Arbeit macht frei: - Fredrick Töben

Browne’s assistants on Improve Your English. The professor of education
at the University of Melbourne did not think there was anything wrong with
me.
I began my final painting on Tuesday morning, 10 November. The green
posts of the orange signs were the last on my list. No matter that it was
terribly hot, this old man got out there and collected the green paint that Mr
Wren obtained specifically for the posts. As I painted each of the 16 posts I
removed the sand at the bottom so that I could paint the posts below the
soil surface as well. When the sandy soil blows away the non-painted part of
the post emerges and looks untidy. This had annoyed me on my first walk
around the track when I decided to do something about it.
By lunchtime my project was complete. I had painted more than 500 posts
and rails white. The signs that started my painting venture were now in full
bloom: 16 vertical green posts, about 1.5 m high, held a white horizontal
sign on which in black letters were inscribed with ‘Valencia Oranges’,
‘Navel Oranges’, ‘Navelina Oranges’ and ‘Common Oranges’.
Since the green paint dried within 8 hours I had time to cover the bottom
of the posts with the soil I had removed beforehand. I decided to do this
prior to the lock-up. In fact, I did it just after 6 p.m. when the temperature
was still rather warm. I began my usual walk along the track, removing my
T-shirt to balance the tan on my arms with a little on my body. As I
approached the second wire cage that held the irrigation pump I noticed
that a tractor – was it Snake? – had scraped the posts I had placed around
its edge to prevent sand blowing into the cage. I repositioned the posts, then
decided to check the other two cages although they were technically out of
bounds, except during the day and if work brought prisoners there.
I saw myself now working overtime, as I had on other occasions, especially
towards the end when I worked Saturday and Sunday mornings in order to
complete the project. Overtime in this sense was not getting any extra pay.
The posts at the end cages had also been interfered with, so I positioned
them nicely. Unfortunately they did not have spikes which would have
enabled me to fix them firmly into the ground.
Once done I looked up and realised I was just opposite the orange grove
with the small cluster of lemon trees. At lunchtime I had already received
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