skin or a tiny slice of watermelon.

Listlessly holding the tray of rice and walking to an empty corner of the table, Mai sat down on her butt with a thud. Some people are busy eating, others are chatting and laughing. By the time Mai had reached the third spoonful of rice into her mouth, dozens of people had stopped eating, putting chopsticks, spoons, and rice trays into carts.

The pace of life here is too fast, work quickly, eat quickly, sleep quickly. Everything passes like a gust of wind that doesn't have time to follow. The women lay cross-legged like sardines on silver mats spread out next to lockers containing personal belongings, taking a nap before going to work in the afternoon. The men went to the factory's garage to smoke and chat.

Mai dragged her body back to the locker, opened the lock and pulled out two large salonpas from her backpack, taped from her heel to her ankle. But pain relief pads are useless on calloused heel skin. After the first week of working the administrative shift as an apprentice, unfortunately from the second week Mai had to work overtime for twelve hours straight. It was twelve hours of standing on the machine, twisting my legs, running back and forth like a larva. Mai only had more than thirty minutes to sit and massage herself to relieve the pain.

As she walked, rubbing her eyes and yawning, Mai bumped into the person in front of her. He is a guy with eyelids and a bright smile. After he finished apologizing, Mai's eyes lit up as if catching starlight.

Swimming sky, Quang accent! It's easy to find fellow countrymen in a strange place. I was so happy that Mai almost grabbed the wrist of that boy named Lum and chatted about all sorts of things. These days, Mai craves the country accent like crazy. There was a time when I had to call a friend nearly a thousand kilometers away, asking about things from heaven and earth, just to hear the same old country voice. People here speak to each other in soft, sweet voices, but they are so strange!

***

Mai is in charge of machine F48, both operating the machine to make products, checking goods and packing goods. The machine is huge, from head to tail about three meters long. F48 is quite versatile, with many buttons and lots of errors that must be corrected during operation.

When she was in school, Mai was considered a bit smart and learned quickly. So don't face machines, Mai will suddenly become stupid. Dozens of errors in plastic sticking to the zipper teeth and bottom latch, stuck zipper top, missing stopper, torn core, fabric tape has a connection so the machine stops... Each error has a different way to edit and press commands, Mai Listening to the instructions feels like a locust jumping in my head.

F48 specializes in running VSC zippers, which are the only dusty type of Vislon zippers. Therefore, Mai's whole body is always covered with cloth dust. Dust of all colors stuck to the blue worker's clothes, landed on her face, causing itching, and entered her sensitive nose, causing Mai to sneeze everywhere.

The factory has dozens of different machines, each making its own sound. Mai looked around, it had been a few days, and she still felt extremely strange and lost. This is not the place for Mai. Mai's position must be in the lecture hall, underneath the student seats, in a clean room with cool air conditioning. The sounds Mai should listen to are the soothing teachings from the lecturers and the cheerful laughter of her peers. Why is Mai in this place, in the midst of noisy machines, messy and dusty goods and people with heavy faces and light eyebrows?

***

The first month's salary she received, Mai sent most of it home, only keeping one million five hundred thousand dong to pay for accommodation and one meal a day. Mai's room is monotonous with a tiled mat, a thin blanket, a backpack, clothes and a few toiletries.

Most of the time, Mai would crawl back to her room and fall asleep. On the day shift, Mai would wake up in the morning and walk to work before the sun rose, leaving the factory after the afternoon light had gone down. On the night shift, Mai would sleep all day. Waiting for the alarm clock to wake up the sunset, Mai would wake up with her back drenched in sweat, quickly munching on a loaf of bread before going into the factory. After a sleepless night with machines, zippers, and other things, Mai would leave the factory and return to her lodgings at dawn.

Mai tried so hard, mainly so that her younger brother could have money to pay his tuition. Until then, the feeling of self-pity in the twelfth grade still felt like it was pressing on Mai's chest. Before the semester exam, the school's loudspeaker loudly called Mai's name demanding tuition. Mai blushed, passed dozens of staring eyes from her friends, and ran quickly towards the supervisor's room to beg for forgiveness. After finishing her graduation exam, Mai decided to put her paper, pen and books away, giving her younger brother the opportunity to continue writing his college dream.

Just a few years ago, Mai and her sisters were still eating well and dressing well under the protective embrace of their parents. The family was well-off, and since they were young, both of them lived carefree lives, focusing on studying and having fun with friends. Who knows how many uncertainties this life has? Suddenly, a super acute respiratory pandemic struck, let's distance and quarantine. Mai's parents closed the restaurant because of losses. It seems that God likes to test people, so all disasters always happen at the same time. Before she could figure out how to repay the debt, the virus was close at her side and took her father away from Mai's mother. My mother tried to hold on, but she had complications, constant muscle pain, difficulty breathing, and fainting several times after working too hard. Mai had to choose to walk on the bumpy road to prepare flowers for her younger brother.

During the past few nights, Mai felt so homesick that she sobbed alone in a room less than ten square meters. The cry echoed through the four walls, bouncing back into Mai's heart, absent-mindedly interrupted in the middle of the empty sound.

***

After a few conversations with Quang, Mai became close to Lum. Every time they work the same shift, the two take advantage of their lunch break to talk nonsense. Lum is very different from Mai, both in the way of life and thinking. Three years older than Mai, Lum calls you and me equal. Obsessed with the game Lien Quan, loves coffee and chats, drops out of school to work early. As much as he earned, Lum spent it all on bars with time-killing pastimes. If Mai hadn't been pushed into this path before, perhaps Mai would never have played with a scoundrel like Lum.

Holding the money you made yourself, spending it happily. You don't have to worry about gain or loss, or calculate sparingly like when asking someone. Lum smiled and narrowed his eyes as he chatted with Mai. But it seems that behind Lum's cheerful, carefree appearance, there is something a bit lost that is difficult to describe in words.

In the middle of the session, a scream rang out throughout the workshop. The cameras were pointing down from all four directions, but everyone was still huddled at machine F48 where Lum was in charge. The noise of the machinery could not drown out the whispering sounds. Everyone was startled, some clicked their tongues, others frowned, grimaced, and covered their mouths.

As soon as Mai stepped forward, they spread out on both sides. He carried Lum on his shoulders and ran quickly towards the medical room. Blood from Lum's left hand dripped along the path, reddening the front of the man's shirt, trembling with each step. Mai caught a glimpse of Lum's pale face and tight lips. Everything passed before her eyes, Mai was stunned for a moment. The faint smell of burning flesh brought Mai back to reality.

Mai looked at the tooth stamping machine and the zipper latch. The iron shaft of the F48 crushed Lum's hand while he struggled to repair the machine. Oh my God, if the machine is so heavy, if it falls on your hand, there will be no bones left. Even broken iron is a human hand. What should I do, what should I do... Mai shivered, a cold stream running from her ears to her neck. Mai raised her hand to wipe away the tears that were falling from the corner of her eyes, wanting to run away, but suddenly remembered that she was still on a work shift.

***

Mai dragged her feet out of the company, looked back at the big iron gate closing, then sighed and tried to walk quickly in the early sunlight. The cart man dropped Mai off in front of the hospital. Lum is in the emergency recovery room. Just after surgery, Mai could only ask about the situation through the nurse and sat against the wall in the hospital hallway. Drowsiness came unconsciously. Until Mai fell and hit her head on the plastic chair, she was startled and opened her eyes, it was already noon. My stomach grumbled loudly because I was hungry.

After that, every day after coming home from work, Mai would go to the market, cook rice and bring it to the hospital, talk lazily with Lum, drink another cup of coffee, sleep for about three hours and then go back to work. Mai's eyes were dark and deep due to lack of sleep. Mai keeps hanging around the person who just lost a hand.

The ladies working in the office came to visit Lum. The basket of all kinds of fruit is heavy but the question is light. The other sister said that she was lucky to be alive. Just live first, everything can be solved. The boat will be straight when it reaches the bridgehead. Mai sat in the corner, looked over at them and thought: "And if there's no boat, how can we get to the bridge?". A woman thrust a thin envelope into Lum's hand. That's the company's labor accident support money and Lum's leave allowance. Luckily, Mai doesn't know how to pay the remaining hospital fees after insurance pays part of it. Well, as long as it helps, just take it slow for the next time.

The sun goes out behind the hospital, the windy afternoon blows into the hallways, blowing into people's hearts. Half lying, half sitting on the bed, looking out at the weeds outside the window. Life is sometimes so cruel, as soon as you slip and fall, people push you away. Before I could ask for leave, the company refused to continue working. But think again, Lum can't do anything with just one hand. The incident occurred entirely due to Lum's carelessness. The company has supported the correct procedures and is very grateful.

Mai tried to guess what Lum meant, curiously secretly observing him. But his face, haggard from the pain, remained silent without even a single raised eyebrow. Someone once said that people will grow up very quickly after just one incident. Will Lum be more mature in the future? Just like Mai, she suddenly became the breadwinner of the family when she was just eighteen years old.

***

Mai moved in with Lum to save money on accommodation. The room was twice as large as Mai's old apartment, she lived upstairs, Lum spread out the mat to sleep underneath. Two people who have not yet grown up stick together in the middle of a chaotic street. Is this decision right or wrong? Time will tell. Anyway, making mistakes is just youth.

During these quiet days, Mai realized that there were no calls for Lum from his family. Old stories being brought out are like adding salt to a wound. From childhood to adulthood, Lum never met his biological father. She criticized his mother for doing dirty work, clinging from one man to another like lice clinging to dogs and cats to suck blood. After arguing a lot, Lum left home for more than four years and never returned. It was about that time that my mother and I cut off contact, with no news.

Lum's scarred amputated hand was healed, but it was aching and tingling, and sighs flowed day and night. The doctor said it was phantom limb pain, and in addition to medical treatment, Lum needed to accept the fact that he no longer had that hand. The virtual pain in his hand twisted and recurred, just like the panic in Lum's heart, even though it had been a long time, it still had not subsided.

Mai sighed, Lum's life is so bitter! During the years when I was still stupid, still a child, not yet able to see through life, still rash and crazy, and not having a family by my side to advise, guide, and lead the way. At this time, Mai was the only one who reached out to Lum. Even though she knew she was carrying an extra burden, if Mai didn't hold on, she was afraid Lum would be sunk deep into the sea by a big wave, unable to return to shore.

Compared to Lum, Mai's life is still blessed! Mai grew up in the love of her family. Although her father is no longer around, he probably always watches over and blesses Mai. Now, fortunately, she still has this job to help Mai take care of her mother and younger brother. Suddenly, Mai becomes more excited during each shift. The operation and troubleshooting of F48 becomes easier to breathe. Sometimes, Mai secretly sits on the iron platform next to the zipper shipment to ease her sore feet. The factory meals suddenly become easier to eat.

To keep pace with the machines around her, Mai practiced weaving through the flow of people to the cafeteria quickly, chewing quickly and swallowing quickly, then finding space to lie down and take a nap. Ultimately, when facing difficulties in life, a person's state of mind is the most important thing, deciding whether we will sink into darkness or come out of the coma.

***

Mai dragged Lum out of the room and forced her to go to a restaurant to ask for a job as a waiter. The boss was moved by Mai's earnestness and gave Lum a trial job despite his worries. After two meals, Lum broke half of the tray and splashed hot soup on a customer, so the boss fired her. Lum went back to her rented room and lay down on her phone. They argued all day without sleep, and the more Mai talked, the more Lum lay down. If she stopped working, how could she just breathe air to survive? Mai was so angry that she burst into tears and it took a lot of coaxing to stop her.

“Work, go to work all day. Then I will change my name to your satisfaction, not Lum but Do." I pretended to be angry and then clicked on a job posting on an online job search site. Mai turned away, pursed her lips and smiled, suppressing the "sniff" sound that was trying to escape from her throat.

Sunset had just fallen, the last rays of the day dyed the horizon red, Mai was preparing to start the night shift. Lum looked at the back of the little girl walking out of the boarding house gate and said to her. Let's go back to work tomorrow...