The Bicycle and Mower

February 09, 1997 (Sunday)


It Sunday again.  Almost every Sunday we will return to our factory quarter in Macosur for overnight and as part of my job duty.

Thought we have rented a flat in the city at our own expenses, the staff quarter at Macosur factory is still our official accommodation provided by the employer. The reason we do not stay in the factory is Macosur factory has been closed down for business and now the Spanish owner is looking for buyer to the property. Sooner or later we will have to move out off the factory compound. So we secured a flat in the city before we are forced out by the new owner and became homeless.


However inside the factory are a few machineries that in "Accounting” still belong to Taiwan partner. And that I am paid by the Taiwan Company to be base in Paraguay to supervise the business operation. With the responsibility of keeping an eye on employer's property, I come back to the old factory each Sunday.

Today, something not a good sign inside my factory quarter. We return to discover that the gas stove in the kitchen has been taken away by the factory management. The management has the master key and the right to our quarter. The management staff do not stay in the factory, they are all living in the capital city Asunsion. They sent order and instruction through phone.

Several months ago, the Macosul factory already talked directly to me to move out of the quarter. But I persisted to stay with the reason of company property ownership of machines still belong to my employer and that I have the responsibility to stay in the factory compound until Taiwan official inform me to move out.

However with the gas stove and almost all other kitchen utensils such as rice cooker being taken away, the factory obviously is impatient any longer.

Most of my family belonging has been moved to our new flat in the city, except a few big items such as the bicycle and the mower.

I made immediate decision to take our own bicycle and mower out today before they claimed as their. If not, next week when we return we might find them taken away and might never able to claim back from them.

So, without making too much hesitation I push the two items one by one across the high way to Nilsa's house half a kilometer away.

Nilsa is the pretty young girl who often walks across the highway to our quarter to spend a whole afternoon to play with our baby son in the back yard and return home after dinner. Her family live in one of the wooden houses in the settlement opposite our factory across the highway.  Months before, Shirley already got agreement from her mother to help to sales the bicycle and mower for us.

And now it is the time for me to bring these two items over to their house.

Without stove to cook, we had lunch at Nilsa's house. Her mother cooks asado for every one.

We return to the city late afternoon by bus as usual.