Being a regular customer at a pub in Johor Bahru, I had grown quite close to the staff and hostesses working there.
I had known them for several years, and I had become quite familiar with their daily struggles and hardships.
One day, while I was ordering a few drinks, a single mother who was working as a pub hostess came up to me and we chat, it did not take long before she asked me if I’m a Singaporean customer and if I could rescue her from working in pubs.
Do I look like Santa Clause or Robert’s head?
I felt disgusted at her request. I knew that she was desperate, but I felt that it was wrong to ask such a favor from a customer. She had already made a commitment to the pub, and it was not my place to interfere.
I told her that I could not help her and that she should seek help from other sources. I could sense her disappointment, but I also knew that she was too proud to accept charity from me.
The next day, I saw her again at the pub. She was still working hard and seemed to be in the same situation as before. I felt a deep pity for her and it made me really angry. I couldn’t understand why someone would have to put themselves through such hardship just to make a living.
It was at that moment that I realized how lucky I was to not have to endure such hardships. I had a comfortable lifestyle and my job allowed me to have a good income. I was thankful that I was not in the same situation as the single mother.
But at the same time it boils down to the word “education”.
She probably did something she regret when she was young and gave birth early which probably stopped her chances of getting higher education making her end up in working in this kind of places.