Rise Up You Tides and Storms

Must needs be double plus brief. The same drum cannot be beaten again and again and monotonously again.

         Young Rajapandian in the Haig car-park shortly after 11pm. Near the children's playground with fair lighting overhead. Maids one commonly saw washing cars mornings and afternoons; rarely men. Raja was the right colour for the job. Tamil, yes: stature, moustache, gleaming ready smile. 
         Washing the boss's car right? 
         Yes. Right. Kind of.
         Rajapandian's old classic black roadster circa 1953 was not seen at first on its stand immediately in front, a plastic bag tightly wrapped around the seat and implements in the front carrier.
         Washing the boss's Beamer after hours as an add-on? Perhaps a concrete pour had been delayed; a crane perhaps collapsed killing a worker and the lads had defied the foreman walking off the job.
         Well, no. Raja worked as an aircon technician. A qualified tradesman from back in India indeed, where he had earnt fully 64,000 rupees monthly.... On the spot conversion: about SG$2k. Damn decent dough.
         Lured to Sing' with false promises of advanced training and upgrade of his qualifications. Likely story the old recruitment scam.
         Tamils were the worst people in the world Rajapandian wants you to know. You have heard of happenings in Sri Lanka?... (Uncertain the point here. What, the Tamils on the southern island perchance given up by their northern tribesmen, 67 million strong?... There might be an opportunity to talk again. It was a large park at the Haig.) Then of course Rajapandian’s own sorry tale here. Cheated by you know who.
         Placing the cold milk carton on the hood to retrieve pen and paper was no good. Dirty.
         OKOKOKOK.
         Four hours nights Rajapandian slept. From shortly before 3am until 7. The aircon stint was 8am - 2 30pm — $420 per month. Nights car-washing 4pm - 2am sixty-four cars brought $400.
         Doubled more or less what he earnt back home, so perhaps he should not complain, regardless the upgrade promised.
         Chap resisted the abbreviation: No: Rajapandian. Young and strong. Will endure. Like his coolie cousins brought out in the earlier generations: a circle. That the sons of coolies were employing the same exploitative practices gets you more than anything. Reminded of the African traders in league with the ship captains, the Jewish capos in the camps....An unforgettable Uncle Tom photograph of the founding father's grandfather or great-grand here in his dress coat, vest and bow tie sighted in one of the newspapers had told a story all by itself, vivid and strong.