“I sincerely hope not,” Don said, humiliated.
“What are you doing tomorrow morning?”
“What am I doing?” Don was confused.
“Yes, what are you doing?”
“I’m resting from the night shift, sir.”
“I want you to come into my office tomorrow morning for a chat. I’m busy now. Your apology isn’t accepted.”
“Ben!” Shira tried to intervene again.
“Yes, sir,” Don said. He looked at Shira with damp eyes, then turned and left.
Ben stared at Shira angrily. “I’m asking you to please stay out of my personal affairs!”
It was bad timing for the waiter to come back. “Would you like to order anything, folks?” he asked with a sweet smile.
“What do you want!” Ben yelled at him.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize I was interrupting anything,” the waiter said, maintaining his pleasant nature. He was older, with a slight Spanish accent.
“Well, you are!”
“I’m sorry, sir. No need to get mad!”
“Oh yeah? Why not? Would you like to do something about it?”
The man shook his head, terrified.
“That’s right. You can’t do a thing to me! Now get lost!”
Ben stopped for a moment as he noticed Shira looking at him strangely. She didn’t feel threatened by him, not like the others would in these situations. She didn’t even smile like she usually did. She seemed very calm, as if keeping some important piece of information from him. He was certain he saw a suspicious glint in her eyes. A little voice inside him panicked, and his stomach tightened. “Is everything all right?” he asked. “You seem different.”
“Everything is fine. Everything is just as it should be right now.” She breathed deeply and calmly. “Shall we continue?” she asked Ben, who was still pondering something.
“Yes, yes.”
They sat there for the rest of the afternoon, after which he left to meet Tina at the hotel. When he arrived, Don was no longer there.
DAY 16
The following day, when Shira arrived at the office late as usual, Don was already waiting outside.
“He’s inside. You can come in,” she said warmly.
“Mr. Brattler asked for me to wait for him outside until he calls for me.”
“Ah… Fine,” she said and entered the office.
Ben was sitting at his desk, working away.
“You know that Don is outside waiting for you?”
“Excellent!” He continued to work.
“How long are you planning to let him stand outside like that?”
“As long as I decide. You do your work and don’t interfere.”
She was silent. Her morning smile vanished once more.
About an hour later, he called Don into his office and instructed him to stand in front of his desk. “Yes, what can I do for you?” he asked.
“You told me to come and see you,” Don said, confused.
“Right, since I didn’t accept your apology. I was busy yesterday. You see, I’m engaged in a very important business proposal. I cannot be interrupted every time one feels like it.”
“So would you like me to repeat my apology?”
“No. Yesterday’s whining was more than enough.” He sneered disdainfully. “I understand you’ve been suspended from your workplace.”
Shira looked at Ben in surprise. She hadn’t been told.
“It will be tough to find another job now.”
Don nodded sadly.
“I’ll make you an offer. If you want to get hired again in this city, you must prove to me that you’re suitable.” Ben licked his lips in anticipation. “Did you talk to anyone since last night?”
“No, sir.”
Ben smiled. “I have a friend who needs help on a farm far away from the city. He needs someone ‘talented’ like you to clean the stables and the animals’ cages of feces and filth. If you prove to him and to me that you can work for him for the next two and a half weeks, I will kindly recommend they put you back on the job at the hotel. I admit, the living conditions there are poor and there are no TVs, computers, or cell phones, but you’ll have a warm bed to sleep in at night. What do you say?”
“Eh…” Don scratched his head.
“This offer is available only for the next three seconds. After that, you’ll be on your own in this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Don didn’t know what to do; it all happened so fast.
“One…two…” Ben counted.
“All right, fine,” Don said desperately.
He had worked hard to achieve his status at work, and he didn’t want to see it all go to waste because of two and a half weeks of hardship.
“Great, now hand me your cell phone,” Ben demanded.
Don hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled out the phone from his pocket. Just then, it rang. Ben grabbed the device from Don’s hands before the latter was able to recognize the number.
“It’s probably nobody important, now that you’re out of work,” Ben said, and quickly placed the phone in his desk drawer. “I’ll keep it until you get back. We wouldn’t want anything to distract you. Come along, the driver is waiting for you downstairs. It’s a long drive and it would be a shame to have you delayed by public transportation.”
“But I brought nothing with me,” Don said, dazzled once more.
“It’s all right; they’ll make sure you have everything you need there.” Ben stood up and dragged Don outside until the latter got into the car and drove off.
When Ben returned to the office, he picked up his cell phone and dialed.
“Hello Marvin, this is Ben Brattler speaking. I need you to do another job for me.”
The voice on the other side spoke.
“Please send me any details about Don Pearls you can get your hands on.” He paused to listen. “Shoot me an email with an update. Thank you.” He hung up.
He sat down in his chair and went back to work, still restless.
Shira noticed the morning gossip paper peeking out of the office trash can with the glaring headlines, “Ben Brattler loses his temper again, this time with a junior hotel clerk.”
“The junior clerk stood his own,” the headline leading to the full article read.
“Pierre de la Pierre Hotel’s response on the matter: The clerk, Don Pearls, was suspended from work for an unlimited time. Disgrace!” an op-ed column wrote.
Ben had a hard time working that day. Don’s phone kept buzzing in his drawer the entire morning. Toward lunchtime, he disconnected the battery in a furious rage.
“Ben?” Shira asked. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes!” he barked at her.
She excused herself, saying she was going out to get drinks. She felt Ben was about to burst again, and she needed to get some fresh air away from the office. She walked down the long corridor all the way to the cafeteria on the other side. Other staff members stared at her and whispered to one another. From the bits that she could make out, it seemed like Ben was the talk of the day.
“Yes, I also got caught in the middle of a raging tantrum with him and a waiter once. It was very unpleasant. I didn’t know what to do with myself, I was so embarrassed,” said one of the copywriters.
“He’s a lost cause. Someone needs to sit him down for a serious talk,” one secretary told her colleague.
“Poor clerk. Finally, someone stood up to him and told him the whole truth but ended up getting sacked for it.” Another employee expressed sympathy.
“Did you hear Ben called him over here? The man waited outside his office for at least two hours. I don’t envy the poor guy,” his friend said.
Shira felt relief once she reached the cafeteria—a large room isolated fro
m all the hubbub outside with a separate entrance door.
The cafeteria counter had various coffee machines, sweet and savory pastries, and juices. On the other side of the counter stood large dining tables. She and Ben hardly ever took their meals in the cafeteria. They usually sat in his office to eat.
“Hi, Shira,” George said when he saw her walk in.
They were alone in the large hall, which felt empty. George was preparing himself an espresso. “Would you like one?”
She nodded.
“I suppose I don’t have to tell you about Ben’s latest affairs?” he said with a big smile.
She shook her head.
“Yep, that’s him,” he said with a steady smile.
She was silent.
“He’ll remain agitated for the next few days. You see, the media chases him everywhere and for anything, so the moment they find a bone to feed on, they suck it down to the marrow. You can understand.” George tried to cheer her up. “This too shall pass and make room for another bit of gossip. And he’ll calm down—till the next time, of course.”
He hadn’t lightened her mood, but she smiled politely.
“Keep your distance for the next little while. Well, as much as you can,” he said and served her the espresso. “Or you’ll suffer the backlash yourself.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“It’ll be fine,” he said, and patted her shoulder kindly. He kept his hand there longer than necessary. She felt like he wanted to say something else but couldn’t get the words out. Then he turned toward the cafeteria door and walked out, contemplative.
❧
In the days that followed, Shira kept her distance from Ben as much as she could and avoided chatting with him.
Ben felt restless. The media conjured up more and more information from the event and kept printing scandalous headlines.
“Don the clerk and his mother were abandoned by his father during his childhood.”
“They only got divorced,” Ben insisted.
“The clerk’s mother is ill.”
“She has tonsillitis,” Ben said.
“The clerk’s mother is dying. Don pays for her medication and upcoming operation.”
“She hasn’t spoken to him in over a year,” Ben parried.
Finally, he stopped responding. It didn’t seem like anyone was listening to his version anyway. It seemed like all other news around the world had ceased, and everyone was only covering this insignificant event. The headlines kept coming, featuring a story that made less and less sense and that had lost all connection to reality.
“Don the clerk fled the city and is nowhere to be found.”
“Don has been abducted by aliens.”
DAY 18
“Come on!” Ben said, irritated by the morning headlines. “What else are they going to come up with!” He tossed the paper into the trash, just as he had done with all the previous ones. “I don’t understand the people who buy all these stories,” he told Shira, the only person who didn’t avoid him. “Don’t they get it?” He fumed.
“Get what?” she asked.
“That it’s just a media spin? There’s nothing to it.”
“You did send him on forced labor outside the city,” she said, risking an outburst on his part.
“He needed to learn a lesson. You don’t mess with me; everyone should know that.” Ben justified his actions.
“Then why did you confiscate his cell phone?” She took another risk.
“I had to, to prevent all kinds of nosy reporters from calling him. It could have made him think he was some big shot all of a sudden. I’ll return it when this whole fiasco is over.” He hoped it would indeed end soon. It felt as if time stood still.
But time didn’t really come to a halt. The days went by, and slowly but surely, the affair became less and less prominent in the news. It seemed like nobody was interested in his misdeeds or in Don’s whereabouts anymore.
Ben regained his composure. Two weeks had passed since the unfortunate event, and the campaign they had been working on the entire month was finally completed. He and Shira felt relieved.
DAY 29
“We did a great job!” Ben concluded on their last day of work. The following day, he and his father were to present the final proposal to the client.
“Yes,” Shira said. “It was an interesting experience.”
“And it’s also a great cause for celebration,” he said excitedly. “I’m hosting a roof party in honor of completing the project before I go on my trip.”
Shira didn’t look as excited as him. She was tired.
“The guys from the office will be there as well as other friends. You’re welcome to join.” He smiled brightly.
“I’m not sure,” she said. She was drained.
“Do you know how many people would die to take your place? Attendance is mandatory—no excuses,” he concluded. “I’ll see you there.” He left the office.
It was still early. He was planning to take care of some last-minute arrangements for the party, while Shira picked up her things and went home to prepare for the event.
Ben was scheduled to leave for Asia in two days.
When evening came, Shira drove to the party. When she arrived at Ben’s apartment building slightly late, she noticed an odd sight from a distance. A man stood at the entrance, dressed in a grotesque fairy costume, a pink wig on his head and a wand in his hand. He was welcoming the guests and giving them directions to the party. When she drew closer, she recognized him.
“Don? What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“Hello, ma’am. Mr. Brattler asked me to come and help him, so I came here straight from the farm,” he said, trying to remove the pink hair from his eyes. “The party is on the rooftop. Take the elevator to the top floor and walk up the flight of stairs to the roof.” He pulled out a pair of funny spectacles and a blinking necklace from a basket and handed them to her.
“Thank you,” she said awkwardly, and put on the goofy glasses.
The party took place in a small, oval banquet hall that offered dazzling city views. White metal tables and chairs had been placed along the large windows. A fancy DJ station was set up against the windowless wall, and the DJ was playing mellow music.
Most of the guests were already inside, dressed to the nines, and sporting the colorful party favors Don handed them at the entrance. Since she arrived late, Shira had a hard time finding a place to sit among the guests, who had found their spots much earlier.
“It’s so good to see you here,” Fred said as he noticed her. “Come, I saved you a spot next to me.” He wore a tall hat that was bent on top. His office colleagues sat next to him, enjoying the refreshments. She walked over to him, sat down on the vacant chair, and smiled politely at the office staff she recognized. They didn’t seem perturbed about showing up at Ben’s party after some of them had gossiped incessantly about him for the past two weeks.
“What are we doing?” She wondered about the music and the seated guests.
“Ben said there’s a show!” Fred laughed.
“Interesting,” she said, waiting patiently.
All of a sudden, the music stopped and Ben appeared in all his glory. He wore a shiny black suit, a violet shirt, and a purple tie, wheeling a small, metal service cart with a large covered pot. The pot was gigantic, big enough to fit an average man’s head. He pushed the cart to the middle of the hall and stood next to it.
“Thanks for coming, everyone.” He smiled brightly. “You probably know I’m taking off the day after tomorrow. I thought it was a great cause for a fun sendoff party, but we’re also celebrating because I finished the project on time and not last minute as usual.” He laughed happily. The crowd chimed in.
“And now I’d like to invite my guest of honor to join me. Please welcome Don Pearls!�
� He signaled to Don, who was standing by the entrance door, to come in. Don walked sheepishly into the banquet hall. He looked rather silly in his pink fairy outfit. When he got to the middle of the hall, Ben took off the wig that covered the man’s face, and the guests were able to recognize him.
“Don, I have with me the recommendation letter that will put you back at your job,” Ben said, and pulled out a sealed envelope from his jacket.
Don smiled. He had waited for the letter for over two weeks and gave his all so he could regain his position. He wasn’t aware of all the buzz around him while he was gone.
Ben pulled out a thick, black plastic bag from his pocket and inserted the envelope into it. “Please lift the pot from the cart,” he instructed.
Don tried to lift the pot with one hand, but it was too heavy. He placed the fairy wand on the cart so he could grab the container with both hands and place it on the floor. It weighed quite a bit and contained some sort of liquid.
“I cooked a little surprise for you,” Ben said, “and then I let it simmer for a week. Open the lid.”
Don did as instructed. A whiff of the stench caused both of them to step back.
Then Ben pulled a pair of handcuffs from his other pocket. “Hands behind your back,” he told Don with a calm and confident smile, as if saying, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Don was once again confused but continued to play along, as he desperately wanted to receive the letter. He felt uncomfortable in front of all those seated guests staring at him while wearing funny glasses and colorful hats.
Ben handcuffed Don’s hands behind his back, walked to the ghastly mixture, and dropped the sealed letter into it. “Now, all you have to do is fish the letter out and it’s all yours. And yes, you may only use your mouth.”
Don felt helpless. He looked at the pot in terror. Green mold floated on top of a brown, cold, and reeking liquid. He studied Ben, hoping he was kidding, but soon realized he wasn’t. He looked at the people in the hall, who were sitting leisurely in their ridiculous outfits.
Deep humiliation and anger rose in him. Why aren’t you helping me! a deep voice inside his stomach screamed silently.
The Light Between The Shadows Page 4