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AGGROUP WESTThe crowd was surrounding the Aggroup building, windowless and unmarked, theonly building of its kind in Xwang Ching, sheet metal with a flat roof and nowindows. Chang joined the back of the crowd. He had walked there straight from thebus, he felt wakeful and ready, he had slept most of the night on the bus from hishome village, he had eaten the last of the cold rice and meat his mother had sent.His father was a party member and learned of this opportunity through the party.Jostling to the front of the building was like a game. There were policemennear the front who were dragging anyone to the back of the mass who was beingdisorderly. Chang was doing well in the crowd, it had lifted him off his feetonce, by the time he was able to touch the door he had already seen two bussescome and go from the rear of the building. Someone near him said the busses go tothe airport and to Zhing city. Idiot, some else yelled Pang Pah, they dig mud forthe dam. The local train goes to Zhing. You don’t know, Chang himself said. Itwas a wonder of the modern world, three voices and three different accents.One thing his father told him, do not listen to rumors, If you havequestions go to a party official.The door opened once more and the policemen quickly allowed ten more in. Thecrowd shifted with excitement every time a door opened, many like Chang were newto this . When the door opened again Chang turned sideways and pushed like a fishfighting the current. He was the second number ten to get in. The door almostclipped his heal as big men on the inside closed it again. Inside was calm, quietand everyone froze as soon as they found their number painted on the floor.Be still, a big fellow facing the group of ten yelled. You will get yournumber then go in line. He pointed to the center, stay in order. If you are not inorder or if your number …Where are the jobs? Someone asked. Silence. If you talk,or if you get out of line or lose your number, OUT! You will be called. Changfollowed the boy in front of him. Put out your hand. With a thick red pen thenumber 4379 was written on Chang’s hand. Stand there in line until it is yourturn, if you rub off your number, out!Everyone in the center with numbers on their hands looked very happy. Thenumbers looked almost the same. Big men walked around the line, Move, move, theywould say and everyone would move. Each time they said it the mood got moreexcited. Finally a man held up Chang’s hand to read the number. There he said.Chang went to one of the small surrounding tables.Name, age, Where were you born? Chang told them everything they wanted toknow. Two of them wrote the information while a round eye sat nearby watching.Chang tried not to stare. The round eye who said nothing did not seem to mindbeing stared at. Looking at the other tables he saw a few more roundies.Sign your name. Chang did. Write your address. Chang looked up, smiling forhis embarrassment. He handed the tablet and the pencil back. He told him the nameof his village. Chang feared now he would be sent back home. The round eye spokebut Chang did not understand. Go there the other man said handing a paper, and acopy of the paper with Chang’s signature over to Chang.Chang forced himself to remain calm. A work bus and a home bus, he thought.What’s going on? He asked on his new line. This, he was told, is the non readingline. They are going to send us to school. Here, someone passed him a damp rag, itwas mostly red. Your hand.Some talked about where they were from but most talked about where theythought they are going. The door he came through opened and Chang could see fulldaylight outside. He worried about his ducks, he knew that one was not well, Hetried to see in his mind if it was dead yet, it had a goiter so the family, nowonly his mother and father, would not eat it, it would go to the pigs. It seemed amoment later that the back door opened. Be still! The voice of authority wasalready familiar to him, Walk! Do not run! Do not push! The seats in the bus werehard, unseen, some in back complained.There was a crackling all around the bus. On came a female voice as the bus
 
began to move. A cheer went up but it was quelled. The voice continuedIf you are quiet and respectful you will learn much and rise to aresponsible position with Aggroup West Company, a world known brand. Aggroup Westrequires, good health, cleanliness and intelligence. By listening quietly you willlearn and in learning you will grow in responsibility and with responsibility youwill make your family proud.“Responsibility means money.” Chang could not see who the joker was butthose around him pointed him out and the goon in front who had been facing themall the time asked for the young man’s paper. The bus slowly stopped, the jokerwas begging for pity. He was sorry but had to follow the goon who now had hispapers. A quiet chant, “Get off the bus,” rose up. As the bus started moving thebusy street already was swallowing the man with torn yellow papers at his feet.The seductive, emphatic voice resumed, “Aggroup West is the number one foodsupplier worldwide.” Chang comforted himself thinking of his pigs, feeding themthe scraps, watching the sows nurse little ones. All he knew about Akroup was itmeans job, money and luxuries for the family and then Chang will return home tomarry … some girl. The woman’s voice spouted on about Mexico, Canada, the U.S.A.She could have been talking about the moon.The bus hit a bump as the gravel road became concrete. “An airplane” like abreath it circulated through the bus, the goon surrounded by cigarette smoke waslooking out the front window. Between the bus and the airplane was a whitebuilding exactly like the other one except no crowd was pressing against it.Exiting the bus this group of young men were already transformed as each onefidgeting or with fists clenched fought urges to rush the door. It was a new worldon the other side of the door with something for everyone -depending on respect.Chang did not like having to take his clothes off but he had never been seen by adoctor before only nurses stuck needles into him as a school boy. At the end hewas told he could put his pants back on and rejoined the others. Chang wasdirected to a table and received his first gifts as an Aggroup West worker. Insidea crinkly clear plastic, the very look and feel made him happy like a child on hisbirthday, it was a gift of clothes, he was told to put them on, the companyuniform. Now Chang was part of an army of soldiers in blue. He received a kit thatfelt like leather full of gifts for his mouth, face, body and at last a red canwith a ring on top. Someone showed how to pull the ring. Soda! Sweet cola.The uniformed young men practiced respectful titles on each other, Comrade,Honor, Sir, Madam, Majesty, Chairman. Sweet cola seemed to get them very excited.At all times they stayed a respectful distance from the roundies who stood ingroups of two and three.Attention, these new men faced the man speaking at the center of the room,this is your new friend. He indicated a green open top barrel. When you finishdrinking your soda you will place the can in your new friend. The first sign ofrespect is where ever you are scraps, remains, dirty paper all goes to your newfriend.“To feed the pigs.” Chang whispered to no one in particular. Others mumbledaround him. This was not so different.The speaker concluded, “Now is time to finish your soda, give the can toyour new friend, and hold onto your company gifts.”Of the many fantastic thing happening this morning no one expected to climba ladder into the hanging belly of a huge four engine airplane. The dark woodfloor was clean and everyone was bunched up inside and then they were told to beseated by the pilot who closed the door behind himself. A rumble that had to bethe engines. There was paralysis, desperate voices and fear as in everyone’sbellies the momentum could be felt. Then the otherworldly, floating sensation ofwheels up. People seemed to pass out as the plane nosed up and banked into thesky. The few windows became searchlights. Chang got on his knees to see the cloudsoutside. Now he was very far from home indeed.We are in the clouds.I have to pee.
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Al

Sell your like new Toyota and buy a safe and reliable used safe American car.

reply03 / 21 / 2010
Al

AGRI CORP will buy your TOYOTA. Because of investments in US CORN CROPS the company announces a generous assistance offer. Sell your like new Toyota and buy a safe and reliable used safe American car. Fords have parts available. AgriCorp is copyright 2008, 2009, 2010 by al rosenberg

reply02 / 09 / 2010
Al

AGRI CORP will not mas house hogs. Our pigs are free to range the fields. They help maintain a sanitary condition on the farm. Our pigs live in conditions equal to those of the workers who care for them. Agri Corp and AggriCorp International copyright al r.

02 / 09 / 2010
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