My spinning Master smiled when he saw me the next day when I reported for work. I had put on white half arm shirt and had tucked my shirt inside the white pant with a brown belt and wearing brown shoes I was happy since his smile meant that I was OK, he was in testing room and asked me to understand how to operate on the Yarn Testing Machine. There was the regular guy who was working on the machine who never talked to me, he was sitting operating the machine that was running. I told the spinning master yes Sir I will but sir I have worked out the bundle weights and would like to show you. He said OK give it to me but go first learn how to operate the testing machine I said yes sir and looked at the guy operating the testing machine. The guy stood up opened his drawer took out a book gave it me and left the testing room with out a word. I did not understand till I came to know he was sent to shift . The testing room was separated by a glass partition and any one could hear the voice of the spinning master. This news spread and people started looking at me with some guess like look I don't know what was their guess until the person taking bobbins from the dep't to testing room told me that I was removed from shift as I was messing every where all around the mill even when there was no light inviting trouble as there were snakes in some places that I was going while in my 2nd and 3rd shift.
This guy who was not very friendly even though I tried to make him look at me never bothered to give a smile. He was a qualified technical man good looking and had a smiling face person but I could not be friendly. The changes that were made by the spinning master had further has upset him perhaps. The changes had made me to meet several persons who worked in the office only in day and they told me the guy never talked to any body. I had never met the Manager whom I first met on the first day never came to the dept and was always in the office or would go out. However I met him near the office and wanted to know how I was getting on in my work.
I went several times to take some studies in another sister mill one kilometer away from our mill on the highway. The looked very good from out side, here sat the group's chairman relative who was son in law of the group's chairman's sisters son in law. Most of the group's mills were in the hands of the group's chairman's very close relative. Our Mill Manager was also a relative of group's chairman. May be if I married any of his relatives girl I would have also been a Mill Manager of some mill. That was only a thought my parents were more dearer to me and I could never tell them that I want to marry a non Brahmins girl.
I continued to work cursing why I could not work in few mills that were running well but the mill worked with out recruiting anyone in technical posts who belonged to other community. Most of the mills who were owning textiles mills belonged to two communities and one or two to other communities. My transport up and down would be nearly 10 KM and it was boring. I had no choice even my attempt to apply to some mill for the post of a supervisor never replied. I had no problem to work in my present mills but the distance I had to travel and the noon meals ate in prime hunger time in that village, the breakfast in a hut on the road to mills, the Idli's, Sambar and Chatni's made me sick there was nothing other than IDLI to eat at 6:30 AM no DOSA or VADA SAMBAR.
Every technical post carried experience with qualification. I had to get experience certificate orally if not in writing. In writing they would ask me to show the appointment letter if there was no certificate. My big mouth started asking every one I knew if they know any vacancy in any mill inside the town. Friends who were few would tell me that they also are looking for suitable salaried job. My concern was distance to travel and no other demand. I had to get experience working in the mills to get in to another mill for better pay while promotions were based on experience to get in to another mill. I even tried in a local machinery manufacturers agent office for the post of erection engineers they wanted experience in erection of particular machines. Jobs were plenty but every job needed experience. My concern was to put those donkey years in my job application.
My parents were happy that I had a job, my father was perhaps happy that I am getting the experience required to get in to his mills group. My mother wanted me stay on job, she knew I have the guts and needed skill required to be the leading man. I was thirsty for change and god sent a message when I heard one of my friend tell that there was a vacancy in the local mill for shift supervisor's post. I took time to write a application nicely and waited for a letter from the mill. This was a good chance I could just walk in to the mills in just 5 minutes and it had modern Japanese textile spinning machines. Such an experience in spinning could only be in this city which is labeled as Manchester of South India. There no such chance of me getting a job at this stage in Bangalore but still it was my home town to work and enjoy my bachelor life in my charming city where people from almost every country are residing.
Few days after my letter was posted I came home my lodge and saw a postal cover sticking to my room door. I felt it was the letter I was waiting. It was indeed a letter from the same mill that I was expecting. I was asked to come for a interview on any week day between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM for a interview with the MD of the Mill. He was a well known mill owner in Coimbatore. I felt elated and touched my Guru's Padukas and fixed my interview on my guru's day Thursday. I had 2 more days, the next day I applied for my casual leave and spinning master wanted to know what I was doing on the day him everything and he agreed on my bicycle transport and food problems and signed my leave application.
I got the job when MD after knowing my work said you can join any day. I resigned from my job the next day after seeing my letter Mill Manager wanted to know why I am resigning and I old him the truth. He said nothing except telling me "Wish you all the Best".
I went to accounts dep't and requested them to settle my accounts since my resignation was accepted by the Manager and told the few people in the office and mills that I am joining a new mill asked spinning master few tips on how I can impress myself with the new spinning master and at 3:00 PM went to office, they told me to come in the morning and take a certificate from the Manager collect the amount due to me. I had to go again to the mills, give a application to the Manager for a certificate on my service which he did sometime in the noon. After collecting my amount I came out of the Mills and that was the end of my first JOB.
Next day I boarded the train in the evening when all my friends (3 only) came to see me off and was home in the Morning, it was a Sunday, I remember well my father was sitting in the Veranda reading the News Paper .
No comments:
Post a Comment