Sasha Roiz Imagines

Job Insecurities

Taking off your shoes, you sit on the dock, dangling your feet in the water. You listen to the sounds of the music, the conversations and the laughter that drift your way. Closing your eyes, you lay back on the dock, your feet still dangling in the water, listening to the sounds.

You hear footsteps but don't really register them. You hear clothing rustle and shoes thud on the dock and hear the water swish. You feel a body settle near you.

"You know the lake was one of my favourite spots as a boy," your boss, Sasha, begins, "I would sit out here for hours at night just listening to the water and the sounds of the night."

You don't say anything. He sighs. "I'm really sorry. I had no idea you were so worried about your job. You know you don't need to be. I wouldn't fire you over a mistake. We're human. We learn from our mistakes. You know I would talk with you first before it would ever cross my mind to fire you. Why are you so worried that I would fire you? Have I ever given you that impression?"

You sigh, shifting a little. "No, you haven't given me that impression. However, my job is easily replaced by others if I screw up. I really do enjoy this job, but I really need it to. If l lost this job, I'm not entirely sure what I would do, to be honest. There are not a lot of jobs that allow me the freedom that you do with my time off and that is very important to me. It's crucial to my survival."

"You do realize, that if I were to ever fire you for whatever reason, that I would have to hire three different people to replace the job that you do. You're a Jill-of-all-trades for crying out loud. I don't have to worry about talking to different people about the different facets of my job, because you do it all. That to me makes you irreplaceable and worth any mistake that you could possibly make. Though I know you won't. But if you did, it is not the end of the world. I'm not cruel. I just wish you would tell me why you were worried about losing your job."

"I appreciate that you wouldn't fire me over a mistake and for reassuring my job security. But the public can be very cruel."

"You're not going to tell me why are you?"

"No," you answer softly.

He heaves a sigh. "One day, I hope you'll feel comfortable enough to let me know."

Silence descends between you two. But it's not an uncomfortable one. You hear clothing rustle and the boards creak. "Want to see my favourite place of all?" he inquires.

You slant a look at him through your eyelashes. "Sure, I guess."

You pull your feet out of the water, making to put your shoes on. "Keep your shoes off," he instructs. "Trust me, it will be worth it."

You say nothing. You stand up, brushing your dress back into place. "Follow me," he says, as he takes your hand.

He leads you off the dock, past the merry makers dancing on the patio and out into the apple orchard. He leans down to pick up a long broken off branch. Handing you one, he picks one up for himself. "What are the sticks for you?"

"You'll see," he answers, grinning at you.

He continues leading you through the apple orchard. Exiting the apple orchard, he leads you to a meadow with long grass, filled with night blooming jasmine. "Wow," you breathe, "it's beautiful. I've always loved the smell of night blooming jasmine."

He grins at you, letting go of your hand. Stepping away from you, he says, "Watch." He swings his stick through the long grass being careful of the night blooming jasmine. Fireflies light up, flying around him. Your eyes light up in amazement. A laugh escapes you. "Oh my gosh! It's so pretty!"

He grabs your hand and tugs you down on the grass. "Lay down and move your stick around."

You lay down on the grass. You see the stars above in the night sky. Swinging your stick overhead and around you slowly, you watch as the fireflies light up as they fly around.

You turn your head to beam at your boss. "Thank you for showing me this. It's beautiful."

"You're welcome."

The two of you lay on the grass companionably, occasionally moving your sticks around watching the fireflies dance across the starry night sky.