Thursday, March 22, 2007

Humiliated in public


I was holding an exhibition at Suntec City. I did not have enough staff to help with the setting up and manning of the stand. I brought Jaymes who was 6 to help out. P, who was the father of two students whom I was giving tuition at that time, offered his help and his staff. His driver helped to deliver my products to the exhibition hall.

I came to know P when I was working in an MNC. He was a client of my boss. He owns several factories located in China, Malaysia and Indonesia. I left the MNC and later got married, he came to know that I was giving tuition. He asked me to tutor his two younger children.

When he knew that I was also doing some import and export business, he offered me much advice. He was like a big brother to me. I was doing lots of work but not making much money. P used to laugh at me, saying I'm selling peanuts and earning peanuts. He did offer business leads but I didn't want to owe him too many favours. My Dad used to say to me, if I receive the favour of someone, one day I would have to pay back. And he could be asking more than what he did for you.

Now during this exhibition, P came to visit and helped out in whatever way he could. On the last day, while we were chatting with a staff at the stand, his wife came looking for me.

Before I could say a word, I felt a stinging slap and I almost went deaf. Before she could deliver another blow, my staff and P grabbed her. She kept calling me a vixen. Vaguely I could see people coming to gather around our stand. P pulled his wife away.

I was reeling from that hard slap. When I regained my senses, all I could think of was Jaymes. I wasn't conscious when he had wrapped his arms around my unsteady legs sobbing. My staff came to see if I was alright. The left side of my face was stinging hot and I could sense that it was red and swollen.

I carried Jaymes and went to the rest area to hide from the prying eyes. Jaymes asked me why did the aunty slapped me. I told him she had mistaken me for somebody. He caressed my swollen cheek and asked if it hurt. I held back my tears forcefully and said no. But my heart was bleeding. I hugged him tightly to my chest. I just sat in the lounge and hugged him for a long time, patting him gently on his shoulder at the same time. He soon fell asleep while I let my tears flow. I suddenly felt so tired and drained......

P did some explaining to his wife. He also got my ex-boss and his staff to vouch for us. We were not having an affair, there was no way I could have an affair because my hours of waking was fully occupied.

P and his wife asked my family out for dinner one night and she apologised. (After that meal, she and I became very good friends and used to go for lunches and shopping together. Until P screwed up again.)

That night when I went home and as I lay in bed, I felt weary ......... While the snores of my two guys filled the room, tears was stealthily making its way down my cheeks. I wished I could close my eyes and never wake up again...............
**********ooOoo*************


ok... last of my life stories. I am moving on....

31 comments:

  1. <<==prayers for you==>> that you'd be fine soon.

    God bless!

    fingertalks

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  2. I applaud you for all the inner strength that you have..

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  3. Aiyoyo, it's either kena harassed or kena "piak-ed"...how come liddat? When did this happen ? Suntec city...must be not too long ago, I guess.

    BTW, how come you dig out all the old photos, like "往事只能回味 lcs" ? But yours definitely one generation ahead cos your is sepia mode....not black&white...buahahah! LOL!

    And hor...you tuition your boy boy in this photo ah? So young teach him time(x) table liow arh?! Kekekeke

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  4. Hi fingertalks,
    Welcome to my blog!
    Thanks for your kind thoughts.

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  5. SA,
    haha.... I saw jealousy in her.

    Twitter - go to Badges & take the Friends Timeline. Yours is only a flash badge for yourself.

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  6. tigerfish,
    sob...sob...sob....

    About 8 years ago at Suntec City. You SAW it????

    No la, he was watching me doing work. I can't seem to find my photos on the exhibitions. I have so many photos and I didn't organise them into albums. sigh.... now ploughing through the whole lot.

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  7. shocker! some turn of events I got a couple of jolts hot mama!

    many kisses you lovely and upstanding lady!

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  8. Oh gawd, so embarrassing!! Poor thing! Aiyoh, sometimes your luck quite bad right? Fortunately P's wife still had the decency to apologise lah.. I oso ever kenah accused by jealous girlfriends before, but luckily, only over the phone, not in public liddat! Can imagine how heart-rending it must be to watch little Jaymes consoling you.. aww...

    When you mentioned that it happened at Suntec 9 years ago, I had difficulty believing that it has already been around for that long! Sheesh! Had to calculate backwards to be sure! :)

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  9. hahaha... read a story also can be so serious, calculate some more.

    That's why see the Fengshui Master la! Really suai with men.

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  10. SA,
    You have great taste. That my beautiful office table that I'm writing on.

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  11. pinkie,
    awww.... thanks. I've gotten over it.
    *return hugs*

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  12. oceanskies,
    so sweet of you, thanks.
    *return hugs*

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  13. You certainly have been through a lot! I can't imagine how life have been for you in the early years, and it does put my relative humdrum working life to shame. Of course, things have been better for you now and I hope that they will remain that way for you and your lovely family in the years to come.

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  14. Thank you very much. I'm not one to rest on my laurels.... going into new ventures soon. hahaha....

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  15. u life story can become a drama ley.. wa really like those HK shows. =x

    anyhow, im glad that things are looking very well for u now. :) *hugs*

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  16. Morning Elaine,
    Better than HK drama serials because I haven't publish my best stories which happened within these 5 years.

    If I do, there will be deaths, court trials, jail, .... and murder.

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  17. is this real? OMG. I salute u. If I were your friend there and then, I will slap back the P guy for embarrassing u. Geez. U one tough woman.. and especially with Jaymes consoling u. Thats a very cute understanding boy. You lucky. and still I wanna salute u. proud to know u from across the sea, Sabah here.

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  18. Hi papajoneh,
    Selamat datang! Whoa! From Sabah. Nice place.

    Thank you for your salute. hahaha...

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  19. Never mind. Jaymes big big now. Can be your bodyguard and protect you.

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  20. ya... and he aso learnt martial arts, so can protect not only me but himself too.

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  21. I was hesitating from commenting because something was in my mind but I just couldn't find the right words to describe what I was feeling while I read through this entry again and again. Finally, I found those words, hence this late comment.

    I reckon being dissed in public wasn't really the lousiest we can think of. The most hurtful I could figure, is being humiliated infront of our own loved ones, particular our young children. Back then was the debtor, now it's a friend's wife. It takes enormous inner strength to be able to pick up our children and continue whatever we are doing.

    You went through alot, but those are what made you strong. There's alot in you to be behold by everyone, particularly your mental strength.

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  22. I thought hard about publishing this post. Jaymes asked me,"Did you or did you not have an affair with uncle P?" He remembers this incident. It left a scar in him and he began to have doubts when people start gossiping. He had to ask this question when P made an indecent proposal some time this year.

    I finally post it because I have nothing to hide. Many who have worked with me, know that I am all businesslike and although friendly with most men whom I come across, have never crossed the line. I put it in black and white.

    Some people thought I was 'loose' because of the way I was friendly with guys. A few readers emailed me & criticised me for 'being shameless to publicise post after post of my being sexually harassed when I don't even qualify to be called pretty!" hahaha..... Whatever!

    I only want to look my son in his eyes and say,"Mom does not have to sleep with any other guy, besides your Dad, for any reason. I am my own woman."

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  23. Yes, ECL, move on la.. I imagine writing these can be a quite draining on a person. All the emotion flooding back.

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  24. hard to swollow too.If I were in yr shoes, I would have landed myself in jail for what i would have done to that woman.

    Sad U still let her be yr friend.Loser like that (the woman ah)

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  25. It is hard to clear this kind of mis-understanding and thanks God, things turned out ok after that. Wish you best wishes always!

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  26. hi ECL,sorry to learn about that experience!you have a big heart to forgive!

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