Iron Fist

Like most people I know, I get up every morning to go to work, trudging down the street to my day job.  I stand in line to get coffee, I gab with people in the elevator and on the street.  They want to talk about the housing market and sports and the things that Joe Six-Packs across the nation talk about.  Every couple of weeks I collect a paycheck, and spend a lot of it on bills and have a few bucks left over to buy beer and dick around with my friends on the weekends.  Day in, day out, I’m just like everyone else.  Nothing out of the ordinary to see here.

But I have another job that I’m called upon to do, every now and then, another obligation.  In fact sometimes I get so caught up in my ‘regular’ life I almost forgot I have this other affiliation.  This other organization I belong to, its rare that they call in a favor, but when they do, I don’t dare say no.

Like earlier this week, for example, I had just laid down for the night when my phone rang.  I picked it up automatically, not glancing at the caller ID, and said, “Hello?”

“Oh,” I said, sitting up, “it’s you.  No, I haven’t forgotten, I knew you’d be in touch sooner or later, it’s just been a while…. right, I know…. yes, we definitely have a lot of work to do … of course.  Of course… when do you arrive?

“What? You want me to come out there…?  No, I mean…it’s just that… you caught me off guard, is all, usually you come out here… of course I’m loyal to you.  Of course I’m loyal to our organization… yes, I know these sort of things can’t just plan themselves… no, it’s not a problem.  I’ll make arrangements.  It’ll take time, you know, I have a job here, a cover…

“-this weekend?  But that’s… okay.  No, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean no disrespect.  Of course.  Of course.  Yes… of course.  Just lost my head for a minute, that’s all… yes, half asleep when you called.  Of course… okay.  Okay.  I’ll be there.  This weekend.”

I closed the phone, let my hand sink slowly to my side.  After a minute, I put on my robe and went downstairs to make some tea.  I was standing in the kitchen contemplating my mug when my roommate came home.

“Hey,” he said, “what’s up?”

I didn’t say anything for a minute.  And then: “The Boss called, got a job for me.  I’ve been sent for.”

He was speechless.  “What?  But I thought — I thought you were done with all that.”

I shook my head.  “There ain’t no retirement plan in this thing of ours, and only one way to get out, and I’m not ready for that yet.  Not by a long shot.  So the Boss says go, I go.  Ain’t no other way about it.  Job needs doin’.”

“When?”

“This weekend.”  I sighed.  “I guess I’d better pack.”

It’s not so bad, really.  I get along pretty well with the other wiseguys in this organization, and the Boss?  Well, to be honest, she’s all kinds of fun, and she’s totally foxy.  So I don’t mind doing this sort of work.

See you all on Monday!

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