After lunch, Alex walked briskly to the Telecommunications Bureau. His mission today was to set up call forwarding for the office phone. It was a clever trick he had thought up, motivated by his concern that someone on duty might call him when he wasn't physically at the office.
With call forwarding in place, any office call would be redirected to his personal phone, allowing him to address work matters no matter where he was. The arrangement put his mind at ease. Now, he could go about his day without worrying about missing any important work-related calls.
Since it was still early in the afternoon, Alex decided to treat himself to a bit of self-care. He walked to a nearby barbershop, where he got a much-needed haircut. The feeling of freshly cut hair lifted his spirits, and afterward, he stopped by his apartment to take a shower. Standing under the warm water, he took his time, thoroughly cleaning up. With his hair freshly trimmed and his body refreshed, he felt renewed.
It was past four o'clock when Alex found himself standing in front of the Secretary Jessica's home. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Secretary Jessica, who worked closely with the department director, was someone Alex admired for her professionalism and warmth. He wasn't a frequent visitor to her home, but the few times he had been there, it was usually her son, Sam, who entertained him. Today, however, he knew Sam wouldn't be around.
When the Secretary Jessica opened the door, she greeted him with a surprised but warm smile. "Alex! I wasn't expecting you," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
"Good afternoon, Auntie," Alex greeted her.
Once inside, Alex took in the cozy surroundings. The Secretary Jessica's home was modest but welcoming, with well-worn furniture and family photos adorning the walls.
After some talked, she asked, "How are things at work? I hear you're on the duty roster for every department now."
Alex chuckled softly. "Yes, it seems that way. It's hard to arrange staff around the holidays, and since I'm single, I suppose I have to make sacrifices. Someone has to be there, right?"
Secretary Jessica nodded, "That's admirable of you. Not many young people think like that anymore. You work hard and act prudently, always thinking of the bigger picture. If only my Sam had that kind of mindset, I'd have nothing to worry about."
"Sam is doing well too, Auntie. Isn't he the CEO now? That's quite an achievement."
"Yes," she sighed, her tone heavy with a mix of pride and frustration. "He's done well for himself, but ever since he became a boss, he's forgotten about his own mother. Can you believe it? Not only does he rarely come to see me, but this year, he went abroad during the New Year! He left me a note with a gift and then just ran off. Didn't even have the decency to see me before he left. It was only when he was at the airport that he called, and even then, it was just to say he was boarding the plane and didn't have time to talk. What do you think of that?" Her voice was a mix of bitterness and disappointment.
Alex leaned forward, trying to offer some comfort. "He's busy, Auntie. Running a company isn't easy. I'm sure he meant no harm. In school, he always admired people like Jack Welch and Bill Gates. He wanted to achieve something great, and now he's doing it. I think he just gets caught up in his work."
Secretary Jessica shook her head sadly. "Well, what kind of career is that, if it means forgetting your own mother? What's the point of success if it makes you neglect the people who care about you? People celebrate the New Year to reunite with their families. Do you know how it feels to be left all alone, year after year? You might laugh at me, but I'm just an old woman sitting here, watching the New Year come and go, with no family to share it with. What kind of New Year is that?" She sighed deeply.