Category: The Twelve Pack

Shirley – tea Lady excelsis
In the age of re-branding,
rubbish collection as waste management
medicine as health care
food service as catering,
she called herself a key lady – endearingly and resolutely.
Said,
“I’ve been a tea lady 40 something years
still making tea,
blowed if I’m going to call myself anything else.”

Ours was her last staffroom –
had been there almost a decade.
“It’s a lovely place, but with the kids gone
and getting my pension … the hours ” –
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
and
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
I’m tied up all day, for half a day’s pay,
but I don’t feel ready to retire, just yet
oh listen to me, I should be grateful.”

She must have listened to herself.
And
had a friend,
who wouldn’t mind part, part-time either.
They will job share – Two weeks on, two weeks off,
and be each others locum.
A good deal for both. Effective immediately.

They tell the director
he is incensed :
“I appoint staff around here, not the bloody tea lady.”

 

 

She always wondered what he thought,
he didn’t know of the 50 years of marriage
two children
several different places called home
a holiday cottage by the sea.
He had no knowledge of the clever fingers –
hands that could restore magic to broken machinery
or conjure improvements.
Of lost capacities
found only on videotape.
That the chapters of life were all complete
and now it was the appendix of a rest home –
full-time care
and one outing a week
a drive to the familiar part of the city
close to where he grew up.
The man in the shop didn’t see a grandmother, mother and wife
he only saw a woman in her 70’s buying two ice creams,
every week,
for several years.

It was my first time in his office,
I was the contractor’s representative
he, the client –
a big client
a million-dollar tender when $100,000 gave change, on a good house.

Sometimes it’s 50/50
but this was 55/45 – at best
probably 60/40
more than marginal, not quite blatant.

Newly promoted
freshly installed
staff confidence is fence sitting –
not yet of an opinion to stay
or migrate.
I said, I knew I was asking a lot,
but I really had to win this one.

Throughout he had not interjected
asked for clarification
or shown emotion.
Now, he removed his glasses,
looked directly at me and said, “ yes, you do.”