Sorry for not uploading any new pots from December 2019 to February 2020. Things have been crazy and situations that you could only see in movies were scenes that became my real life. I may or may not go into depth but for now, here is a story that I wrote for my class on social status. Sounds bland but is actually meant to be a bit heartfelt, especially with all that’s going on in the world. Remember, be kind and caring to your neighbors!
Lucky to Be Average
“Ah, dammit! I’m going to be late!” I shuffled all the legal documents into my briefcase, worrying about the order later. I ran out of my apartment, suited up in grey, briefcase in hand, and sprinting towards the elevator. “Damnit, dammit, dammit!” I said aloud, not realizing the older lady that lived next door walking up with her pint-sized dog. I gave her a warm smile, and she returned a shrewd look. This lady didn’t like anyone, so at least I felt like I was equal to any other person she met. Waiting for the elevator, I impatiently looked at my expensive-looking (but averagely priced) watch. Half-past eight, I was late by 30 minutes. How could I, of all days, be late on the first day of work at Mayker Corporation, home to the highest grade of I.T. specialists in the world. And I was their recently hired assistant.
The elevator dinged, and I rushed in before the older lady could, which earned me another shrewd look. Once we were both in, I clicked the close door button over and over again, hoping to close it sooner. It eventually closed but not at the speed I wanted to. I let out a sigh, and the older lady gave me a third shrewd look as if I cursed again. I shrunk into the corner and pretended I was smaller than my average build.
We finally land on the first floor, and I am the first to jet out to the excitement of the pint-sized dog that barked at me as I passed it. I took another look at my watch as I opened the door to Flume City, the capital of Phoenix State. The bus stop was right outside the middle-class apartments I lived in, so the only hurdle so far was the elevator. Luckily the bus was stopped. I wouldn’t have been able to run to the company in time, seeing as when I was in high school, I only got C’s in gym class. I hopped on the bus, scanned my pass, and found an empty seat near the front. I figured being closer to the door would better, especially with my timing.
With the elevator taking seven minutes and bus trip taking around the same, the total time I was late by was close to forty-five minutes. I’m making a terrible impression here. The corporation building has its own bus stop, too, so I didn’t need to walk far. I ran up the steps two at a time, hoping no one would see how goofy I looked. I speed-walked through the lobby with my average legs, eyeing the front-desk secretary who nodded at me and got to the elevator. Another elevator wait. My luck was on a timer. I pushed the elevator up to go up and knew this would be a longer wait due to the corporate building being twenty-some floors tall. The golden doors opened, and I breathed a half of a sigh of relief. I walked in, regaining my composure. If I was going to be late, I might as well exude a bit of confidence. I could not fall under pressure with people of this caliber.
The doors finally opened to floor sixteen, the clerical level. It was two floors below the CEO’s, and I could feel the weight. I tried to look around nonchalantly for Tim, the person that was going to train me, but he found me first. His face was bright red, and he was approaching fast. I braced for impact.
“Where the hell were you, Marshal?! The meeting started thirty minutes ago, and I had to wait for your late ass!” Tim seethed. I refrained from saying anything other than sorry. “My manager told me to wait for you so I could give you the training manual. Here’s the manual.” Tim handed me a booklet that was half an inch thick, titled “Personal Assistant Training and Regulations.” “So now that I gave you what you needed, why don’t you go get coffee down the street and get familiar with the area.” Tim did not give me time to respond as he had already turned his heel in the opposite direction, probably towards the meeting room. At least the suspense from being late was over. Now all I had to worry about was being the waterboy.
I turned around and pushed the button for the elevator I barely stepped away from. Knowing the area already from scoping out the company, I pondered the first moments of my job. I had just landed a pretty well paying job with the state’s most exceptional- maybe even the country’s most exceptional in informational technologies. I definitely wasn’t very good with computers. Still, I knew how to do clerical work like planning their schedules, setting up appointments and meetings, helping with proposals- it seems easy enough. By no means was it an exciting job, and I did have friends who decided office life wasn’t for them and became bloggers. I mean, can you believe that you can make money from traveling around the world and writing about it? Simply amazing. I had no such skill with that either. I was as average as average can get.
I made my way down to the coffee shop around the block. It was a quaint but busy little shop named “The Flame and the Bean.” I opened the door and squeezed past the groups of people who found it a good idea to stand in front of the door while they had their coffee break. Despite the bustle, the line was empty, so I made my order of a to-go box of coffee and received my change. I figured the box would be enough to serve whoever wanted it. As I waited for the baristas to brew fresh coffee for my order, I scanned the street through the ceiling-high windows. It was a warm and sunny day, and I thought about how often I would have to come here to suck up to my bosses. I contemplated my future.
Maybe these upcoming years will be the peak of my lifetime? Maybe retirement at an old age with a decent amount of money saved? Perhaps even enough money to travel the world? Would I be happy with this new job and this new life? One thing I did know was that my parents were proud that I even got a job that paid well enough. They were both always worried that I was never trying to stand out in school but were still proud that I managed to never get any grade lower than the class average. That also meant that I didn’t get anything above average, either. Guess they were just proud to have me follow in the footsteps of an average white-collar worker. My father is a software engineer, and my mother worked as a nurse in a hospital. And then as I scanned the street, I spotted him.
An ancient man with wispy white hair, he shuffled up to the front of the coffee shop window and turned towards the street. He sat down with his back to the window, and I heard a faint clinking of change. He was begging. I don’t know why at this time it bothered me. I’d seen beggars up and down the streets of Flume City, but this guy made me feel differently. My body shivered, and I felt my face flush.
Then I thought that could have been me. I was so focused on how ordinary and straight-laced my life was that I never even considered how much I do have compared to others. In some alternate universe or timeline, I could have been an old man begging on the streets, maybe handicapped and have no family to watch over me. I could have been mugged for every cent I had begged that day only to have to repeat everything just to survive. I would have to suffer the hot summers and cold winters without any hope or knowledge of my future. I would have to suffer hunger, thirst, and the longing for a place to call home, but never be satiated with any. In this universe, in this timeline, I was lucky.
I was lucky to have a job that pays a modest amount, a clean apartment, and money to buy suits. I was fortunate to have a family that accepted whatever path I choose, and all the junk food and sports drinks I wanted. I was damn lucky for everything. My life could be worse, but it wasn’t. I was shaken away from my thoughts when the barista called my name. I must have looked down because they gave me an understanding smile. Thanking the barista, I collected the necessary sugar packets, creamer, and coffee stirrers. I had hoped they had cups or mugs at the office.
I walked out of “The Flame and the Bean” and reached for my wallet. I took out two twenty-dollar bills and just looked at them. I could as easily buy energy drinks or snacks with it, but to think that someone less fortunate can have it to serve as a meal… I gave the ancient man the twenty dollar bills, and he gave me a toothy smile. I gave him a smile back. His eyes shone with a bright intelligence that seemed to have had its share of sadness. But they were shining nonetheless. I bowed to him for some reason, as if I felt like I needed to show respect to his years of wisdom, and he nodded back. I walked with my box of coffee and a bag of coffee condiments towards the corporate building. I turned around to give one last look to the ancient man and saw him hugging the bills to his chest. His eyes were closed, but he was looking up to the sky. I saw a little glitter of a tear trail down his cheek, and I could have sworn it was the diamond tears of a fallen angel. I turned back around, smiling to myself and continued walking. Maybe I was lucky to be average. Average can still help someone in need.
Photo by Andrea Cau on Unsplash
This was a damn good story 🙌🏽