He looked at me condescendingly.
"You want your security deposit back? If you hadn't brought
it up, I would have forgotten about it. I didn't deduct from
your pay, so how can you ask me to give it back? Didn't you
agree to the rules when you took the job?"
I was shocked. Ireally was a
fool. Iwas so worried when I first took the job that I hadn't
read the rules carefully. I put my hand over my pounding heart
and looked over the rules on the wall. Skimming over the first
few lines, I found the fourth line. There it was clearly written,
item number four: The security deposit will be returned only
if one works four months or more. My heart dropped. My body
was filled with a burning rage. I looked over at the boss.
He still had that condecending look on his face.
"What's wrong? Do you still
want you r security deposit back? If you want to leave, just
leave. If you still want to bother me, you won't get a cent
back. Don't forget what you 've just read. Item number seven
says that if you don't work for a full month, you're not even
supposed to receive any payment."
I was still a bit stunned, thinking
about item number four. I hadn't read through all the rules
carefully. I turned my head to look at them again. Everything
the boss had just said was written cleaqrly on the poster.
Then
the fact that he had just paid me could indeed be counted
as special treatment. He had written the rules, and he would
follow the rules. Even ancient emperors would have done the
same. Workers had nothing to say in the matter. I swallowed
my tears and left the shop, grasping the money and receipt
in my hand. Twenty days ago I'd had endless hope for this
place. I glanced back at the door of the shop. The advertisment
was still posted on the glass door: "Hiring Newspaper Boys."
The sign disgusted me. The city was filled with hungry unemployed
people. Nobody could avoid being trapped by that sign.
I felt there, got onto a tramcar
and went to Tanaka's school. I waited outside the gate until
class was dismissed, then I told him what had happened to
me.
"I'd like to pay you back three
dollars now. I'll pay you the rest later," I told him. "I
assure you, I will find a way to get the money back to you."
I had a dollar and twenty five cents left. No, I'd just spent
eight cents on the tramcar...
Tanaka shook his head and sighed.
He pushed the money back to me and said " You take this with
you. Right now I can do without it. You don't have to hurry.
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