The Grey World

“You smell the blood, don’t you? This iron heavy scent beckons you, while dangling white-meat legs try to find the invisible ladder and escape from here. But there are no ladders in our world, right my friend? We…”

- Boss, it is … emm… time! – a lady’s umbrella-shaped head appeared in the narrow door chink. Her tiny jellyfish eyes glanced at the majestic figure of the Boss who was holding a tiny toy-shark in one hand and a tin soldier in another– Are you … emm… playing with toys again?

The Boss flinched and dropped the items on the red-wood table. The ringing tin sound filled the room and suddenly stopped as the giant Boss’ hands covered the source of the sound. 

- They are … emm… in the conference room. – The jellyfish head waited for a second and after receiving a short nod slowly disappeared behind the massive doors. Even though she was gone, the waves of this emm sound were still in the air, enshrouding the Boss and leaking deep into his ears. He winced and started scratching ears with a tip of a Montblanc pen. The ticklish sense filled his body and a slight smile pushed frequent face wrinkles apart. 

For 10 years she has been working here but still cannot talk properly.

The Boss stopped scratching his sprawling ears and glanced at his left hand. His stiff fingers gently unclenched and revelled the palm-sized soft toy-shark. 

My old friend. What an irony, ha? They let this jellyfish work here, the person who cannot create, cannot think on her own and cannot even speak without a filler… But they want to destroy us. Do you know why?

The wise eyes of the shark glanced at him with note of sadness.

Because we. are. old. 

The shark was slowly being moved across the massive red-wood table. It swam across the golden desk calendar with a miniature of Laocoön, dived in the half full golden cup, and swam out at the green lamp. Suddenly it froze in the air. The Boss wearily put the shark under the dusty ray of light.

My friend, you have bald patches on your back! 

He cautiously stroked the shark’s fur the wrong way but the bold patch didn’t disappear. He licked that place and the transparent liquid changed the white colour of the bold patch to the black.

Now it is better. No one can see. Don’t worry, my friend. I have the same.

He boldly lifted his wig and without hesitation put the toy-shark on the top of his bold head.

You see. Nothing to worry about. We still rule the world.

The Boss slightly started spinning in the chair carefully holding the shark on the head that was observing the dark wood panelled office. The room was the mix of the elegant wood book shelves in the Victorian style and wild plants on the red wood floor. The maritime paintings on the walls and miniatures of ships on the shelves helped the shark to make itself at home. The red sofa and leather armchairs in the middle of the room were drowning in the fleece of the black carpet under the light of the golden chandelier. The Boss continue spinning and the shark was able to see the rest of the room: the massive arch doorways in which any moment the jellyfish umbrella-head might appear, and a giant mirror next to the table. The Boss finished the tour as they reached a large window behind his back. 

Do you want to come closer, my friend? To see the real world? We can do it if we try.

The sun rays supportively held the shark on his head while the giant figure of the Boss was slowly rising. But as soon as he stood up, the black dots swam before his eyes. He started blinking and rubbing his watery red eyes to force these dots swim away. They didn’t, but the shark did. It plummeted with a beanbag sound on the floor. 

Trying to find the balance, the Boss leaned back on the table but unintentionally knocked the golden cup off the table. The heavy shards drifted on the red-wood floor and the brown liquid started slowly devouring the shark.  

Hold on, I’m coming!

The Boss stepped towards the window and grabbed the green curtains that freely descended from the window cornice. His right knee could not bend properly so he distributed his weight to the left leg and slowly went down. The left leg started shaking and the Boss sweepingly slide down on his butt. With the cloth rip sound the curtain fell and covered his giant figure. 

- I’m.. almost… here… - The Boss’ muted voice, interrupted by the heavy breath, reached the tiny ears of the shark. 

As soon as the Boss got out of the curtain, he saw his friend that was half drowned in the coffee lava. 

Hold my hand.

The Boss’ ancient fingers almost touched the muzzle of the shark but it was not enough for grabbing it. The dark dots started dancing more distinctively in front of his eyes. He dropped his hand on the floor and a tiny shatter of the golden cup painted a scratch on his firm skin.  

Don’t worry, my friend. I’ll find the way. You just stay there, ha?

Flicking the blood drops from the hand, Boss was looking around.

The crumpled curtain, the chair, wires, a trash bin… I cannot use it. I cannot… Wait a second. My walking stick.

He glanced with the contempt at a bamboo walking stick that was leaned towards the wall. 

Finally, you are useful.

He greedily grabbed it and fished the shark out. The toy was completely brown but Boss strained it to his heart without hesitation. 

Don’t worry. We will fix it. We can wash it out. 

The coffee liquid was slowly dropping, imbruing his suit. But he didn’t stop hugging the shark.

- Boss, … emm… are you coming or …! – the squeaked voice of the jellyfish lady filled the room again. – BOSS! – she cried and ran towards him. 

The Boss’ watery red eyes focused on the approaching lady. The colour of her suit was mingled with red walls creating an illusion of the flying head with jiggling tentacles.

Jellyfish is coming, ha?

The Boss hid the shark into the inner pocket of his blazer. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the wall. 

- Boss! What is going on? Why are you … emm… on the floor? – she squatted down and gripped his hand – is it blood? Are you hurt? 

- No, I am not. Just help me to stand up

- Yes, Boss! Let’s do it on the count of three! – she chunked her high heels away and stood in the firm position. -  One … emm… Two. Three!

The Boss clung to her arm and with heavily panting tried to stand up. The red stripes from his grip appeared on the soft jellyfish' hand. She held her scream back and used all her strength to lift him up. The Boss stood up but the dizziness didn’t let him to stay straight. 

- … emm, let’s sit, shall we? - Holding the Boss with both arms, the lady moved the chair with her bare foot closer to the Boss. He crumpled on it. 

The lady straightened up and rubbed her back.

- Oh Boss what happened to your… emm… hair? She carefully lifted the wig from the table but the Boss snatched it from her hands. 

- Nothing.

He put slovenly his wig on the head and hid bloody hands with the shark under the table.

- I will be back in a second with … emm… the First Aid Kit? – she suggested timidly. Then she looked at her dirty feet and added- with a mop ok? 

The Boss nodded.  

She nodded back, grabbed her high heels and without putting them on, rushed into the hall. 

We didn’t manage to see the real world but we still had our small adventure, ha? The Boss carefully opened the pocket and looked in the shark’s coffee eyes. Do you think we…

The sudden sound of the knocked down door didn’t let him celebrate a small victory. The chandelier trembled with fear and clang from despair. Three silhouettes broke into the room.

-       What is going on, Faaaather? -  the most giant figure of all three cried out. – we’ve been waiting for you for two hours! What are you doing here? Sleeping?

The giant figure crashed on the sofa. He fidgeted there for some time but his long legs did not let him sit comfortably. He was the same size as his father and some features of his face proclaimed his kinship: his outright nose was trying to reach the thin downward-turned lips but the tiny forest prevents it. 

 - Even if I was sleeping, Phanes, I can do it. It is my company and my time. And you are my employees. If it is necessary you wait for million hours. - The Boss closed eyes, trying to stop the dizziness. But the pulsating temples were too intrusive: BuM BuM BuM. 

Another man who had a feminine face and a scrawny body was still standing in doors with folders in his small hands. He fixed his half-frame glasses and with a thin voice announced:

- Ye- BuM, Boss BuM, ple BuM ase ac BuM cept o BuM ur dee BuM pest…

- I do not hear you! –  the Boss barked and without opening eyes impatiently pointed on the armchair next to Phanes. - Come closer or turn your male voice on already! 

- Yes, Boss, - the man in glasses did not come any closer but he raised his voice - please accept our deepest apologies for this barbaric invasion but we cannot wait any longer. As you are, we are businessmen.. – 

- And businesswomen –the deep female voice ranged out behind his back.

- And, as it was aptly noted by our colleague, businesswomen… 

- Yeah, Thymbr. You are much like a businesswooooman. – howled the giant figure from the sofa. 

The Boss quietly laughed and sweaty drops dripped on his interlaced fingers. 

Red-faced Thymbr breathed out and continued: 

- We were sitting in the conference room and doing nothing for two hours.

The smile was washed away from the Boss’ face. 

Have you heard it, my friend? They wasted time again. 

- You should have learned how to manage time effectively, Thymbr. A piece of paper and a pen are enough for spending two hours productively, don’t they? 

- Bot Fother! Some of os cannot sit for so long! – the woman with a big belly stepped out of the Thymbr’s shadow. – we hove our needs. You could at least tell os that you were not coming.

- Afi, if you cannot sit and wait, go home and do whatever you want there. Stop doing business if you are not capable of doing it. 

- You connot talk this woy with a pregnont woman! – she squeaked.

The Boss took all his strength and stood up.

-       And you cannot talk this way To. Your. Boss.

The powerful wave of his voice pushed three of them away. Phanes stopped fidgeting and Thymbr turned from red to white. Afi closed her belly with two hands and backed toward the door.

The Boss wrecked on the chair. He turned away from visitors and hid himself behind the chair’s back. 

- All three of os connot do any business, you know it, fother. – Afi mumbled - Phanes is stupid and Thymbr is weird. Why om I worse? 

- Woooow, woooow, sister! – Phanes jumped from the sofa and moved towards Afi – we are sooo different. There is no way you get the company.

- You think so because I om a woman – she whispered and backed away. 

But the giant figure of Phanes reached her in a second. 

- No, Afi. It is not because you are a woman. It is because you are an illiterate prodigal. – Phanes leaned down to her stomach and continued with a fake caretaker voice  – Baby girl, you should know that your dear uncles graduated from universities, while your mommy got pregnant at school. 

- Stop it! – Afi pushed him away. 

But he grabbed her arms and continued:

- You dear mommy didn’t get any education and skipped all professional trainings that were organised for her. She spent the fortune on the wedding and got divorced in a month. 

- Stop it! – she pushed him stronger and started crying. Thymbr hurried to protect the sister and stood between Phanes and Afi.

Phanes stepped away and said with his normal voice:

- I do not care that you are a woman. I care that the person who cannot control her own life or money can easily destroy the company in a week! You don’t deserve it.

- I beg you a pardon, Phanes but you behave in inappropriate way - Thymbr muttered.

-       Oh really, Thymbr? Look here, Faaaather, two girls united against me. Girl power! – he wanted to flick Thymbr but the brother dodged it. 

-       Father gave you four chances to prove yourselves. – Thymbr whispered -  Not three, Phanes. Four times. I’ve never had such opportunities. But you had. And you failed. How the company can be entrusted to the person, who cannot learn from his own mistakes? You don’t deserve this company either.

Thymbr helped Afi to sit on the armchair, while Phanes was knocking the edge of the carpet with his shoe tip.

-       You think your email-answering-machine-way-of-talk will help you to become the head of the Company? – Phanes demanded - No, it won’t. Father can hardly hear you. And it is not because he is old. It is because you are a softie. A softie without a kernel. No ideas, no actions. You are empty. 

Thymbr clenched fists and moved towards Phanes but Afi grabbed his hand. He stepped back and pronounced: - With all due respect, brother, you are wrong. Let’s ask the Boss. – he glanced at the chair back - Father, we have to know in which hands the future of the company is. We are convinced that the changed we’ve implemented will prevent the company from the chaos. We…

- Faaather, you are eighty years old! You cannot be the Head of the Company.– Phanes impatiently interrupted.  

- Fother, you most think about the members of your fomily… Just tell os the noime of the heir – she placed her hands on the belly and mover towards the table - I om for exomple…

My old friend – The Boss carefully got the brown shark out of his pocket. –I cannot help them. They are going to die because they do not know how to swim. 

-       But you, Luke, are a human being, too. - the shark swam up to the right shoulder of the Boss. - And you will die even though you know how to swim. 

-       What will happen to the company? – the Boss looked at the shark’s loopy tail

-       Do you really want to know?

-       Just curious.

-       Afi will have it.

-       Afi? I thought she doesn’t know anything about the company and she doesn’t care about it.

-       She doesn’t.

The shark leaned its head on the Boss’ cheek. 

-       Did we have a good life, my friend?

-       We had a perfect life, Luke- the shark whispered and gently stroke Luke’s nose- Do you remember what was before we met?

-       Were we are not swimming together from the beginning?

-       No. We weren’t. Don’t you remember yourself as a kid? As a human kid? When you didn’t know anything about the sea 

-       I don’t remember that. 

-       Do you remember your parents?

-       No. 

-       Do you remember your first love?

-       No…- the Boss wrinkled - I do not remember her. Why do you ask about my past, my friend?

-       Because you and I are ready to swim out to the deeper sea. I wondered what we should take with us.

The curtain that was crumpled on the floor began crawling towards the chair and blue water from the paintings started flowing down.

-       I have everything with me… Will you be with me when it happens, my friend?

-       Of course, Luke, I’ll be with you. I am with you. 

The curtains waves with a splash flooded the room. The miniatures of ships became bigger and knocked the walls and people out. The massive masts gored the ceiling and the golden chandelier with tinkling strove upward to the sky.

-       open your eyes and breath! – the voice of his friend rang out. 

The Boss felt as cold water went through the gill passages. He opened his giant eyes and saw the monochromatic marine world. Rare sounds of gurgling reached his inner ear and he turned his massive muzzle to that direction. Some indistinguishable fish and a jellyfish that were swimming right in front of his jaw were swallowed by him immediately. The Boss looked down. The grey chairs, sofas, shelves and empty paintings disappeared in the abyss. 

-       Thank you, my friend. Now I have peace.