Keeping Promises

I checked the call time, two hours and 13 minutes. I sighed, this was a great deal for the company if I could get the buyers interested. It was hard though because it was 6 in the afternoon and the longer I kept working the more of my daughter’s school performance I would be missing. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands around the phone. I had promised that I would be there. I took a deep breath as my buyer turned on his camera and mic. I don’t know what happened but I think I heard young voices out of sight of the camera earlier and then he said he would be right back.  I sat up nice and straight and put on a big smile. 

“I think that this deal would be great, this package comes with lots of additional benefits for your company,” I said in a high-pitched friendly tone. I don’t know why I did that, sometimes my daughters would ask me why. I used to be an actor, I guess I was just getting into character. 

As the buyer began to speak the call dropped. For a second I sat there, kind of confused, still smiling. Then the program shut down and said across the screen, bad internet connection.

BAD INTERNET CONNECTION! I jumped up and grasped the computer monitor, nothing happens. I started tapping on the wifi box with a pencil, nothing happens. I was so horrified I could not even think tight. This interaction with the big CEO I was talking to was a big deal for the company. What could have caused such a thing! I looked outside to see some workers climbing the cell tower near my apartment. I was filled with shock. I ran to the window, and with a screeching halt pulled up the blinds, only to be blinded by an overly bright and obnoxious sunset, and then finally opened the persnickety window lock. I poked my head out. “WHAT’S GOING ON HERE!?” I shouted. Some neighbors walking on the sidewalks below me looked up and awkwardly looked away, I was making a big fuss but I had to fix this. The workers did not hear me, they had clunky black headphones on and their truck could have been part of a loud rock band if it weren’t only an engine. I grabbed my bag and slipped on my sandals. I grabbed my keys, I don’t know why I grabbed my keys, I just felt like I should. I flew through the door, out into the hall, and almost fell over the railing when I tripped on my heels. What a GREAT day this was, I moaned. When I reached the sidewalk, the people who were walking below me started to walk away and kept glancing at me. I suppose that I looked disoriented, and feeling embarrassed as I walked down to the workers I tried to calm down. When I walked up one of the people on the sidelines took off her headphones and walked up to me. “YOU CAN’T GO NEAR HERE, ITS NOT SAFE,” she yelled over the loud machinery. 

“WHEN WILL YOU BE FINISHED?” I screeched back, my throat was starting to hurt and feel tingly. 

“I DON’T KNOW IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE OF HOURS,”

Hours, I thought HOURS. I was hoping that I heard her wrong, misunderstood a simpler truth but there was no denying it. The deal was off. There was no way after a good bunch of hours and an eternity of struggle with the internet anyone would trust the brand. Even if it was the best, having the cell phone tower go down was not great when you were dealing with a busy person. I felt tense and found it hard to breathe, I have so much to get done and everything is falling apart! Most of my week’s work depended on this going right. I could not bear the thought of sitting on the couch till the cell tower was fixed, if only I could do all of this on my phone, but everything I needed was on my computer. I started to walk back towards the stairs, the sun had set and there was a gloomy air in the buildings around me. Maybe it was just my imagination but I think the clouds started to cover the moon. I checked my phone, it was 6:20. I had almost forgotten with all this stress, my daughter’s big performance. I rushed to the car, thankful for grabbing the keys. If I rushed I could make it there with 10 minutes left. I was there for all her hard practice. Having the lead role was no minor feat. And tonight was the parents showing, my little 12-year-old was waiting for me. She probably was looking for me in the crowd. I could not stand the thought of her disappointed face, her tears. I had promised to be there for her and almost turned my back on her. As I was driving towards her school I realized that the quick pause the CEO took, with the young voices, he likely had kids too. I realize how I worked so hard, allowing all this stress to pile up, all this work when there were more things to life than just that. I looked back on all the times I had to turn down my daughters due to work, and being busy. Glued to my screen right in front of their eyes but unavailable. Sure maybe I was making some cash but what was I getting out of this? My eyes scanned the parking lot for an empty spot as I pulled up towards the theater entrance of the large schoolhouse. As I looked around I noticed the many cars there were. All those working parents made the time to come, I should have too. This large realization helped me notice, all that time on my screen did no good to my mental health, and it also harmed my kids, my entire family. As I got out of the car I looked forward to being a better parent, I wanted to be there for my kids. I knew I had a lot of work to do when I got home, but I knew I needed to be there, so I walked towards the door. Who would have thought having the internet drop on an important call would have randomly helped me realize so much.