The Mover Ch. 05

Some say that the darkest hour is just before the dawn; others maintain there is a false dawn, a slight glow in the early morning, before dawn's early light. I had no time to ponder this paradox, I was far too busy. I was in Mr. Blackwell's office at five o'clock in the morning, in meetings from six until two in the afternoon, at my desk until nine and working with Mary King until ten thirty.

I hit the market on the way home, prepared two meals and crawled into bed with my husband, who seemed to have rediscovered his appetite for making love. I was exhausted, but happier than I'd been in ages. Sleep seemed such a small priority, hardly worth the effort.

My only regret was the time spent with Isabella. I hate to waste time, for time is a precious commodity. The woman did nothing to hide her contempt for me. She did even less to improve my skills. It was difficult to hold my tongue and even harder to keep from retching from the stench of her cologne.

Mary, on the other hand, was a joy to work with. Her skills were phenomenal, and she shared them comfortably and generously. Her perfume was French, and as exquisite as her extensive wardrobe. It was a bittersweet day when we both realized that I was ready to leave the comfort of her nest and fly on my own.

We decided, for the time being, to continue the charade with Isabella. Mary was convinced that Mr. Blackwell had a hidden agenda. She cautioned me not to reveal my skills until she could figure out what he was up to.

Mike was a dear. His intuitiveness of human nature was incredible. His little prompts helped me keep my head above water in those dreadful staff meetings. It wasn't long before I began to feel the approval of my superiors and the grudging respect of my subordinates. I was finally in my element; I was finally able to enjoy the work I loved so much.

*****

There was a playful side to Mike. He was full of good natured mischief. One day, I remarked on the candy dish the woman across the aisle left out for people to help themselves.

"It drives me crazy, Mike. I'm trying to watch my weight and eat well, but I look across the aisle at those chocolate peanut clusters, and I just can't resist them." Mike smiled a wicked grin.

"Don't you know why Dorothy leaves that candy out?"

"I assume that she's just trying to be friendly." Mike craned his neck to see if anyone was in the office, and then whispered like an old woman snitching on her neighbors.

"Dorothy used to weigh over two hundred pounds. She had her stomach stapled, joined a gym and lost seventy pounds. She's very proud of her accomplishment."

"Then why would she buy candy and leave it for others to eat?"

"Every office has a woman like Dorothy. Inside that fit and trim body hides a fat lady who is terrified that others will judge her, belittle her. She feels secure in the knowledge that she has more willpower than they."

"Mike, that's so sad, in a sick kind of way."

"Then, do what I do. I use her candy as an incentive to keep me from eating fattening junk that isn't good for me."

"Yeah, like you couldn't afford to gain a few pounds."

"Come to think of it, you're absolutely right."

With that, he reached over to the dish and took one of the chocolate clusters. He winked and tossed it into the air. He smiled his crooked grin before catching it in his mouth as it fell.

"Um, you're right, Penny Collins-Lynch, these are good!"

"You're crazy, Mike. You know that, don't you?"

"Oh, we all have our little crosses to bear. Let me show you something."

He disappeared around the corner and returned with a waste basket. He lifted the plastic liner and carefully set it on top of his full trash barrel, with the bottom of the bag now facing up He took a pocket knife and carefully slit the bag up the side.

"Let's see what we have here, let's start at the bottom. Here's an empty can of Slim Fast, that's a sensible way to start the day. Now, here's a breakfast bar, still good. Oh, oh, rice cakes and an apple core. That sounds good, but they digest quickly and tend to make you hungry for more.

"Look, it's time for lunch. Lean Cuisine, very nutritious but hardly satisfying, that would explain the two energy bars. People think granola is a healthy snack, and they are, if you're running a marathon instead of sitting at a desk all day. I wouldn't be surprised if this person paid a little trip to Doreen's candy dish. That was the sugar that broke the camel's back, which brings us to the end of the day and the top of the pile, and what do we see? Why, here we have not one, but two Reese's cup wrappers. That's where this one threw in the towel and promised themselves to do better tomorrow."

"I'd think your demonstration was hilarious, if my own waste basket wasn't filled with the same stuff."

"Life is full of temptations, Penny Collins-Lynch; the trick is to understand human nature and apply it to our daily lives. From now on, when you look over at Dorothy's candy dish, you won't see temptation; you'll see resolution. To every thing, there is a season, that's for sure."

"Speaking of seasons, have you seen this?" I handed him the flyer announcing the Fourth of July office parade.

"They did the same thing on St. Patrick's Day, he said, "Everyone brings a treat and leaves it in their office or cubicle."

"Isn't that neat? People walk around throughout the day and sample everyone's goodies. I think it's a wonderful way to get to know everyone."

"This is happening tomorrow, are you bringing something in?"

"Of course, I said, "I hardly know anyone here. I can hardly wait!"

* * * * *

"Don, please, it's almost dawn!"

"What's the matter, babe, don't you like that?"

"You know I do, but it's almost midnight. I have to get your dinner made and all of the stuff I'm taking in to work."

"Don't worry about my dinner, honey, I can feed myself. I'm not helpless, you know. You've got enough to do."

"Oh, Don, you don't mind? I've got so much to do, and you've been such a dear." Penny kissed her husband softly on the lips. "I just wish I didn't have to see that awful woman this morning."

"Honey, if she can help you with your work, it's worth the time she spends with you."

"She's worthless, a waste of my time. Besides that, she stinks! I spend the rest of the day trying to get that smell out of my head. I swear I can smell her right now!"

Don touched his wife's cheek and gently kissed her forehead.

"That's ridiculous, babe. Don't let your imagination get way from you."

* * * * *

I'm not prone to tears. It takes a lot to make this girl cry. I'm not one to bottle my emotions up inside, either. I just deal with them. After all, just because someone hurts my feelings, it doesn't mean that I have to broadcast it to the world. Just because I've made a fool of myself, that doesn't mean I have to wallow in self pity.

"Hello, Penny Collins-Lynch. How was your Fourth of July gig?"

"Well, I spent most of the day in a meeting, so I didn't get to see any of people I don't know, but that's okay; they'll be other events."

"That's a bummer, and you really went all out for it. Just look at you!"

Mike was referring to my red and white striped slacks.

"There's a vest that goes with them," I said and held up the blue satin vest with the white stars. "Here's the hat."

"Wow, that's not one of those paper Uncle Sam hats, that's real silk!"

"Yes, it is. I made the costume myself. I just got back from a meeting. Would you like a cupcake? There's plenty leftover."

Mike picked up a cupcake and examined it carefully. "Red white and blue frosting, how cool! They even have little flags on them." He peeled the paper back and devoured half of it in one bite. "These are far out! Where did you get them?"

"I made them myself. The frosting is homemade, too."

"Um, such tasty munchies! Would you mind if I took some for the other janitors? They'll scarf these up, for sure."

"Take them all, if you want, no one else did."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, they sure missed out on something good. You know what they say, you snooze, you lose."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.

"Penny, you're too young to remember this, but in the early Seventies, there was a fad called 'streaking.' People all over the country were peeling off their clothes and running naked in public, just for a hoot!"

"I can't imagine doing that, Mike. I'm too modest to do anything so bold."

"So am I! I can hardly look at myself in the bathroom mirror, but for some reason, I wanted to do it. It seemed like it would be such a rush to streak naked through a crowd."

"Mike, tell me you didn't!"

"I sure did! I was working in this little plating shop. I'd only been there for a few weeks, and one day, I just stripped and ran through the whole place, screaming like a madman!"

"Well, I said, "What happened?"

"Nothing, nada, zip. They stared at me like I was insane. Some didn't even look up from their work and no one said a word."

"Oh Mike, you must have been so embarrassed. Didn't they know about the fad?"

"Sure, they did; and the following week, someone else did the same thing, and they laughed and cheered for him."

"That's the meanest thing I've ever heard, why would they treat you that way?" Mike stopped grinning and became very serious.

"Because I was new, Penny Collins-Lynch; they didn't know how to react. Some of them had never spoken to me, so they didn't know what to say, they didn't know what to make of me."

He'd done it again. One little story, and he'd made me understand what I'd done. "I overdid it, didn't I?" There was that compassion in his eyes again.

"Give them a chance, honey; give them time and they'll come around, for sure."

"Thank-you, Mike, you're a sweetheart."

"Stick with me, kiddo, I've got a boat load of stories. Say, let's bring back the Seventies! Let's streak the office! What do you say?"

"I'd say that you're one crazy janitor!"

* * * * *

Penny dragged herself through the front door and headed straight for the bedroom. She stripped off her homemade costume and slipped into bed, grateful that Don was sound asleep. She drifted into a deep sleep, troubled only by the smell of Isabella De Carlo's disgusting cologne.