End? or Begining?
Its just the start of the monsoon but its already raining cats and dogs. In the water filled streets of city C, a young man is walking in the rain unsteadily. He is walking without minding the rain or anything else for the matter as if he's a corpse walking. True enough, his eyes are lifeless without any hope left in them. He reaches home and finds his dad on the couch drinking. His dad looks at him and he look down unable to meet his father's eyes. Silence descends on the room for a few moments. His father sighs and gets up to leave. He looks as if he wants to say something but ends up not saying anything.
He goes to his room wondering what the hell happened today.
Hi, I'm Alexander. Friends call me Alex. I'm 30 years old working as an Electronics Engineer in the design department of an phone company. Well, worked, as of today I'm unemployed. Today began as every other day, waking up late, rushing to the bus stop, skipping breakfast, punching in my attendance at the last minute.
'Whew that was a close call'.
Well anyways, started up my desktop and checked my mails for the next assignments. This is a surprise there are no new mails, even the regular do not reply mails from IT are not there. Hmm.... Is the world going to end or my managers decided to give me a break. No matter which one it is, its definitely a miracle. When I asked my desk mate about it, he said that the servers are under maintenance so no work today. Just as I thought 'finally a break', my manager crashed the mood saying "Meeting with HR post lunch in the meeting room 7".
Desk mate: Am I also included?
Manager: No, Only Him.
He points at me and leaves the room. I stare at his back while my desk mate turns to asking,
"Why would there be a meeting with HR? Isn't it usually between us and the managers or with the company's top management?"
Alex: Who knows? (shrugs)
Desk mate: Maybe You'll be transferred to HQ just like Jacob from before.
Alex: Hmm.... Maybe, but even if it is you are the next in line not me.
Desk mate: Dude I forgot to tell you. Since my wife is expecting I turned down the offer. I can't be in another country when my wife is pregnant, can I?
Alex: Well, Lets wait and see.
In the meeting room, HR places a document in front of me while manager watches. Looking at my manager's shifty eyes I had a bad premonition. Taking up the document my eyes landed on the first line.
Relieving Letter
As soon as I saw that I knew, I'm screwed. I turned to my manager but he just kept staring at me without saying anything. I wanted to ask him why this was happening nut the HR interrupted, " You have been on bench for more than a month and there are no projects where your skill set is needed. We tried to accommodate you but its company policy to let you go. But don't worry you will be comp...". I couldn't remember anything after that, I just stared blankly at them. They 'helped' me write my resignation letter, finish the relieving process, took my ID card and sent me out in less than an hour. I stood there staring blankly at my office for who knows how long. After what seemed like eternity I moved from there. I started walking in the direction where my legs were talking me and then it started to rain. It started as a drizzle and then a downpour, later it started raining cats and dogs.
i drifted around the streets aimlessly in the rain drenched from top to bottom. Visibility became poor due to the rain and because of that I was hit multiple times by the passing vehicles. When I fell down for the Nth time I just wanted to stay down and not get up again. After listening to the curses people were spewing at me for not watching where I was going, I wanted to sink into a man-hole right there along with the rain water. But somehow I got myself together and got up to stride to my home. It was so dark that I couldn't see past 5 meters, Occasionally some light would drift over from the neighboring houses. With the help of such lights and the ever UN-reliable street lamps I finally managed to reach home.
After closing the door I dropped to the floor with tears welling up my eyes. My sister just got admitted to the *** medical school in ****. I just preordered the latest novels of my Mom's favorite author. For my Dad's retirement I bought him a rocking chair. Life was so peaceful with these small sweet moments every now and then. But now that I'm unemployed, What's next??
This is the third time that I was fired and I have offended a lot of people who'll make sure that I don't ever get to step foot in this industry ever again. Even if I change my domain and start afresh will the salary be enough to run the family? Will it be enough to pay the loans? bills? my sister's school fees?
Must my sister dropout of school just because I'm unable to pay her fees???
Conscience: (*spits*) What kind of brother are you if you do that to your sister? Worrying won't get you anywhere. Relax and go to bed now, get early tomorrow and start planning on what to do next.
Alex: Will I be able to land a job? What if I die? With the insurance money school fees won't be a problem and there will even be some leftovers.
Conscience: Don't think nonsense. As if you'll die. You being unemployed in itself is a blow to your family then what will happen if you are no more???? Stop having useless thoughts.
Alex: 'haha' i'm useless, even my thoughts are useless now. I spent most of my life chasing after my dreams but failed to accomplish anything and stood before my dad as an failure. He just smiled saying " Everything happening in our life no matter what it is a lesson" then he went and got me a job through a recommendation from a friend but in the end I blew that up and ended up getting fired, thrice. How will I face that man?
While loosing confidence in himself Alex just stares at the ceiling without focus. Even though he is lying on the cold hard floor without removing hid dripping wet clothes he can't feel a thing and even failed to notice that his ears are bleeding. Slowly his eyes looses focus and he closes his eyes.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He opens his eyes feeling a sharp pain on his back. When he comes to he finds himself hanging from a giant's hand surrounded by a few giants. Wait giants.... no.... they are people its just they are bigger than me.... no.... Its not that they are big, its me that is small. Once reality sinks in he began to cry.
Wet Nurse: Congratulations, Milady Its a healthy boy.