At Least We Have Good Weather: A Life of Love and Loss

Chapter 8

My first ever job interview, back in 1998, was as nerve wracking as it should have been, but I made a good impression from the start. Despite my lack of further education, I was offered the position and a starting salary of about R3000 ...I was going to be a millionaire in no time! The job was simple enough, I would be a call centre agent solving the country's internet problems. My life at an Internet Service Provider was about to begin.

Working at ICON Internet was also my first job in the real world, and what an experience it was. I started the same day as two other people, a slightly older guy named Roger, who lasted about 2 months, and a sexy coloured girl named Nithinia, who was probably my first "exotic" crush.

We flirted for much of my career there, but other than us working a few late shifts together and me driving her home safely a few times (even though it was waaaaay out of my way), it never amounted to anything. I weirdly always had a fantasy of taking a bath with her in a bath filled with roses, which I made the mistake of telling her. When I eventually left the company, she told everyone about that dream.

On a side note, it was just a few years ago that she and I started talking again on Facebook. She had been married, divorced and had become a mother over the years. We spoke a bit about how we should catch up over drinks, but every time I invited her, she made an excuse about how busy she was.

Then one day she messaged me saying the photos of my mom and I from HER birthday party were ready, and she emphasized that she really enjoyed having us over to celebrate. The more I tried to tell her she had the wrong Shaun, as I wasn't even invited to the party, the more she insisted I was there.

I deleted her shortly after that.

Anyways, I digress, back to my time at ICON. From faking my way through the job interview (which was to become not just a trend, but a bona fide skill over my professional career), I worked my way up the ranks of the call centre fairly quickly, even picking up two Employee of the Month titles during my near 2-year stay.

My cousin, Andre, worked on the floor above me in a different division, so it was nice that we were still around each other during this next chapter of our lives.

Eventually, he did move on to another job, and I remained behind, finally feeling like I was forging a career on my own merit.

Our manager at that time, Allison, was deemed to be a strict principle-like character to a lot of the staff, and most people found her intimidating, but I always got along with her, thankfully...because our paths would cross again many years later.

I loved my time at ICON. I worked with amazing people, and am still very close friends with my first friend there, Justin.

Justin and I had a few crazy adventures together...as we were two wild and crazy single guys.

Ok, maybe not wild and crazy, but we had the same sense of humour, which, in a call centre can create so much fun. From practical jokes on colleagues to our outings to the clubs, I often feel like those years could be a book on their own.

One night, as we were both two single guys just looking for love, Justin convinced me to come clubbing with him. Now my only previous club experience was the ice cube stripper incident a few years back, but game for anything, I agreed.

We met at the office that night dressed in our fashionable late 90s best, and headed out for what essentially would turn out to be a re-enactment of the movie, A Night At The Roxbury.

It was a rainy night, and we headed out in his VW Beetle, unsure if we would even make it to the club in one piece. In that weather we might as well have been driving a late model VW Deathtrap.

We eventually did make it to the club and made our way to the back of the joint bopping our heads white guy style to the beat. Ready to get this party started, we got some drinks - a coke for Justin and diet coke for me, and resumed our synchronized head bopping.

Egging each other on to hit the dance floor to impress the ladies, we made our way centre stage and unleashed moves that even Patrick Swayze would be proud of.

We demonstrated everything from the Running Man, to the Sprinkler and even the more advanced Fishing Rod.

Despite this, we were unable to hook a fish that night, but boy, were we proud of ourselves.

This was going to be the first of many nights featuring us young studs painting the town red. Or so I thought. Justin met a girl named Tammy pretty soon after that, and I was once again the solo member of the wolf pack.

As he had met her online, he encouraged me to do the same, and set me up with another girl who he knew from online chat.

It was my first blind date, and Justin did his best to allay my fears, convincing me that she was an awesome "chick", but just in case he was wrong...we implemented some escape plans if the date didn't go well. He was going to be my wingman, as she was going to bring some of her friends too.

We met at bar/restaurant close to our work, so that we could use the old "work emergency" excuse if we needed to get out of there in a hurry.

What I didn't realize at the time was that Justin didn't know what she looked like either. Oh the innocence of the internet back then.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not one to judge people on their looks, but let's be honest, there does need to be a physical attraction in order for there to be any hope.

You know when you see a group of girls, and immediately notice the attractive one in the group? Well, when they arrived, we just saw a group of girls.

I made a comment to Justin that has remained with us for over 15 years now. "Dude, it's like we have a date with The Goonies".

What proceeded was the most awkward night ever. Looks aside, they were about as interesting as dry ice, and there was just no connection at all. As much as we tried to make conversation, there was a deafening sound of crickets all night.

Justin immediately put Plan: Work Emergency into effect.

He faked receiving a call from the office, and we had to leave urgently.

But me being way too nice for my own good, didn't want to be so abrupt about the whole thing and stayed a little while longer to try and make it seem "not so obvious".

That was about the extent of my dating life in those years, and after that I decided to stick with what I knew and rather focus on dipping my pen in company ink.

The great thing about call centres, is that there is generally a high staff turnover, and every few months there is someone new starting. Every now and again, you win the lotto and suddenly someone who grabs your interest starts to work just a few desks away from you.

Enter, Zahedha. The first Indian girl I ever liked...