My first day of work was exhausting and frustrating, I felt that Nick was doing it deliberately to test my breaking point. After washing the truck, I was assigned to wash the toilet too which is definitely not part of my job. I bet the janitor died too.

I felt that working at the warehouse was even more taxing and stressful than in Al-Safar, I hope Nick paid me twice the amount I got from Yosef. I went home by half past 6.00pm feeling nauseated by the stench smell of mold, oil and musty fabric absorbed into my clothes and skin that I dashed straight into the bathroom to clean myself up.

I performed my Isha' prayer half an hour later before I slumped into my bed, feeling the throbbing pain on my feet that I slowly began to massage it. I hopped out of my bed and was about to make myself dinner when my phone vibrated and Tok Ba's text notification bubble popped on the top panel of the screen. I tapped the notification bubble and his text appeared, requesting for a WhatsApp video call. I texted back saying it's too late for him due to time differences but he insisted, saying that he couldn't sleep.

"Assalamualaikum (Peace be unto you), my Zahida!" my grandad beamed when he saw my face through the camera. "How is my beautiful granddaughter doing in the land of the coloniser?"

"Waʿalaykumus-salam (May peace be upon you too) Tok Ba," I waved back. "So far I am independently surviving."

His face, his droopy wrinkled eyes, small nose, thinning grey moustache, thin lips and bald patches were accurately pixelated on my screen just as I remembered. We don't get to talk that often, most of the time it coincides with each other's schedules. Tok Ba was still busy even in his early 80s, either participating in local or international conferences and meetings, or conducting lectures at some Malaysian institution.

There were a lot of things to catch up on including the current weather, my studies, his health, my sustenance and my finances.

"Are you still working for Yosef?" he asked.

"Nope," I answered. "One guy insisted Yosef to fire me but that guy hired me today to clean his warehouse and other stuff."

"Wow, he bought you in? I never thought small businesses could do that," he said, impressed. "I bet he pays you more than Yosef does."

"I hope so," I concurred.

"How is Abs? Is he still at liberty and refuses to get a job?"

"I don't know," I murmured. "We're not friends anymore."

"Oh," he mouthed. "What is going on between you two?"

"I don't know, Tok Ba," I responded. "I guess he did a terrible job as a friend. He's just a toxic worthless person to hang out with."

"Oh, that's awful," he moaned. "I'm not going to lecture you like I did to my students but I do feel that he's a bit aloof at some point. I never thought he's a sordid kind of guy."

I didn't respond, too tired to snivel over Abs.

"And I'm not gonna ask you to be strong and be patient. You've done that already," he continued. "It's okay to be vulnerable and to be sad, it doesn't make you less powerful. But just so you know, I never stopped praying for you, Zahida. May God find you the right guy with a heart of gold, to be a good husband and a good father."

"Tok Ba, please don't be that typical grandparent gushes over their grandchildren to get married," I held back my tears

"No, I'm not," he smiled. "It's just that now you only have me but what happens if I die? I don't want to see you all alone when I'm gone. I need someone to take over my job, taking care of you when I am no longer in this world."

The thought of him dying caused me to weep harder.