by Tod Eten
It was Monday morning and the start of another dreary week of work. Aiden now wide awake as a result of his new nightmare looked over at the alarm clock. It was nearly time to wake so he decided to get out of bed. Washed and dressed he settled down in front of the TV to catch the morning news. But thoughts of the meeting last night and the things that Aya had said in the pub were still swirling around his head. In the cold light of morning what had seemed plausible to Aiden the night before now seemed completely mad. End of the world he snorted and what was that about a new planet. No they were definitely all on something. The only sane ones seemed to be the little blonde haired woman and the old East European one, he thought to himself. And Aya he wondered, how someone so beautiful could get caught up in all that nonsense. She knew her stuff he gave her that but she had probably just got too involved in all that ancient connections hogwash and lost her sense of reason. But then on the other hand she had sounded pretty convincing. Aiden shook his head he only thought that because he fancied her and what the hell did she see in that Seth anyway the guy wasn’t her type at all he thought sullenly.
Aiden arrived at work ten minutes early and slumped down in his chair automatically turning his computer on as he did every day. This done Aiden could only stare at his computer screen in a daze. All his thoughts kept going back to the night before focusing on Aya in particular. Try as he might he just could not get her out of his mind. There was something about her, it was not just that she was beautiful he thought, it was more than that! He almost felt that she was the woman he had been looking for all his life, lives even if there was such a thing as reincarnation. Aiden paused wondering why he had suddenly thought that about reincarnation! He had read or was it heard from someone, how the Buddhists believed that we are all reincarnated. Living different lives until we find perfection or something like that! Aiden wondered if that were true and if he had been waiting for Aya through all those lives, quite a romantic idea Aiden thought. But she’s with that Seth! Aiden shook his head trying to dispel any romantic thoughts about Aya. What does she see in that hairy oaf Seth he thought again with no small amount of jealousy and what the hell was that all about last night! If it had been anyone else but Aya he was sure he would have got up and left. But the way Aya had explained it, well, it just felt so real! Or was it the fact that you fancy her so much she could have had a teapot on her head and you would still have listened to her Aiden berated himself. But she had given those predictions about society descending into chaos and that this planet Nibiru would appear in our solar system. She had seemed pretty convincing about all of that stuff and what about all these dreams he had been having could it all be just a coincidence! Aiden rubbed his face with his hand, it was all too strange for him.
The days past by for Aiden much as they always did with nothing happening out of the ordinary, except for the continuing interference on his TV which Aiden soon discovered everyone else had been having. The interference was even being reported on the news which said that it was something to do with solar activity which was abnormally high and was causing intermittent interference to all communication systems. The weather continued to be dry and sunny and generally everyone seemed happy enough despite the news of job cuts and continuing price increases. Aiden carried on his with his normal routine going to work and then meeting with friends for a drink in the evening. But Aya was never far from his thoughts. As for the meeting and the things he had heard they seemed more and more farfetched as the days passed by! He did not even talk about it with his friends, certain they would think he was mad. So all was normal with the world again, but unknown to Aiden storm clouds had been gathering and they broke when he began work that Friday.
Aiden had not been at his desk long when one of his work mates came up to him.
‘Aiden have you heard the news?’ Paul a work colleague asked urgently looking around to make sure no one else was listening.
‘Heard what?’ Aiden frowned.
‘You haven’t heard! You won’t believe it they are laying off a load of the work force and that’s not all they want everyone else to take a cut in wages. Can you believe those bastards I mean how can they do that!’ Paul spluttered in anger.
‘What do mean, who told you this?’ Aiden said stunned
‘Jane from accounts she was in tears. You know they have sacked her, straight up sacked her just like that’ Paul clicked his fingers, ‘and not just her mate, little Sam is gone and so is Ruth’ Paul glanced around the still empty room making sure no one was listening. ‘Jane says that most of the CDP department is going as well, so we are probably out too and you know what I bet none of the bloody managers get the chop!’
Aiden frowned trying to take in what Paul was telling him.
‘Well they can stick their job where the sun don’t shine!’ Paul exclaimed angrily but Aiden noticed how he looked round first to make sure no one heard him saying that.
All Aiden could now think of was that if he was sacked how would he pay his rent and how would he survive.
‘Anyway I am not going to take this lying down' Paul continued,' we should protest or something, yeah that’s what we should do right!’ Paul looked at Aiden for some sort of agreement.
‘I guess’ Aiden shrugged.
‘Watch out here comes the boss’ Paul said seeing their manager approaching and with that he scuttled back to his desk.
Aiden did his best to concentrate on his work but there was no mistaking the tense atmosphere that was building in the office with people rushing here and there with furtive whispered conversations taking place. Aiden wondered what he would do if he was made redundant, would he be able to get another job. He didn’t fancy his chances not with how things were at the moment he thought to himself and why the hell are they getting rid of people anyway? He had heard that the company was doing well considering the recession. Dam he thought to himself what am I going to do if I get the push I have no savings at all! Well at least I will get some redundancy money maybe I should just use it to get the hell out of this place, get out of the rat race and find someplace where life is fun he thought. After all he had no family and exactly what was he doing wasting his life in this god awful place anywayAiden thought feeling a bit better.
During the course of the morning Aiden picked up more snippets of information all of which confirmed what Paul had told him that morning. It seemed that due to the recession the company had to downsize which meant the inevitable job losses. By mid morning Aiden knew that this was no idle rumour as all the management had disappeared to some big pow wow on the top floor leaving the rest of them fearing the worst. Then around mid day just before lunch a small army of security guards in black uniforms appeared around the building all of whom had the same dead pan look.
‘Look at them’ Paul said once more coming to Aiden’s desk and pointing at the small group of guards that were now stationed on their floor, ‘they’ve brought in the secret fucking police!’
Aiden had to admit that there was a sinister air about the guards.
‘I tell you we should all walk out right now, every last one of us that will screw them right?’ Paul said still nervously eyeing the guards.
Just then Aiden’s computer said he had an email which he saw was from his manager, opening it he quickly read that he had a meeting in room 512 at 2.15pm for a job review.
‘Well looks like I will be finding out what's going on pretty soon’ Aiden said to Paul showing him the email.
‘Crap’ Paul said looking at the message, ‘I’d better see if I have one’ and with that he scampered off.
Aiden’s interview if you could call it that, as none of the people in the room were interested in what Aiden did let alone what he had to say for himself! In fact it was only his manager that spoke at all during the meeting the two people that flanked him remaining silent through out. Aiden’s manager explained to him that due to the recession the company was forced to make job cuts therefore they would be laying a number of employees off and cutti
ng wages for the remaining staff. His manager then had the nerve to congratulate him on the fact that he was being offered a pay cut and not just redundancy as some of the others had been as they valued the contribution that he made for the company. His manager then went on to say that they understood that he would need some time to think over their generous offer and said that he had till the end of the day to confirm what he intended to do. Maybe it was the smug way that his manager, a fresh out of university graduate who had a first class honours degree in arse licking had talked down to him. Or maybe it was simply the fact that Aiden had finally had had enough of the rat race and the mobile phone industry in particular. Whatever it was Aiden found that his mind was made up and staying on was not an option so he told his manager there and then that he would take the redundancy. If Aiden was expecting his manager to beg him to change his mind and stay with the company he would have been disappointed, as his manager simply shrugged. He then made a note on a sheet of paper, told him that accounts would be in touch but in the meantime he was to clear his desk and leave the building immediately. After that Aiden was escorted back to his desk by by two burly security guards who watched him closely as he picked up a few personal odds and ends off his desk. Aiden unlike most of the others had absolutely nothing of sentimental value on his desk, like the personal photos and cuddley toys that covered a lot of the other desks nearby so he completed this task in a few short seconds. That done the security guards then escorted him out of the building as if he were some sort of criminal. So it was that a few minutes later Aiden, bewildered and bemused, found himself standing out on the pavement trying to work out what had really just happened.
With no better idea of what to do next Aiden headed over to the nearby Owl, the local pub that he and his work mates, now ex workmates, used to drink in. The Owl was typical of the older pubs in London. Its interior of dark wooden beams and floors was like stepping back in time. Its low ceilings and doorways always proved an interesting obstacle course especially after a few drinks which was exactly what Aiden planned to now do. Inside the pub he saw that there were already a number of people from work propping up the bar all in loud animated discussions about the way that they have been treated.
‘Aiden over here’ someone shouted from the bar.
Looking towards the end of the bar he saw his friend Colin who waved him over. Colin a skinny man with a shock of blond tightly curled hair and a ready smile was standing beside Gary who was also one of the gang that Aiden would hang around with. Gary was the same size as Aiden with short red hair and a freckled boyish face and between them both was Vanessa a petite brunette with a pretty face who looked like she had been crying. He had seen Vanessa a few times before but had never really met her properly.
‘Welcome to the club’ Colin said ‘Pint of larger mate? You know Vanessa don’t you’
‘Please, hi Vanessa’ Aiden said smiled.
‘We were just about to make a toast to the company’ Colin said merrily.
‘Yeah may they all rot in hell!’ Gary shouted.
‘No nothing so childish! Pint of lager please Ted’ Colin said catching the land lords eye.
‘I think hell is too good for them’ Vanessa said sourly.
‘Here you go mate’ Colin said handing a pint over to Aiden.
‘Thanks’ Aiden replied taking a large gulp of the cold beer.
‘Here’s to us’ Colin said raising his glass ‘to the first day of our new lives. And may their mobile phones crumble to dust and they lose every penny that they had’ Colin added with a grin.
‘Amen to that’ Gary said and they all clinked glasses.
‘Look there’s old Hopkins’ Gary said pointing at the entrance of the pub where a smartly dressed grey haired man carrying a brief case had entered looking like he had all the problems of the world on his shoulders.
‘Christ they got rid of Hopkins’ Colin said in amazement ‘but he knows the business better than anyone!’
‘Well at least he‘ll get a good pay off’ Gary said bitterly taking a gulp from his drink.
‘Well at least we still have our youth’ Colin said ‘Poor old Hopkins there will be lucky to get another job at his age’
‘What did they say to you at the meeting?’ Vanessa asked Aiden.
‘Not a lot they said I could take a pay cut or take redundancy’ Aiden replied.
‘Well you are privileged then’ Gary scowled.
‘We all just got the redundancy option’ Colin explained.
‘So why didn’t you stay on?’ Vanessa asked in curiosity.
‘I don’t know, guess I didn’t like the way they talked it to me. It was like they were offering me some kind of promotion or something and not a pay cut!’ Aiden shrugged.
‘Well good on you mate’ Colin said slapping Aiden on the back.
‘Look there’s George and Ruth’ Vanessa said waving at the couple who now entered the pub.
‘Paul said that Ruth was fired this morning’ Aiden said watching as George and Ruth made their way over to them.
‘Hi guys’ George said when he finally reached them. ‘Can I get you all a drink?’
‘Vanessa’ Ruth greeted as the two women hugged each other both in tears.
‘Why is it women always have to cry?’ Gary grumbled.
‘It’s because they are the fairer sex Gary, you should know that by now!’ George said trying to attract the land lord’s attention.
‘It’s because we have more sense than you cave men that’s for sure’ Ruth said still hugging Vanessa.
‘Where is Paul?’ Colin asked.
‘He’s still got a job’ George said over his shoulder.
‘Really’ Gary said somewhat surprised, ‘Well at least one of us got lucky.’
‘He must have taken a pay cut then’ Colin said.
‘He sold out that’s what he did’ George snorted.
‘Don’t forget he only just got married’ Aiden said coming to his friends defence, ‘and Kate is expecting their first baby’
‘Yes your right can’t blame the bloke’ George said now regretting what he had just said.
‘Aiden could have stayed on as well’ Vanessa said disengaging herself from Ruth and drying her eyes.
‘So why did you leave?’ Ruth asked.
Aiden shrugged and watched as more people entered the pub which was by now getting full and rather noisy.
‘Come on let’s get a table before they all go’ George said handing round the drinks he had just bought.
‘Why are they doing all this, that’s what I want to know? I mean we all know the company is doing OK so why get rid of us.’ George said when they were all seated at a table.
‘That’s right at the Christmas party they told us we had had a record year!’ Vanessa agreed.
‘Don’t you all get it! It’s because of those Eastern Europeans. Those bastards come over here and work for fuck all taking all the jobs and claiming all the benefits they can.’ Gary said angrily.
‘So you're saying they got rid of us in order to replace us with cheap labour!' Colin shook his head.
‘I can’t see how they can get much cheaper than the wages I was on’ George moaned.
‘Dam right that’s what I mean, that or they are going relocate the comany to some former Eastern Block country! You watch all the companies are doing it they don’t give a toss about the people who live here’ Gary said ignoring George’s remark.
‘Yeah I bet you’re right there mate those sods are just too greedy’ Colin agreed.
The afternoon quickly passed with more people joining them and more drinks being bought, everyone drowning their sorrows over the events of the day. The atmosphere in the pub soon become far more jovial as the alcohol began to take its affect and it seemed as if an impromptu wake was taking place.
‘So what are you going to do next’ Colin said above the noise to Aiden.
‘I am, I mean was thinking of going abroad somewhere’ Aiden said half seriously.
‘I don’t know, somewhere hot I guess and beside the sea’ Aiden answered.
‘Sounds good to me’ Colin grinned.
‘Are you serious?’ George said from the other side of the table.
‘Why not it’s not like I have any ties here’ Aiden replied.
‘You got us!’ Vanessa said throwing her arms around him.
‘Yeah you got us’ Colin agreed.
‘I mean like family ties and a mortgage’ Aiden said over Vanessa’s shoulder who was still hugging him tightly.
‘But what will you do there?’ George pressed him.
‘I don’t know work in a bar or something anything I guess‘ Aiden said as Vanessa reluctantly released him.
‘That’s what we should do! We should all go overseas and buy ourselves a bar together and live the good life’ Colin shouted to cheers all round.
By early evening it was agreed that they would all go to another bar in a more lively part of the city and make a night of it. Aiden happily agreed to go along with them as it would be the last time that many of them would probably ever see each other again, plus the affect of the drink he had already consumed. They visited several more bars before ending up in a night club that pumped out the latest dance music a heavy base beat thumping around the dance floor. The club like all night clubs was a very large darkened room. Several bars were around the edges of the room creating small oases of multicoloured lights to attract the thirsty dancers. In the middle was the dance floor an island of light on which mostly women were currently seductively gyrating their bodies for the benefit of the hungry eyes that watched from darkness beyond. They had not been in the club long when Colin and Gary came running up to them in some excitement.
‘You will never believe what we have just seen’ Colin said shouting above the noise of the music to be heard, ‘a bloody fairy! I kid you not.’
‘What are you going on about?’ George shouted back.
‘Straight up mate me and Gary we saw it out back, everyone saw it! We were having a smoke and I see this small funny glowing light thing and it’s like bobbing around in the alley, and I said to Gary, look at that, didn’t I Gary!’ Colin nudged Gary in the ribs who nodded his agreement. ‘Anyway I never seen anything like it before I mean it was a glowing blue sort of light and I says to Gary, what’s that then and neither of us know and nor does anyone else! I mean this thing was just bobbing around about fifteen feet from us. So I decide to go and take a closer look like. So I make my way over to it and there it is still bobbing around like its lost or something and I get to like two feet away from it and suddenly it sees me and shoots off straight up into the air. But I got a look at it and like I said it was a bloody fairy!’