Cycle to revenge

                    CYCLE TO REVENGE

It was morning in the Adelaide Hills on a crisp clear autumn day. The fire season was over and the trees in the Hills were starting to show their autumn colours. It was the time of year that Mark liked most. He wheeled his bicycle out of the shed and started off on the forty-minute cycle ride to the gym where he worked as a fitness instructor. The feeling of the wind behind him propelling him down the hill was invigorating, almost exciting. Today he was on a mission and he felt like he was cycling down the hill of revenge. He pedalled faster and faster, his anger putting extra life into his legs.

Life had been good he thought even though the money he earned at the gym wasn't exactly going to propel him into the high tax bracket, he liked the work. Encouraging people to take responsibility for their health and motivate them was something with which he was proud. He had met some really inspirational people and once a month a group of them met at a restaurant near the gym to socialise and have a bit of a laugh.

Now the big blot on the horizon was his boss, the centre's director, Norman. As he cycled Mark thought about him. Norm had been in charge for over five years now, though Mark had only been working there for three. He hadn't been that keen on him when he went for the job interview, but had dismissed it as not relevant, really wanting to work in what otherwise seemed a really friendly atmosphere. For the first six months work had progressed smoothly. Mark was a Cross-Training Manager which covered roles from carrying out fitness tests, to setting fitness programmes and supervising the training room. As manager Mark also supervised a team of five cross-training instructors who set fitness programmes for motivated fitness centre members. Mark would relieve his staff when they were not available or on leave. One of Mark's many tasks had been to manage and oversee the indoor pool, testing disinfectant levels and ensuring the pool was hygienically safe. As a pedantic and fastidious man, experienced and qualified in Occupational Health and Safety he was quite particular in everything he did, feeling responsible to ensure the smooth running of the gym and the pool.

As he cycled he thought back to the day about 18 months ago when he had been supervising a group of women in the pool. He had checked the chlorine levels and discovered to his horror that they were not as they should be. Obviously the last person in charge of the pool session had not done their job properly. His mind had weaponized over what he should do, but his conscious told him that he must ask the women to evacuate the pool. So, he had gone to find Norman, alerting him to the problem. Norm had heard him out, but in his typical abrupt, rude manner dismissed the testing results as being “trivial and over exaggerated.”. Recognising the implacable look on his boss's face he realised he was between a rock and a hard place, so had returned to the pool feeling angry and deflated after Norm had told him that under no circumstances was he to evacuate the women from the pool.

That night he had talked things through with his wife. She had listened sympathetically, but had advised against taking things too much to heart, as was his want. He knew that she was right, but found it hard to follow that advice. However, the next day he had steeled himself to try and forget about yesterday, start afresh as it were. Unfortunately on arrival the first person he had bumped into was Norman who answered Mark's “Good Morning” with a chilly “Morning”.

Determined not to let that upset him Mark continued to the pool to check the levels of chlorine which to his relief were fine.

The next few weeks had passed by without incident and he had started planning a holiday to Tasmania, a walking and cycling tour which had been on his bucket list for ages. His wife was not keen, so he was going to join a group. He knew he had to be very fit, so had started to train in earnest and arrived at the gym earlier than his shift to make use of the pool and the cross training equipment.

Then one particular morning last month he was just leaving the gym after having done a rigorous aerobic work out and was about to go and have a shower before his shift started, he had heard a raised conversation coming from behind Norman's office door. He had recognised both Norman's voice and one of his colleagues. This particular colleague, a nice enough guy called Paul, seemed to be telling Norman that he had just checked his superannuation contributions and that nothing had been contributed by the employer for the last six months. Mark had moved as close to the door as practicable, aware that he could have to make a quick getaway. Norman was arguing that of course the super would be paid and that it was an error on behalf of the computer programme. Mark had made his escape on hearing Paul saying that he would keep an eye on his super account.

Feeling unable to tackle Paul just at that moment and wanting to check his own super account, Mark had gone off to take his shower. He had not been able to wait to get home to go into his own super account. Sure enough nothing had been paid in for the last six months. Mark knew this was illegal as employers were mandated to pay super to all their employees. He had decided to discreetly check with his other colleagues to see if they had the same problem. After about a week of checking with everybody, he had found that they were all in the same boat. He had suggested to them that they should meet with as many of them to discuss strategy.

After meeting in a local pub the group had decided to tackle what amounts to employer fraud head-on, but insisted that Mark be the spokesperson to approach Norman and immediately address staff complaints. This would entail demanding that the director retrospectively correct the super shortfalls and ensure that this situation does not happen again. A few beers later and with general agreement amongst them all, Mark had told them he would tackle Norman during his next shift.

So, now cycling down the hill he was preparing himself to go about this unenviable task. He hadn't slept very well the night before, waking up several times during the night, trying to convince himeslf to put it off for another week. However, when had woken this morning and looked at himself in the mirror over shaving, he knew that it had to be today.

He arrived earlier than usual at work, going straight to the coffee machine to make himself a short black . For courage and impetus, he told himself. After downing the coffee he went straight to Norman's office. He knocked on the door, steeling himself, for what he knew was going to be a tricky half hour. Eventually, after what seemed like ages, and he was just about to knock again, Norman yelled out, “Come in”.

One look at Norman's face and his opening remark and Mark knew that this conversation was not going to go well. “Well what do you want?” he said as he turned back to his desk. Mark launched into his prepared spiel which he had rehearsed many times, cycling to work. Mark was involved in community theatre so he knew how to put across a good pitch, but as he talked he could see and feel that Norman was not even doing him the courtesy of properly listening to him. As he finished Norman crossed his arms across his chest, always a sign of defence, took a few steps towards him, saying, “What right have you got to accuse me of this? Then answering his own question, “You have no right, you are just an employee here. I am the boss and I know what I am doing as far as Superannuation goes. We have had a problem with the computer programme. It will get fixed . Now go and start your shift”. He turned on his heels and left his office.

Mark felt shell shocked. How could this one man always have the upper hand and always, in Mark's opinion, be wrong. He slowly wendered his way back to the pool where he had a class starting in 20 minutes. He checked the levels that passed the test. 'Ok, thank goodness', then got organised for the class.

During his break he texted all the other workers, imparting the disappointing news that he had failed in his mission. As the day progressed his deep disappointment went and anger grew. “I am going to get him”, he vowed to himself. “I don't know how or when, but I will make him pay for his wrongs, his bullying and mismanagement of the centre”.

For about a month life at the gym went by without further incident. All the workers under Mark's secret text messaging and encouragement kept checking their super funds to see if they had been reimbursed, but still nothing.

Then one Monday morning, Mark had just arrived at work, when he received, what could only be construed as a summons, to immediately go to Norman's office. With a sense of trepidation he obeyed the directive to find an enraged Norman sitting behind his desk staring at a piece of paper in front of him. “What's the meaning of this?” his boss yelled at him and thrust the piece of paper into Mark's hands. On reading it, Mark felt sick. It was an email to Norman and the Centre management from one of his colleagues, Nigel.

Nigel was a bit younger than Mark, a bit of a 'love me do'. Good looking in that kind of slick way, thought he was God's gift to women and always flirting with the younger women who came to the gym. He was married, but Mark wouldn't have been surprised that Nigel was having a fling on the side. His suspicion was that it was with a very attractive 16 year old Hayley who had started coming in the last six months. She was now attending very regularly and always when Nigel was working. Mark had seen them closeted in corners together, laughing and flirting.

One evening just after nine, when the last pool session had finished Mark had left asking Nigel who was just putting the pool things away to lock the pool door. Normally Mark would have done this himself, but he was anxious to get home quickly to celebrate his wife's birthday. “Damn” he said to himself as he opened his car door, “Did I put the defibrillator away?” Being the conscientious type he knew he had to return and check. As he opened the door of the first aid room he came upon Nigel, kissing Hayley passionately pressing her up against the wall with her legs wrapped around Nigel's thighs, while his head was buried in her left breast. The shock on Hayley's face as she saw Mark was film worthy. Nigel's back was to the the door, so he hadn't seen him initially. Mark shut the door, went to his office, and immediately prepared an email to Norman about what he had seen. Not only was fraternising with the clients strictly forbidden, but Hayley was under age. He knew that this was not going to go down well with Norman, as Nigel was one of his favourites. He was also the only one of Mark's colleagues that had not been interested in the pursuing his superannuation shortfall, looking on at Mark as a bit of a pedant. However, he also knew he had a legal duty to report this as Hayley was under the age of consent.

Nigel's email was an explanation of this “incident”. According to him Hayley had been upset about something that had happened at home and he, was comforting her. “Bullshit!” Mark said, before he could stop himself. “They were kissing very passionately, I saw them”. Norman looked at him with such loathing on his face, saying, “I knew from the start that you were a trouble maker, always on about the chlorine levels, safety of equipment, the superannuation and now this. Well, that's it, you are dismissed”. “You can't do that” , Mark calmly replied. “Besides I will take this to my union. You are acting outside the law”. “Leave this building now, get out “Norman screamed, “take your belongings and you are not to return.”

Mark walked out with as much dignity as he could muster, giving the finger to the closed door as he exited Norman's office. He didn't collect his things, but went straight to see his Union Rep in the city. Luckily he had driven in this morning having a rehearsal commitment with his theatre group that night.

Luck, for once, was on his side and his Union Rep was able to see him. He explained the whole situation and was treated with respect and sympathy. After having filled in all the requisite forms, he left there, drove home to tell his wife what had transpired.

The next few weeks were quite a blur and if it wasn't for the support of his wife, family and some close friends in the theatre, Mark didn't know how he would have got through this awful time. What did propel him was his sense of justice and his desire to get revenge on Norman, not just for himself, but for all the other personnel whom Norman was hoodwinking and for the safety of the gym and pool patrons.

Eventually, the case came to trial, Mark was believed. Norman was asked to immediately reimburse the superannuation. Inspectors were sent to the centre to give it a complete health and safety check. The result of this was that the centre was closed down, being declared unsafe for use.

Mark never discovered what happened to Norman, but when he and his wife had their second child, a boy, his wife looked at him as she held their son in her arms, “What about Norman for his name?”, she said laughingly. The only way to respond to this was to do what Mark did , which was to kiss her lovingly on the mouth.