Despite All Obstacles Part V

Bonus Story

MADISON'S STORY

Friday, September 7th, 2012

This morning.

"Ms. Steward, you have been a great asset to Kaplan University as our assistant technician for our audit processing. Unfortunately, our budgets are running low in profits, and we have to make budget cuts, and nothing is saving this campus to continue on. You are in no fault here, Ms. Steward. Seems there is a lawsuit against the online university since August, last year...." Mr. Ellis is firing me!

"We are not terminating you. We are just letting you go to save you from working without labor here. You are not the only one who is being let go for this...." Okay, he is not firing me. He is laying me off! I should do more research on this.

"Thank you for your time here, Ms. Steward. We really appreciate your service throughout these years. We apologize for this inconvenience. You have the right for resignation instead of termination."

I bear a polite smile, literally in shock. I nod in agreement. I take the resignation form to write down my signature and today's date. I put down the pen. "Thank you too for your service, sir." I stand to shake their hands, to stay professional. I am that multi-faceted.

After I'm given my SF-152 resignation form to give HR, I go to clean my office out. I grab my frames of my associate degree and bachelor's degree for cybersecurity from UCLA. I know I should've gonna trade school with Sierra, but my ideal school was a university for social activities.

I also grab my decorations, cushions, and picture frames of my family and sorority. I stare at my Ritchie and me on campus during our honeymoon phase. We were so cute and deeply in love. A tear flows out of my right eye, and I quicken my pace to leave out AQAP.

I hug all my co-workers. I'll miss our happy hours, birthday celebrations, holiday celebrations, hangouts, and karaoke nights, and my online students. I love them all and miss them all ready. (Sniff)

INGLEWOOD, CA

I visit momma for some tea. She knows something's up. I'm a coffee person. She's the tea person.

"I was laid off, today, because of profit loss. Momma, Brightwood College is facing a lawsuit for misleading students with accreditation," I heard every word to understand why I was being let go. I thought it was because of how I appear. I don't code-switch. Never did at my job, yet I managed to stay professional. Multi-faceted.

Momma looks up on her laptop about the Kaplan lawsuit. It's ridiculous! She replaced her big computer since 2010. Everybody's screens are flatting.

"Oh, no, dear. It's a good thing you no longer work there," momma says, reacting to the research. Now, I'm worrying about my mortgage for myself. I use my work money to provide for myself.

Sigh. "I guess I'll find another job."

"Great idea. Tuh!"

I drive home, tempted to have a shopping spree out of stress here in Inglewood, but I remain strong.

PASADENA, CA

This afternoon.

It has been four hours since I resigned and looking for work online. I miss just walking into a place where people work and easily fill out an application in one sitting and they call you to let you know if you got accepted or not, after an interview. I wouldn't need to answer unnecessary questions like for Target.

I applied to Five Below, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Walgreens, CVS, Best Buy, H. H. Gregg, and Target, even my old job, Forever 21. I have to wait in the next business week.

I hear noise from the door. I walk to it. I open to see a mailbox full of mail. The usual are magazines, bills, coupons, and junk.

"Hello, Madison. You're home?" this handsome black mailman hollas at me. Sure, he knows my full name from my mail. I feel he's checking me out.

"Well, hello, there," I look at his name tag, "Curtis. And why, yes, I am. Why you ask, Curtis?"

"Your car isn't usually here during this time. Something happened today?"

Man, Curtis. It's like he's stalking. "I got laid off at ten, this morning."

"Ah, man. So sorry about that, Maddie." Shoooott. He even knows my nickname.

"Thanks, Curt. This's real hard for me. I've been working there since I had a paid internship there for college, which was back in '98."

"Wow, that's a long time, Maddie. They're crazy for letting you go." This guy has a fine smile. Look at him. Dark and sexy.

"True. They have a lawsuit for misleading students with accreditation. I bet you heard all about it."

"Actually, no I haven't. But I can help you out. The U.S. Post Office is hiring college graduates right now, here in L.A. County."

Oh, happy day! "Really? Oh, yes, God! You are so good!" I grace Him in front of Curtis, not sure if he's Christian too. "I have to apply online."

"Yes, you do. They will contact you in two to ten business days by email, after applying online." Yep, they can reach me at masteward1976@yahoo.com!

"Thanks, Curtis. God sent you here, I see!" I ran to him and hugged him tight, because I'm happy there's still hope for me. He rubs my back.

"Anytime, Ms. Steward," he goes to his professional voice and stance. "Do you have, um, social media? Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?"

"I have Facebook, and still have MySpace. Maddie Baddie, with the I-E's."

"Curtis Bryant. That's me. Check us out. Happy hunting, Ms. Steward."

"Thank you, Mr. Bryant," I bow my head to salute. He starts walking to the mail truck. Thank God no dog out chased him off. I just met a man. I hope I get this job too.

He drives off as we gladly wave to each other. I hug my mail and rush inside to my laptop to apply for U.S. Post Office.

We should catch up later, because I wanna getta know Curtissss. I know I'm finally getting over my Ritchie since I moved out of Inglewood, but I still love him, and will always dearly miss him.