"I was a failure. I hardly ever noticed whether the sun was shining, because I had no time.
"My parents couldn't support me, and I didn't have much education. I was alone in the city, searching for a future.
"I applied for plenty of jobs, but nobody hired me. Maybe nobody liked someone who wasn't good with words, didn't like talking to people, and hadn't shown any particular ability.
"For three whole days, I ate only two pieces of bread. Hunger kept me awake at night. Luckily, I'd paid a month's rent in advance, so I could keep living in that dark basement instead of going outside to endure the bitterly cold winter wind.
"Finally, I found a job keeping watch at a hospital at night-watching over the morgue.
"The hospital was even colder at night than I'd imagined. The wall lamps in the corridors weren't lit, and everything was dim. I could only rely on the little light spilling out of the rooms to see where I was stepping.
"The place smelled awful. Every so often, someone who'd died would be brought in, stuffed into a body bag, and we'd help carry them into the morgue.
"It wasn't a good job, but at least I could afford bread. I could also use the spare time at night to study. After all, hardly anyone wanted to come to the morgue unless they had a body to deliver or take away for cremation. Of course, I still didn't have enough money to buy books, and I couldn't see any hope of saving any.
"I had to thank my former colleague. If he hadn't suddenly quit, I might not even have gotten a job like that.
"I dreamed of being able to rotate onto the day shift. Always going to sleep when