Quote from: Mandle on Wed 29/01/2025 04:49:48I have an epic poem in the works.
Helene The neighbour arguing pulled her into the state between sleeping and fully awake, and then the inevitable sirens completed it. Drowsily, Helene looked at the alarm clock next to her bed. And she saw nothing. The clock was dark, like the rest of her room. An outage. Again. Maybe it was a blackout, maybe her mom had forgotten to pay the bill. Or had not been able to pay the bill. Either way, she was late. She knew it, felt it in every bone, even without a clock telling her so. She saw it in the tiny bit of sunlight shining through the flimsy curtains, heard it in the constant stream of cars rushing by in front of her window, smelled it in the odour of the Chinese restaurant beginning to cook dinner in the morning. And then she heard her little brother trample down the stairs to the subway on his way to school. "Morning!" her mother greeted her as cheerfully as she managed. She had been tired and weak the last couple of weeks, more so than always. Normally, it was just her two jobs, now it was the chemo as well. "Morning." Helene answered, taking the last piece of toast from the kitchen table. "Don't forget to take Marc to his appointment this afternoon. He's never been there before." her mom said, already halfway out the door. "Can't! Mom, I've got my interview this afternoon." "Shoot. I forgot." She thought for a moment, clearly trying to move her schedule around in her head. But it didn't work. "I have to work longer today, and then my doctor's appointment... I can cancel it, maybe..." "No, mom. Don't. I'll figure something out." "No, I'll figure something out. Your interview is important. We need the money..." She almost swallowed the words. She didn't want to share her worries with her daughter, but it was far too late for that. "I figure something out. I'll call you-" Helene interrupted her, looking down on her mobile phone. "Can't. Phone's dead. - Don't worry, mom, if the subway is on time, I can pick Marc up and still will be in time for the interview." "Are you sure?" "Yes, absolutely!" No, not at all. Changing the topic, she continued, "Do we need anything from the supermarket? They have trousers in special offer today, and I wanted to take a look this morning." "No, nothing right now, thanks. I got to go. See you in the evening. "Yes, see you!" And good luck with the interview. I'm sure you'll do fine." "Thank you." * Helene had a ten in her purse and a couple coins she had left over from the last time she went grocery shopping. She had checked the ad again and again, making sure the offer was today and that the shirt really sold for five. It would just be enough. They also needed milk and the bread was out and maybe... The longer she kept walking through the supermarket, the more things came to mind that they were out of. They didn't even have any pasta left. And when she reached the special offers, her cart already contained more than she could afford. She walked back and forth between the different aisles, putting things back and taking others, but no matter how much she added and subtracted, there was just no enough money. Besides, the trousers weren't that great anyway. At least, so she told herself. And they wouldn't fit either. And for an interview they weren't good enough. What did it matter that nothing in her wardrobe would be good enough for the interview? | Helena The gentle kiss of her father pulled her from sleep before her alarm clock had a chance to force her awake. Drowsily, Helena looked at the alarm clock next to her bed. 7 o'clock. A bit earlier than she usually woke up, but so he had time to look at the stars projected at her ceiling. They came from the clock her brother had given it to her for her fifth birthday. Sometimes she thought it was a bit childish, but she loved it still. But from time to time, she went and bought a new alarm, only to throw it into a drawer after a few days or weeks and pulling her old star clock out again. She stretched lazily while her father silently slipped out of her bedroom again to give her her space. And then she heard her little brother slamming the garage door as he did every morning. "Morning!" her mother greeted her as cheerfully as ever. Normally, she should be in the car by now, taking her brother to school. But today she had taken a day off and Helena's father had taken care of Mark. She wanted to be with her daughter for her first ever job interview. "Morning." Helena answered, taking a pancake directly from the pan and drenching it with several scoops of syrup, before balancing the table to the dining room. "Big day, huh? Nervous?" her mom said, planting a kiss on her hair. "A bit, I guess. I'm not sure I want this job anyway." "You don't have to take it if you don't want." her mother reminded her, continuing a discussion they had had before. "It's alright to procrastinate a bit before going to collage. You're young – have some fun!" "No, mom. I want to try working." "If you're sure. But don't take this job just because. The interview is important. If you don't like the manager or the hours, you can and should say no. It's not like you need the money." Helena nodded, looking down on her phone, scrolling absent-mindedly through some messages. "That reminds me," her mother said, pulling out a little package from behind her back, "a little present for becoming an adult!" Helena opened the packet, revealing a new phone. "Wow!" she called, "Are you sure?" "Yes, of course! And this morning, I'll take you clothes shopping. You need something new to look your best this afternoon." "Thanks, mom, you're the best! Can we go to the new boutique? There's this new skirt I thought about getting." "Yes, of course. And maybe a new blouse and some good shoes, if we have time." "Thank you!" * The new boutique greeted them with shining dresses and elegant blouses in the window. They had to wait a couple of minuted before it opened, having very limited hours for an exclusive clientele. Helena and her mother didn't mind, admiring the fit of the skirts and several accessories that were exhibited with the clothes. The longer they waited, the more things Helena put on her mental shopping list. "I love this shirt!" Helena cooed when the shop finally opened, pulling it from the rack right away. "You'll look amazing in it!" her mom agreed. Together, they walked through the store, adding more and more things to the load in their arms, until they could hardly carry it anymore. When they were finally done, Helena could choose between at least three different outfits for her interview and a couple additional things for more casual days. | |
| * Peter put one résumé after the other aside, sorting them into two different piles. Paul, his assistant watched him, occasionally taking one up himself and checking it against his own notes. "Helene and Helena." Peter said after a while, "The others all seem completely incompetent." "I agree," Paul said, "they could both work out, but we only need one. It seems like Helene really needs and wants this job." "Sure, but I think Helena is the better candidate." "How so?" "Well, for starters, she arrived on time." Peter said with a sigh, as if he was not used to people being punctual. "Yes, but Helene had an excuse. She had to pick up her brother. That won't happen again, I'm sure." "Well, I'm not." Peter shook his head. "Helene has neither a car nor a driver's licence. Helena does -" "Her mother drove her." Paul added under his breath, but Peter didn't hear him and didn't stop talking. "Besides, I wonder if Helene even has the proper mindset to work here." "What do you mean? She clearly wants to work here." Paul asked, looking over the CV another time, searching for the answer to his question. "She clearly lacks ambition. Helena plans to study, but Helene, she doesn't know what she'll do in five years." "Which means she'll not move on right away. We'll have a dedicated worker for a longer time. No need to train someone new again in a couple of months." "There's that." Peter agreed, though with a lack of enthusiasm. "But again, Helene has no ambition -" "That she told us of..." "That she told us of, maybe, but... No, I don't like it. And in addition, what was she thinking dressing like that? This is a customer facing position. I really liked the look of Helena, very elegant, very fashionable." Paul shook his head. "You've already decided, Peter, but I'll still point out that Helene will dress more stylish once she has the funds to buy better clothes." "That's really not our problem. We'll hire Helena." |
Quote from: Baron on Wed 12/02/2025 03:16:13So... We're a bit vote-poor at the moment. :-X
QuoteThe tragedy of the job offer being decided by such a thin margin related to wealth was poignant (especially, as Paul pointed out, that it seemed to be the wrong decision for all involved, including the business)