THE UN EXPECTED

 

THE UN-EXPECTED

It was when my application, for low income energy assistance, was being reviewed, that, for some reason, even with my telephone number listed on the application, it was my case-worker whom community resources called.

The county was willing to offer a deal. They would offer a full year, of energy assistance, IF, in return, I agreed to work, in community service.

When the county asked my worker “Is it true that he has over a decade, of cleaning experience?” My worker would say “Yes, that is true.” When the county asked “Why did he leave the job?” My worker would say “From what he tells me, the building was levelled, to make way for a parking deck.”

When asked “Do you think he would, still, be there, if the building had not been demolished?” My worker could only say “I think so.”

When asked “Do you think he would return to work?” My worker would only ask “Do you want me to ask him?”

After being told the hours, and location (which was in the same downtown where I had worked, before), my worker did call me, saying “I have a possible job. Its not much, but it is a beginning.”

This is when I asked her about my main problem with drug testing. HOW could I pass a drug test, now that I was taking several medications which contained controlled substances, at their core?

It seems that a brief talk, with a county supervisor, was enough to elicit a response of “If his doctor provides a note saying that he is using drugs, medically, then we came waive drug testing.”

Now, while I recommended a note which included not just the fact that I consume meds, but contained which meds, and what dosage, all my doctor would give was a very generic note, which stated “This patient is under my care, for various health ailments, and should be treated accordingly.”

The supervisor agreed that it was enough. The test would be waived.

Once the note was on-file, I was assigned to my post, as a replacement for another worker.

The other worker was being replaced, not just for urinating on clients cars, or for making “suggestions”, to female workers, but for profane language, and the worst of all. The same thing that got one of my previous co-workers removed from my previous work-site.

The “crime” of being caught, eating another persons food, which they had been saving, for the next day.

It was when the worker, being fired, said “Suck my dick, and I will leave”, that other workers showed up, to back the boss. The boss punched the man, then the others tossed the profane man OUT the front door.

I guess that being tossed out, on the pavement, was the mans clue to leave, since this is what he did.

This is when the boss asked for my papers, and said “Wow, 12 years at one post. Why did you leave?” I told him “The city demolished the building, for a new parking deck.”

The super asked “Lets see how good you are, with people. You will take over that mans job (meaning, the man who had been thrown out.)

The boss showed me, generally, where my work area was, then went off to look at another problem. I followed another work to the supply area.

Soon, after bidding “Good Evening” to, maybe, three, people, I set to work, and with a shift of only four hours, I put in the full four, just to make the place look half-decent.

By the time the boss came by, he looked about then said “I am amazed. You keep this up and this job may be yours for as long as you want.”

Community Resources kept its end of the deal, and sent my pay to the utility. One which, for some reason, did not like having social services paying utility bills.

I remember the weather being just warm enough not to need a jacket, in the afternoon, when the cleaning contract was turned over to my previous employer.

The company would supply my equipment, while Community Resources controlled my actual assignment.

The owners did not like this, but the new Operations Manager told me “As long as we can get along, you are welcome.” I shook on the deal.

It seems that life had returned to what it was, with my original Operations Managers.

My new boss had the same problem as the old bosses did. To keep wages as LOW as possible, the company hired anyone who MIGHT be willing to show up.

The building was supposed to be divided among eight workers, yet, just as it had been, in the past, once 30 minutes beyond start time arrived, I had them lock the front door.

Most evenings, only three of us, showed up, and I took the office area’s. The boss, and the other worker, took the restrooms.

The four hour shift became an eight hour one, as the few workers, who actually, did show up, were either drunk, high, or both. A few, the boss told “Go home, take a bath, put on clean clothes, then come back.”

(I wont repeat what the worker told the boss)

What protected my federal, and state, benefits was that the company kept saying “He is only on full until the new workers show up.”

When the replacements actually did begin showing up, they complained, loudly, that they were only being paid for about two hours per night.

A common complaint about working conditions, and blue-collar workers. People think that all they have to do is show up, do a bit of work, and be paid for the full shift.

I agreed with my boss. If you want FULL wages, then SHOW UP on-time.

The people just showed up, whenever they wanted, and took the pay, for one, or two, hours per evening.

(Myself, I am GREEDY. The more pay I can get, the longer that I will work.)

I think that the sad part was when my boss got the word. This building, like my previous one, was being demolished. This time, to create a parking LOT, for something which would be built, next door.

Thankfully, there was another building opening up, not far away. A former, engineering, company which had moved out of state. Now the property was being converted into office spaces.

My boss, and myself, would be among the new work crew. Two weeks paid time off, while the work was completed.

Still, the closest access was via the road beside our old job. This is how I was amazed at how FAST the property was taken down.

What, I think, made everyone, at the new job site, laugh, was when we found out that the property was being re-built as a gambling parlor.

Yet another attempt, by state government, to move racketeers OUT of the area.

Eight others had closed, due to lack of revenue. Would this be number nine?

The new crew agreed not to worry about it. We had our jobs, and our paychecks.

Three payday loans places opened, not far from the casino, as did a second, convenience store.

At the new location, I was placed back on part-time, but I never expected some of my former tenants to seek offices, at this location.

Some said that they chose this location because it was where I worked. It seems that they trusted me, for the same reason why the people, at my past building trusted me.

What I DO know is that, with a deal I worked, with the feds, a former landlord was placed “against a wall”, to “agree” to allow me to re-enter a program.

Due to the landlords previous actions, the feds agreed to allow my rent to be paid to federal authorities. This way, no “funny stuff”.

I would only accept a two story, four bedroom place, since it was the “smallest”, available.

With a federal grant, my portion of the rent, would be only $300.00.

I was back in town, with access to everything that I used to have access to. It only took about 14 years, to accomplish the task.

What would the future hold?