Just a Job

 AUGUST 12, 2022

 

Through his High School years, George had ideas of going on to University and becoming a doctor but, in his heart, he knew this was not going to be possible.  The reality was that his parents were anxious for him to leave school so he could earn a wage and start contributing to the family income.  His father, in fact, had wanted him to leave school at the end of Year 10 and had even arranged an apprenticeship with a bricklayer he knew, but his teachers had pleaded with his mother to let him stay on until he matriculated, saying it would give him many more opportunities for the future.

 

At the graduation ceremony, George received accolades and the Principal made a point of singling him out for special praise.  With other students, he had visited various local companies to discuss career opportunities but, no matter what his preference, he knew that he would be expected to take the job closest to home which paid the highest initial salary.  He ended up in a small engineering firm who offered him a position as a Trainee Accountant.  It was just a job and he had no particular interest in spending his life behind a desk but he could use the bus to get to work each day and go to the local TAFE College in the evenings to get some kind of qualification.

 

George convinced himself he was choosing his life path for the very best of reasons, even though he couldn’t help the thought that his family income would be much better if his father didn’t enjoy drinking with his mates and betting on the horses so much.  Still, he was a dutiful son and knew his mother’s life would be so much easier with his contribution, as would his brothers and sisters.

 

When he met his mates from school and heard their stories of University life, George couldn’t help being envious.  It hurt him to confess that he had taken on such a mundane career and explained it by saying that it was just a job to keep him going until he decided what he would do with his life, implying that he was putting together a nest egg to fund something more exciting in the future. He let them talk of possibilities in Marine Science on the Barrier Reef or even Space Exploration at NASA.

 

But, in the meantime, he tried to show some interest in the job he had accepted.

 

One day, while he was having a quick snack in the café opposite his office, a well-dressed man pulled up a chair and sat at his table.  George was surprised; the café wasn’t busy and there were plenty of other places to sit but, the man looked at him intently and said, quietly, “Hello, George.  You don’t know me but I’d like to take a few minutes of your time and I can tell you that it will be to your advantage if you let me explain what this is all about.”

 

George was curious but the whole situation worried him.

 

“I’m not interested in buying insurance or hearing about Jesus, and I really must be getting back to work now if you’ll excuse me,” said George, getting to his feet.

 

“Don’t be like that, George,” said the man. “I should tell you that I have a colleague sitting in a car outside your house and, if I ring him, he will knock on your door and I believe your. mother is home alone today.  I would hate to see anything happen to her.”

 

The man went on to say that he was interested in obtaining some information which he knew George would be able to get for him.  In the safe at George’s office was a particular file which contained information valuable to him.  The file was rarely looked at by the owners of the accountancy business so there would be no problem in George’s removing it from the safe and allowing someone to have it for a few hours, after which it would be returned intact and no one would be the wiser.

 

“If you agree to assist us,” said the man, “You will receive a package containing $50000 in untraceable notes.”

 

“And, if I don’t do this,” said George, “What will happen?”  George didn’t need to ask this question; he knew what the answer would be.

 

“Well, “said the man, “Your mother might have a nasty accident and so might you.  We could also have a chat with your father but I don’t suppose you would be bothered about anything happening to him.  I suggest we meet here again tomorrow at the same time and you can give me your answer.”  And he left.

 

George thought long and hard.  He knew what he was doing was just a job with no prospects.  He knew he was capable of greater things.  He resented the fact that his life had given him lemons rather than the cherries he believed he deserved.  He knew that the thug he had met was perfectly capable of carrying out his threats.  And, $50000 would be enough to get him the start in live he craved, so there was really no argument.

 

The next day he met the man in the café and agreed with the plan.  He felt no loyalty to his employer; it was just a job.