Another day at work

This was an in-class assignment. We had to write a non-fiction story that may or may not be true.

Another day at work. Well, that’s not true, ‘cause I’m unemployed, if you consider being a temp ‘unemployed.’ Well, if it’s true or not, who am I to say. After all, I’m just a temp.

                  My current assignment is at Wells Fargo. They originally wanted another one of their 4 billion phone reps, but there was some cross of communication with my temp agent and their hiring staff. Because I can’t talk. My resume screams loudly of phone experience, over 10 years of it, actually, which is why I have no voice. After 10 years of it, poof! It just gave up. So, they were kind enough to keep me on doing data entry for them instead, doing the stuff the other phone reps are supposed to do. So, I do their data entry and they are able to take more calls. I guess it works out well for everyone; I get to take care of my family and go to school and their phone reps take more calls. Oh, and the temp agency gets their money for me being ‘assigned.’

                  Data entry is boring work. Period. Do I hate it? Nah, after 10 years+ of stressful phone work it’s nice to have a break. I’ve been doing it for a year and a half. The thing that keeps me going is my music. My music is my work. If I don’t have something playing in the background of my mind I go ga-ga. Especially if I’d be forced to listen to all the phone reps around me dealing with their own stress. There have been a few times where I’ve forgotten my earphones. I called home and begged and/or demanded that they were brought to me. Every time I’m very relieved.

                  The other thing that keeps me going is my walks around the lake. There is a very gorgeous lake outside to the east of the building, separated by the road and surrounded by business buildings. Typically, I just walk around the portion outside our own building. We get 15 minute breaks and it’d take me about 15 minutes to traverse the whole thing. I’d stopped even looking at my watch with my walks. Just the beautiful scenery and fresh air is enough to help get my brains put back into my head sometimes.

                  Also, there are ducks. Lots of ducks and geese; mallards, Canadian, spotted, striped, yellow, brown… all kinds. Some of my fun memories are taking my son to the duck pond in Sugarhouse and letting him oogle at the ducks.

                  In the spring the lakes are filled with baby ducks that are so cute they are just to die for. When Spring comes and the weather permits I head outside, even if I have to do my homework.

                  That’s my work life. Well, temp assignment life. I’ve been doing it for a year and a half, like clockwork. So, I’m not sure what possessed me to traverse the lake on the other side of the road yesterday. At first I thought it was a much better locale; the air was cleaner, the scenery more beautiful, and the ducks were actually friendly. I believe that was in reference to the tourist-trap hotel established by the side of the lake. The tourists were throwing out bits of break, causing the fowls to flocks, snatching and biting bits of bread.

                  About halfway through my walk I heard the ‘peep peep peep’ call of one of the baby ducks. I searched it out with my eyes, trying to find where the momma duck was. Where there was one, there usually was more. I then spied him… or, I thought I did. My eyes had just landed on it where there was a flash of light reflecting off of the water and then there was just water. Weird… I thought I saw him, or her, I didn’t know. But the baby’s cry was gone.

                  I walked on, spotting some tourists fishing by the side of the lake, a small family with two little kids and an adult off by himself. I thought he was with the group but by the glares he was giving the noisy children I could tell he was by himself.

It was somewhere there when the adult fisherman got really excited and started pulling in a catch. Apparently he was having a hard time with it and actually called for help from the other adult. I thought that maybe he didn’t know what he was doing until there was a giant ‘splash’ from the surface. That made the other adult rush over and the two of them fought. The kids hustled after their dad to see until their catch’s head broke the surface. I caught my breath in my chest; it was an alligator. The mom grabbed her kids and pulled them back.

The adults decided to bag the brute anyway. Apparently, the business land’s owners knew about the beast and had placed a bounty on it since they couldn’t find it. When they finally got it to land they had to tie the jaws shut before they could silence it forever. At this point they had gathered a large crowd of people so I was surprised when they heard the call coming from inside the ‘gator. With the beast dead the unfastened the jaws and opened them up.

Out popped the baby duck I’d heard, shaken but okay. Immediately, his momma called for him and the baby high-tailed it back into the water, shivering. The water-fowl family then swam with all speed to the other side of the lake.

It was a good day for all; the fisherman got their bounty, the baby’s life was saved, the momma duck got her baby back, and I got something that woke my brain back up.
                  Well, it didn’t turn out too well for the ‘gator.