The guy on the bed looked pitiful, saying, “Earlier, you brought us up to get this bed, so I just lay down. Where did these guys come from, suddenly demanding the bed and shouting and cursing? You deal with them however you like.”
I was dumbfounded. Not because of his arrogant and fabricated story, but because he called the manager, who was the same age as Mrs. Tam, “sister.” If this were in my hometown, people would have called him a disrespectful brat. Or maybe I’m just naive and don’t understand the city’s way of addressing people?
Stepping back, I said, “This guy is talking nonsense. We went up first, put our things on the bed, and then went to eat. Now that we’re back, they’ve taken our spot. You deal with them however you like!”
The manager’s face darkened, and she said, “These two were hired by Auntie Ba to work at the factory. This bed was reserved, but the cleaning staff forgot to mark it. There’s an empty bed over there; go lie down there, it won’t hurt anything. Let’s keep the peace among the guys in the room. If Auntie Ba finds out, she’ll kick the whole group out!”
She said all that, but not a single word in our defense. Then the manager turned to the two young men and comforted them, “Just stay in that bed, you don’t need to go anywhere. These guys are from the countryside, it’s their first time in the dorm, so they’re not familiar with things yet. Let’s just forget about it!”
Before we could recover from that first shock, another one came. The manager addressed the two young men, who were the age of her sons or even grandsons, as “you.” The two boys, now backed by the manager, became smug, while Nhi and Lui were fuming with anger. There were only four empty beds left in the opposite row, but the two pairs of beds were in opposite corners of the room, like one at one end of the river and the other at the other. Minh and I also gathered our things and went to the other row; even if we weren’t going to sleep near Lui and his friends, we should still keep our distance from these “favorite workers.”
The pairs of beds in the corners were usually empty because everyone complained about the heat and refused to sleep there. As for the pair of beds occupied by the manager’s two “favorite” guys, they were right by the window, with a strong breeze blowing through, cooler than the ceiling fan hanging above.
At dinner, my two friends were still furious. I remembered my mother’s advice and advised them: “Well, you’re in a strange place, it’s best not to cause any trouble with people. They look like locals, and they’re not exactly the meek type. It’s better to avoid trouble than to create it.”
Speaking of trouble, they arrived. They took a short nap at noon and then went somewhere outside. If you only looked at how they dressed, who would know they were factory workers? I’d be eating my hat if I knew. Their hair was slicked back like they’d just been electrocuted, and the perfume was so strong it could probably smell my mother back home. They talked nothing but obscenities; I thought to myself, they must have been out with their girlfriends.
As soon as they got back, they ripped off their sweat-soaked shirts and threw them onto the bed. And I have to admit, they were all good-looking, not overly muscular, but with well-defined abs. Seeing the pre-provided lunch boxes on the bedside table, one of them opened one to see what was inside, then casually threw it in the trash, muttering, “Who could eat this stuff? Even a dog would refuse it.”
The whole room glared at them, but since they were the “favorites,” no one dared touch them. Guys like them, the guys in the room could easily split them in two with a single squeeze, but what they fear is shooting themselves in the foot.
This afternoon, before they left, Lùi and Nhí talked to some of the “old timers.” They said the manager has a lot of “favorites” here, every room has one. They should ignore whatever can be ignored, try to pretend they don’t exist. Because if they meddle with the manager, someone will definitely get fired the next day.
Two guys were on their phones, one of them shouted: “Hey Tân, let’s go eat!”
Tân grumbled: “Damn, we’re out having fun, where the hell would we get money to eat?”
The other guy replied: “I know you don’t have any money. Follow Hoàng, he’ll find you something good to eat.”
With that, the two quickly put on their still-sweat-soaked shirts and happily headed out the door. We didn’t care where they went; it was better not to see them.
One of the guys in the dining room finished eating and shouted, “Hey, eat quickly, hurry up and take a shower. It’s going to be crowded right now, if you don’t get a spot, you’ll have to wait until late at night.”
Then he grabbed the towel hanging above his bed and ran out. Although the room was large, it didn’t have a private bathroom, only a communal shower area at the end of the ground floor. It could hold about a hundred people at a time. The entire workers’ housing complex had a capacity of 2,000 people, not only from Mrs. Ba’s factory but also from other factories. If you didn’t get a spot, you really would have to wait until late at night.
Just then, another guy ran in, his hair soaking wet and his back still damp. He said to the guy who had just left, “I told you to shower before eating, but you didn’t listen. Now go down and line up!”
He ran back to the balcony and looked down at the courtyard, seeing a huge crowd of workers lining up to shower. From what I heard them say, every day was like a battle. In the large bathhouse, there were many small shower rooms built in rows along four walls, the middle section was empty with a drain and concrete tubs. Some guys who weren’t going anywhere in the evening would quietly wait, usually around nine or ten o’clock, for a place to shower. As for those who were in a hurry to go out, they’d have to wait around.
Then we’d go into the room of the person who arrived first and ask to use their shower, or, being bolder, we’d shower in the open air in the tubs in the middle of the room.
Nhi patted his chest: “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Showering outside means we don’t have to wait, right?”
The other guy replied: “You’re not embarrassed, so why would they be? Go downstairs and see!”
While everyone was eating, we also went downstairs to take a look. Stepping inside, I felt like I’d entered another world. This place was so big it was probably no smaller than Uncle Tu Tai’s shrimp farm. Hundreds of people were showering inside the closed rooms. The area in the middle of the room felt like paradise, because it was full of… penises. Most of the men here were straight; they just came to shower, so they didn’t care about anything else.
I heard they don’t hire older people here, so the oldest was probably no more than forty. And the working men had extremely strong bodies. They carelessly exposed their bodies, rubbing soap on their chests and buttocks, caressing their sensitive areas without the slightest thought of anyone watching. My face was burning hot, and my lower body was as taut as a stretched-out string. I thought to myself that I should just wait, because if I showered in the open air and my little guy got hard, the humiliation would be unbearable.
Seeing this, Nhi also felt discouraged. We went outside for a few walks to digest our actions. Standing next to the soccer field in the campus, Nhi started shouting encouragement to the men as they watched the round ball rolling around. I gazed into the distance, then looked up at the windy rooftop above the towering building where we were staying.
I said, “Hey, is there a way up there?” I said, pointing towards the rooftop. I don’t know why, but I always liked places high up; in the countryside, it was haystacks and trees, in the city, it was rooftops. Perhaps sitting in a higher place made me feel less inferior.
Minh said, “I think there is. This afternoon I saw some electrician up there fixing something, like plumbing or something.”
We were all curious by nature, and without waiting to be told, we all ran up to search. Finally, we found a ladder made of iron bars attached to the wall for workers to go up and down the rooftop when needed for repairs. Besides Lùi, none of us were tall enough to reach the first rung. Lùi had to “sacrifice” himself, letting Nhí step onto his shoulders to climb up. Then came me, Minh, and finally him.
On the rooftop, the wind blew fiercely, instantly sweeping away the awkwardness of us country boys who had just arrived in the city. I remembered the kites soaring high in the clear blue sky during harvest season. I only wished we were like the kites, and this city would be the wind.
Minh was too scared to stand up here; he was actually afraid of heights. Looking down from here was chilling. Anyone who slipped would probably end up going home, but in a way that resembled a funeral procession.
We moved to the edge of the rooftop, and Minh yelled, “Sit down, guys! If the management below sees us, there’ll be trouble!” It turned out he wasn’t afraid of heights, but he’d seen the warning sign earlier: “No trespassing.”
Just as we were admiring the view, we saw a guy from the management team walk past the bathroom. We all crouched down as if caught red-handed. Nhi leaned against the wall, muttering, “Damn, it would be great to have some beer and snacks here!”
Minh, sitting on the other side of the wall, said, “Want some? Go down to the General Manager’s office and ask!”
Minh’s seat was perfectly positioned to overlook the manager’s office window. The manager’s building was built next to the workers’ dorms, so normally no one could see what was going on there.
We heard Minh talking and hurriedly crawled over. Looking through the window from a distance, Nhi could clearly see a pile of 333 beer bottles, white and red, on the living room table. Around them were all sorts of food, main courses and side dishes, probably more than ten in total. Nhi gasped, “Damn, the manager lives like a king!”
I also looked closely, then was startled to see two familiar figures in the room. It was Tan and Hoang. They were comfortably seated at the table, eating and drinking with the manager as if they were equals. The manager was laughing heartily, constantly putting food into their bowls. No wonder they dared to complain that the food they were given was “even a dog would complain.”
Lui retorted angrily, “Damn it, they’re relatives of the manager’s mother, no wonder they talk like they’re some kind of old man! Just looking at them is an eyesore!”
I said, “It’s not just us who dislike them, the whole room dislikes them too. Just treat them like they’re dead.”
Nhi brushed off his backside and stood up, grumbling, “What a mood killer. Let’s go take a shower. Let’s hurry up and find a place to see some city girls tonight!”
I said, “Yeah, you guys go ahead, I’ll wait a bit longer.”
The two of them treated Hoang and Tan like sworn enemies, preferring to look at a pile of shit rather than their faces. Minh and I disliked them too, but less intensely, probably because they hadn’t bothered us in any way.
This was the first time I’d sat down and talked to Minh since we met. I asked, “What do you do back in your hometown? Do you have any skills? Or are you like us, just doing whatever anyone asks you to do?”
Minh suddenly looked into the distance, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.
She said, “I live next to the forest, and they hired me to guard the night. Staying up late and working day and night has made me older than you guys.”
I asked further, “But it’s so far up here, and you came alone? Did your parents let you?”
Minh blurted out, “My parents don’t know…”
I exclaimed in surprise, “Huh…”
Minh acted as if she’d accidentally said something wrong, explaining, “Ah… I meant… Aaaaaa…”
Before Minh could answer, she saw some commotion in the manager’s room. She screamed and turned away, looking scared. Seeing this, I crawled closer to the wall, peeking out like a thief. Inside the room, the dining table was now different. Instead of eating “delicacies,” the manager was eating Hoang’s dick.
I jumped, rubbing my eyes. After looking again, I saw Hoang had already inserted his dick into the manager’s vagina and was thrusting repeatedly. Tan stood in front of the old woman, hands on his hips, leaning forward so she could suck on his erect penis. He thrust gently, his face tilted upwards with each thrust as his penis went deep into her throat.
I froze as I looked at the manager’s sagging body, a chilling sensation spreading through my entire being. It turned out those two guys were eating for free and speaking arrogantly not because they were her family. As I had initially suspected, they were her “favorite” men, being kept by her.
I covered my forehead with my hand, pretending the truth I’d just seen was unacceptable. Minh reacted even more violently than I did. The moment he saw it, his whole body trembled, sweat beading on his forehead. He stared intently at the ground, his hands clutching his head. I understood that a straight man seeing this would be terrified, but I didn’t expect Minh to be this shocked.
I approached and gently removed Minh’s hand, reassuring her, “What’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?”
Minh shook her head vigorously, “I don’t want… I don’t want…”
I was puzzled, “What don’t you want?”
Minh trembled as she spoke, “I don’t want to do that job anymore… I don’t want to protect the forest… I don’t want to…”
Minh burst into tears, a sudden, heart-wrenching cry filled with resentment. I didn’t know what to do, only remembering that when I was little, my mother would immediately hug me when I cried. I knelt on the ground, cradling Minh’s head against my chest, comforting and soothing her, “Okay, okay. If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. No one here is forcing you to protect the forest anymore. Don’t cry anymore, okay?”
Minh cried even harder, her wailing blending with the wind. My mother had taught me that those were the times when people needed to be comforted the most. So I held her until I felt her trembling subside, only then did I dare loosen my embrace.
Minh cried for a while until it was dark. The three men below had finished their lovemaking some time ago. My shirt was soaked with tears, but Minh was still sobbing. I understood he had something difficult to talk about, and I wanted him to tell me everything to ease his burden. I said, “I know you have something on your mind. But if you don’t want to talk about it right now, that’s okay.”
Minh suddenly asked, “Phuc… you’re gay, right?”
I didn’t understand, and asked again, “Huh, what’s gay?”
Minh said again, “It’s a boy who likes boys.”
I stammered, not knowing how to respond: “How… how…”
Minh said, “How do you know? Because you’re gay too.”
For some reason, I felt relieved. Besides Binh and Sang, I finally had another person who understood my difference. Minh wiped away his tears and continued, “Have you ever thought about having a relationship with a woman?”
I recalled the image of the manager from earlier, shuddered, and said, “Not yet, but I think…”
Minh continued, “It was disgusting, right? And yet, before, every night I had to serve women I didn’t even know. Some were young, but mostly old. There were men too, but only a handful…”
I fell silent. Minh paused for a moment, then continued, “Those days were like living in hell. My body was just a toy for those old women in their prime or those perverted old men.”
Suddenly, tears welled up in Minh’s eyes as he spoke with resentment: “I came here without my parents knowing. Because I ran away from home, I didn’t even bring many clothes. But I’d rather die outside, rot away in some street corner, than suffer physical torment every day. If it were someone else, I probably wouldn’t be so miserable, but the people who forced me to do this are my own parents…”
Minh cried again, recounting his story. There was a tourist area in that forest, and the owner, fearing disturbances, hired Minh’s father to guard it at night. One time, Minh brought his father dinner late at night, and a female customer was drinking with him in a hut. Seeing Minh’s handsome, youthful appearance, she became lustful. That night, Minh was given an aphrodisiac, tied to a bed in the hut, and left for her to have her way with.
It was Minh’s father who gave him the medicine, tied him to the bed, and guarded the door outside while the female customer indulged in her childish debauchery. When Minh’s mother found out, she managed to defend her son. But when she saw the money her husband brought home from the unscrupulous customer, her gambling addiction flared up, causing her to forget her maternal instincts.
Minh was torn apart both physically and spiritually by strangers.
Even the closest people. When Minh saw the manager and Hoang having sex, the most unwanted memories suddenly came flooding back, terrifying him.
I patted Minh’s shoulder and said, “It’s all over now… Now that you’re here, no one will force you to do that anymore.”
Minh replied, “Thank you. I’m so glad I met you. I’m so glad you’re just like me. If it were Lui, Nhi, or Dau, I wouldn’t have told anyone about this.”
I chuckled, patted Minh’s head, and said, “So how do you know I’m ‘like’ you?”
Minh happily said, “It’s not hard at all! No straight guy would pee so secretly like you do. Seeing someone’s penis and getting so hard you can’t pee, I knew!”
I was so embarrassed I smacked him on the head. I threatened, “Since you know, keep it to yourself and don’t tell anyone!”
Minh looked at me with a mischievous grin: “If you let me hug you at night, I won’t say anything. But if you don’t, I’ll tell everyone in the room.”
I pushed his shoulder and said, “You’re so bold, daring to threaten me again? Try telling anyone, and I’ll cut off your dick, understand?”
Minh challenged, “You dare cut it off? If they bite, you’ll have to bear the consequences!”
Seeing him dare to mess with me, I pushed him to the floor. My hand held his chest down, while my other hand grabbed the waistband of his pants, ready to pull them down. With one pull, his dick immediately sprang out. I don’t know how long it had been erect, but the head was shiny, the shaft full, and the testicles perfectly proportioned. I don’t know if he trimmed it or not, but his pubic hair was relatively neat. I secretly understood why those old perverts lusted after him so much.