October 2023
An Ordinary Life
The protagonist’s discontent with her workplace sparks a subtle act of rebellion against her boss and colleague, setting the stage for a story of shifting dynamics.
I wanted to enjoy these meetings, but the only thing I can think of is how desirable my blanket and bed seem to me now. I would like to crash onto feathers and fluff, except my body plops itself down onto a chair. I hit my elbow on the edge of the desk and who knew wood could make my bone throb inside?
I’m always early so at least I can gather a few moments of time for myself before the team arrives. The Boss makes us all look presentable, which is something I’m not inclined to disagree with, although I can hardly find the possibility of looking exactly as I looked while coming to school this morning. It would be easier if she could look the other way and pretend not to notice the smudges on the outside of my glasses or the wrinkles on my shirt that I tried so hard to smooth down. So much effort lost on my appearance when it’s my work that’s supposed to count the most.
Sometimes, I truly think the universe wants to disgrace me. The moments when the Boss berates me for bringing myself in such a dishevelled state are the very moments when the Traveler finds pleasure in stroking my temper. After handling the Boss’s derogatory comments, I have to lash out at the Traveler for mocking my bleary eyes, my slouched posture, my lack of enthusiasm, apparently. If the Boss isn’t busy being my mother, she’s likely to promote the Traveler from a lowly writer, such as myself, to her right hand man! Those two could run the team as a partnership and cast the rest of us out to fend for ourselves.
I am willing to admit, though, that the Boss does take on a mentor-like role despite her conniving facade. She taught me that talent goes a long way, but treachery can take us farther. After all, look how far she got. She’s the Boss. She’s walking towards me right now, and it’s no surprise that the Traveler enters seconds later.
They think me their prey, but I will prove to them that there are bigger predators than the foxes that they are –
“Zaina, please tie your shoelaces! This time both of them are untied, how do you think this makes us look?”
Her eyes are glazed and emotionless dots of black on white. She doesn’t know I left my shoelaces untied on purpose; this woman doesn’t need any more good repute.
“Tying them right now, ma’am,”
The rest of the team walk in just in time to see the Traveler tease,“While you’re at it, you should scrub that gunk off your glasses!”
Please keep in mind I could never lower my own standards as to leave gunk stuck to my glasses. I certainly wouldn’t stoop down to the Traveler’s level at this moment to spew venom at him with all the masses watching.
Amanda and Wren take their places next to me and thankfully, they don’t have anything pressing to say.
The Boss never sits. She towers above us while we rest in our chairs - purposely reduced in size, I suspect, to make her feel more authoritative.
As usual, she ignores the mental states of her co-workers and addresses the point at its core.
“Ideas anyone? We have another issue to write for.”
She can do nothing but state the obvious. I won’t waste the time with idle chatter, I have an idea that the Traveler will thwart from being brought up if I don’t act immediately. I raise my hand and nothing comes of it. Her eyes slide over my form as if I were made of shadow. When the Traveler raises his hand, I see her pupils flit to his fingers as if they were the only things in existence.
“Yes, Traveler?”
“We should write collectively on our experiences of growth and impermanence of life. It is getting close to the end of the year after all,”
“Excellent! Is everyone on board?”
Even I have to nod my head in assent of this surprisingly acceptable idea. It would have been better if it had come from my mouth, but with the Boss’s clear bias, there is no near possibility of that happening.
So I grit my teeth and stay silent for the rest of the meeting.
The Traveler and the Boss dominate the spotlight as a true partnership, and the rest of us can only watch as their conversation flows from one subject to the next. The ideas come from them, the stories come from us; they are the brain and we are the body. The more they talk, the more my teeth are in danger of being grinded down to stubs. I’m filled with such loathing I’m surprised I can’t see smoke in the air around us, burning our lungs as hate burns in my chest. I finally know what I need to do.
“So, that’s all for the meeting guys. Please put your drafts in a neat pile on this table.”
The Boss puts her draft down first, followed by the Traveler’s draft and then the rest of us - the minions - stack our folders on top of theirs. The Life Board members get ready to exit as the meeting comes to a close, and I stoop down to tie the shoelaces I hadn’t tied before. When I see no one is looking, I grab the last two folders and replace them with decoys - something I typed up last night that closely resembles the actual work they did… only with a few changes. After I stuff the two folders into my bag, I get ready to leave the room as a changed person.
I can’t stop the smile that keeps growing on my face. It’s the smile of someone who’s happy for all the wrong reasons, a smile that seems conspicuously malicious but easily gets accepted in the crowd anyway. I see the Boss ahead of me in the hallway and I almost jump with joy. Maybe it won’t happen today, maybe it won’t happen tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have to work at it every now and then.
But I will take her down.
This work is a piece of fiction and is not to be taken seriously. The Traveler and the Boss are really nice people :)