The Wolf Under My Skin

2. Workaholic

‘I’m glad you can join us today, Mr. Dickson’ says an angry Richard who is already standing at the entrance of my office, and with a very wicked smile and stare.

‘Um, sir, it’s Jackson...’ I try correcting him, although I know what he means to say by calling me that, he frowns at this and I gulp.

‘Now, you listen to me, mister...’ he retorts, with a very aggressive voice ‘... I call you whatever the heck I wanna call you, and you know why? Because I friggin’ own you... you don’t eat or breathe without my say-so and you most definitely DO NOT come late to my work, you understand?!’ He makes sure the building next to us can hear his voice and the entire staff starts staring at us. I can just silence him with a single punch to the neck, considering the immense amount of embarrassment I am facing because of him, yes I admit I was late, but who isn’t? Like I’m the first one to... Jerry, over there is such a late comer, the management gives him an hour off everyday, it comes with a price of course, they cut short his pay and I don’t know how, but he seems to be good with it. All these thoughts in my mind angers me, Richard has never done this to anyone else but me, and everyone knows I am the best worker he’s got, I know I do err sometimes but if we face the facts or the kinda sacrifices I’ve made for the company over the past few years, I think it would be fair if I come late and get a pardon sometimes. I mean, with the kind of profits I’ve given, I don’t deserve to be treated like this. He is always fond of telling us how he “owns” us just because he is paying our salaries, he is always boastful about it, like he is some sort of god or something. I never pay attention to his teases ‘cause I know they mean nothing. His breath is already tearing through my nostrils and I can’t stand it anymore, there is only one way to get out of this; the hard way.

“I’m sorry, boss...” I cut him short “...I overslept, it won’t happen again” using my best arsenal of pitiful eyes. He smiles. He loves it when he is called “boss”, it always brings that annoying smile to his face, and it sure as hell doesn’t bring one to mine.

“Don’t use those silly blue eyes on me, the next time this happens, I’ll make sure to gouge ‘em out, understand?”

“Yes, I understand, boss” I answer

“Now get to work! All of you!” He addresses his audience and several rows of disappointed eyes shift their focus back to their work, and I go to mine.

***

“Hey Jackson, you finished yet?” Carl, one of my colleagues asks in order to tease me, everyone knows I work overtime.

“Get out of here, Carl, and say hi to the family for me, will you?” I reply, jokingly.

“Oh sure thing, boss” he laughs.

We aren’t much that work overtime, I wouldn’t have been among them but I need the extra pay. It isn’t easy to get by in this side of the world and a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do to get by. The work is stressful no doubt, because Richard makes it so but I can endure, I’ve seen worse. Or have I? Worse than him? I don’t think I have. He is the worst, but I guess that’s how everyone feels about their bosses, am I right? I just wish he gives us some credit sometimes, you know, it could be in form of a raise or a bonus, it wouldn’t hurt anyone, not even him. Well, we gotta take what we have and use it is what I always say, and right now what we have ain’t really that much but who are we kidding? The rich only get richer and the poor poorer, and the middle class, like myself, just do as we are called, we stay in the middle, it’s better than nothing.

***

One hell of a day at work, I can hear my bones rebelling against me as if it is my fault that I have to work. The bus is pretty tight with every corner being occupied, standing in front of me is a pregnant woman clutching her protruding belly like it could fall anytime from now, she stands there watching with eyes that clearly shows what’s she wants... no, it isn’t my pe**s, come off it, I don’t do pregnant women, I’m more into blonde, nicely-curved-body type of women and she isn’t in any of these categories, she wants my seat and I sure as hell ain’t gonna give it, for all I care we are both in the same condition; labor. So, with every sweet stare and smile, which she continuously throws at me, I give her an equal amount. Nobody is gonna get cheated here and nobody is gonna be the hero either. She clears her throat, I clear mine. For a pregnant lady she is pretty persistent, like don’t you know when to quit, lady? And she is dropping off soon so why bother?

My bones curse inside me immediately I find myself doing the one thing I dread the most; I give in and let her take my seat, she gives me the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen and with the most beautiful voice comes a “thank you”. I am not happy, in fact I feel like crying but there’s nothing I can do other than murmur next time f**k someone with a car under my breath. But I dare anyone, silently, to try taking my seat after she leaves, I am already carving my prison photos in my head because somebody is gonna die. I laugh under my breath, these people are driving me crazy

***

I alight from the bus at my stop and start my evening stroll home. Would have bought a car but... heck, I live in the woods. I just feel like there are bigger things than the ones men want to possess or do possess, or that’s a comforting way of saying I’m broke. In my world, I don’t have any competition. Because we will get there eventually, it’s just a matter of time. That is, if death doesn’t find us first. I always believe that as long as a man doesn’t sit idly and do nothing, then everybody would get rich. Except maybe you just aren’t destined for greatness, it’s kinda complicated. Nobody has a twin, because even a man’s twin has a different fingerprint to him. So here I am, one of those hoping to be listed amongst the wealthiest in the state, working 10 hours a day with Richard and others, hmph what a joke. It’d never happen.

How’d it suddenly get so dark? I look at my watch, half past five, so how come the sudden darkness? I don’t understand, is it about to rain? I don’t see any lightning nor is there any heavy wind. Confusing.

Then I catch a sight of something...