Diary of a Recovering Idiot

Chapter 24 - The Letter Issue

Is it only me, or has anyone ever had the issue when all the people you encounter with their name starting with a particular letter give you nothing but trouble? If you don't have that problem then count yourself fortunate because I have discovered that names starting with the letter 'W' are a plague in my life. Man the drama they have been causing is enough to make me want to attempt grievous bodily harm and not care about the consequences. Yes, this is a very bad headspace to be in but when I think about them I get so mad that a red cast of anger drifts over my mind and I switch into revenge seeking mode. Bad, a very bad place to be, but those 'W' people have made my life a living hell.

Listen to this high-class crap. The jeep needed some attention and I was pointed in the direction of a Wallis who was said to be very reasonable and reliable. I told him what I was feeling and hearing while driving and he said it was probably just 'a small thing'. He made his way under the jeep, flicked and fiddled, came out and told me it was a quick fix but the parts were expensive. He gave me an estimate and I told him to do what needs to be done and bill me. After all, I needed to have the vehicle to get back and forth.

I go on my way and when I come back he hands me a bill and I tried not to have heart failure. From the estimate he gave and the bill I now had in my hand there was a thousand dollar difference. What the son-aunt-uncle-brother is this kind of high noon robbery? This man was not even smoking dope. He had to be snorting radioactive uranium and all his brain cells done congeal.

I politely requested a breakdown of the work as well as receipts for the parts and people this man takes on a 'how-dear-you?' attitude. Taking out my phone I called the person who recommended him to me and asked her what type of person she sent me too? When her name came out of my mouth you should have seen his demeanor change. He snatched the bill out of my hand, went inside and came out with another, this one several hundred dollars less. "You should have said you were Doris's friend."

I gave him the money and left there fast because I intended never to take my vehicle to him again. Well, I never. That type of high-class thievery is something I don't want anything to do with, so me thinks me will be losing his number. Not to mention four days later I started hearing the knocking again. All I could do is laugh and take it to the dealer. I know if I hear it again after they fix it they have to fix it for free. I'm done spending money twice for the same thing.

Now the other 'W' bearing trouble, that would be Wayne an A-hole of the highest order. I happen to work with the expletive and the kind of fecal matter he often plays at makes everyone in the office sick but now he is attacking me because my attitude has made him look the fool more than once. Well, bring it, because I'm ready to take it to the mat and I know he won't know what hit him.

He decided it would be funny to take my staff picture, put it in a series of compromising positions and email it around the office. The thing is his so-called jokes had passed the point, and several people had complained to management about him. When these pictures showed up, I had to breathe deep and bite my tongue because there was nothing funny about it. I took the one that was posted up on the bulletin board down with a smile, and took it to my desk and placed it next to the computer. When the first person came rushing to me about it, I showed them the one I found. Everyone else seemed angrier than me, and when Wayne saw that he began to get worried. Truthfully I was seething inside and I wanted to execute some serious payback but I knew by my doing nothing, something would be done.

Who does she think she is, a saint, you must be asking? No, believe me, I'm not. I just really sat down and thought before I acted. I'm used to just letting people do what they want to me but with my new forceful attitude I have become a, tell you what I think kind of person. That was what Wayne was counting on, to embarrass me, for me to unleash and he would get payback for my putting him down and a laugh in one. Thing is along with learning to speak for myself, I learnt there were times to shut up. Now was the time. His mouth would lock him up just fine without my help and so it did.

The boss called me into the office and asked me to explain this "disturbance". I told him I discovered a copy when I came in on the bulletin board and I removed it only to discover it had been emailed to everyone. I told the boss it looked like my staff picture had been put on compromising pictures and when he looked closer I saw the realization click in his eyes. He assured me he would look into it. The look pointed to Wayne and man did he get off easy.

Easy as in fired, because with the number of complaints against him he should have been taken to court for harassment. It was past time he was gotten rid of and the fact that it happened was no one's fault but his own.

Now three men with their name starting with the same letter do not make for a problem, but when you add the six others you start to see where I'm going with this 'W' issue. Wade, Wilfred, Walker, Watson, Wellington, Wendell are all some of the 'Ws' who had just made me question my sanity. It is now to the point when a person tells me their name and it starts with a 'W' I start to beat a hasty retreat. I don't need any added drama in my life and as far as I'm concerned if I can stop it before it gets to me all the better. I know it sounds really far-fetched and when I tell anyone they have a good laugh and what is life without a laugh. Thing is, while they are laughing at me I'm as serious as my next heartbeat. So if your name starts with 'W', chances are I may avoid you rather than deal with you at all.