The boy next desk
“Am I new?”How dare this newbie ask that when I have been in this call center for almost three years! And everyone thinks he is so funny and friendly! I can’t help my annoyed thoughts ramble on and on.
“Are you talking to me?” I retorted back, then immediately left my seat before he could answer. Usually I don’t get affected by unthinking boys and those deliberately trying to act stupid just to look cute. But there is an air of entitlement, arrogance and smug in the way he asked me that got into my nerves.
Days pass and this new “boy” (he became a “boy” to me now because he pissed me off), continuously sits beside whichever computer I choose. He sits beside me but has never asked help from me yet, even though he only came out from product training and I am a tenured employee. Is he really that good at work or is he trying to show everyone that he is, I mused as I was finishing my latest caller notes.
“Hey Jay, break is only 15 minutes wanna come with us outside?”, Jojo a teammate asked this newbie sitting beside me. Jojo’s wife is also a tenured agent like me, and is my wavemate back 2008 when this call center started here in Iloilo. “Dina, do you want to join us outside?”, Jojo turned to invite me. “No thanks Jo, I still need to wrap up some callbacks”.
Jojo and his beautiful wife are nice and friendly people. They can charm anyone they are talking to – Jojo with his wit and jokes while his wife with her good looks and sweet demeanor. Something off happened right now.
Jojo never invites me to hang out with them during breaks because they go to the smoking area to smoke. Now they all know that I do not smoke, so why all of a sudden, did he ask me to join them? Don’t get me wrong, I am civil and diplomatic to all my officemates, and I sincerely love a good laugh every now and then.
But I am not “darling of the crowd” like Jojo’s wife. I scowl and look like a hit man in a rush to complete his kill list before the day ends – as once described by a friend. To be honest, I know that most people avoid me for being weird or edgy.
I once slapped a former mom officemate for touching my butt and the front of my pants. Everyone was shocked because that woman was “only joking” and she touches everyone’s genitals when she is playful and everyone is ok with it. Well I’m not! She should be thankful I did not report her for sexual harassment or acts of lasciviousness.
So yeah, my office mates might not like me and may think I’m a war freak. My thoughts drifted as I was beside the office photocopier to get my papers reproduced. It’s been 10 minutes and the operator is nowhere to be found.
I was starting to be irritated and anxious as I needed to get back on my calls asap, when Jay the newbie walked up to me and asked if I needed help. “What are you going to do, look for the operator? I already did and no one knows where he is”, I retorted. Jay took my papers, opened the photocopier and said: “I can photocopy them for you”
To be continued…
#ILV #InLoveWithAVaper
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