"May the Best Man Win"

Paul Ingram shook from fear as the semi truck's trailer walls closed on him. He wanted to flee, run away, and hide from the trauma he had endured. However, his moral consciousness was stronger. "You won't leave your coworker, will you?! You won't let him suffer!" 

Paul squeezed his ears closed and shut his eyes, counting to 10, drowning out his coworker's grunts of pain. It did not work. Instead, words echoed from the man sprawled on the ground, muttering, "Help! I-I am dying...

"SNAP OUT OF IT, PAUL! This ridiculous danger of death is all in my head, and you can't help what happened!"    

Shaking terribly, Paul took deep breaths as he leaned back on the trailer's icy metallic wall, feeling the metal absorb body heat from his neck and forearms.

Paul needed this cold, for the sting of icy cold soothed the debilitating thoughts from his head. "What would my old trainer think of me now? Could I ever be as good as you, Lemonte?"

Suddenly, Lemonte's redeeming voice entered Paul's mind. "It's alright, Pauly. Just relax and breathe, then you'll be OK."  

"Hey Paul, what's the matter with ya? You feelin' alright? You hurtin' or something?"

"I'm good; I'm good, Ronaldo. Thanks for asking. Keep stacking the boxes on the pallet as I taught you." 

"It's Giraldo! How many times I gotta tell ya, there's no "R" in the front of my name!"  

By God, Paul hated this young kid's hot-headed temperament. Despite how much Paul liked the Chicago accent, his voice was too loud.

Paul placed his arms behind his back, still shaky from a near mental breakdown. 

"Geraldo, you seem upset about me calling you the wrong name. I am not doing it on purpose, so please cut me some slack."

There was a need to avert a loud argument for Paul. To do that, Paul needed to make Rinaldo acknowledge his anger by starting with the "you seem upset" statement.  

The hothead replied, "My sympathies. Still, call me by my name; this whole "Ronaldo" thing annoys me."

"I'll do that. If I slip up, which I don't think I will, sorry in advance."

"Yeah, I'll take you for the "no slip-ups."  

With those words, Geraldo walked up the industrial plastic staircase at a snail's pace, as he did all night. Then, after temporarily losing his balance, he unenthusiastically continued his job, lazily stacking a lengthy box on his heaped pallet.   

Something more than Geraldo's lack of respect angered Paul, although this slight was not the trainee's fault. This time it was his own. If he did not let go of his past, continuing to blame himself for his lack of judgment in people and leadership skills, he would look weak.

While Geraldo slowly worked, Paul let his mind wander to the years ago when he worked at another company, Schultz International. There, Paul excelled in his work.  

Reminiscing, Paul remembered a shipping trainer position would have earned him a six-dollar-an-hour pay bump. From there, a future in management would be inevitable, helping him pay off a sizable student loan. 

However, had Paul started the company when it opened its door, he would have refused the opportunity or work for the company.

Several years before Paul started at Schultz, the major retail chain decided to outsource its shipping needs in retaliation for its employees wanting to Unionize.  

It did not matter how often the retailer terminated employees and shuffled people to different departments. Eventually, the Family-Mart retailer knew it was only a matter of time before forcibly having to pay their workers higher wages, thus considerably losing their stock value. 

Family Mart had to act fast. So first, family-Mart corporates found a reputable trucking company eager to expand its business into shipping. That way, The outsourcing company would have competent overseers or their shipping department with a lower contract number. 

Consequently, after some negotiations, the Schultz trucking company seized the contract favorable to Family Mart. Paul later learned that due to Schultz's deal, the eager Schultz company was forced to cover losses by taking profits from their trucking company.

Although Schultz had secured a coveted deal with the largest retailer in the world, some issues needed to be resolved, the first of them would be to root out those who were likely to Unionize at their company.  

Such a task proved straightforward, but that solution provided a major problem for Schultz's limited budget. Moreover, replacing employees of Family-Mart wanting to unionize were capable of making the problematic quotas would cause unimagined consequences.  

Although illegal drug dealings happened with Family-Mart's former employees, the consequences of Schultz's hiring practices worsened those problems.

Schultz thought overhiring vast amounts of former prison inmates not only shut out the necessary legal Unionists' votes but also guaranteed state and Federal tax relief and found enough employees willing to work. Such a tactic mathematically worked on paper, but...

Schultz did not provide adequate drug screening, and because of that, the local authorities regularly pulled over Schultz employees. The cops were successful in their search and seizure, thus damaging the trucking company's reputation.  

Paul's future employer, Schultz, responded to their damaged reputation by implementing one of the strictest drug screening tests: the hair test. As a result, any commonly used drug would take weeks, if not years, to leave a person's system. Therefore, this test successfully deterred future no-do-gooder employees at out-of-pocket expenses.

There was one last hurdle to clean a tarnished reputation, and fortunately for Schultz, they had a second-to-none human relations team to handle their dilemma. The group contributed to charities in their warehouse's town and vicinity. Also, the company profited from local restaurants by allowing vendors in the warehouse. 

From the ranks of hired prison inmates came Ronaldo Henderson. 

He always lived by the motto, "Life is yours for the taking. Seize your opportunity before someone else does."  

Such a wise value has different meanings for people. Ronaldo knew the best way to "seize" opportunities was by stealing them.  

Thieving was natural for the suave Porto Rican, especially regarding women. But, first, his silk tongue distracted a saleswoman while an accomplice walked away with thousands of stolen merchandise.  

Later, he liked to take unsuspecting women on cheap dates, followed by a night of passionate exploits. Finally, Rinaldo would compensate for his exploits by staying the night and copying, then committing identity theft from a women's credit card numbers.

But, as much he liked the easy con, he preferred the rush of breaking into homes, lucrative or otherwise. Then, finally, his crime spree was at an end. After impregnating a woman he conned, Ava Lewis, a sassy blond from an upper-middle-class home, he found himself in a jail cell. Besides robbing her of a perfect credit score, he denied her unborn child a father.

After serving three of seven years in prison for burglary, he persuaded the parole board to grant him his limited freedom for the sake of his son. But, as long as he reported to his parole officer and kept his nose clean, he would be a free man living the American dream.  

He did not know what hurt more, him not finding decent paying honest work or the woman he wanted to marry wanting nothing to do with him unless he found steady employment.  

He was at wit's end until he found a night shift job at Schultz with modest pay and career opportunities unavailable for convicts elsewhere.

After outlasting thousands of applicants, like Paul Ingram, Rinaldo Henderson earned the right to stay forty hours a week while being hand-picked for overtime. Still, while wringing his savings, Ronaldo could barely afford child payments and rent without a second job.

When a lucrative training position paying an extra six dollars an hour opened, he lived by the motto, "Life is yours for the taking. Seize your opportunity before someone else does."  

It did not matter what happened to that someone else.

Paul Ingram cringed when a coworker lost his job due to a zero-tolerance computer error. On the other hand, management was fiendishly efficient in following procedures regarding disciplinary action, no matter how well in good standing you were.

However, another man concealed a triumphant smile as another likely candidate for the lucrative training position joined the many seeking unemployment benefits.  

Stealthily Rinaldo Henderson provided means to carry out his dirty deeds. After promising other new hires opportunities for their advancement, he discovered who the following candidates were to take the position.  

From the information provided, he made a list of names of people that needed to find career opportunities elsewhere. Next, he made a list of how to make them lose their jobs.  

6. Finn Birmingham: moved to this town to move in with an online girlfriend. I persuaded him not to report a minor injury, which later turned more serious, then terminated.

5. John Kristakes: He wanted to help pay medical costs for his brother. I timed it where we discussed being pro-Union when the building supervisor entered the building. I naturally was against Unions. Eventually, he quit.

4. Teagan Russ. She wanted to start a family but waited for a training position opportunity. I "lost" her 1-19 on the P.E. Automatically terminated

3. Jill Kelly- Another former prison inmate was changing her Life. Getting her fired took months of skilled planning, but I found a way to look like she falsely increased productivity.

2. Willy Mayers, in his early fifties looking for a chance to move up and have enough money to date. I told him I would log out of his computer, but I didn't. He was terminated.

1. Paul Ingram: ????

"I can't get him fired!" The ex-convict confided to one of the new hiree cronies.   

"You don't have to get him fired, replied the new hiree. Make sure I get better freight to load, and I'll help you."  

The first thing Rinaldo Henderson did when he got home was call his girlfriend, telling her, "The job is as good as mine." Soon, I'll earn enough money to support you through honest work." 

Ava took a deep breath. "I want to believe you."

"Don't tell me you are listening to your parents!" I'm busting my ass, and still, they think I'm a loser!"

Rinaldo shook as he heard his son crying in the background.

Sternly Ava replied with a projected demand that shocked Rinaldo. "You're hanging out with your two-bit hustling friends! So, I'm going to be blunt. You better make good on this promotion. If you don't, you'll hear from a pricey lawyer ensuring you won't be in your son's Life; understand me?! 

"Hey, that's bull! I have...

"Goodbye, Ronaldo."  

"Ahhhhhh!!!! Ronaldo shouted out curses when the mother of his child blocked him. Then, he threw anything not nailed in his apartment.  

"Thank you for trying to help, but I can handle my job!"  

"Hey, hey, relax, Paul. I'm making sure you didn't forget to scan the labels. Remember what happened to Jill?!  

Paul smacked his hand on the computer table, staring into the almond-colored eyes of his coworker.  

"I'm tired of being nice to you, so I'm going to be blunt. Leave me alone!" 

In response, Paul's rival played the concerned friend well. "Bro, I'm worried about you. I noticed you've been tired lately. You forgot to punch out the other day, lost your punch card again, and were late.

Paul squinted his eyes. Something about the guy bothered him of late, and it was more than his overprotective behavior. He talked to him more during lunch, despite knowing Paul liked to eat in peace.

"Between you and me, Ronaldo would say, everyone, deserves a raise. Don't you want to take years off your student loan payments?"

"Our company can't afford to pay any more, and besides, I received news about a promotion."  

"Oh, congratulations, Ronaldo said with a benign smile. Are you sure about this?"

Paul was a nice guy, but he had not been naive. There was no need to rely on his psychology classes to sense the jealousy in the younger man.

After biting a mouthful off an apple, Paul replied coyly, "I'm sure I'll be getting the position. Our trainer Lemont recommended me to upper levels of management, and I was told I would get a trial run next week."

Rinaldo was shocked at the news. Last week, their direct supervisor approached him, saying, "Rinaldo, I think you would be suitable for the trainer position, and I'm not the only one saying this, too. The supervisor continued, it would have been Willy, but he messed up signing out of his computer."

"Thank you for the opportunity, responded the saboteur. 

Wait, hold on a moment. You're not in the clear yet. Other supervisors want to pick Paul. Still, I think you have a better shot at it."

Rinaldo leaned back on the rough fiberboard seat, looking away from the coworker in front of him, with a tear rolling down his cheek. "Wow, I don't know what to say. Congratulations."

"Thank you." There was nothing else Paul could say unless to boast or give sympathies.  

"Excuse me. I gotta go." With that, Ronaldo took his pizza and the can of soda, then left to finish his lunch in his car.

It was evident to Paul that his former trainer was responsible for Paul receiving the lucrative position along with the pay. Lemonte denied his involvement by recommending Paul, but gossip has a way of getting around. 

After the shift's end, Ronaldo Henderson fumed. He shouted curses and ways he could hurt Paul. "Maybe I could get a buddy to take a pipe to his knees."  

He didn't break Paul's legs. Instead, he did everything he could to sabotage his position. To do that, Ronaldo used his charisma to befriend new hires.  

"Listen, with Paul out of the way. I am next in line to be the trainer. I Guarantee you, Chuck, and Lindsay a permanent position. What do you say?"

The new hires agreed and bade whatever Ronaldo asked.

"No, no, you need to sticker each box on the widest, flattest side and off the tape!"

Like Ronaldo, Lindsay was Puerto Rican. However, he was slightly overweight with a baby face and younger. Besides that, he had a soft voice, making his veiled sarcasm infuriating for Paul.

"I'm going to start from the beginning. First, scan the yellow label that says trip start. After that, write down the freight container numbers on the bottom right of the data tracker number. Write down all six numbers, not the last six of this routing number on the bottom left!"

"Mr. Ingram, you're confusing me! Do I put the scan label on the box?"

"No!"  

"If I'm unsure what side the sticker's barcode is supposed to go, could I do this?" Lindsay placed a label on the crease on the top and middle of the box.   

"No! For the love of God, we've been going over this for three days now!

Ronaldo approached. "Hold on; I can take it from here."  

"Be my guest." Ronaldo and Lindsay smirked at Paul as he walked away.

Later that night, Paul's supervisor invited him to his office.  

"Paul, you are one of the hardest workers I have ever seen, but you are not management material. I've been told by the other new hire you were struggling to teach him basic loading techniques."

Before Paul could get a word in, his supervisor gave him a devastating decision. I'm sorry, but I must give Ronaldo a shot at the training position. Also, it pains me to say this, but there have been other complaints about how you handled yourself with the trainees."

"What do you mean?"

"They have been telling me that you have been treating them differently."  

"What? That is a lie! I treat everyone with respect!"  

"I'm on your side, Paul. I'm not sure others will be, though. Anyways, I wanted to be the one to tell you that."

I appreciate you telling me this." After a few more words, Paul got out of his chair and proceeded back to work. But, at the first opportunity, he decided to confront Ronaldo.

"Hello there."  

Paul startled his saboteur.  

"What do you want, Paul?  

"You know what I want! I want a confession that you had Chuck and Lindsay tell lies about me!"  

Chuckling, Ronaldo stepped outside his trailer, ensuring no one was listening.

"Listen, bro, it's over for you. It doesn't matter what I confess."  

"It matters to me!"  

Scoffing, Ronaldo grabbed boxes from a pallet, then ran up the thick plastic steps with a sizable crack. Paul noticed the stairs slip every time Ronaldo ascended.

"I said confess!"

Ronaldo kicked the stairs to the right, centering himself on loading safely. Unfortunately, he was forced to extend his hands over his head, which made him unstable.

"You ain't recording me, huh? You would be fired for bringing a recorder in here. Fine, I'll confess this to you: After tonight, you're going to be fired for racist remarks and then sell everything you have to pay off your sizable student loans."

"You son of a!"  

"Ha, good luck finding a job like Finn, John, Teagan, Jill, and Willy!"

"YOU! YOU GOT THEM FIRED!"  

"Prove it! Who's going to believe a racist like you?! After you're gone, I'm getting the promotion while you... ARGH!" 

In a rage, Paul kicked the stairs, knocking Ronaldo on the steel floor while heavy boxes fell on him. His body trembled from shock as a pool of blood flowed from his head.

"What have I done?!" Paul fled the trailer, knowing the consequences. No one noticed him leave the trailer, where a young man was. 

After investigation, it was found his death was deemed an accident, and Schultz international was forced to settle a vast amount of money to the mother of his child.