As billions across the world mark Labour Day today, I look back at my very first job.
My innocent first brush with work, and first love at work.
I was 15 and together with Benny and Sherman my two best buddies from school, we decided to take on a holiday job at Takashimaya.
It turned out to be the best experience any 15 year old could get.
It wasn't so much the money (well, it was good to have extra pocket money), but it was more the exploring of new experiences in an adult world with your best buddies.
Stanley my sex bunny friend -- whom I got to know later in my young adult life -- would say that he can think of many other activities that involve exploring new experiences in an adult world with your best buddies, and he guarantees that the outcome will be very, very satisfying.
But for now, let's get back to the innocent late 90s.
The era where walkmans and discmans were trendy devices every cool kid in school aimed to own.
And while it was exactly Sherman's intention to get one through this part-time job, Benny was saving up to spend on his girlfriend Jennifer the school slut.
For me, I thought it would be fun to do something out of the ordinary, in the company of friends.
And so, we found ourselves dressed in oversized adult shirts and ties on our first day on the job.
Our supervisor was a short and stout Malay aunty who constantly wore a worried expression.
Years later, it struck me that Ms Aisha of Takashimaya bore a spitting resemblance to Miranda Bailey of Grey's Anatomy.
But Ms Aisha was a lot softer than the fictitious doctor character.
For the first few days, she ran through with each of us what we had to do, and how we ought to present ourselves when talking to customers.
She also introduced new words to our vocabulary:Jingkyu and ArikyuMs Aisha said those two words, which sounded Japanese, actually meant nothing at all. They were the company's code words for toilet and food.
The management thought it would be classier for employees to say Jingkyu for toilet breaks and Arikyu for meal breaks, in case customers overheard us talking about taking a dump.
Stanley, whom I related the story to later, thought it extremely wise of the Takashimaya management.
"I love code words. I can also think of creative code words for toilet and eat," he said, making a lewd hand to mouth gesture.
Ms Aisha was meticulous and patient and had the good sense to split Benny, Sherman and I knowing full well that when you put a bunch of friends together, they're gonna end up talking and not working.
Benny was assigned to work in B2 tableware, Sherman at B1 taking care of some clothes brand and me on the same level selling, of all things, bed sheets.
And that was when I was introduced to Pat.
It wasn't exactly love at first sight.
Pat wasn't tall, dark, and handsome.
Tall, yes. But the fresh-face Pat is fair and not immediately handsome.
Instead, Pat is pretty -- in a Korean pop star sort of way.
Lovely big eyes, a radiant smile, floppy hair.
Oh, and Pat comes with a sidekick -- the annoying Sally whom I believe is totally in love with my Pat.
Sally is just the opposite.
Sally was short, had big hips, had short hair, wore specs, and is so bubbly she couldn't stop talking.
Sometimes, when I am having a nice chat with Pat, Sally would come by and start talking to us and I feel like shoving my left shoe down her throat.
It's annoying to see Sally hovering around Pat and talking and laughing like they shared many secrets.
Sure, they were school mates like Benny, Sherman and I are, but you don't see me hovering around Benny while he's polishing table ware right?
At one point, I sort of asked Sally if she and Pat were a thing but Sally with the big mouth and big butt brushed me aside saying they were really good, platonic friends.
Eventually, I got used to the momentum of work. I started to enjoy talking to customers, and even knew what bed sheets were made of what material. I was a formidable walking encyclopedia of all things beds and bed sheets (until I met Stanley the sex bunny later in life).
Soon, work became a breeze and I found myself looking forward to it every night.
The prospects of seeing my Pat the next day was exciting.
It was also quite a strange period for me.
I mean, at 15, I sort of knew I was gay but I really didn't think much of my sexuality until I was forced to confront myself.
Two months of being around Pat had thrown up all sorts of feelings in me -- chief of which, butterflies in my stomach.
But two months of holiday work can pass really quickly and soon, the end was near.
To mark the end of our part-time work, we organised a farewell outing one weekend: Ice skating at Jurong.
All of us were good ice skaters -- Pat, Benny, Sherman and even Sally the talkative teapot.
It was a very fun day. I don't remember Benny and Sherman being there.
But I do remember Sally coming to me and Pat very often.
I recall Sally -- who hasn't learnt the proper functions of a full stop in a sentence -- asking me to skate with her.
She took my hand and we circled the ice skating rink three times.
That was the only time Sally wasn't talking -- she was smiling to herself.
And there and then, I realise that Sally really meant it when she said she and Pat weren't a thing.
Sally had been talking non stop to get my attention because Verbal Machine Gun Sally actually likes me.
I was really nervous because while I do have my fair share of girls confessing that they liked me, I was not looking forward to one more girl saying she likes me.
I was praying under my breath that Sally wouldn't suddenly stop in her tracks and tell me she loved me and wanted to have my baby with me.
But this also spurred me on.
If Sally can hint heavily to me that she likes me... then I can do the same to Pat right?
And so, I found an excuse to skate towards the love of my work life.
I remember my exact words that day.
"I have something to tell you," I said.
Pat stifled a smile as if knowing what's to come.
"In the last two months, I really enjoyed my time with you at work. And honestly, I look forward to seeing you every day. I know this must sound strange to you. I do find it quite strange myself because honestly, this has never ever happened in my life before. Pat, I think I like you -- and not as friends."
I looked up and waited for a response.
And the radiant smile that I had learnt to love in the last two months beamed back brightly at me.
Pat smiled and said: "I feel the same way about you, Adam."
I held out my hand and asked Pat: "Wanna skate a few rounds?"
And with that, Patricia Chan held my hand and we both floated around the rink in puppy love.
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