The Red String

“ There are currently 90 applicants waiting outside so why should we hire you? What makes you stand out from the rest of the applicants?” Nothing, Merjulleah thought. She graduated top of her class just like most of the applicants vying for the same position who also came from top universities. All of the applicants here were filtered from thousands of initial applicants which means they are the best of the best. So what makes her different from the rest? “ Other than the applicants here have excellent academic credentials, I personally don’t know anything about them and therefore I cannot compare myself to them. However, I know myself better than anyone. My previous work experiences may not be related to the position I’m applying for but the skills I have gained from those experiences are also essential for this job. Working in the laboratory requires team effort and good communication which I have been practicing for the last 4 years so aside from my academic achievements I am confident that I can be an essential part of this company. “ The interviewer slowly rose from his seat. This is usually the part where the applicant is told to wait for a couple of days before knowing the result of the interview but to her surprise, his hands met slowly forming a deafening clap. “ You really are amazing Big Sis!!” Merjulleah can’t help but be amused with her brother’s reaction. They have been role-playing for a week now to prepare her for her interview today. She never goes to a battle without a concrete plan but although she has prepared for every scenario she still considers the possibilities of unknown circumstances that may alter her plan. Most people say she overthinks most of the time, and Merjulleah agrees with them. Although it’s not really a compliment, she still thinks of it as one. It’s been 10 years since the death of their parents. Most teenagers who got pregnant are of ages 16-18 but she never expected that she will be a parent at thirteen. Her brother Mikkael was only 3 years old when the accident happened and they had no distant relatives to take them in so she had to shoulder all the responsibilities. Social workers tried to take them to the orphanage but she refused to go, with the fear of getting separated from her brother. They’re parents owned a pharmaceutical company so doing business was not new to her despite of her age. Upon the death of their parents the 2nd largest shareholder took over the company and the shares of her parents were kept in the bank for them to receive once she become 18. Since its only the two of them left, Merjulleah found their house too big of an inconvenience so she sold it and bought a small townhouse for her and her brother. Their family lawyer helped them with everything and even taught her how to manage her finances. They were living a decent life thanks to her savings and investments. Unfortunately when Mikkael was 5 years old, he got sick due to to pneumonia and had to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks. Her savings were used to pay for the hospital bills so she had to work multiple jobs since then until she turned 18. Now, Mikkael’s 13 years old and they have been living well. They were basically millionaires when she turned 18 but she did not stop working. For her, money comes and goes. They may have millions now but what if tomorrow they don’t? She doesn’t want to depend on the money given to her but she wants to know how to make money so where ever she might be , she can build something out of a scratch. Merjulleah stood in front of the huge building. A lot of changes have been made since she last came here. The most evident is the name of the company. As she stepped inside the building she noticed how a lot has changed in the exterior but the insides were practically the same although some parts were modernized, the design is still the same. “ 8 o’clock. Just in time.” She whispered to herself. The interview is scheduled at 9 o’clock but she takes pride in being punctual so she always make sure to be an hour early to reduce build up tension. She approached the front desk and she was immediately greeted by a beautiful receptionist. “ Good morning, welcome to Randolf Pharmaceuticals! How can I help you?” “ Hi! I’m here for the interview.” The receptionist asked for her name and gave her a number. “ This way please.” The receptionist gestured and she immediately followed. There were already 10 people when she arrived in the room. And she thought she was early. Most of them were females except for the one guy who looked unbothered by the unsolicited attention given to him by the females. She noticed that the chairs were arranged in 3 rows and 10 columns but the women were all sitting at the back. Then she figured, it’s probably because the guy was sitting in the middle row and the only chance they have of staring at him is if they sat behind him. She can’t help but feel sick from their actions and chose the 1st seat in the front row. Obviously, an employee would come in and tell them all to occupy the seats in front so she just saved herself a sweat. 30 minutes went by and the applicants have all arrived. All of them look professional and smart that she can’t help but feel intimidated. “ It’s fine , you got this.” She thought trying reassure herself. She was only intimidated but she never had panic attacks so it was a surprise to her that her legs are shaking. She was definitely not having a panic attack so why is she shaking? Merjulleah realized the shaking was not from her but from the person sitting next to her. She might have been too immersed in her thoughts to notice that the guy from earlier had moved next to her. He doesn’t look like a fresh graduate and he also doesn’t look like in his best condition. By the way his legs are shaking, he might as well be experiencing a panic attack right now. “ Hey are you ok? You’re shaking.” Merjulleah reached out her hand to the guy’s arm. The guy just looked at her and shook his head. Just then, an employee came in and informed them that the interview would be starting in five minutes. The guy beside her continued shaking and it’s also bothering her. Seeing that the guy’s number is 9 and hers is 11, she decided to escort him out to get some fresh air and relieve the tension he’s feeling. “ Hey, there’s gonna be atleast 8 people before our turn, do you want to go outside and get some fresh air?” “ Ok.” he replied. The two of them walked out and sat in the chairs near the front desk. “ I rarely get panic attacks but I’ve read that it helps if you count from 1 to a thousand.” she suggested. The guy started counting out loud and it caught the attention of the people around them. She tried telling him to lower his voice but he seemed too immersed not to skip a number so she pinched his arm. “ What was that for?” he asked annoyingly. “ Can you count quietly? You know, in your head maybe? And we only have 10 minutes so just count until 100.” “ We just met and you’re already bossing me around..” He found it amusing how this woman cared for him who was a stranger and then talk to him like they’ve known each other for a long time. “ ..and you said that it helps if I count from 1 to 1000, if we lowered it to a hundred wouldn’t that make the method less effective?” he added. “ Well you just counted until 20 and your shaking already stopped, so no, it doesn’t make it less effective.” she pointed out Seeing that he was already relaxed, she stood up and went back to the room. Caring for a stranger who’s having a panic attack was not in her plan but it did not alter her arrangements so she is still good to go. A few minutes have passed but the guy has still not made his way back. She had no idea what his name was so she wasn’t sure if his name was already called out.This made her anxious. The thoughts of him passing out came into her mind and she wanted to check on him. However, her name was called out. It’s finally her turn. If he did collapsed, he will be seen by the receptionist or the guards and they will bring him to the clinic. He’s not her responsibility so she has no reason to turn back and ruin her plans for him. She’s not a bad person and neither is she the most virtuous person alive. Before going in she told the employee about the guy’s situation and the employee said she will check on him. This made her feel relaxed. The interview went by smoothly, thanks to her role-playing for a week. She had anticipated all the questions and answered them confidently. “ We have applicants here who topped the chemist licensure examination, you passed but you did not indicate your rank. You have answered all the questions confidently and I can tell that you are one of the front runners. Why do you think we should consider your application instead of the applicant before you who ranked second in the licensure exam?” As expected , they would give extra consideration for those who topped the licensure exam. It’s like a VIP ticket for a concert. “ I think you should consider my application because if you don’t, you would lose the chance of having the top 1 in the licensure examination as your employee.” The interviewer looked surprised by the sudden revelation. Merjulleah purposely did not indicated her rank because she wanted to impress them with her skills and confidence first. Her rank would be like the cherry on top. She handed out the proof that she indeed ranked 1st and the woman in front of her gladly accepted it. She was immediately hired and the rest of the applicants were sent home. It made her feel bad knowing that those applicants also prepared rigorously just like she did, only to not be given a chance to prove themselves because of her. However, now is not the time to feel bad for other people especially when her plans are starting to realize. Right now, she wants nothing but to go home and celebrate with her brother.