Good morning. Running a little late today. I just couldn’t help hitting the snooze bar one last time. Now of course I have the computer on and the first morning weather of the day is ‘Sleet on and off.” Not the bang up start to a Monday, but it is December. So on we go. Let’s warm up the fingers with a bit of writing shall we? On to the first prompt of the week.
This is interesting. Either I would take this story as something very bad happens on the trip or it is the last straw for most of the employees. Or possibly both.
Monday, December 5th: Are we lost?
“Are we lost?” The question came from the back of the group and Kevin winced as he saw their guides shoulders stiffen and then slump slightly before he turned to face them with a thousand watt smile. It was car salesman friendly and just as reassuring.
“Of course not,” he said. I have been leading these tours for years. We are most certainly not lost.”
Kevin saw those around him look somehow reassured as their guide Parker turned back to the front and continued up the hill.
“We’ll be at our rest zone soon,” he promised them. There were further sounds of relief and at the thought of a rest even Kevin felt reassured, even though he didn’t think Parker actually knew where they were.
‘He’s got a radio to call back to base camp,’ Kevin reminded himself. ‘If we are really lost someone will come out to find us.’
He was not reassured by the fact. He tried to hold his concern in. This was supposed to be a bond building exercise. It was thought up by the CEOs who thought that a level of difficulty and some time alone in the wild would help the newly merge staff come together as one.
‘But apparently they don’t want to merge with their staff,’ he thought. The complete absence of any of the CEOs who recommended this trip was noted by more than just Kevin and thus far the biggest bonding was the fact that all of the staff realized the company was management heavy and that no one really liked the management. Kevin wondered how many of those on this hike would be looking for new jobs when they returned. He suspected many of the laptops back at the hotel now held resumes and had a recent history of job searches. He knew his did. In fact he had three interviews scheduled shortly after they returned from this trio.
‘I just have to survive this trip,’ he reminded himself as he looked to Parker’s back.
He seemed to feel an increase in speed would convey decisiveness and put on a burst that the rest of them were hard pressed to keep. Yet try they did. Parker may not have been the most reassuring guide but for the moment he was all they had. None of them were what you’d call outdoorsy types. Bruce from accounting was the most outdoorsy of them all and his outside activities mostly included a manning of the barbeque grill any weekend where the weather cooperated with him.
Finally the group reached a plateau. To Kevin’s immense relief there were two picnic tables with benches waiting for them. Many of the staff simply flopped down as soon as they were able and dug out their canteens for a long and much needed hydration break.
Kevin wasn’t swift enough to get a seat so he leaned against the side of a table and he took small sips from his own canteen.
“I’ll just call into base camp to let them know we have reached out rest area,” Parker said. Kevin, along watched him then walk over to a small numbered post to check the number of the rest station and then sidle out of hearing range as he called back to base.
‘At least with the number base camp will know where we are,’ Kevin thought.
Ten til Midnight 