The afternoon was hot and the heat from the sun was as cruel as ever. This was the most tiring part of the day. I was already famished, soaked in sweat and barely managed to keep up. Working as an errand boy for the first company that offered me a job would be quite a shock to anyone who knew me from college. My degree was pretty much over average and under any circumstance, I should be able to get a better job in even better firms. But that wasn't how things went over here. It was all by connection. All you really needed to do was be somehow affiliated with those in charge. And to do that, you didn't have to bag the best degree.
I had papers pressed to my chest. A load of documents which I had to transport from our branch to the head office. I could have boarded a taxi, but at the moment, for some reason, and at this time, there was very slow traffic congesting the streets around this area. At first, when I saw it, I simply sighed and began to sprint to the head office. Being late was inevitable but, what could I do?
It took me over thirty minutes to get there. Upon entering the building, as exhausted as I was, I didn't stop. I still had about six flights of stairs to fly before getting to the office where I had been ordered to deliver those files to.
Jane was the general receptionist. I knew her a bit and when she saw me fly through the doors, I noticed that she suddenly had something to tell me but on seeing how famished and hurriedly I moved, she kept her words to her self. At that time, I hadn't known. Of course, I expected to be yelled at and scolded even though it wasn't my fault. That was okay. It was normal.
I passed her desk without any greeting and ran towards the staircase. Before climbing, I had to pause a bit to catch my breath before ascending.
They had no elevator here.
I leapt and kept skipping as many stairs as I could.
Over the first, then second, third and so on until I finally reached the last floor.
The office I had been told to deliver these files to, his name was Don Pushc. A middle-aged, average man with round bald hair, and a porky build. He was the vice manager and someone with very little patience, especially with me. I knew I had to deal with him and I had prepared my mind for it. Besides, it truly wasn't my fault. There was bad traffic.
I knocked as gently as I could as soon as I arrived before the door.
"Gardell? Get in here this instant if you're the one at that door!"
As I thought, I had kept him waiting for long already.
I opened the doors immediately and let myself in, closing it behind me. As usual, his office felt tight as ever. I often wondered how he managed to stay there but then, it wasn't really small at all. Perhaps it was because of the way which he repeatedly kept me at tension every time I was there. I always felt like getting out as soon as I found myself behind those doors.
On looking ahead to the end of the room where his desk was, it was at that time I saw both Mr Pushc and someone else. It took me by surprise at first.
"Mr Ash?" I said inaudibly, under my breath.
It wasn't everyday you get to see the owner of a middle tier company like this. He was a tall slender man with long grey beards and long grey hair all dressed back.
As soon as I arrived, he stared at me with disdain. I could read it on his face. I must have arrived during an important meeting. I felt so uncomfortable standing there that I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"What are you standing there for?!" Mr Pushc yelled at me.
"Yes sir" I answered and approached them sheepishly. I could feel Mr Ash's eyes follow me closely, like I was some lowly scum that shouldn't be anywhere near him. I had never been so close to him but I could feel his antipathy.
I would have dropped those files carefully, gestured respectfully and happily taken my leave but of course, I had expected that things might not go so well.
"Mr Gardell, we were just speaking about you"
I had just laid those files on his desk when he said those words and I froze for a brief moment.
'Oh crap'
"Sir, there was bad traffic. I couldn't use a taxi so I ran as fast as I could. I really did not mean to..."
"Shut up Gardell and listen" Mr Pushc said bluntly, cutting my excuse off completely.
I did as he said. I stood there, listening, rather curiously.
"To be honest young man, after a short time of deliberation between us two, we came to a very obvious conclusion"
I wondered just what they deliberated on, and how it concerned me.
"The thing is, we've come to the conclusion that we really don't need you here"
Those words came out to me and took a short time to register.
"Sir? I don't understand"
"It means you are fired from your position, Gardell" Mr Pushc said.
I robotically stood upright and stared nonplussed at Mr Pushc. I frantically searched for the right words but I couldn't find them.
"Buh...but sir, I told you there was..."
"It doesn't matter Gardell. Somehow you always have an excuse. You slug off too many times that we simply wanna set you as an example so the others would sit up properly"
In my mind, I queried all my actions, all my motives, all I had done since I got this job six months ago. Just after college graduation, there was this pressure on me from different angles to leave and become independent of my parents. My closest friends were, one by one, leaving for different cities and even overseas in hopes of securing the best paying jobs. I followed up in the spur of the season. I moved several miles away from my residence in college and even much farther away from my hometown. I job-hunted for a long while and just as I was dwindling on resources, I received an invitation here. The position I was offered as an mailroom clerk wasn't what I applied for but I still took it up without much of a second thought.
All so I could be independent as my mates were.
And ever since then, life had been quite stormy for me. But, we all knew we had to expect these sorts of things in the real world. I geared up and worked as hard as I should. This wasn't my final stop, I always told myself.
I always knew it would be rough, but then, observing my situation a bit more carefully, any one could tell. Mine was a bit more rigorous. As a mailroom clerk, I was constantly moving about and being the only one occupying that position, I was being worked to the bones, treated without respect and barely managing to hold on. And since I had no other opportunities coming my way in the near future that I could see, I had to continue like this.
However, how I got on the wrong foot with Mr Pushc was something I could not explain because I really had done nothing to him. I thought he probably acted in the same manner towards all the other employees.
But perhaps, my case was different. I had noticed that he treated me a bit more harshly than most other employees which caused them to do the same. And it all began because of 'that'. At first, I couldn't tell just why but soon enough, things were beginning to add up.
There was a reason for all of this. For the contempt I had been treated with all this time, there was a ground for it. As I thought about it, it filled me up with an uncontrollable surge. A repugnance that pushed me to finally spill out.
"Is it because of her?" I asked in a low tone.
"What?"
"Is it because of her?" I said, a bit louder. From his reaction, I could tell Mr Ash wasn't aware of it yet. Since he was nearer to me, he could hear me better and so he put up this curious expression on his face.
"Is it because of Dani?" I asked, clearing Mr Pushc. As soon as he heard me, his face turned red but just before he could explode, I lashed out.
"How long have you been hitting on her, huh?! You've been so persistent to the extent that she's become so sick of you, you old fart!"
"Enough! Are you talking back at me you fool! I am the vice manager...!"
"You just fired me now, remember!" I jolted back at him fierily. "You can't have her! She'll never give in to an old fart like you so why shouldn't I get a chance?! It's only natural that I get a better chance at her than you so why are you taking out your frustration on me!?"
"You insolent prig! Get out this instant!" Mr Pushc yelled, both angrily and awkwardly.
"She can't be with you! You're already married, with four kids!" I continued. His reaction fuelled my outburst. It slowly evolved from anger to a certain kind of thrill. All my pent up emotions would definitely come flooding out. So right now, I really didn't care about the aftermath.
"You're just a fat pig, you fucker! Going after girls you're old enough to father! What do you think I have been doing all this for? Do you think I care about chasing after women just like you do! Unlike you, I don't spend all day fantasizing about naked young girls. We're not in a competition so why have you been drawing me back? Huh?!"
Mr Pushc yelled out too at the same time. He couldn't hide his embarrassment before his esteemed CEO. Our voices filled the entire floor and must have even drifted downstairs. He had kept ordering me out of his office but my voice was much louder than his. I was definitely letting it all out!
We went about it for a few more minutes before he made a phonecall. Soon enough, I'd be taken out by force and thrown out of the firm.
"You old farts thinking you're the shits around here, huh? You probably think I'd have to keep kissing your asses to survive just like you did in your time, huh?!" I ranted on, glancing at Mr Ash as I did, returning to him the contempt I felt earlier.
"You think I need you bastards?!"
Each time I glanced at Mr Ash, I noticed how calm and collected he remained compared to Mr Pushc. Of course, I had included him in my banter and I was sure he could tell but he didn't even react. He kept looking at me with the same cold gaze. Like I was a rattling object. It almost soured the thrill I had been feeling for a while now but then, I kept spilling.
And so, soon enough, I was finally thrown out of his office. I probably won't forget Mr Pushc and how he danced to my tune that day. And how the security personnel had literally flung me out and also how Mr Pushc had ordered that my belongings be tossed out from the office at the branch where I worked.
It was a new feeling. I breathed in a different type of air after my dramatic exit from the firm. It had a mix of relief, freedom and confusion. But I could care less at the moment. I just wanted to go get my things and head home. And perhaps, I'd head to the bar later and try drinking for the first time myself. All this while, I had passively avoided alcohol but now wasn't a bad time to indulge myself since I heard it was a good way to temporarily relieve oneself of stress.
I picked myself up from the floor and dusted my dress. It was truly a pitiful and embarrassing sight. The employees had all watched as I had been carried and thrown out disgracefully.
"Ahh" I sighed. And after dusting my clothes, I began walking back. It was still noontime but it wasn't as hot as it had been when I had come delivering those files. Even the congested traffic had been dispersed.
It was over now. I dully walked back home, ruminating over my actions.
"Did I do too much?" I subtly asked myself. I knew how much I had been holding in all this time but I endured since I really didn't have a lot of options. Do I go find a smaller job now? A job at one of the malls around. Working full-time while probing for other possible appointments seemed conceivable.
I was deep in thought, pondering on what to do next even though I was actually too tired to think. I just wanted to head home and call it a day. Then, as I lumbered, someone walked past me and our shoulders brushed.
I hadn't noticed that and kept walking. Then I heard him call out.
"Awuran"
For some reason, I turned about, as though the name sounded too familiar. How could I even tell it was a name? But it felt like one. A name I hadn't heard in a very long time. No, actually, I turned to answer like that was my name. As I did, I could feel a great mix of feelings welling up within myself. Strong emotions that I couldn't explain where they came from.
No, those emotions actually did come from somewhere. Somewhere distant. And they stirred within my consciousness with so much vigor that I thought I felt it 'overflow'. And when I turned fully, I saw him. For the first time in a very long time. How long? It wasn't something I could measure.
I wanted to say something but then, literally, in the blink of an eye, he was gone, quietly vanishing right before my eyes. And so did everything I had been feeling in that short time. It all evaporated, completely.
I stood there for a few seconds. Was it a hallucination? Why did I stop and look back? I wondered for a moment but I couldn't make sense of it so I shrugged it off. I would soon forget about it all as I already had so much on my mind.
'I hope this isn't affecting my head' I said in my thoughts. I was really feeling stressed out. Perhaps, so stressed that I began to hallucinate. Or so I thought.