Not so long ago, there lived a young girl called Ruth. She had big dreams to succeed in an even bigger world. Her parents were proud of her and of everything she had ever achieved, regardless of how big or small they were. On the day she set out into the world, her grandma gave her a piece of worn pebble.
The old woman cupped Ruth's small palm in her callused hands and said, "I have nothing but this to give you, sweetheart. Every time you feel like giving up or when you feel that things had gone wrong, squeeze this pebble tight between your fingers. Squeeze it till the bad feeling goes away, then think about how to fix your trouble."
Ruth turned a raised eyebrow to her parents. Father responded with an approving nod and added, "Grandma is right. That little pebble will remind you of who you are and where you come from. When you remember, you will know to do the right thing."
The young girl smiled as she slipped the rock into her pocket and stepped out of the door. Life in the big world was good. She had found a good job in a place where everyone was serious and ambitious yet her boss, Donald, was friendly and outgoing.
One day he dropped some receipts on her desk and asked her to fill an expense claim. Some of the receipts were curious, so she asked her boss about them.
He sheepishly explained, "The customer wanted to have a little extra entertainment. So I took them to a hostess bar. Hey, it's alright; they signed the contract after a few drinks. But don't tell Accounts about the hostess thing though, they won't understand."
"You mean, this is against company ethics?"
"Come on now, Ruth. Sales is such a competitive area, I have to do what I had to do to bring business in. Can you imagine what will happen to the company if we don't get orders? None of our competitors are ethical too, and if I don't give these people what they want they will go to the competition."
Ruth relaxed her grip on the pebble as she began to nod in agreement. From that day on, her boss would pass her one questionable receipt after another. Sometimes he would get the contract, other times he wouldn't. Each time Ruth would remind herself that it was all just part of the job.
Two months to a day later, Donald passed her a brown package he wanted her to personally take to a Customs officer. It was a special favour for a customer. Ruth drove down to the government building and asked for Pegawai Karim. He took her into his office, closed the door and ripped the package open. As he began counting the thick wad of 100-ringgit notes, Ruth's blood grew cold. She squeezed the pebble in her pocket so hard, her fingers turned white. The man looked up, nodded and led her out of the room. They didn't exchange a single word.
That evening as she heated a pre-cooked dinner, Donald's wife called, "Hi Ruth, sorry to bother you. Do you know where Donald is? He told me he would be home late today, but he didn't say how late."
Ruth's heart skipped a beat; there was nothing on Donald's schedule for that evening. In fact he had been reminding her to keep that particular night free for the last two weeks. Again she squeezed the pebble hard, finally she blurted, "Oh yes, I remember now. Some customers from Taiwan called him yesterday. He must have agreed to meet with them tonight, because his schedule for the day was full. You can try calling the direct line to his office, he is usually in there during meeting breaks."
"Oh, it's alright, Ruth. I was worried because I couldn't reach his mobile. He must have switched it off. Sorry to be such a bother. Good night."
Ruth put down her phone and stared at the pebble in her palm. You useless thing, she thought, you have done nothing to help me. She threw it out a kitchen window and slammed the shutters shut.
Sleeping was impossible that night. At first light, she stepped outside through the kitchen door and realized to her dismay that the backyard was covered in pebbles. She stretched down and picked each up by turn, but none felt like the rock her grandma had given her. With a sigh, she brushed her hand clean and went back into the house.
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