Paradise Part 9

RB was reading a customer letter and mentally determining how to handle the complaint when he heard a small disturbance from across the office.  Curiosity got the best of him and he stood and looked over the cubicles.  He was reminded of a saying he once heard about an office full of cubicles.  Workers who stand up to see what is going on are called prairie dogs. 

While walking toward the commotion, RB learned Jennifer was back from maternity leave.  All the ladies were gathered around her cubicle and looking at pictures.  Baby stories were swapped and smiles abounded.  Babies represent new life, a new start.  Then one by one, everyone returned to their office and back to the business of making unhappy people happy. 

Jennifer and RB once shared a cubicle wall and regularly visited each other’s office to bounce ideas off one another and to gripe about various circumstances that bothered them at that moment.  RB had missed Jennifer but was happy she finally entered motherhood.  During her pregnancy, she beamed with joy and RB enjoyed her happiness.  He had mixed feelings about her return.  It was nice to see her again but he knew how the “Bad Place” affected people.  If she had any signs of post-partum blues, 8+ hours a day of customer complaints might send her into a dark place. 
Shortly after lunch, Jennifer knocked on RB’s cubicle.  She asked, “Are you busy?”

“Hey there, momma!  Of course not.  How are you?  It’s so good to see your smiling face again!  What’s up?”

“Just thought I’d come over and see you.  You are only 2 rows over now but it seems further.”

After a few minutes of small talk, Jennifer lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned toward RB.  The two had done this several times in the past so RB also leaned forward to what was only for his ears.  She said, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You mean come back to work while someone watches the baby?”

“That too.  I mean deal with these crazy people who write in all the time.”

Jennifer looked at RB with pleading eyes.  Did she want confirmation or permission not to come back to work?

“We’ve talked about what this job does to a person before.  Are you afraid of how it will affect you or just the thought of getting back into this routine?”

“I suppose the routine.  I just can’t see myself doing this again.  I don’t think I can do it.”

“Do you have to do it?  I mean, do family finances depend on it?”

“Pretty much.”

“You know you can look for another job in and out of the company.”

“Yeah but with all the cuts made here and economy the way it is, you know jobs are scarce and hard to get.  And I don’t want to give up what I’ve built up here with my seniority.”

“I understand.  It’s a hard thing.  I’ve told you how I feel about this job.  Eight or more hours a day, 5 days a week of this negativity wears aware your soul.  Then you add the stupid crap management does with their asinine thoughts on how to make us faster in getting our replies out.  I’ve always said that you basically know what to say and what to give to a customer before you finish the letter.  Writing your reply is quick.  It’s reading the darn customer letter that takes so long.  How many 1 page letters do we get?  Shoot, 75% are 3 or 4 pages and more.”

“And all of that is why I don’t think I can do this.”  Jennifer stopped for a moment, considering her next words.

RB said it for her, “You’re scared.”

“I guess.”

“Understandable to me.  I don’t blame you.  I would be but I know you and if you want to do this, you can do this.  If you want, just do it until you find another job, wherever it is.”