Image © Mara Eastern Used with permission
Weave a tale that involves the concept of waiting. We do a lot of waiting in our lives, in queues, at train or bus stops, waiting for loved ones to arrive etc….
The next morning at 6.25 I’m back here again.
Mum has my lunch in my backpack. She’s put in a bit extra after hearing about my day yesterday. But today I’m not going to be taken for a sucker. He’s got till 10.30 to show up or I’m going home and start looking for a new job.
Again the morning passes me, the interested and the disinterested going to jobs they either love or despise. I seem to see more of the unhappy than happy today. Maybe because it’s a Tuesday? Tuesdays can be like that…a source of unhappiness as the weekend drifts away behind you and the next one seems so many days away.
A mother and daughter walk past hurrying for the 9.45 train. I hear her call to her daughter to hurry up, that dawdling wont make the day go by any faster. The daughter passes me with a look of resignation and I wonder what happened in their kitchen that morning that has her looking so sad.
10.25 a car stops in front of me. A window rolls down and a voice in the darkness says my name. The door opens and I step inside. I see shapes in the light, it’s a poor light and the shapes don’t seem to be so welcoming.
A hand thrusts a bottle of water into my hand and I’m asked my name.
“Jason,” I reply.
Another voice on my left asks if I really did wait there all day yesterday.
“Yes,” I answer
Then I hear a third voice this voice comes with authority and I listen closely as the voice details their reaction to waiting. It took a lot they say to stand there all day.
“I really want this job,” I say.
The authority voice says we’ll go eat first and the car stops and we all get out into a dark and dingy alleyway. They lead me into a café and we sit and food appears, drinks and as the morning goes on more food.
I still don’t know anyone’s name and nothing is said. It’s a bit like waiting all over only this time it comes with food.
Eventually the voice of authority says we’ve had enough and that its time to go.
“Can you start Monday?” he asks me.
“Certainly,” I say
“Good,” he says. “We’ll collect you from the same spot, 10.30am. Don’t make us wait will you.”
I go home relieved. The long wait was so worth it.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/tale-weaver-78-july-28th-waiting/
And the job is . . . I guess we are left waiting too. Great story by the way.
My gut tells me something is fishy. I don’t want him to show up on Monday…
Thanks Mandy we shall see or probably never find out. Thanks for stopping by.
I love how you’ve played with the waiting, the concept, and used it from so many angles and ways …. and the not knowing, is precisely perfect! Great write Michael to a fun prompt 🙂
Thanks Pat, glad you enjoyed, waiting is a fun topic to write to.