The Last Three Days

Gabriella's face showed signs of fatigue, worry and sleeplessness. She had to meet a deadline to acquire a sale worth millions of dollars. She had tried her best to convince her client, but to no avail. So, she requested her boss Mr. Harvey to extend the time by three more days to see if she could crack that million-dollar deal. He was not impressed by her request because he thought that Gabriella would not be able to perform a miracle in three days. After much thought however, he considered granting her request, taking in the fact that Gabriella was a single mother with twin toddlers and a mother who had taken ill recently. Nevertheless, he made it clear to her that she was wasting her time and his as well.

Gabriella knew that she had to keep herself going. She was grateful to her boss for his kind gesture knowing the person he was - a taskmaster in short, indifferent to the fact that his employees had to live their own personal lives. At the same time, she knew that this sale if channelized in the right direction would pitch her company's profit to the next level. It all depended on how she was going to deal with her client. Her prudence and careful judgement would help her sail through this situation.

On her way back home that day, she dropped in at Bailey's to do some hurried grocery shopping. Gabriella pushed open the door gently and walked to the nearby racks and drew her fingers in the air over the things she urgently needed. She was in a hurry and had no time to waste. Suddenly she heard a thud. She turned around to see what had happened. She could not see what was happening because a crowd gathered quickly. She presumed that someone must have fainted. She was eager to take a quick look but a glance at her watch told her she had no time for that and hence busied herself getting the things she wanted and pushed her cart down the aisle. Just as she neared the counter, the crowd began to wane, and she could see a woman in her mid-forties being helped by two people to stand to her feet. It was obvious that she had fainted and was now reviving. Ensuring that she was able to steady herself, the two decided to leave. She heard her thanking them, but Gabriella guessed that she was still not quite herself to be left alone. She knew the value of time especially in a medical emergency. She remembered how she had lost her father who collapsed at the porch and due to lack of immediate medical assistance, the doctors could not save him. It was a hard lesson that she had learnt. She made up her mind to at least enquire if she was fine.

Gabriella walked up to her and said, “Excuse me lady, are you alright? Do you need help?” The woman was grateful and held out her hand. Time was running out for Gabriella. She had to visit her sick mother and pick up her two kids from the daycare center. Her boss' words earlier that day rang clearly in her ears. She was torn between her urge to help and her commitments. But a voice at the back of her mind told her that someone was in need of help that day, and she could not turn away. So, she said to the woman, “Are you alone? Is there someone with you?” The woman replied that she was not feeling quite good that afternoon. But she thought a small outing would make her feel better. She had come alone, she added. Gabriella understood that the woman wouldn't be able to drive home by herself. She quickly took out her phone and called Melissa the daycare help and told her that she would be an hour late in picking up her kids as she was caught up in an emergency. Then turning to the woman who had fainted, she offered to drop her home and if necessary, drive her down to the hospital. The woman was overwhelmed by her kindness and said that she would always be grateful. She then introduced herself: “I’m Adela.” Gabriella said, “Hi Adela! I'm Gabriella, now let’s go.”

Gabriella gathered her groceries and helped her pay her bill. They next headed straight to the hospital. She stayed with her until the doctor ruled out anything serious. “She's only dehydrated,” he said. “A good night's sleep and plenty of water and fluids was all she requires to get back to normalcy.” Though Adela was already feeling better and was confident to take a cab home, Gabriella would have none of it. She insisted upon driving her home to ensure her safety.

They reached Adela’s house in a quarter of an hour where Gabriella took a perfect swerve down the avenue into the driveway. Adela got down and sticking her head into the car window, she invited her to come home sometime later, understanding that it was too late to call her inside. Moreover, her little children would be waiting for her. Adela was eager to know what she did for a living. Gabriella quickly said that she worked for Brentwood Systems and started to move on. She couldn't wait for a reply but as she maneuvered out of the driveway, she could hear Adela saying, “Oh! That's where my husband works. Bye Gabriella and thanks for being so caring.”

Gabriella did not return that goodbye for she had other things running on her mind. Reminding herself that she had only three days left for the big day, she sped off towards her destination. Things went well for Gabriella over the next few days. Her mother recovered and her two adorable kids coped wonderfully well as if they understood what their mother was going through. Gabriella was now able to focus on her job. She muttered to herself, “Mr. Harvey, I'm coming for you.”

Fulfilling the demands of her job was not new to her. She was a go-getter and born of sterner stuff. Keeping her mind on the deadline, she prioritized her work concentrating on her sales pitch. There were two days more to go, and she was excited. Everything was in perfect order. She had done all that she could to get that deal going again. It was just too huge to let go of. A lot of sacrifice and painstaking efforts went into this bargain. She was going to prove to her boss what she was capable of.

At last, the day had come. The client called her and confirmed the order. She could not believe what she heard. He said that he was eager to do business with her company and that he was immensely pleased with Gabriella's new approach and strategy. She was speechless. She was on cloud nine. She had done it. Now there was nothing to stop her. However, she decided to keep it a secret and make the big announcement on the day when every team in the office was supposed to present their reports, which happened to coincide with her deadline.

Monday morning saw Gabriella in fine spirits. She dashed off cheerfully to the daycare to drop her kids. Her mother was doing fine and that gave her a big relief. Next, she headed straight to her office. All she could think of was the afternoon’s meeting and a happy song escaped her lips. She lowered the mirror and looked at herself. She looked exceptionally beautiful that day. But she did not want anyone to suspect anything. Even the heavy traffic on an unusually busy highway could not take her spirits away and with her excellent driving skills she tactfully maneuvered her car between speeding vehicles. She wanted to be in the office before her boss could arrive. She entered the parking area and as she steered the wheel, she could see Mr. Harvey's car rolling in behind her. She smiled to herself. He parked his car next to hers. She got out and looked in his direction, and there he was holding the steering wheel with one hand and waving out to her with another. She returned his greeting with a handwave and a smile. She was careful not to reveal her excitement.

Looking at her not-so-happy face, Mr. Harvey thought that she was going to let him down at the meeting and so he planned to give her a piece of his mind. “More than a million-dollar deal,” he thought, “How could she let it slip out of her hands!” At that moment he remembered his wife mentioning about someone called Gabriella who worked in his office, who had gone out of her way to drop her at home after taking her to see the doctor when she passed out at the grocery store a few days ago. Though he appreciated her timely help, he was not going to spare her for disappointing him. “What could anyone do in three days?” he thought. In his anger he banged the car door and walked towards the elevator. He looked for Gabriella, but she was gone. “She must have felt guilty and vanished from my sight,” he thought. “She cannot hide from me anyway, she must report to me this afternoon,” he said to himself.

Mr. Harvey was right. Gabriella was in a hurry as she had to get things ready for the meeting in the afternoon at three o'clock and hence had not waited for him. After lunch, everything was ready at the conference hall. Most of the employees were present. Mr. Harvey was also there. He was waiting for the moment when Gabriella would hang her head in shame and apologize for not making the most of the time he had given her to secure the deal. Just as he was musing on his fantasy, Gabriella walked in. Wearing a white, wide-collared blouse, tucked in a red flared skirt and matching shoes, her laptop held closely to her bosom, she looked the perfect picture of poise and confidence. “How dare she hold her head high,” thought Mr. Harvey.

The meeting began with a short introduction by the emcee. He went on to list the names of those who would be presenting their reports. Gabriella's name was read out the last. She had requested him to do so. At the meeting, everyone did their best. Mr. Harvey seemed to be pleased. But he was not prepared for what was coming next.

It was now Gabriella's turn. He looked at her, threw up his arms and said mockingly, “Now Gabriela, tell us what you have in store.” Gabriella arose from her seat and opened her laptop as she walked towards the podium without the slightest hesitation. Looking at the audience, she began. “Well, Mr. Harvey, ladies and gentlemen, I know you have been waiting for this moment as much as I. Though it is not as we expected”, she paused deliberately. Everyone knew that she was working on this deal. Mr. Harvey thought, “I know Gabriella, it's all over.” She brought him back to his senses with what she had to tell him next. “So, this is how it has played out, Mr. Harvey,” she addressed him directly. “I've closed the deal for two million dollars. And it doesn’t stop there! The client has expressed interest in working with our company for the next five years, meaning it would amount to more than a whopping ten million dollars.” Everyone was wide-eyed. Mr. Harvey was dumbstruck. “I know what this would mean for us not only in terms of profit but also in terms of our credibility in the market.” She went on, citing facts and figures. Having finished, she closed her laptop and went back to her seat.

A thunderous applause exploded and everyone started congratulating her. Gabreilla acknowledged the felicitation modestly. The joyous outbreak turned to quietness shortly as it was time for Mr. Harvey to speak. He stood up and brought his hands together making a slow but firm clap. He cleared his throat and said, “I’m...I'm ecstatic, Gabriella. I must admit you are a one-of-a-kind employee. This is outstanding! Balancing work and home perfectly, you have proved that nothing is impossible for you.” There was loud clapping again.

Then, addressing the crowd, Mr. Harvey said, “Well, let me tell you something that no one knows. Gabriella also has a great sense of responsibility. Had it not been for her, my wife would have found it difficult to get back home while she was shopping in a local grocery store a couple of days ago. She blacked out suddenly and it was Gabriella who had come to her rescue.” Everyone in the hall now looked at Gabriella. They were surprised. She hadn't even told her best friend, Janet about this. How could anyone be so humble, they thought. “Thank you, Gabriella. You are indeed a wonderful woman.”

Nothing that anyone said mattered to Gabriella. She was just glad her hard work had paid off. She went back to her desk and resumed her work as if nothing had happened.

Soon it was 5 o'clock and gradually people started leaving. Mr. Harvey too got up to leave. He passed by Gabriella's desk. He saw her still working. “Closing time Gabriella, save the rest for tomorrow,” he called out to her. “In a minute” she said. As she was winding up, she could see him turning back. He walked towards her saying, “Please call over this weekend. Maybe we could have lunch. My wife is an excellent cook...bring your kids, she would certainly love to have their company.” Gabriella acknowledged him politely. “Thank you, Mr. Harvey, but I have plans this weekend. I'll call over sometime later.” “Oh! That's fine Gabriella, maybe sometime later,” he said and headed towards the door. Gabriella's eyes followed him for a few seconds until he was gone. She shook her head in disbelief. With a smirk on her face, she shut down her computer.