The Best Intentions | Freewrite: 3/19/22 | Prompt: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Hello everyone. Welcome back to my freewrite prompt story for today. The photo that is the subject of the story this week spoke to me about a time when I had an incident on my job that involved co-workers. It was an intense situation that thankfully resolved itself. I've always found though that complete honesty is the best course of action to extricate yourself from any wrongdoing.

• Describe what you see

Three people sitting on a wooden bench seem to engaged in a conversation. The lady on the left hand side of the bench leans forward to ensure she hears correctly and understands what's being said. The man sitting on on the right hand side of the bench is currently speaking. I can't tell whether the lady in the middle is interjecting her thoughts into the conversation. I notice their dress is business casual. However, the man is wearing sneakers.

Where are they, I wonder? The room they are sitting in is clean and devoid of any pictures, murals, or other written or printed signs on the walls. The mustard, brown and black walls are divided into sections. When I really think about it, very unusual room and colors. No other individuals are coming and going either in front or behind them. The floors are spotless. The room appears to be large.

• Describe what you feel

I feel as though the three individuals know each other. They have been placed in a room as a precautionary measure. It possibly could be they're being secluded from talking to outsiders as a result of an investigation or other issue. I sense a strategy session or consensus is taking place. Perhaps they are waiting their turn for something or someone whose office is out of my vision. Then again, they may be waiting for someone to come and retrieve them. It could be just an interview for a position. I sense something serious is taking place. They are part of some type of situation. In any event, they don't seem to be antagonistic toward each other. This suggests a friendship or co-worker type involvement.

• Write a story or poem about what you think is going on. I leave with you my story for: A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words - 3/19/2022.

^{Image source provided by @freewritehouse for purpose of contest}

Two hours passed. The three sales teammates from their company's southern regional office were still sitting. Each glanced at their watch, then looked around the floor. The lingering, unspoken question anxiously waiting to be answered was why they, of all the company's sales teams, were called to this particular place that day. And together. So they sat another thirty minutes. The unforgiving wooden bench would be remembered for a while. Add in the barren, mustard, brown and black walls staring back at them, the scene seemed to be taken from an episode of a horror movie just before one of them disappeared. The moral to be drawn from it...you too can have a clean slate.

Gabrielle, sitting on the left hand side of the bench, couldn't take the suspense any longer. She wasn't the quiet type. Besides, they were all close friends. Even though she was advised not to divulge details of the meeting, it was a complete shock to see the others were also invited. Confidentiality be damned, she thought.

She leaned forward. "Do either of you know why we were invited here today?" Her voice was low but tense as she wrung her sweaty palms together. She worked well with everyone on the job and didn't like conflict. This secrecy was testing her nerves. She reached inside her purse and quickly located a cigarette.

Eleanor sat up straight and waved the smoke from her face. She didn't answer. She needed the job. The company stated the meeting was confidential, so she wasn't discussing anything. She tried to keep her composure, so she just listened. Maybe she'd pick up a clue from the company's Most Social Employee of 2021. She laughed to herself as she knew her friend was in the running again this year.

Nathan, sitting on the right hand side of the bench, looked straight ahead. He knew he wasn't supposed to discus the situation. But they were his sales team.

He stated quietly, "a source I can't name close to the case divulged that our outside contract agent, Bernard, was involved in a real estate scheme? That's why we're being investigated to see how deep was our involvement. I understand we'll have to take a polygraph."

"What the heck!" Gabrielle gasped. She then stared at Nathan with raised brows. Her mind was racing in several directions. She needed this job. In fact, they all did. But to cheat the company. That was counterproductive and potentially criminal, she thought. Her heart beat rapidly. She scrambled through her purse searching for another cigarette.

Eleanor and Nathan both shook their heads. Partly from Gabrielle filling their space with smoke, but largely from the knowledge they were being investigated for accusations about them.

"Why were we given the same interview time and date?" Eleanor gasped, then began to cry. Both Nathan and Gabrielle tried to console her.

"My guess is they want to intimidate us thinking one would implicate the other." Nathan was always the calm voice of reason. But suddenly, he seemed to break. He placed his head in his hands and rocked back and forth. His spouse had recently lost her job and was still unemployed.

They each took a deep breath trying to absorb the situation. Each came to the conclusion that Bernard attempted to implicate them. They all knew he was a smooth and convincing salesman. That's why the company hired him and assigned him to their southern regional office. He was to assist with lagging sales. Nathan, Eleanor, and Gabrielle all welcomed him.

Looking back, the past year was unprecedented. But they all shared in the region's success. Secretly they knew the numbers were too good to be believable, but commissions were timely.

"Well, good luck, and don't worry. Everything will work out. We know our part in all this." Eleanor had already decided what she would do with the illegally-earned commissions.

"I feel the same," Nathan." If they fire any one of us, then let's all leave too. It's unfair how all this went down." Gabrielle was trying to be a team player in support of their unit.

"Whatever the outcome is," Nathan said, "I just want to say that I truly appreciate your friendship over the years. I couldn't have asked for a better set of co-workers. You all covered my shift numerous times when things at home were bad. My wife thanks you also. I couldn't have gotten through this past six months without you both. It renews my faith in mankind that there are still good people in this world."

The receptionist opened the black door and called his name.

Nathan stood and shook both their hands, then gave them a warm hug. He straightened his clip-on tie, then turned his back and walked away from his only friends and toward the unknown receptionist.

Gabrielle's and Eleanor's thoughts turned to Murphy's Law.

^{Free Image by geralt at Pixabay}

^{Image used with permission of contest owner}