Known Anew

Nurul POV

Nurul was working at her father's workplace in an automotive factory at Dragon Hill. It took almost 30 minutes to gain there by car and it was her first day working. Her father sent her work application to the human resource department yesterday thus she got a call from the factory yesterday evening. As a result, she got nervous badly this morning and heart racing like madness but the interview took place just now smoothly. Luckily, she gets to work later on a bit late after a female assistant human resources checked the available placement for the new workers.

There was another new male worker aged about 18 to 20, who seemed to get interviewed just now as well. She was early but went to the toilet after the interview so she did not know there was another applicant after her. She thought she was the only applicant for today. The assistant HR told them to sit at the waiting spot while she checking on the vacancy paper inside the staff rooms. After 10 minutes of waiting, she came back and placed them at a different department with Nurul at the production department while the man earlier at the quality department. She just said okay and nodded at the assistant HR questions and orders regarding the work.

This begin with her father, he asked if she wants to try to work with him 2 days prior but she pondered for quite some time. She was a tad afraid to work in a big company spesh with more than 10 workers in a place. She felt a surge of apprehension whenever a huge crowd surrounded her, becomes uneasy till on the verge of tears. Her father told her she was an adult, should be like the other workers who work hard to make a living for themselves and their families, not caring what others saying because she was precious like a gem.

On top of that, she will work with her father into the bargain. She does not have to worry as her helper will assist her as sure as eggs is eggs. It was the only opportunity to work with her father and can strengthen the relationship between them at once. Her father also added the experience of working will be needed in the future and go get herself money. Plus, be an independent girl and get some savings for future use. Once her father mentioned money, her peepers brighten up tout de suite. It made her enlivened. After thinking about the possibility and the outcome she may get a hold of, at last, she accepted her father's offer.

Be vertical beside, her father ordered her to collect all goods first in the store and bring them near to her workplace in the middle as well as calculate them. She grabbed a hand truck trolley then went to the store next to her father's office while eyeballs looking for an oil filter box with a mini signboard printed O-324 on it. It was on the right side of the store thus she lifted one by one, putting them on the hand truck trolley. There were 3 male workers in the store gazing at her as she appeared out of the blue. One was writing, the other 2 seemed like they were discussing something while she innocently came and took the boxes of the oil filters.

Neither perceive nor twig around, she somehow or other felt bizarre with the store aura. 'Why the environment here... so peaceful?' She thought. Yet when she craned while pacing to the door, indeed her guess was true. She was embarrassed at first but regarded it off as she has work to do. The 3 workers never saw her and subsequently questioned each other about her the moment she walked away to her workplace. She did what her father ordered her earlier then inspected them after calculated the oil filters and wrote the total on an A4 paper with a black marker. Her father went to another department later to send a document while proudly grinning. She was quite a fast learner after one try and could do it faster than her father expected.

Her father then ordered her to do another 5 boxes following the number of demands for the day and treading to his office carried on doing his work. Plus, set aside damaged goods and put them on the table. A total of 10 boxes was done after 2 hours which made her throat felt gritty and tight. She went to the locker, took out her water bottle and swigged it down her throat fivefold. She was supposed to do the job with another 2 female workers but they had another priority work to do as another boss(her father's friend) ordered them to glue and clean the excess glue on the O-328 oil filter.

Her father came to her workplace not long after with a few recycle boxes in his hands and taught her how to sellotape the box he took just now to put defective goods. She got 15 boxes to do so thus her father carried on teaching her where to write the numbers of defective products on each box. What do you mean where? Although she felt strange with it, she just followed rather than doing the job with her style. Made people mad was never in her dictionary.

She asked a worker nearby where to put all these boxes as she had a little bit of time before break time coming and the worker said just to let them here. A senior worker will write down the total in the goods available and damaged goods files. She nodded then smiled at the worker for answering the question. Unbeknownst to her, a male worker at the back gazing at her, shocking as he seemed to know her. "Wait... she looks like..." He did not aware it slipped from his lips thus he caught it and turned back, thought someone was talking to her. Yet he immediately spun and acted he was looking for something.

"Did he talking to me? Or maybe I misheard? Ya, whatever" She whispered with her brows knitted and began to sit on a chair.

The clock showed 12.30 in the afternoon and lunchtime began. She ate with her father at the canteen but they got company after 2 of her father's friends asked if they could eat with them and her father just approve it. She did not talk much when her father's friends sat in front and talked. They did question her a few but then she served herself in her own world. Done eating, she went to the toilet while her father went straight to his office. She coincidentally met a worker from the same department at the hindtoilet. He was somehow like a no stranger to her, with his height and his eyes, he looks like one of her friends.

'H-huh?!! His gaze is kinda lik- wait... Why am I thinking about this right now?' She took a good look at him as she noticed he was the one who was upright behind her and thought he was talking to her but shrugged her thoughts, resumed walking till he halted in front of her all of a sudden.

He rubbed his nape with a sheepish grin on his countenance before started to speak. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She lifted both her eyebrows but nodded anyway.

"Hi, Nurul the flawless. It's been a long time..." He initiated.

"H-huh?" She was bewildered of how he knew her name plus the sobriquet that only her best friends use.

"Don't you remember me?"

"You look familiar... but I don't know if it's really you or might be my guess was wrong"

"Oh, ya! I forgot to untie my mask. Sorry" He slowly removed the mask from his face while she anxiously waiting, stay fixed her peepers on him but a loud gasp was audible after.

"Zambri??!"

"Yup, I'm surprised you work here too though. My guess was right this morning. You are really Nurul that I know"

"My guess was right also with that height and eyes of yours, of course"

"Actually, I have something to tell you before. The day you left me before I could tell you so ya, I'm not gonna let this chance go waste this time"

"O...kay... what?"

"I... Uh... I-i-i like you"

"O-oh?" She does not know what to reply and did not want to hurt his feelings but she never thought of him more than a friend.

"I know this takes time but I won't force you or anything. Just wanna confess what I felt after knowing you. I'm really sorry for what I did. Am truly feel terrible with how I treated you back then"

"Ah... okay then. It's okay, really. I forgave you already" Or should she gives him a chance? She did not know either.

'But I will remember those pains you left upon me. Time can't heal them easily unless I wanna forget them for good. But I can't. Still, no cure yet but I don't like him that way. How to say it? Or should I think first, yes?'

"I'm so so so so sorry, Nurul. I'm so dumb for believing other people"

"Zambri, I really need to go right now. See yer later. Bye" She promptly excused herself as she cannot stand anymore, her bladder was almost exploded and he halting her made it unbearable.

"B-but I didn't fi-"

She dashed to the door and entered the toilet like a bat out of h*ll also, fortunately, she does not have to wait to pee. She looked at all the cubicles yet prefers the last, golden spot whenever she went to any public toilet or even at school before. Let out the excreta, thinking about what will be her next duty, hoping she could get a new friend and pleading the time to run fast. Once it was all out, she cleaned, flushed and unlocked the door carefully. Ordinarily, she pushed a liquid soap and washed her hands clean then splashed the remaining water upon the sink while adjusting her hijab. Speedily entered her father's office like a snap, the next task began.

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She headed home with her father after her working hours ended with a joyous walk a bit like a penguin as she earned a new lesson and a few friends as well. Thereafter she cleaned herself and wore a printed light turquoise shirt and grey tracksuit, she cooked dinner. Rice was already steamed by Zafirah which was nice and she thought of cooking a simple meal for her family. She concocted 5 boiled eggs, a packet of fried oyster mushroom and soy sauce chicken with half of the whole chicken. Once she completed cooking all the dishes, she got into her room and checked her phone if anyone texted her. Indisputably, an unknown number messaged her. She did not remember giving her phone number to anyone these past few days or even today.

The anonymous messaged "Hi" and the display picture showed a man with a plain black cap looking down at the ground. Still, she could not recognise who it was. There were a lot of questions flying upon her head thus queried him who he was. With a few hints that she got, she concluded it was Zambri. She discerned it was him when she looked at his display photo for the umpteenth time. She keeps replying to his texts and forgot about dinner. Feeling awful, she instantaneously treading to the dining table, served everything and ate with her family.