KUCHING: When 21-year-old waiter Charles Boromeo Markos saw a bag placed at a corner of a chair in his workplace early this year and unzipped it, he was surprised to find thick wads of Malaysian and foreign currency notes including a passport inside. Although money was something Charles needed most then to advance his studies evil thought did not cross his mind. Instead, he zipped shut the bag and handed it to the restaurant manager after signing the ‘lost and found’ record. It was a rare sight to see such honesty these days especially from a youth who has struggled all his life. Losing his mother to heart attack at 12, Charles from Song was left with an elder brother three years his senior.
His father, a farmer aged 55 struggled to bring both his sons up. Poor and with not much in their lives, they made with what they have. After his elder brother completed Form Five, he decided to work in Kuala Lumpur to make sure that Charles his younger brother completed his secondary education.
Life was terribly difficult but Charles managed to complete his Form 6. He was worried when he could not find a job after getting his results. His ambition was to be a teacher and he applied to return to his primary school in Song as a temporary teacher but the vacancy had been filled. After several attempts elsewhere, Charles failed and called his relatives frantically as he was anxious to work due to his family’s situation.
A cousin who works at Boulevard Restaurant here told him to stop looking for jobs in the central region as it was like finding a needle in a haystack. His cousin said there might be work in Kuching. That was in February last year. “I told myself this job is temporary.
I must save if I want to acquire higher education. But, so far, I am still stuck here,” he said. A Catholic, Charles who works from 10 am to 10 pm daily and 9 am to 10 pm on public holidays and weekends finds the working hours suitable as he is able to attend morning mass.
Asked why he did not pocket the money when he was so in need of it then, Charles laughed and said, “It is not mine. The church said do not steal. My family is poor but we are told to have our pride and work for our money, not to get the easy way out by stealing.” Since he started work as a waiter, Charles had come across leftbehind belongings for five times which he all handed over to his manager.
