I was offed a job from a guy I went to high school with. He has a business in called Makai Cafe in Hana Maui. He promised me a good job and a place to stay while I got on my feet. No brainer for me a job and a place to stay in paradise. I use what little money I have left and get out of my rental agreement to move. I get there and they forgot to pick me up from the airport ended up waiting over 24hrs to get a ride two hours away to a remote city in Maui. I get to the property I will be staying at and the room I have will be a tent on a pallet that is full of someone else’s old clothes and trash. At this point I’m thinking I fucked up. I decided I’ll work till I can afford a ticket back. I start work the next day working as a cook and cashier only to be left alone before the end of my first day. The food sucks because I was poorly trained and the menu changes based on how the owner feels. We end up getting bad reviews while I’m on shift as well as the best ones the company has received.
After working my first two weeks living in a tent that was supposed to me a room and doing 80% of the daily tasks while being a one man show in a hot ass greasy food truck it’s finally pay day! I go to the owners and ask they state that since I had a free place to live that I was doing a work trade and could collect tips after my first 90 days.
I fucking lose it! This guy came to me knowing I was in financial ruins as a savior to my issues only to force me into straight up legal slavery. I told him I had other reoccurring bills I had to have money for and all this guy says is I should look into foodstamps and cash assistance. Like mother fucker I was working for cash assistance.
So here I am on my first day off in 16 days too broke to eat or even leave the place I’m staying. I’ve reached out to some old friends who are helping look for housing and jobs back home probably gonna sell food and pocket the cash next time I work hopefully one days worth of money is enough for my escape.
Don’t be dumb like me