When he arrived at the municipal post office complex he was already gasping for breath and sweating like a pig.
His wife that used to assist him with transport fare had divorced him and life seemed to be throwing at him now.
About drifting to the dress room to change into his uniform and resume cleaning, his boss’s beaming voice caught him. “Jamole! You are late again. You rotten maggot!” he cursed.
Dean Bur was his boss, a tall, strong featured man who humiliated him at any slightest chance.
“What do you have to say about this Jamole?” he pointed around the dirty complex, “The whole place is messed up over the weekend. I expected you to resume on time and clean up before customers would start coming.” He was almost raising his voice. “I need explanations, fool.”
Jamole raised his gaze and raised a pitiable, sullen brow. “Apologies, boss. I shouldn’t have come late. It …it,” he stuttered, “It is just that I have unsolved problems with my wife, who deprived me my transport fare that is the reason I am late.”
Dean Bur winked to a sort, and yelled at him, “I don’t know why poor people always have excuse. I believe that is the reason you are poor. I think you don’t deserve this job. It is high time you quit, stay on the roadside and begg,” he pointed at him from head to toes. “Just take a look at yourself. You have always lagged behind in your work that is why you look horrible and can never be rich!” he yelled radically at him.
Jamole shivered and flinched at his words. He held a grinned face and sniffed. Would a day ever come when Dean Bur would regret all he had ever told him?
“Take your filthy self out of my sight!” he snapped at him, expecting him to walk away but he stood his ground and went on his knees instead.
Promptly he went on his knees. “Please boss I need a favor of you.”
“What is it again? You beg a lot. Can’t you afford anything in life?” Dean shrieked at him.
“Someday I believe I can able to afford all that I want, but please I want you to allow me pass the night at the municipal hall. I am literary homeless. My …my wife divorced me and…” he stuttered.
“You fool! You got to be joking! Do I look like some Santa clause that does give away. I can’t emply you and shelter you. it is impossible. That is a public place. You can’t pass the night there. You may have to start sleeping on the road!”
Dean turned to walk away but Jamole hastened after him and he yelled at him so loudly that Jamole flinched and gave up. He grinned and shook his head in pity.
Later at night he went to the spot where he proposed marriage to Susan, the beggar and couldn’t find her.
When he caught sight of another male beggar in a wheel he asked after Susan but got the shock of his life when he was told Susan had left for home.
“Home?” Jamole retorted. “Does she have a home?” he queried inwardly and passed the night at the same spot, optimistic he would see her at dawn.
But at dawn he didn’t see Susan. He glanced at his wrist watch and realized he was late for work. “I should be on my way now.” His eyes combed around the busy road, believing Susan was going to come in sight by any slightest chance, “Please, should Susan come around do inform her that Jamole, her fiancée came looking for her. In fact I spent the night at her spot,” he told the male beggar.
The beggar affirmed with a slight nod. “I will, buddy.” The beggar, who was also in a wheel chair, wheeled himself closer to him. “Come to think of it I must commend your humility to date such a physically challenged lady like Susan. You must really dote on her.”
Jamole forced a smile. “I guess I don’t give a damn about her condition. What matters most is what we feel for each other and besides, she loves me the way I am.” His eyes glared down from his torn shirt to his shabby shoes which had yawning soles.
The beggar shook his head in pity and grinned. “Money isn’t everything, buddy. If you both stick around each other and work hard you won’t remain poor forever.”
Jamole snorted and his gaze promptly resettled on his wrist watch again. “Thank you for the advice, dear. I must get going now. My boss must be mad at me for resuming late.”
About taking a swift turn to dash away, the beggar interrupted him, “I am Micheal.”
Without any interest to continue the discussion, Jamole chirped, “I am Jamole. Nice to meet you, Micheal,” And he ran away in haste.
***
***
Jamole knew it was going to get to this. Since he resumed work and for over thirty minutes, Dean Bur, his boss had been shouting thunderously at him.
“I don’t work with mediocre. Did you check your time, broke ass? You have never been serious with this job. I think it is high time I sacked you and replaced you with a serious janitor!”
Pulling down on his knees, Jamole molded his arms and pleaded, “No boss please, don’t do this to me. I can’t afford the ten dollars transport fare so I had to run down to this place. This was one of the reasons I wanted to spend the night at the municipal hall so I would be punctual…”
“You idiot!” Dean cursed, “Are you insinuating that I am the reason for your lateness because I refused to let you spend the night here, huh?”
“No, boss, I am just…”
Jamole had barely finished his statement when Dean Bur left like lightning and returned with a paper handy.
“You fool!” he snapped, “You are hereby sacked. Let me see how you will survive with this poverty-stricken mentality of yours!” he tossed the paper at his face.
Jamole’s gaze widened at the paper which had his details and information about the termination of his job.
“No, boss you can’t do this to me, not now. Please,” his lips trembled as he pleaded and promptly he clenched his jaw not to cry.
“You poverty-stricken kitten!” Dean fumed, letting veins pop through his brow, “Now I see the reason your ex-wife divorced you. Poor people like you are lazy and can never breakthrough in life because you don’t appreciate what you have.”
“Please boss, don’t do this to me,” Jamole grumbled, “Where do I go from here? How do I fend for myself? This is the only solace I have. This is my only means of livelihood. Please…”
He was about stretching his arm to Dean’s foot when the latter kicked away his arm.
And Jamole shrieked with pain as he sighed within himself and raised his gaze at the woolly blue sky above.
“God, why is all this happening to me? What sort of ill-fate is this? My wife divorced me and now I have lost my only job.” He sniffed, “Oh God…I can’t take this anymore. This is end of life for me…”
Just then he was interrupted by fleets of Lamborghini, Bugatti, Ferrari and Austin Martin which cruised into the compound and halted.
Jamole, forced a frown and breathed hard. He needed to perk up because a moneybag just arrived.
“Swan Pablo is here! Wow!” Dean cheered as his gaze settled on the plate numbers which had SWAN PABLO written on them. He gazed down to Jamole, “Now take your poverty-stricken self out of this place. The richest man in Antipolo is here! I don’t need distractions!” he thundered. “Oh who am I to be visited by Swan Pablo today? This moneybag is worth over two billion dollars if I am not mistaking. I am sure a pauper like you will never earn one percent of that money till you die,” he cursed Jamole.
Jamole swallowed hard and gritted his teeth.
Gently the doors on the cars started opening and slamming as hefty, burly-looking, well-suited security personnel alighted and paced down to the stylish Austin Martin car.
They bowed before they opened the door. Already, one of the securities was bringing out a wheel chair from the Lamborghini and quickly rushed to the Austin Martin, to aid his boss.
Jamole raised a distorted brow; the wheel chair looked familiar. When he thought his sight was deceiving him, lo and behold a pretty-looking, lavishly-dressed, dashing female was helped into the wheel chair.
“Susan!” Jamole screamed, once their gaze met. He gaped at her and the splendor of wealth that hovered around her.
“Jamole!” Susan called, smiling from cheek to cheek, and opened her arms to embrace him, “I have come for you, my fiancé and chosen heir. Today marks the end to misery and poverty in your life,” she affirmed.
“Chosen what? What did she just say?” Dean mumbled within himself, gaping at them.
Something was about to happen…
“Jamole.” Susan called in like manner, letting a contagious smile deck her face.Jamole was still star-struck; his weight heaved on his knees and he suddenly realized his legs couldn’t carry his body anymore.“Who is she? Who is Susan for Christ sake?” who did I propose marriage to?”Millions of such questions hovered in his thought as he stared engagingly at Susan who was being ridden in her wheel chair by her security.“Susan!” Jamole called once more through teary tone, “Is this really you? What is happening?”He needed to ask such questions because Susan wasn’t just looking dashing but glamorous and charming than any country side celebrity. Unlike the other day when he met her begging in her wheel chair, looking all dirty, smelling and unkempt.She had her French hair made into a ponytail. Her dress was mini gown from the royalty fashion style. The diamond bracelet and necklace that wound round her neck and wrist were worth one million dollars.“Who the hell is Susan?” a thoughtful
Jamole kept pinching himself just to be sure he wasn’t dreaming. Swan Pablo kept ringing in his head and he began to recall all about Swan Pablo.Swan Pablo was the richest tycoon in Antipolo who had avarice of group of companies in real estate. He was the CEO of the prestigious Swan Real Estates and a few months ago he was worth two billion dollars. Swan Pablo was a fat cat everyone wanted to reckon with.Anitpolo never knew much about Swan’s private life and family even everyone thought he never had family. And never in Jamole’s life had he thought the disable girl he proposed marriage to was Swan’s daughter and only child.“I am Susan Pablo, my dear,” Susan intoned, all smiles, as she sat next to Jamole in the Lamborghini.“Oh my God! So this is true. What is about happening to me? What fate is about to befall me? Susan Pablo? Swan Pablo’s daughter?” Jamole sounded in his mind.Seeing the cloud of surprise on his face, Susan explained yet further, “As a matter of fact I am the only
For over thirty minutes Jamole sat behind closed doors with Susan as he perused through the documents. And he stared at the documents and the information therein.He couldn’t believe his eyes. Swan Real Estates Group covered a wide array of real estates in England, America, Philippine and Spain. With over ten thousand houses and five hundred acres of land.“There we are Jamole,” Susan slammed a document into her palms. Flipped through them and pointed into it, “You know, father being industrious has always admired the hospitality industry. But unfortunately his sickness couldn’t let him do that. This is just the master plan for his hospitality business.”“If I work harder with the best team I can help him bring that to pass, dear,” Jamole replied. “Right now I am no only serving as your husband but heir to the Swan group. I promise to make your family proud and double the total net worth of the group in the shortest time.”Susan shook her head in confirmation as she flipped through mor
Jamole stood to his feet, advanced to the mirror opposite and took a glance at himself. His face lacked emotion and there was nothing on his mind other than vengeance.Susan was still mad at him. She steered her wheel chair toward Jamole as she couldn’t stop questioning him. “It is absolutely demeaning and embarrassing that my husband who is supposed to be the heir to the prestigious Swan Real Estate is opting for the position of a janitor.”Jamole gazed upon Susan and saw her face go crimson. He owed her a lot of explanation and he was going to let her into his pain in a short while. But for now he would have to disguise as a janitor. His vengeance was going to be slow and steady. None of his enemies will escape his stroke.“I know my dear. I appreciate this opportunity your family has offered me and I promise to be loyal till the end of time. But you see I am just a simple, humble man,” he lied and wouldn’t want Susan to know that Stella was his ex wife and she cheated on him with he
“That is not going to work. It is absolutely non negotiable, daughter!” Swan refuted and was interrupted by a whooping cough.Susan had visited him in his sick bed to brief him about Jamole’s intention to disguise as a janitor at the office and his quest for a quite wedding.“Go and tell your fiancée that I, Swan Pablo will not be a party to such awkward intention. He is serving as the heir to our empire because we are not healthy. You have to make him understand what position he holds. Doesn’t he know that he stands to inherit my wealth when I am gone?”“I have made him understand, father,” Susan replied and was pushed in the wheel chair by one of the securities. She rode closer to have a tête-à-tête with her father. “I don’t know what he is up to, father.”Swan Pablo averted his gaze to the wall, feeling hurt about Jamole’s sudden decision to disguise as a janitor and to go for a quiet wedding.Swan returned his gaze on her. “He is not going to disguise and your wedding will be loud
The next day Jamole rode on a scooter to the Swan Real Estate complex. As usual the rush hour on Monday morning couldn’t let him go into the sky scraper which had SWAN REAL ESTATE GROUP written on it.Jamole sucked a deep breath upon seeing the splendor of Swan Real Estate. Indeed Swan Pablo was the richest tycoon in Antipolo and he was fortunate to serve as his heir.“I can’t believe I own all of this now and these busy staff are under my control. What a life,” he said in his mind as he gazed upon the towering sky scraper.Jamole could see the tons of staff that rushed into the elevator to sign into their offices and get down to work. He was having handy a brown envelop which had his application letter for the post of a janitor he was applying for.When he saw two young men in blue jumpsuit and Swan Janitor written on their back, he knew those were the people he would work with, while he carried out his vengeance.“Hey, hey,” Jamole called on the janitors who were about to get down to
Roger burst into a maddening laughter and almost choked on it. “Come on darling you should have given the pig an opportunity to be one of our janitors. I think we would need him for our dirty toilets.”They burst into a huge laughter again and stamped a peck on each other’s cheeks.Jamole snorted, breathed uneasily and lowered his gaze. The table had turned now so he wasn’t going to cry like he used to. Right now he was very much aware of the fact that he was the heir to Swan Real Estate and Stella and Roger were his staff now.“Would they ever believe it that they were answerable to me now? Would they believe that the same dirty-looking fellow standing before them has been given the supreme power to pilot this two billion dollars worth of company?” he said in his mind.Jamole protested. “You shouldn’t have done that. You should have handed to me my envelope the same way I handed it to you. I have come to make money and not to make troubles…”He was left gaping when Stella interrupted
“Whatever job he came for is granted,” Susan said.“What!” Stella and Roger exclaimed in tandem.Roger was infuriated but Stella was more infuriated. When they got back to their office it was nagging all through the day.“Dear can you imagine what our boss just did out there, she just employed my ex-husband as our janitor. Light and darkness have nothing in common. He is darkness and I am light. He should just give way. I don’t want him closer to me.” Stella fumed, her face crimson, and she paced up and down the office, her arms on the waist.Roger sighed and forced a smile. “You don’t have to get walked up, my dear. Since Susan Pablo has decided to employ your ex-husband, we are going to rubbish him until he finds Swan Real Estate unfavorable.”Stella tossed her head in irritation. “Do you think we can ever make this company uncomfortable for that dirty man, huh? Not only is he comfortable with poverty, also nothing seems to shame him. Come on, how can I be sharing roof with my ex-hus