Chapter II from the book Airways – I’m not in Hollywood
Sisley arrived at the office in Cargo City South she makes her way to the reception on the fourth floor. The receptionist hands her over a visitor card and she moves on to the fifth floor, walking along the corridor passing the second glass door. Her office is on the right. She got the middle office. On the right is the CEO’s office on the left is the Export Manager’s office who she will be working for. She steps into the room, both other offices are empty. She takes a seat in the very tight space. A huge long table is placed in the middle office and leaves approximately twenty cm between the table and wall to move her chair. She starts the computer, but she doesn’t get far, of course, not having any passwords or any other information.
Hours pass. At about twelve at lunchtime her boss Riveri who is the Export Manager for the corporation arrives and passes straight through the room into his office, starting his PC then screaming.
“Shit!”
Sisley is looking up rolling her eyes when she’s hearing Riveri speaking on the phone. “Ernie? I can’t log in! Can you set back my password, thanks!” followed by the sound of a smashing receiver as he flings the phone down.
Ten minutes later Riveri comes out of his office turning towards Sisley, who sits on her desk pressed between the table and her chair already touching the wall. “Hello, looks like it’s getting a bit tight here.” Riveri throws a report on Sisley’s desk and says “So this is important: Our daily flight plan. This means delays, they have to be marked, anything else is regular, you will get the daily reports from the Cargo Managers I will let them know that they report this to you daily.”
He steps over to the cupboard opening the door. “Here are all folders with contracts and all paperwork messed up from the last five years. Maybe you can sort this out, so it won’t always take me hours to find the right papers.” River explains while taking out one of the folders and thrashing it on the table.
“Yeah, filing systems!” Sisley almost dies for excitement.
Riveri’s colleague Powel from the opposite office steps in. “Oh, Riveri you are making the introduction for the new assistant, so she doesn’t run out of work very nice, how about we’re going for lunch now?”
Sisley reminds Riveri that she soon leaves as she only works five hours a day and started already at eight. “Then we see tomorrow, I leave at two,” Sisley says. Riveri is looking at Sisley. “Why you are leaving at two, we said five hours a day, I just came in, the day just started.” Riveri wonders.
“Yes, you just started! But I started at eight this morning.” Sisley replies.
“Eight o’clock why that? I don’t start that early, my main business starts in the afternoon, that’s not possible, it’s best you start at twelve I need you to be here in the afternoon.” Riveri demands in his slightly aggressive tone.
“But it was agreed that I can start early because I also need time for my study!” Sisley refuses.
“Yes, but eight o’clock? Not that early!” Riveri shouts.
“Then I can’t do that job, maybe you ask at the agency for someone else,” Sisley replies in a cool tone.
“Yes, I will talk to them, and for now you can start earlier but not before ten this makes no sense to me.” Riveri goes back to his office getting his purse and some poster. Throwing the posters on the sideboard. ”Okay, this needs to be sent to the Cargo Managers and Tom by tomorrow latest,” Riveri commands. Sisley just nods.
“Okay, no problem, see you tomorrow,” Sisley replies while Riveri and Powel walk towards the door.
“Mmmh, well I’m not in Hollywood!” Riveri is mumbling towards his colleague.
“But your new assistant almost looks like it!” Powel replies.
“Someone starting at eight? Looks rather sane to me than like Hollywood!” Riveri shouts and together with Powel, he disappears through the fire exit door.
Sisley starts looking for addresses to send the posters. She finds out the postal address for the cargo Managers but she can’t find any Tom. Sisley walks over to the Quality Manager’s office Treasure to ask about this Tom. Sisley walks over to the Quality Manager’s office Treasure asking who Tom is as her boss told her to mail something to Tom. “Treasure, can you help me? Riveri asked me to send some stuff to the Cargo Managers and Tom. I found the cargo Manager’s addresses but who is Tom?” Sisley asks puzzled.
Treasure starts laughing out loud and hearty. ”Tom?” He repeats. “You’re asking who is Tom? Really? That’s Michael Roberts our CEO, they call him Tom like Major Tom, he comes from the army. Riveri didn’t mention this to, you?”
Treasure explains. while Sisley is shaking her head than laughing.
“No, he said just Tom without any comment, but thank you, I got the address. I will send it off and then leave, see you tomorrow Treasure, bey-bey.” Sisley gets the posters ready to send them off.
She’s leaving the office walking along the corridor, watching Anita the fat personnel girls walking into her office. Sisley passed by the door thinking out loud. “This is just a student job! When that’s how comfortable looks like I better don’t get too comfortable. I don’t ever want to end up like one of them here.”
The second day, ten o’clock Sisley arrives at the office, she’s the only one whose office is behind the second glass door. All other offices and a huge empty room at the end of the corridor are closed. She’s having a look next door at the empty CEO’s office who has a much nicer interior than hers. No one of the colleagues is in so far. Sisley starts her computer, installs a new screensaver which she had found in one of the promotional kits for this logistic company. The fresh shiny, orange screensaver background is the only thing in the office that has a refreshing, dynamical appeal. She’s having a look next door at the empty CEO’s office who has a much nicer interior than hers. She doesn’t notice that Treasure came over to her office and is now standing at the door. “Hello, good morning Sisley, and is your boss already in?” Treasure is asking.
“No, not yet,” Sisley replies. “Oh, then you are alone here?” Treasure asks looking at Sisley. “Yes, it’s great here, I have the whole west wing on my own!” Sisley laughs.
“Oh, the good and expensive office interior here is left unused! That’s how they spend the money! Bo has just got all the new office interior and then moves on to a new office in Berlin. We the ground staff are left with all these broken tables.” Treasure scolds.
“Well, maybe I should just change the tables, swapping his table for mine, then it’s not that wasted office interior and it would give more space to my office,” Sisley speaks out loud in her redecoration plans.
“Why not? Sounds like a good idea. He sits now in Berlin so it’s most unlikely you will ever see him, he never comes here. If you need any help let me know.”
Treasure leaves and Sisley starts to invent the filing system. By twelve the phone rings. “Hi Sisley, I’m sick I won’t be in this week. I explained to you yesterday, how to do the reports, are the ones for today ready? I need them daily best before ten o’clock when we have the conference call!” Riveri in his so not friendly manner.
“Well, but then I need to start before ten, maybe 9:00 am. That’s okay with you?” Sisley asks and is delighted about the turn for her earlier starting time. “Sure, of course, otherwise the reports, couldn’t be ready by ten am, could they?” Riveri replies.
“Exactly! Mmmh so far the computer is still not set up, all I could do is install a screensaver.” Sisley informs Riveri. “Okay, I call Ernie, he will set it up, anything else?” Riveri asks.
“No, well, yes, the furniture next door, seems like no one uses them, they actually would fit very well in my office, could I exchange the furniture, giving the room a bit more space?” Sisley asks cheekily.
“Oh, that’s a good idea, yes, go for it, and think of my reports, daily. Bye.”
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Natalie Hush 