The Set Up

The Set Up

I’m working for a company that is a subsidiary of AT&T. Called G. C. Services. (A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company that is owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company, parent, or holding company. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases, it is a government or state-owned enterprise).

I was working in the LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) Department with 19 women and just me. I had been on the phone for over an hour trying to explain to a female customer that someone in her home was calling one of those Sexy phone sex chat calls at a cost of 89 cents per minute. I told the irate customer that someone in her home had racked up over 1,300 minutes and the bill is now in default. She was about to hang up when I told her that she qualified for a one time forgiveness program. I was so good at what I do that I knew just when they were going to hang up. I heard her shouting to someone in the room that she was going to kill her husband Bill. I cleared all the records of her account and informed her that she would be responsible for any calls placed to the sex hot line after this date. She thanked me and hung up.

I took a breather before my next call would surely come in. I sat for that moment to reflect upon the time I had to call the paramedics in Austin, Texas for a lady who had a heart attack after finding out that someone in her home had called a sex line totaling a bill of over 16,300 dollars. I was calling her from Cleveland, Ohio. The erroneous outrageous bill was caused by a computer glitch after someone called the sex hot line number from her home.

Suddenly I noticed nine of the women in the department were huddled in the corner like they do in football. I generally never involved myself when they’re ganged up. They were on a witch hunt and I knew it. They all had a tendency to bring their personal problems from home to work. Whether it be the kids, boyfriends, baby daddy or milkman. There was always something to complain about.

I sashay over to where they stood and asked why isn’t anyone manning the phones. If looks could kill I’d have been dead. They were complaining about one lady’s personal hygiene’s. Even though this lady was given my position by my boss because she stated that I wasn’t humble enough in her eyes. I said why should I be humble Miss Mcgillicuddy, when I’m the best at what I do. No one in the department received more complements then me, especially with the multitude of irate customers we called for 8 hours a day and even on Sundays.

When I worked in the Collections Department for a time. I was the 3^rd best out of 300 employees. Collecting over 50,000 dollars a month from customers who were behind on their payments. I had gotten certification from the HDI (Help Desk Institution) in Customer Service with a BA in Psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Humble I say to myself with her walking around here having a big lump in the middle of her back like a camel just like Quasimodo the Hunch Back of Norte Dame. After listening for a few seconds, I want no part of their plot to expose the foul smelling Assistant Manager Rosemary Hightower.

It was a good thing that she wasn’t there that particular day, because they were fed up with her funk. At lunch in the break room I suggested that why don’t we all pitch in and get her a basket of bath products from Bed Bath & Beyond. For the first time in a long time they agreed that, that might not be a bad idea, but who’s going to give it to her? I say just make it a surprise for the wonderful job she’s doing.

Yes, I know the job should have been granted to me and I still help her out anytime she needs me. It wasn’t her stinking fault that I didn’t get the promotion. They all start laughing as if I told the funniest joke in the world. That joke would one day come back to haunt me. Backstabbing women. You can’t work with them and you sure can’t say nothing if you don’t want it repeated at work.

I gave devious Mildred the instigator a $1 dollar bill and headed back to my workstation. The next day every single one of them 17 women where happy as if they got some last night loving from their soulmate. I know I would be happy for about 16 minutes because their happiness wasn’t going to last a second more.

I see the Frieda and Joe Manga-Pear Bath and Body Gift Basket left on Rosemary’s cluttered and disarrayed desk. I hurried up and took the $126 dollar dangling price tag off of it.

 She hadn’t come in as of yet. As a matter a fact she was always late. I guess that never came into consideration when Quasimodo promoted her over me.

About an hour later we were informed that Rosemary had called off sick. I had my suspicions that someone spilled the beans as to what them conniving and cunning women was about to do. Life there when on with the daily bickering and backstabbing. It got so bad that Miss Mcgillicuddy called a town hall meeting.

She started out by saying that there’s a rumor spreading that many of you are not happy about who I promoted to be my right arm man. I heard someone whisper stinking man as a lot of snickering could be heard. Well let me tell all of you poor losers that she was the best candidate for the position. You don’t have to even like her, but you will respect her.

The deformed back boss didn’t even know what was going on had nothing to do with her being promoted.

Right after the meeting she summoned me to her office. Sit down Mr. Blane Britt. It is going around that your making jokes about Rosemary and me behind our backs on the job. I have grounds to fire you right here and now. She handed me my termination papers and asked me to sign them. I just walked out of her office.

When I got back to my desk that basket was sitting there with a card strangely signed by all 19 women. Good luck!

I wanted to throw that gift basket across the room. They were setting me up the whole time. I cleaned out my desk and said my goodbyes and proudly carried the gift basket I really didn’t want to my car.

I gave it to my lovely wife when I got home with the good news for her that I retired from working with them cackling and conspiratorial hens. Besides I needed to spend more time on our own Landscaping business.