Ranjit’s dream is that he gets to work in the factory again.

Ranjit is currently sitting in front of an old restaurant on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. He used to work in a nearby factory, making aluminum parts, but he was replaced after his cataracts got too heavy and he began making mistakes. Ranjit does not like being a burden on his son, who doesn’t come to see him much anymore. He says, motioning off into the distance behind me, “The boy is in Putrajaya, living in government house.” He keeps reaching out in that direction, groping around, as if he is trying to find a light swtich in the dark.