Andrea had been diagnosed with dyslexia since young. Her parents, reluctant to accept her condition, enrolled her into a mainstream school instead of a special needs school. As such, she had difficulty excelling in her studies. Even when she got older, the situation did not get any better. Due to her dyslexia, she had difficulty securing a job. It was only with her persistent efforts that Andrea managed to get a job at a restaurant. On her first day of work, Daryl, the manager asked her to memorise the dishes on the menu within a working day, but due to her dyslexia, Andrea had difficulty doing so, which she voiced out. Hearing this, Daryl wasted no time putting her down, saying that she was an imbecile. "She can be my assistant," Hailey, one of the chefs said and turned to Andrea. "This job is very simple, you don't need to read or write anything, but instead, you just need to help prepare the ingredients for dishes to be prepared." "Alright then, I'll put you in charge of her," Daryl said and strutted out, with his nose pointing in the air.
"Don't mind him. He's always like that," Hailey whispered. "Why don't you learn alongside my son and daughter after work? They have just started learning how to read and write. My husband is a teacher, we can teach you everything." Another colleague, Cheryl gave her reference books to aid her learning. Andrea appreciated the gesture. After work, she would go to Hailey's house, where she learnt how to read and write alongside Hailey's children, who enjoyed studying with her. Gradually, she started learning new words and phrases. At work, she got along well with her colleagues, who did not really mind her dyslexia. However, this seemed to have drawn the ire of Daryl, who for some reason, seemed hell bent on putting her down.
One day, Andrea was practising her reading and writing during her break time when Daryl unexpectedly walked in. She immediately stood up and greeted him, saying that she was just learning to read and write, and that she had learnt new words and phrases recently.
"Is that something to be proud of?" he said condescendingly. "You only know how to read and write at age 25, which means you're an imbecile. Imbeciles like you are a stain on the image of the restaurant. I wonder why you are being hired in the first place. Imbeciles like you will never amount to anything, no matter how hard you tried." Daryl's insults brought Andrea to the brink of tears, but she dared not fight back, for fear of losing her job.
"Really? I dare you to say that again," a voice suddenly rang out from behind. Daryl, not realizing who it was, continued in his put-downs, "I don't care who you are. Even if I were to say it a thousand times, I would still say the same thing. A small fry like you better stay out of this before you get it from me."
"Daryl Cheung Kei-chun, I suggest you turn around and take a good look at who I am." However, when he spun round, he was shocked to see Derek, the owner standing behind him.
"Sir, what...what are you doing here?" he stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you. I just want to put that imbecile in her place."
"That's the thing," Derek said angrily. "I get what you're trying to say, so everyone is beneath you. I've been hearing feedback about how you've been putting people down, which I had no evidence beforehand. Well, now I do. Daryl Cheung Kei-chun, don't you feel ashamed of yourself, putting people down? And if you're so smart, in your definition, you can go look for a new job, because you're fired with immediate effect. Now pack your things and get out of here, before I call security." Daryl packed his things and left the restaurant in shame. With Daryl gone, Derek turned to Andrea.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," he said. "On the contrary, I'm proud of you for your willingness to learn. Keep up the good work, because I'm used to be a special needs individual too." With her diligence and a supportive working environment, Andrea overcome her dyslexia. She was also upgraded to permanent staff before her probation period of 3 months is up. The following year, she was promoted to supervisor, taking new employees under her wing and at the same time, becoming an advocate for individuals with special needs.
