CHAPTER 1.Joy Caused Accident.
Janet Miles was among the top twenty-one candidates interviewed for a junior partner role in the prestigious Authentic Design Company, the largest firm in California.
After an exhausting interview, the secretary called the names of the top three interviewees.
“Jason Wright!”
“I am here!”
“Sharon Smith!”
“Yes please!”
“Two of you, look out for an email from Personnel in thirty days. You can go home.”
Dismissing the surprised applicants with a flick of her fingers.
“Janet Miles!”
“Yes, mam!”
“Report to work tomorrow at 7: 45 a.m. Congratulations!”
Janet, though pleasantly surprised, was highly expectant, knowing she had exceeded the requirements for the job and performed admirably during the interview. She jumped up and down and yelled happily to celebrate her new job.
“Yei! I knew I could ace that job interview. World! Look out for me, I am heading to the top.”
After celebrating her new job, Janet left the office full of excitement. She wasn’t looking where she was going and jaywalked into an oncoming Roll Royce.
“Oh no!” Halan screamed and stepped hard on the brakes and screeched to a halt, as he lightly hit the lady, and Janet fell flat on the road.
Harry Goldstein’s world changed at that instant. One minute he was cruising home, contented with the day's business deals. The next second, though outwardly composed, he was trembling inside, and thought, “Oh my God! I hope my driver has not accidentally killed that lady.”
As if to confirm his worst fears, Harry dashed out, his heart pounding, and ran to the woman lying motionless on the road and dialed 911 while mumbling. “I pray she is only unconscious.”
When he reached her, he called out gently, his voice trembling. “Miss, can you hear me?”
The young lady didn’t reply, so he guessed she must have fainted.
Halan, pale, fidgeting and gripping the car keys as if his life depended on it, advised him, “Sir, don’t move her. The medics will be here soon.”
Harry, overwhelmed with sadness, nodded.
In a jiffy, they saw multicolored flashing lights and blaring sirens signaling the arrival of men and women clad in white beside Janet.
Harry, relieved at the arrival of help, his voice quivering, asked, “Is she …. Alive?”
The doctor looked at Janet and, after raising her wrist to feel her pulse, gave him a faint smile, and said “Yes, she is.”
Relief washed over Harry and his driver, who both blurted out, “thank God” and prepared to follow the ambulance to the hospital.
The doctor, business-like, called two of the nurses. Jane! Abel! Bring the stretcher. Lift her gently, That’s right. Move. Let’s go driver, fast!
The ambulance sped off, rushing Janet to the emergency ward of the Alpha Cure International hospital, the most advanced medical facility in California, noted for their expert medical professionals.
Although Harry was glad that the patient was in the best medical facility in America, he couldn’t but be worried when news didn’t come on time from the emergency ward.
He paced up and down on the long passage leading to the emergency theater his heart in his mouth. His brow furrowed, praying fervently for the accident victim to wake up and come out alive and unhurt.
After what seemed like an eternity to Harry, although it was merely forty-five minutes, a man with a white coat, sweating profusely in the air-conditioned hallway, approached Harry.
Doctor! Hah… How is she? Has she woken up?
Yes! She is fine! We’ll keep her for observation until tomorrow morning. Her head suffered a slight impact in the collision with the car.
As if to confirm the doctor's words, nurses moved Janet into another ward to recuperate.
Now, inside the new room, Harry approached the nurse watching over Janet and asked if he could come in.
“Why not? Come in, she said, smiling.”
Harry didn’t know what to say, but the look on his face showed how sympathetic he felt for her.
“Hello lady! I am sorry my driver … hi ... Hit you earlier.”
Janet tried to sit up but gave up as it felt like her bandaged head was about to split into two, and managed to reply. “I am alright, don’t worry sir, she said with a shy smile. It was my fault.”
If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, Harry said, handing her a silver-colored namecard. What’s your name, Miss?
“I am Janet Miles. Alright! You can go, sir. I will be discharged tomorrow morning. I know you are a busy man, so, don’t bother to come back,” She said with a smile that resembled a grimace because of the pain in her head.
Alright! Goodbye, Miss Janet! And don’t worry! I have settled your hospital bills.” Harry said, happy she was fine, and walked briskly out of the hospital.
…
The next day, at the Alpha Cure International hospital, grey-haired doctor Smith Johnson was doing a ward round, and was in Janet’s room.
Janet, eager to be discharged so she could start work at Authentic Design Company, smiled at the nice looking doctor and said “Good morning doctor!”
“Good morning Janet! I am glad you’re sitting up.”
He examined her pupils, her head, and checked her pulse with a stethoscope and said, “You are looking brand new.”
“Yes Doctor, I had a good sleep yesterday and I feel fine.
Look, doctor, the headache is gone,” and to prove it, shook her head vigorously.
The doctor laughed at her theatrics and replied, “That’s good. It appears there is no reason to keep you here.”
Janet, all smiles, eyebrows raised, asked “Doctor, are you discharging me now?”
“Yes! You are free to go home. But don’t hesitate to come back here if you suddenly develop headaches and pains in the head.”
“Thank you doctor. I’ll keep that in mind.” Janet replied.
The doctor checked other information in a form attached to her room and signed off her discharge certificate.
Janet jumped down the bed, stretched body, checked her hand bag and confirmed that the items inside were intact. Then she bid the nurses on duty goodbye and promptly left the hospital to her home.
After having a warm bath, she changed her clothes, ate a light breakfast of sandwiches and coffee and hurriedly left for work. It was 10 :00 a.m. when she resumed for work. Since it was her first day, she went straight to the HR manager to explain why she was late to work. After a short orientation, she posted her to start work.
…
“Janet, Shelby and Donald! Three of you are going to do the interior designs on our new client’s home.” Solomon Howard the Senior Managing partner at Authentic Design Company, mentioned enthusiastically.
Janet who was excited to start working after leaving the hospital, enthused. “That’s good sir.”
The place is ‘the Ben Guilds Opulent mansion’. You will do interior design of the living room, curtains, bedrooms, kitchen, pictures and furniture. In fact, the works.”
“Fantastic,” Shelby and Donald replied.
“Report there right away and get to work. Janet! You are leading the team. You have seven days to complete the task”
Janet couldn’t help but break out in smiles as her dreams of building a career as an interior design professional was about to begin, and to crown it all she was leading the team. What could be more soul lifting than that, she mumbled, then replied genially.
“Alright sir. Thank you for this opportunity. We’ll not disappoint you sir. Expect daily progress report from me at 8 : 00 p.m. daily.”