"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 many jobs, but nobody hired me. Perhaps no one liked someone who wasn't good with words, didn't enjoy communicating, and hadn't shown enough ability.
"For three whole days, I ate only two pieces of bread. Hunger kept me awake at night. Luckily, I had paid a month's rent in advance, so I could still stay in that dark basement instead of going outside to endure the unusually cold winter wind.
"At last, I found a job keeping watch at a hospital at night-keeping watch 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 smell there was awful. From time to time, someone dead would be brought in, stuffed into a body bag, and we would help carry him into the morgue.
"It wasn't a very good job, but at least it let me afford bread. I could also use my spare time at night to study. After all, few people wanted to come to the morgue unless there was a body to deliver or take away for cremation. Of course, I still didn't have enough money to buy books, and for now, I saw no 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 this.
"I dreamed of being able to rotate onto the day shift.