Morning all. alarm clock out of snooze button range is still working. I am also thinking horrible thoughts about whoever decided a time change was a good idea. I’ll love it once the time changes and then feel like I was robbed in the spring when they take that hour back. It’s like a sadistic prank played by morning people. And yes a part of me is thinking about pay back pranks. But for now, back to the prompts. Timers ready? and we are off.
I’ve toyed with the loss of a family company before and I think it is because I like playing with the various concepts. You have the heir apparent, you have the concept of earning a place verses being gifted a place. Coasting or hard work. Gender, age, perception, tradition and keeping up with the times as well as a host of unethical business practices to play with. And you can tease each one weaving them into the same story making people really complex. I know it is a line I want to work with, I just haven’t quite figured out which tact to take.
Wednesday, October 4th: She picked up the lipstick and painted her lips a bloody murder red.
She picked up the lipstick and painted her lips a bloody murder red. She knew that others would look at her lips and wonder why she was breaking from her neutral lip routine. The truth was, the color made her feel powerful. Somehow when she wore red lipstick, she felt as though she could take on the world.
In her mind only the bold, and the confident could pull off a bold red lip. She wanted to feel bold and confident. Inside she felt nervous butterflies tangle with the threads of anger. She was nervous because it was important. She was angry because it should never have come to this.
She took a deep breath. This company had been in the family for generations. She had worked for it all of her adult life. She worked her way up through the ranks instead of simply taking profit shares like many of the family. Even some of the family who held positions did so only to get a salary and not because they did anything productive. She was productive and she worked hard for her place.
She wasn’t given it because of her name, in fact as one of the daughters she was encouraged to just take the dividends and occupy herself elsewhere. She just wasn’t that sort of person. And so she had to prove herself if she wanted to stay. She had to prove herself to her father an her uncles and then to her cousins and brothers.
And still it wasn’t enough. She presented a proposal and it was rejected. The proposal was not rejected because it wasn’t good. It was rejected because her brother Kyle and cousin Luke wanted to take the company in a different direction. They presented their proposal and she found several flaws. Flaws that could take down the company. Today, she would present those flaws and a proposal for working around them.
Satisfied, she looked her best, she walked out of the bathroom, tucking her lipstick into her pocket. She moved to her office to pick up the presentation file. In her office she was surprised to find her uncle Jonah waiting for her. She blinked. Jonah was the one they sent to deliver bad news and from the look on his face, the news was bad indeed.
She had to give him credit though, he gave her the news quickly. It was like pulling off a band aide. There was a moment of nothing and then the pain of the tiny nearly invisible ripped out hairs made their sudden absence felt.
Her presentation was not needed. Everyone knew all they needed to know about the plan and wanted no input. It was also determined that she was not a team player and her presence was disrupting the office. She was being let go.
Jonah delivered the news in short declarative sentences with no emotion. It was like a robot. She took a deep breath and felt the sting, the pain hit home. Jonah left and she began gathering her things. It didn’t take long. She wasn’t one for knickknacks.
All of what she placed in the office fit into her bag. She thought about saying good bye. Of telling someone she was leaving, but decided they didn’t need the curtesy. She took her bag and slung the strap over her shoulder and walked out of the office. No one noticed her leaving. She wondered if they knew she was presented with multiple offers for other jobs. As she walked, she wondered which ones she should accept.
Ten til Midnight 