Jake Barry
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Piece of Work - Chapter 5
🕑 Added 2023-10-10 03:43:36 +0000 UTCFour different jobs in one week. That had to be some sort of record!
After reluctantly walking away from Mr. G, even as he begged me to stay from the rooftop of the restaurant, I went straight home. I did not know whether to cry into a pillow or laugh hysterically. I could not believe I had quit of my own volition. The job was mine! Yes, it was not the best job, nor was the pay anything to celebrate, but it was a job! A job with a boss who liked me.
"This is for the best. You'll recover from this. Best of luck to you, Mr. G" I muttered to myself, as I entered my home.
I had to put it out of my mind. Dwelling on the past was not productive. There were far more pressing matters. Checking my bank account, I found that all I had left was the partial-pay I had received from each of my jobs, along with today's from Mr. G. It would get me through to the end of the week.
"Thank goodness. I was starting to worry... At least I won't go hungry."
Just to be clear, I was not actually that low on money. I had a nice amount saved up on the side, but it was reserved for a plane ticket back home. It was meant to be used only when I gave up. Using that would have essentially trapped me here in Lilliputia. Basically, it was untouchable. I feel the need to mention that, since someone might assume I had not planned ahead. I did.
As usual, I opened my laptop to begin browsing through job listings. It was becoming something of a routine at that point. Before I could even load the webpage, I heard a knocking on my door. I had not been expecting anyone. Curiously, I went to answer it. When I opened the door, I was met with one of my neighbors, a guy named Jack. He was a tall, older guy, kind of skinny, with a buzzcut. He was one of the first people I had met when I moved into the compound. We had lunch together once. He was a very friendly guy with everyone.
"Jack! Hey, what's up?" I greeted him, leaning on the doorframe.
"I'm good, Nathalie. Hey, may I come in?" He asked.
"Uhm, sure! Make yourself at home." I stepped aside, ushering him in.
Jack went over to the sofa, where I had been sitting a moment ago, and took a seat. I went to the kitchen to grab him a drink, forgetting that I had left my laptop open on the employment website.
"I take it the job hunting isn't going so well?"
"You could say that." I laughed weakly, walking over with his drink. I took a seat beside him and awkwardly shut my laptop. "It's been tough. And...you weren't supposed to see that. Heh."
He waved his hand at me. "Well, I already knew without seeing that."
"You did?" I asked, watching him take a long sip. He made a sound of acknowledgement as he did so, lowering it to his lap.
"Word gets around in a small town like this." He shrugged. "Plus, you have been wearing a different 'uniform' every day. I just assumed."
I winced, the embarrassment overwhelming me. So the whole community knew? The realization made me want to crawl into a corner and disappear. "Ughhh. Well, you're right. It's been terrible. I've been trying so hard, but I keep messing up and getting fired. It's like I'm cursed!"
"Oh, don't say that." He encouraged me. "It was rough for most of us when we first got here."
"How so?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. I was really interested. Knowing that I was not alone in this 'slump' was making me feel much better about myself.
"Let's be honest. Lillis don't take our size into account when they hire. Their 'precautions' are fairly weak at best."
"You could say that again..." I groaned. I ran my fingers through my hair and shook my head. "I'm starting to think that maybe I'm not suited for this. I could go home, but then what would I do? My degree is in tourism. No one's coming to Gulliveria these days for sightseeing."
Suddenly, Jack's eyes went wide. "Wait, did you say tourism? Seriously?"
I shrunk back into myself, preparing for him to laugh at me for picking such a stupid degree without considering the market. "Y-Yeah..."
"Nathalie! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He laughed, though, not at my expense. He leaned forward too, his eyes full of joy. "I know a guy who is looking for someone exactly like you!"
"Really?" I asked, surprised by his sudden excitement.
"Yes. His name is Harry and he's an old friend of mine. Lilli guy about my age, even comes by our compound to visit sometimes. He told me about a vacancy in his company and I came here to tell you about it. Now that I know about your degree, I absolutely have to get you two in contact."
He pulled out his phone and quickly wrote a message to Harry, letting me see it before he sent it. It was full of nice words vouching for me, like an informal letter of recommendation. I appreciated it, seeing as Jack and I were not close. Despite that, he had a lot to say. I must have made a greater impression on him than I had realized in our breif interactions since moving here.
"He'll get back to you soon." Jack smiled, happier for me than even I was. Honestly, I needed several questions answered before I could feel the same.
"Thank you so much, Jack, but... I'm totally lost. What is going on? What are you recommending me for?"
"It's probably better if he tells you." He said, before taking a huge gulp of his drink to finish it. He placed it down on the table and stood up. "Thanks for that. I've got some stuff to do, so I'll catch you later. I hope this works out for you."
I followed him to the door and let him out. I watched him walk away from the pinhole, until he was out of sight. I then turned around and stared off into the distance, zoning out completely.
"So that happened..."
After Jack left, I hopped on my computer to continue the job hunt. It was not that I doubted him or his friend, but I figured it would not hurt to continue my search. It never hurt to have backups. And it was not like I was busy or anything. That was the best thing I could be doing with my time. Hopefully I could find something...
Later that afternoon, I got a phonecall from an unknown number. I reached for it, hesitating to answer. Could it have been another former employer, this time calling back to press charges? Or was it Harry? There was only one way to find out.
"Hello?" I asked, my voice sounding super shy.
"Hi there, Nathalie." A man's voice greeted me back. It was deep but friendly. "Jack gave me your number. Is this a good time?"
"It is." I answered, my sudden relief allowing my voice to go back to normal. "I guess you're Harry?"
"Have been for forty one years." He chuckled. "So, how much did he tell you about my vacancy?"
"Little to nothing, actually." I put my laptop away and slouched on my sofa, trying to relax. "He just dropped it on me and left."
"How very 'Jack' of him. Well, allow me to explain what I do and what I'm looking for." He cleared his throat and I heard other voices in the background. It sounded like he was moving around while talking to me. "I run a travel agency, GlobeRunner, that organizes vacations to your homeland, for Lillis. We've been looking for a Travel Consultant who can provide expert advice and recommendations to travellers. Someone like you."
"With all due respect, sir, I though Lillis didn't like travelling to Gulliveria?" I asked, struggling to believe such an agency actually exists and operates. "We have agencies back home, but they're few and they get almost no business."
I heard Harry laugh, but not to make fun of me. Like, he was just amused by my statement. He then went on to correct my misconceptions. "Well, obviously! It's no secret Lillis want to deal with their own kind. It's not a matter of sizism, merely familiarity. And Lillis do travel across the pond; a lot, actually. The south Gulliverian coast is basically Lilliputia two-point-oh in the summer months."
I had never even heard of that, but I knew too little to refute it. He had no reason to lie to me, either. So I believed him. "Wow. That's pretty cool."
"Indeed it is. So, you're probably wondering why Jack recommended you to me." He said, the noise in the background disappearing. I think he had found some privacy. "It's because I'm looking for a Gulli with Lilli experience. What do I mean by that? Well, someone who has lived here, understands us, and has experience in various shared-space environments. I see here that you have...a lot of experience. Not for long, yes, but varied enough to give you a unique perspective. Do I have that right?"
"Yes, you do..." I answered, still very embarrassed by my bad streak. "I've done a lot in a short time, but I learned a lot from it."
"That's great! Listen, I would like to offer you a position at my company. Not a physical one, since we don't have the accomodations for someone of your size, but a position nonetheless. It will be work from home, if that is acceptable?"
"Y-Yes! It would." I answered, a little late due to the shock of all that I was hearing. Mentally, I was struggling to keep up. No, I was keeping up fine, I was just struggling to believe it was real. "I have a phone and a laptop. I can manage."
"I'll have someone send you an offer sometime tomorrow. And if you accept, you'll get a second phone with a new line. Anyone who needs to reach you will call you on that. Sound good?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." I answered awkwardly. I still had several questions, but it sounded like he was about to end the call. I did not want to let him go yet. "U-Um, sir! May I ask you something? It's a dumb question."
"Certainly." He said, without a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"I was just thinking... Everything you said is so amazing and your company sounds wonderful and you are so generous for offering me this..." I began to blabber, taking a moment to calm myself before I could sound like a complete idiot. "I just don't understand how agencies like yours exist. I feel like I would have heard of them by now. I may be new to this, but I do my research."
"Hmm. Well, you already have one thing wrong." He said, which made me feel suddenly anxious. "It isn't 'agencies'. It's just 'agency'. We are the only one."
"Seriously?" I gasped.
"Seriously. It's family owned, going back to the days of Gulliver. Others have sprung up over times, but ours is the only one that lasted. We're a household name. The defacto choice for all your travel needs."
Hearing this only made my suspicions greater. I practically jumped up from the sofa and stood up straight. "Sir, I believe you, but how could I have not heard of you until now? Nor anyone from back home that I spoke with? It just...doesn't add up. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude."
He laughed again, this time at my anxiousness. "Don't worry at all, I understand. The answer to your question is that we're a tech-less company. You've heard of paperless; we're just the opposite. I never quite liked computers, and I only use phones since I have to. But you have to keep up with the times, so we will probably be doing digital soon. You haven't heard of us because almost no one in Gulliveria has. We don't even have a website."
I suddenly lost my grip on my phone and it fell to the floor. I was in utter disbelief. All this time, a place like this had existed, and I had not heard of it? Are you kidding me? It took me a few seconds to remember that I had been in a conversation. I snapped out of my trance and swiped up by phone, relieved that its screen had not cracked. I put it back on my ear and continued.
"I-I see! That's so funny!" I laughed, the ridiculousness of the situation catching up with me. "Thank you for clearing that up. I'm really excited to come work for you. I hope I can be useful to the agency."
"If all that I've heard about you is true, then I have no doubts!" He responded, matching my energy. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Nathalie. Have a wonderful rest of your day."
"You too, Mr. Harry." I answered, before he hung up.
That concludes my backstory. At last, I can talk about what I've been doing for the past three months! You probably guessed it right. I ended up getting a really nice offer from the agency, with a real, respectable salary. I signed the contract and got to work starting right after the weekend. The first day was a little rough, but the second was easier, and the third was even better. By the end of the week, I really had the hang of it! It was easy to do it because it was what I actually knew how to do. I even helped some of my old bosses, Ranger Tom and Mr. G, book fun vacations. We remain on good terms to this day.
When I told my parents, they were overjoyed. One of the perks of working in tourism is that I get to travel home a lot, so I rarely feel homesick. I never would have guessed I'd be living here permanently, nor that I would love it so much!
My day was simple. I woke up at eight, got online by nine, answered emails and took calls until twelve, took a break until twelve thirty, and then continued working until I could 'clock out' at five. All without ever leaving the comfort of my home. Well, mostly. There were days when I had to be physically present at the agency. Even though they went digital, their meetings were still held in person. As their Travel Consultant, a position that ended up being way more important than I'd initially thought, I was required to attend. The meetings took place on one of the higher floors, so I would sit beside the building and look in from the windows. It was awkward at first, but everyone was really nice to me so I quickly got used to it.
A month passed, then another, then another. I worked with countless Lilli singles, couples, families, and more. I drew from my experiences in Lilliputia, turning my 'accidents' into advice that could benefit others. I told them all about Gulliveria, including where to go, how to stay safe, and how to make the best use of their time. They really appreciated my frankness and I even got a really big tip once! It really made my day.
Oh, I almost forgot! My first in-person meeting with Mr. Harry was really nice. He came to our compound to see me at the end of my first week. Him, Jack, and I went to the restaurant and had a really expensive dinner, which he paid for. I remember eating until I was ready to pop. It was a really great time.
In the end, all my struggles ended up helping me reach my goal. I never would have guessed that screwing up could be so useful! My one, true job is nice enough to help me forget the pain of the past. I do not even think about that stuff anymore, save for writing it all here in this journal. Once I close this book, I'm going to let it all fade away and focus on the future. I feel the need to write some grand message or takeaway before I sign off. I am not really sure what to put down, though. I have never been the poetic type. A few inspiring quotes come to mind, but they are not personal enough. Hmm...
Ooh, how about this?
Life is like a river... No, that's not it.
The worst mistakes lead to the best... I don't even know. Ugh.
Perseverence...! Effort and, um, talent will only... yeah, no. That is not it either.
I'll be back... (signed 4:08pm)
Okay, I'm back! (signed 11:57pm)
I think I have something good! Check this out:
Bad luck is real, but so is good luck. Be patient and things always get better. Even for the unluckiest girl in the world!
Comments
G
Wow what a great ending to this story great job Jake π
