Beware of The Boss!

In high school, I made a mistake once. Well actually, a lot, by the way. But I'll just tell you this one mistake. So, that day, during the last hour, the math teacher who was supposed to be teaching, suddenly didn't show up. My classmates and I decided not to stay in our class, and we chose to go home, or um..., chatted nonsense in the cafeteria while eating mixed ice, banana cheese, and wet spring rolls. But unfortunately, there was a traitor in our class, and we all ended up in the counseling room.

It was the first and last time I got a red stamp on my student book. A Book which is used as a reference for student behavior while at school. You might ask, Sandra, shut this bullshit! We don't wanna know your old story in high school, why did you need to tell us? The answer is easy because the feeling of working in a hospital VVIP room with Steven has the same aura as receiving punishment in the counseling room.

Sitting at a desk, in front of a laptop, with someone watching your every move is really no fun at all. I remember how sore my hands were, when Mrs. Lucy, the counselor told me to write on 5 folio pages. I will never forget how tired my hands were writing the words "I'm so sorry, and won't run away during school time again." Moreover, Mrs. Lucy's gaze was sharp like a katana sword used by samurai. Sharp, so sharp! And if Mrs. Lucy glanced and found my hand had stopped writing for a moment, the ruler in her hand stood up and was ready to swing into my poor hand. You may think it's cruel, but my school is known for being disciplined and strict.

And now, Steven's piercing eyes reminded me of Mrs. Lucy. He watched me. My every move relentlessly. He looked at me as if I would make a big mistake if he didn't monitor all my activities. And it's so uncomfortable, very, very uncomfortable. While I was drawing a line in a computer program for architecture, Steven's mouth was itching to open and comment on everything I do.

"If your working so slow is like that, when will your work be finished?" he said commenting on me while sipping his lunch today. A hospital porridge, his special menu today.

"Sorry, sir! I'll try to finish the drawing as soon as possible, even though I'm not a drafter," I said in response to his words. Of course, if I was a drafter I will draw his work very fast. My speed will be many times over, but drawing without thinking will indeed be easier than having to design. Designing something is taking time, and that's hard.

"Oh, okay," he answered with a degraded sound. A tone that made me feel very intimidated.

I looked at that annoying boss once more, before I started back to work on my laptop. Trying to see what he's doing, because he seems so relaxed. He seems to have a lot of time to bother me again and again. And he acts like a kid while sipping his lunch as nothing happened. His innocent face looks like an angel really makes me even more emotional. Oh, God! How long You'll be torturing me like this? I really miss working in the office. Whether with Team A or Team B, any team, anywhere, as long as I can work and interact with fellow humans, not a grumpy alien baby who came from another planet to invade Earth.

"You won't finish your work later if you keep looking at me like that! I am warning you! I don't wanna be blamed if you work overtime again," said Steven, glancing at me with his sharp eyes. "Ah, and don't blame me too, if you fall in love with me," he said with a mocking smile.

"Knocking on wood," I whispered in annoyance. I quickly turned around and concentrated on my work again. Draw each line by line, according to the scaled sketch I did yesterday. Enter the measurements and start designing room by room.

Supposedly, this is not difficult, because this is a preliminary design. There is a difference between the preliminary design and the final one. Preliminary designs are usually made to attract clients. If the client likes the preliminary design, then we will continue our contract to be more detailed, um..., I mean more expensive too. However, if the client doesn't like it, we will terminate the contract. Clients only need to pay according to the preliminary contract before. That's what Ruanna works, I don't know if other architectural firms have the same rules as us.

Regarding payment, there is one thing that Mrs. Anna always underlines, "TAKE IT, OR LEAVE IT." Ruanna will never revise the design, or replace it with other alternatives. We never begged somebody to get the project. According to Madam Devil, it was not classy. So, we did many alternative designs internally, but the design that was shown to the client was the best design that had been chosen by Ma'am Anna herself. If the client doesn't like it, then the work contract will end, and they only have to pay an agreement for the first design deal, which of course is still a fantastic price. But, believe me, dear clients out there... Don't even think about tricking Anna Gunadi! I'm sure you'll be faced with a lawsuit. Yes, Madam Devil, it's that stubborn, don't try to look for trouble with her, or she will drag you to hell.

Maybe you think if Mrs. Anna is evil, cruel, or a gold digger? Maybe…, but there's something I need to explain about this profession. Sometimes I wish the profession of an architect could be paid like a doctor. You need to pay every time you come to consult something with us. However, it turned out that we couldn't. When meeting with clients, we also bring out the knowledge we have. Describe the problem and its solution. And sometimes our hard work is not paid fairly.

Some of my friends complain that their designs are not paid fairly by their clients. The client terminated the contract at the preliminary design stage, arguing that it was not suitable for their taste. Paying them modestly, or sometimes just going without spending a penny. But a few months later, the same house as my unpaid friends' designs stood straight from the earth. And what's even more amazing, sometimes I hear some clients who are very proud when they cheated us. They are proud because they get a cheap design and also call my friends as stupid architects. And unfortunately, not all architects are as brave enough as Ma'am Anna to protect their intellectual property by bringing fraudulent clients to court.

I can complain a lot about creative work in this country. It should be noted! I don't want to speak badly about the country where I was born. Believe me, I really love Indonesia. However, sometimes the toxic society of this country makes me sick. Intellectual work is very undervalued, piracy, there is no clear law for patents, and most importantly, they really don't value works related to art. "Ah, you just work so easy, how come the pay is so expensive?" those were their words that made me want to scream, "The job you think is just so easy, I did it with education for 4 years, filled with hard work. Now you are asking me to work hard, but don't want to pay a lot? You SLAVER!"

"Huff!" it seemed that without realizing it, I had shouted "You slaver!" in this silent room. I'm already satisfied nagging in my heart, but Steven seems to have noticed my strange behavior earlier. I immediately went back to my work so I wouldn't be too... embarrassed. I put my building drawings into the site drawing provided by Steven. And the result..., um... looks like... I need to revise it again. Some areas don't fit under the site, and I have to change the dimensions of my building again. I really didn't think so, but things like this do happen quite often.

"Just a little more than the building line, no problem," said Steven, who seemed to have been watching my computer screen for a while. "Just slide the border outward a little bit, trust me nobody will know."

Actually, his advice was quite reasonable and greatly facilitated my life, but I didn't want to do it. Breaking the rules isn't my nature, but it seems like breaking the rules is his nature. Wasn't he often blackmailed by unscrupulous persons because the building provisions were not following the rules? Doesn't he feel tired? If I were in his position, I would never let my project be blackmailed. I'll design according to the rules, so they can't blackmail me with any more excuses.

"I'll try to fix it, Sir. I will reduce the dimensions of a certain room, so it doesn't go past the line."

"Hmm, whatever, but check all the dimensions of every room again, if it's too small to be uncomfortable, it's better to cross the border," he said as he fell asleep watching Netflix on his computer.

Sandra, oh Sandra, look at the computer I bring from his office. I thought was very important because he was going to use it for work, in fact, he only used it for fun. Since I came, Steven has only played games, watched, and opened e-mails. He did not draw or look at the building reference photos. The most important thing for me to tell you is, Steven didn't touch any of the heavy piles of documents I brought this morning. Then why did he tell me to bring him here as soon as possible? Son of a Bitch!

I quickly looked back at my laptop, trying to complete the task as best I could. For some reason, the more I look at my design, my mind seems to take me to my original design idea, the design I really wanted to make, a 3 story building that Steven never approve of. I know I was disappointed, but I really understand why Steven asked me to stick to the client's request. Because the problem of the building is not only a matter of an impressive, functional, and standing building but also money. The green paper named money is indeed so powerful. The bigger the budget, the more luxurious it is, Um, but that's also if you don't get tricked by the contractor. Hahaha, this world is indeed fair. If only rich and have no brain, then your money is still wasted anyway.

Focus, Sandra! Focus! I do all my tasks with full concentration, designing beautiful buildings created by my ideas and thoughts. Everything was going smoothly until my phone rang.

"Ring... ring..., Hello!" I said answering a call from a number I didn't recognize.

"Hello, Ma'am, this is from an online motorcycle taxi, I'm already in front of the hospital. Do you want me to take your food order to your room?"

"Oh, no need. Please just wait in the lobby, I'll go downstairs," I said with a sarcastic smile.

"Okay, Ma'am!" The phone turned off and I immediately stood up.

"Sir, Can I come downstairs for a moment? I want to grab my lunch downstairs," I said to Steven as I took my wallet.

"Please!" he said ignoring me because he was engrossed in watching.

I immediately went downstairs, took the lunch I had ordered earlier. Lunch that not only fills my stomach. Nor is it only a means of reviving the energy drained by Steven's paperwork, but also shown as perfect revenge. Huahahahaha, suddenly my heart screams out an evil laugh like Maleficent in the Sleeping Beauty movie. A laugh which fit for an event like this, because I knew, the food I ordered, would wake Prince Steven wake up from his deep slumber because the smell would be very tempting. Hahahahaha...