The Nomads Awakening

Joe's eyes crept open like an old roll-up shade. The phone erupted as he fought to get his sense of direction: another hotel room, another day. Morning confusion. It should never be a part of this never-changing routine of getting out the door. His dreams, however, are becoming more explicit and longer, and sitting at the edge of the bed, Joe runs his head through his long gray hair, pondering the reasons for them always ending just when the alarm goes off. He forced himself to get into the shower, and while the water imitated a rainstorm drenching his body, he contemplated the days that lay before him on this excursion. It was also his birthday, which, like the others, was not something special. His company didn't even acknowledge it even though it was his fiftieth—to Joe, it was just another milestone he would be crossing. He had to get to the airport on time because only one flight was scheduled to this part of the South Pacific this week. We knew this because he had been on this flight many times before, all to keep one company's customer in their grip.

Eight hours later, Joe arrived and looked to find his driver. He arrived early, so he took in his surroundings, something he had never done before. There were strange songs of birds in the palms just outside the airport exit door, but he focused more this time on what was once just a cacophony and found a complex melody in their music that was continuously repeated. He somehow felt rejoiced in this discovery. For the first time, the wonderful smell of the tropics and the sun's warmth made him appreciate what life could provide him. The sales trip was Joe's seventh trip here; Joe had thought he wanted to get this done quickly because this time had more unpleasant outcomes for most people. Jobs would be lost and lives interrupted; he wanted this trip to be his last. He got his luggage and walked to his chauffeured limousine. 

"Hello, Mr. Bryant. I'm glad you have arrived safely again," said the driver as he grabbed his bag. 

Joe kept his brown leather briefcase close at hand because of the high-value information inside and because it was the one gift he had always cherished—a gift from his first and only wife twenty years ago. Janice divorced him after only ten years, which deeply saddened him. Joe never rebounded from this and soon found a position in his company that nobody wanted, a place where he could lose himself. Since then, the routine has stayed the same. Even this driver is the same, Thomas, always cheerfully greeting him off to another bleak and mundane business adventure. 

The car was spotless as usual, smelling of sandalwood and leather. When he opened his window, as expected, the floral fragrance engulfed him, immediately sending him to another life like what he dreamed about this morning: real friends and lovers and a life unencumbered with fake embraces and conversation—life as it was meant to be lived. While driving to his hotel, Joe started to realize that what he was now contemplating was that his life, now fifty, was nowhere what he thought it should be. He found that he was just a lonely man who was now beyond a point he could find satisfaction. He was now embedded and cemented, and Joe's search for joy was forever lost. Bleak and desperate, he has now become.

He had a dinner meeting with the CEO of Sharmen, Inc. again. Joe never understood precisely what they did, but it involved telecommunications, espionage, and finding possible terrorists by listening to conversations and pulling certain words out that fell into an algorithm. The irony was that Joe was selling software related to human resources, not anything as noteworthy as spying. His vetting to sell to Sharmen was long and tedious, but once done, Joe was as welcome as his large entertainment account. This CEO liked to be entertained. 

"I always look forward to your visit," said Thomas Kim, cutting into his Kobe steak. Joe watched the meat release its juices like a severed vein. "Tomorrow morning, we will discuss this new program you emailed me about. You have already made me a champion among the board members with all the employee expenses we've eliminated, and you say you can do more? This is indeed very exciting."

He knew he would not refuse him anything tonight; this would be the last free evening. Joe had already decided. A long night and a morning headache were in store, just like the previous few trips. But it ends here.

To get here, besides the long trips followed by the numerous presentations, Joe's company sold him a software program that allowed Thomas to cut his human resource department in half. Most employees can now have most of their issues taken care of with a few clicks on the app. He was now here to ensure that Thomas would not drop the expensive monthly fees for a competitor, who has a program to offer for less, and maybe sign on to the new update, eliminating the entire HR department. Keeping Sharmen on the books is why he was here: a long night of eating and drinking, another night that made him anxious and unhappy, masking his real feelings and faking his excitement like a closet gay at a bachelor party. Joe could already see how the night would go: the last stop, a strip club, and back to his hotel at three am. Tomorrow, he had to get up and give another presentation. He had in his hands a new achievement for his company. The program can eliminate the entire department. To the HR workers at Sharmen, it was a large, ominous poison pill that would forever change their lives. Joe had to keep that smile and pretend this night was one of the best; Joe would never be able to walk away from this place without acknowledging the lives he would change, the power he had to do this, and the knowledge of knowing he wouldn't be an unknown—his worst fear.

The boss was gone somewhere with two ladies, another expense he was expected to cover. Mira spotted him and was soon sitting next to him in a booth. The offer of a free drink was all it took. Joe had just one drink, his usual limit; this allowed him to discover that there was something different about Mira. He listened while she talked over the loud booming music. She treated Joe like a normal person and showed genuine interest in what he did. She had a deep, clear voice that came across as genuine. Joe felt this. She made him feel like a regular person with something to offer. She was interested in him.

She looked at Joe with large, brown, sad eyes, smelling of perfume and shampoo. A drink was being sucked dry with a thin straw, making her work. She was striking to Joe, even without an alcohol-induced haze. The fact that she was wearing next to nothing meant nothing to Joe. Her flawless features were just one part of her overall makeup. Joe felt being next to her got a connection to a living soul and human sensations and emotions for the first time in many years. This was not just because she was so attractive. The conversations lasted through the night and into the hotel room. 

Thank God the conversation strayed away from work. She talked about her personal life. She has a ten-year-old boy whom her mother watches. 

"What brings you out this far from home?" She asked, "You must have some important job."

"I am here doing company business with Sharman. I am out here quite often."

"Oh my, I used to work for that company for many years." She said, "They paid for my college education, and then not soon after, they let me go. I never forgave them." she said. "The CEO was a real mean person to all the women."

And then the hammer came down. "Everybody liked me, and I took care of everyone at work, all employees. I was head of the human resources department. There were constant issues about losing their passes to get in, undocumented absences, and health care questions," she said. I treated everyone equally, and this is my reward. Somebody flies in from a different country, takes him to dinner, and offers the boss something too good to refuse."

I called an Uber for her, and we sat in the vacant lobby. The lights were dimmed, and a few cleaners were vacuuming the area for tomorrow morning's new arrivals. The sun was peaking over the shrubs that outlined the drive. Somehow, she appeared rested even though we had never slept; when it arrived, we hugged, and I thought about a new trip here later just for pleasure, something I had never done. Without a trace of emotion, she turned and said before she entered the Uber,

"Please don't make that final presentation. My sister needs that job. I can make do with what I have, but I think deep down you are a good person who just needs a chance to prove to himself that he is. Thanks for the nice evening," She looked at him, winked, smiled, and drove off.