Letisha left the office crying yesterday. See, in this agency, we have a co-op program. If you're currently going to college and you've already got 45 quarter credit hours, you can work here and are guaranteed a permanent position once you graduate. As you're working and going to school, you get benefits and everything. Our supervisor had been holding the promise of getting into the co-op program over Letisha's head ever since Letisha started working here.
If I haven't explained before, let me do so now. Letisha is in her mid-twenties, and the single mother of two. She was on welfare, and got this job to get off it. She's been going to college nonstop since she started this job. She has not health insurance right now, and she desperately wanted to get into the co-op program so she could get health insurance.
To recap, Letisha was in a really bad accident a couple weeks ago. The side of her daughter's face was horribly burned. Her daughter needed skin grafts. Yesterday was Letisha's first day back on the job in two weeks. When she tried to talk to our supervisor about the co-op program, she got a different response. Rebecca is now saying that "she's not certain" if she can get Letisha into the program. After she'd all but promised that Letisha was in, provided she earned enough credits this semester. Rebecca pointed out the "unusual amount of time" Letisha was out after the accident as a sign that Letisha might not be dependable.
Anyone with brains knows that's bullshit. Her fucking daughter's face got burned off! Letisha had to take those two weeks off, to take her daughter to all the doctors assigned to her, because they have no health insurance. Our supervisor is a stupid bitch.
So, Letisha left, crying. She took it so hard because the accident reminded her how badly they needed health insurance. She also turned down another job that offered benefits, but lower pay. Because our supervisor practically guaranteed her a co-op position. I walked Letisha to the door, then started spreading seeds of hate and discontent everywhere I passed. Everyone I knew who liked me or Letisha, I told about it...you could feel the resentment level in that office skyrocketing.
In comparasin (no spell check), the night with Dirk seemed tame, so lets skip it.
Although Dirk did have a minor fit....but he calmed down really quickly when I reminded him that his life couldn't be going too badly. After all, he's got me. Letisha called when I was out (I gave her my number in case she needed to talk). I felt really bad, because I hadn't warned her I'd be out.
So, today, I finished packing the goddamn boxes, and Letisha called the mail room to pick them up. When Rebecca asked me about the status of that 'project,' I told her it was just about done, I was simply waiting for the people from the mail room to come and pick up the boxes. Do you know what she said? "Good girl!"
I almost slapped her. I wanted to. Instead, I forced a smile on my face and said, "Thanks!"
I can't wait to leave.
Please, please let me get this other job.
Interesting information garnered today: Rebecca is apparently violently opposed to our agency's "liberal views on family-related leave". She's made a few enemies by snooping through peoples' annual and sick leave, and informing some people that they seem to have an attendence problem. Someone needs to tell her that this is the government. If you've got the leave, it's your decision how to use it. If she's not careful, she'd going to have a bunch of people filing grievances against her.
I helped Letisha look through the job listings today. We went to Hecht's for lunch, and I found some shoes I liked (unfortunately, I didn't have enough money on me for them). On the way back to the office, I bought Letisha lunch, since she was flat broke. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and making plans.
I left early, and started going through more stuff to sell on Saturday. I found an amazing amount of junk. I had shit for taste when I was younger.
My car finally passed emissions. After $175 more dollars. It's about time. Now I just have to get the oil changed.
I was in the car, driving home after dropping Dirk off at work. There were no lights along the road, and the darkness in the car seemed almost solid. The empty passenger seat seemed nearly alive -- living rattlesnake skins were coalescing into a greater demon. I could feel the hair on my neck rise as I kept glancing at the darkness, where I couldn't see anything. But I knew it was happening. It felt alive. Slowly, slowly, they were forming into some monster in the still darkness next to me...I flicked on the interior light.
Nothing
I have got to quit doing that.
Have a good week-end.