My Heaven

Part 3: Kindness in a Bottle

What year was it again? It was hard to tell in that moment. The second I heard her voice to the second it faded away, it felt like I was back in 2011. The old Admin job was a mundane profession. Getting mail, setting up the conference room for presentations, and data entry sheets.

Aside from the usual reaming from Terrence, the work we did was stagnant. It was honest, sure, and it paid well...  I guess. I was already shopping for a second job in my fourth year there. Any office or sales positions were filled up. It was the typical niceties of "Thank you for your application, but..." and anyone hard pressed for a job would know what came next.

A part of me wanted to quit. Devon wanted to quit, Lena from accounting, Mark from I.T., anyone who wanted better for themselves were more than ready to walk out... save for this silver-tongued fellow I knew on my first year. Leo Cranston. Him, along with a few well-connected types whispered behind our backs. Jesus, when did day jobs turn into high school?

I remembered Mark had it rough from Leo, all because he had a photographic memory. Taye and I liked Mark; he had the inside on who sucked up to Terrence the most. He would've liked 'Cilla if he stuck around. The admin grind was like being stuck in L.A. traffic; moving a few inches one hour at a time. Then, Priscilla came along.

Terrence hired her during the summer of 2011 as Operations Manager. I didn't know what to think at first; maybe just another machine to be a cog for. Let me tell ya... if I was wrong about something, and I've been there plenty, it was meeting 'Cilla for the first time. In the two years we worked together, she was someone who commanded respect, not demand it. Not to mention personable amongst us office grunts.

It was a breath of fresh air, something Terrence had issues with. It wasn't obvious at first; a muffled comment here or a look of disapproval, but from what Ava and I saw, 'Cilla had a natural ease with corporate. The company underwent some major changes with Terrence trying to stonewall them.

"That's what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object," Devon once said. "For all his bluster, Ms. Reid's been taking it very well."

Ava, myself, and the others made a pact. It went against policy, but at the time, the other "work" grunts went over to ol' Terry's side. No matter what, we would defend 'Cilla to the hilt, especially Ava. God bless her.

One day, on top of the 9-5 rhythm, it felt like every department was "assigned" to either manager. 'Cilla became frustrated, tried to keep the proverbial bloodshed from spilling over to the rest of us. Then, Christmastime 2012 happened. It was... probably a week, week and change before Christmas Day.

I took it upon myself along with Dev and Ava to help decorate the office with the tree, ornaments, Santa memorabilia; heh, I think Devon got the idea to hang "Happy Kringle Day" over the door at Terrence's office. Priscilla spearheaded the idea, even put together a list of holiday food everyone liked. Now, I was never one for Gingerbread, but a plate of tree shaped sugar cookies... shit! You'd have to fight me to get one.

I remember in the weeks leading up to the big day. 'Cilla wasted no time getting into the spirit, saying Christmas along with Cinco de Mayo were her favorite times of the year. At one point, I thought we were going to have tequila at the party, or some eggnog at least. "Scrooge thy name is Terrence" put a stop to that, though.

When he summoned everyone to the conference room, he made his intentions clear. Thinking back, an email would've closed the deal. Then again, a lot of the meetings we had coulda been done through email.

The conference room had a bland, yet eerie look to it. All the excitement we had about the party was sucked out of the room... just the way Dillinger liked it.

"Afternoon. I just want to recap what's been happening in the last few weeks." Terrence said before turning to Priscilla. "Ms. Reid, I understand the holidays is a morale booster for the troops here."

"It is a morale booster for everyone involved." She corrected him. "Regardless of one's value."

Slight annoyance formed along his face. "... Christmas isn't for me. It seems every year 'round this time we get some sort of hindrance that spares no second of holiday cheer."

"Thanks to you..." Devon muttered.

"If I may, Priscilla spoke up, it's no secret this company has been running on fumes since before I came on board. Not to mention we lost Mark from I.T., Henrietta from Human Resources, Vic, Mallory, and almost our beloved Ava here. It breaks my heart to see a "family cultured" institution betray its essence."

He slightly tilted his head, "We've hit a few speed bumps. It's true. But after running the numbers, we're still firing on all cylinders."

"... We may have been last year, but Mitchell and the higher-ups see us going in a different direction." Priscilla turned her attention to the group. "Good news is after some damage control I did in recent months; we are still in business. No one else is getting laid off."

"Is there anything we can do on our end?" Taye chimed in.

"Since none of 'em are here, Devon brought up, I can sweet talk a few of the guys from accounting. Leo's the king shark over there, but from what I heard, a few are willing to actually work for a living."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Cutler." Terrence replied. "I'll give Mitchell a call, see if there are any extra measures I can take."

The once lifeless conference room erupted in debate between us and the managers. I never raised my concerns. That was the hardest part for me. Every time I opened my mouth, the words wouldn't come out, damned anxiety. Why didn't I bite the bullet and ask for anxiety meds from my doctor?

'Cilla had the head honcho's ear, Mitchell. He and I never chatted, but from what Ava told me, he had the final say on important matters. Rumor was he, too, butted heads with Terrence. The admin job was on a tipping point, leaving it to chance whether we were gonna bounce back or face layoffs.

The heated debates went back and forth. Ol' Terry looked like he was about to pop a vein. Jumping into management mode, he quashed everyone mid-sentence.

"Enough!!! You've all had your say. I get it, but my word is final. There *won't* be a Christmas party this year. Now, if you want to host one at your own place, I can't stop you. As for the Christmas decorations around the office, they must be taken down at end of business today."

"Yeah, about that." Priscilla spoke up. "Mitchell was going to make an appearance at our little holiday soiree. The guy is practically married to Figgy Pudding, which Ava and I put together."

"... He told you he was coming, and not me?" He asked, burying his anger.

"He emailed me two days after I proposed the idea. I forwarded it to everybody."

Beautiful, I thought. It was like comedy hour in Atlantic City. 'Cilla knew how to counter Terrence like two Fencers going at it. The meeting came to a standstill at that moment. Boy, he fought hard to keep a professional face, but his white knuckled fists pressing on the wide, oval desk said otherwise.

"... I never got the email, Priscilla. You couldn't have mentioned this from the get-go?"

"This is why on my down time; I always check my spam mail." She replied.

We all received those holiday emails in the weeks preceding. Sadly enough, they were the highlight of my workdays. Dad was never a big Christmas guy either while mom... that's another story.

'Cilla concluded the meeting by asking him, "... Would you like to discuss the cancelation with Mitchell? His wife and three kids were looking forward to it."

And just like that, the rest of the workday felt like sweet victory. Though, that feeling wasn't known to everyone. I remember the audacity Terrence had for doing what he did. The entire office had a whimsical look, thanks to her involvement with the decorating.

Devon was the most pissed out of all of us. He was never one to get angry at things like this. We've all taken some hits at the admin job; Dev and Ava most of all. I found out a day later his old man was in the hospital in critical condition. I guess as far as parents go, he and I were on polar opposites.

I didn't know what to say to him. Sometimes, you have to let them work it out themselves. It's just... 2012 was a shit year for all of us. Ava's daughter was homeless, Taye struggled to make ends meet while dating a high maintenance girlfriend, 'Cilla fighting a losing battle on the managing circuit, and there was me, estranged family and no heat in my apartment.

To make matters worse, Terrence was on the war path to find get 'Cilla fired. But time and again, he underestimated the sheer value she had as Operations Manager. She had been in the game for sixteen years, helping other Admin companies rediscover their footing, helping them get back on track.

The man was blind to it. Being the jealous social climber, he cared more about sitting at the big boy table instead of being a leader. But what the hell did I know back then? In reality, I was just a working stiff trying to make it until tomorrow.

The Christmas party was still canceled, and those of us in the holiday spirit stayed late taking down decorations. Not even five minutes after the 9-5 grind, 'Cilla was out there helping us turning the office back into the gray sunken husk it was before. I could tell she was just as disappointed as we all were. However, there was also this hint of determination on her face, like she wasn't gonna stand for no holiday cheer.

"Can everyone gather around, please?" Priscilla asked as everyone stood in a circle. "Today was a depressing one. I'm sorry you guys won't have that Christmas party we planned... which is what I'd say if Terrence was here...

That was when she dropped the surprise on us.

... I've spoken to Mitchell and Hadley from corporate. The day before Christmas Eve, we are all invited to the Hilton Hotel for the 2012 Jingle Bell bash!"

We all cheered with a sigh of relief in tow. I didn't know how she pulled it off, but to me, it was a Christmas miracle. Plus, everything was paid for: food, festivities, the works. For the first time in my life, I was about to experience the four-star treatment, but beyond that, it couldn't be overstated that 'Cilla saved the day.

She could have gone the extra mile to save face. For any other manager, it'd probably be a small get-together at some Rinky dink restaurant. I'd honestly be fine with that. Who was I to turn down a Jack Daniel's wearing a Santa hat?

No... this was a genuine effort that not only raised morale for the first time in seven years... that level of kindness gave me hope for humanity. And it didn't stop there. She ran to her office and brought out a trolley of Christmas gift baskets. I could smell the Santa shaped sugar cookies from one of them. She then brought out a special gift basket for Devon.

"I've put something extra for you and your father."

In the seven years I've worked with him, I had never seen Devon shift emotional gears on a dime. 'Cilla presented him a basket filled with a Gingerbread house kit, apple cider scented soaps, a bottle of champagne, cookies, and a $500 gift card to any store of his choosing. His eyes beamed with pride, and rightfully so. Come to think of it, April of that same year marked his 27th anniversary with the company.

We all congratulated him except the boss man himself. He was on "vacation", so we had a temporary boss overseeing things. Tears ran down his face as Ava came over to hug him, "You can be a big softie when you want to be. You are one of the most hardworking people I've ever met. If anyone deserves recognition, it's you."

"Thank you, hon." Devon reciprocated. "2012 has been shitty to us, you know?" He slowly pulled away, trying to compose himself. "First, my dad's health, your daughter's living situation... this is a win, Ava. This moment is a sign, one I hope carries into 2013."

Priscilla then placed her hand on his shoulder, "You are a valued member of this team, and this company. If Terrence or anyone else says otherwise, I'll set them straight."

"You're a godsend, Ms. Reid." He expressed gratitude. "The same goes double for you. This little group here has your back no matter what."

I couldn't hold a thought in my head. Like Devon, I was overwhelmed by 'Cilla's kindness. A part of me wanted to capture this moment in a bubble or record it all on my phone. Damn it. That was what I should've done at the Christmas party. 'Cilla surprised us all a third time when we found out she could sing... I'd give anything to hear her sing again.

I've tried to recapture those moments in the short stories I wrote. They usually had some kind of wish fulfillment: a champion volleyball player, bonds with friends that remain strong years later, how green apple jell-0 can heal trauma, or a son reuniting with his loving father. The protagonists had different names, of course.

I branched out into other genres, but each story template I had a personal connection with. Even some had a fantasy twist to them; written in a way that's relatable to the reader. It all depends how you balance the subject matter with fiction. I haven't found that balance for some time.