“Good morning, Mrs. Pena, could I have a little word with you?”
Carrie sighed.
“Sure Mrs. Horsford. Just give me a minute to put my bag down.”
“Very well. Don’t take too long, I have other things to do.” Horsford’s voice was syrupy sweet.
What is it this time?
Couldn’t be her timekeeping. Carrie checked her watch as she pushed her handbag into her desk drawer. One minute past 7. One minute late. Damned traffic.
Please God, not another lecture about time keeping.
Carrie shrugged her coat off and tossed it across her desk chair. The phone started ringing and she could sense Horsehead’s fat red face staring at her across the cubicles.
Should she answer the phone? Might be important. She glanced up. Horsehead’s eyes pointed at the ceiling. Her over-permed hair sat tightly around her head like a blonde Afro. Better to get it over with.
Fucking witch. Keep it cool, Carrie. You need this job.
“Coming Mrs. Horsford. Coming.” Her face felt warm and flushed. What a way to start the week.
“Mrs. Pena, this company stands for something.”
Carrie pasted her best smile across her face. She hoped the speech wouldn’t take too long. After a few minutes her eyes would tear up and her cheeks would hurt.
“We represent integrity, Mrs. Pena. We represent diligence. Above all, we represent a time when hard work meant something. Do you know what hard work is, Mrs. Pena?”
Carrie felt her eyes twitch. Would have been better to stay in bed and call in sick. Anything was better than this.
“Yes, Mrs. Horsford. I know hard work. I stay back most days to finish the-”
“Yes, you stay back.” Horsford looked around the office. “We all do, you know. That’s nothing unusual. Don’t you think?”
“I get the job done, Mrs Horsford. You know I do.”
“That’s not why I called you over here, Mrs. Pena." Horsford’s face slowly turned deep red like a day old sunburn. “I find your attitude towards work, disgraceful.” Horsford’s voice rose in volume. “You come in here with your big hair and hoop earrings. Nails all fancy, not one but three different colors. Makeup by the pound. Maybe you should think about spending all that time getting to work instead of getting ready. You’re consistently late, young lady. I’m almost embarrassed to say you are one of our employees.”
Carrie felt her heart skip one beat. Then two. She could feel heat climb up her neck and into her face. The sour taste of bile filled up the back of her throat. It tasted bitter and bad on her tongue.
Phones rang. One cubicle into the other. Sounds of typing. Copiers beeping. Everyone kept their heads down. Horsford would pick on them if they only looked her way.
“I’d say you aren’t a good fit for this office young lady. Maybe you’d be better off elsewhere?”
Say something Carrie.
“There was traffic Mrs. Horsford. An accident. I can’t predict when-”
“Leave early.” Horsford’s fat face trembled with indignation. Her shapeless mouth stretched in a hard red line. “There is no excuse for being a lazy cow. In this office we take pride in…”
Horsford’s voice faded away. Carrie felt something wake inside her. Something big, blind. Like a sleeping bear roused too soon. It shook her insides, left her quivering. Short fat Horseface stood pointing. Her hanging breasts jiggled with the effort. Dewlaps under her chin swept from side to side. She looked like an old fish, gasping for air. Carrie fought an urge to laugh. If she started, she wouldn’t stop.
Horsey’s left hand pointed right at her face. On her wedding finger, a thin gold band caught the fluorescents.
Everyone knew Horsey wasn’t married. Her husband took off with an office assistant years ago. Left her alone. She didn’t have any children.
Why was she still wearing the ring?
Carrie looked into Horsey’s pudgy lined face. Badly done makeup and a perm so tight it surely must have given her headaches. She fingered her own band of gold. When her husband gave it to her, they were both broke kids growing up hard on the streets. He promised to have her and hold her. Richer or poorer and all that.
Horsey’s husband broke his promises. Left her with nothing but a ring and an empty house echoing with old memories.
Carrie wished she could feel something for Horseface. A better person might have dredged up understanding, even sympathy for the aging woman. The path she was on led inexorably to a run down one by two apartment with two cats for company until life ground her into the dirt. All she could feel was numbness. That life could be so hard. So cruel. So empty for so many.
Horsford’s voice came back into focus. “Do you understand young lady?”
Carrie nodded. “I understand Mrs. Horsford. I understand you.”
“This is your last warning. I won’t speak of this again until review time. You know your reviews are poor don’t you?”
“Yes, Mrs. Horsford.” Carrie deliberately looked at the old lady’s ring, then slowly met her eyes. “I know how it feels to try and still fail. It’s the worst feeling in the world isn’t it?”
Horsford’s fake smile faded. She looked old. Tired. Unloved and unwanted.
“Very well. Get back to work. I don’t want to see you wasting any more time.”
"Yes Mrs. Horsford."
Carrie walked back to her cubicle. It would be a long week.
Hi guys, this one came out of left field. Carol asked us about nightmare female bosses. Turns out, I had one of those. In Trinidad we'd say she was a soccouyant. (A blood sucking evil demon).
Hope you enjoy the story.
Hugs.
Jhagi.
Images by Pixabay.
