Friday, September 16, 2011

The Last Day at Work

It was dramatic to say the least!
Here are the nice things:
The lovely people I work with got me a cake and a card to congratulate me on my retirement. Leo, my walking buddy, and his wife, Kate, gave me a framed print of one of Kate's gorgeous photographs. When I got home, I checked my bank account and discovered that I'd been overpaid by almost $800! I called headquarters to tell them about the mistake and was told that it wasn't a mistake, it was the one week of pay they held out when I started.
There was a slight problem, the FAX machine server (notebook) was on its way out and was making an ominous sound. I decided to replace the old notebook with a newer one. I had a little trouble, but before I left, the AV software finally installed and I was able to receive a test fax. Yay! Though, I did donate an hour of my freedom (I had already sent in my timesheet) to get it all working. It made it kind of nice that I discovered they were so generous with me too!
The other thing that happened was that a few of my co-workers confronted a young guy who has been preying on one of us. Unfortunately, the person who is being victimized is unwilling to recognize how she is being abused. She is a caring person who would help anyone in need. This particular character has come to rely on her generosity to set him up in business, buy all of his equipment, and pay his living expenses. Meanwhile, at 75, she can't afford to even buy a car and drives an old beater that a friend gave her. I've tried to talk her out of allowing this guy to exploit her, but she feels strongly that since he has a criminal record, the world has turned against him and that she's the only one who can help him. Jesus would approve, I know. She is a good, good person. I wouldn't have interfered myself, but I am kind of glad that my co-workers did. It kills me to think of this guy draining her bank account and the trust funds that her husband left for her and her children and grandchildren. I think that this guy is less than despicable...a healthy young man who has allowed her to move him from apartment to apartment with her truck. He had no problem letting her haul his furniture and belongings up and down stairs. What kind of man is that? But, like some kind of leech, even having someone tell him to leave her alone didn't discourage him. He's hanging tight...nothing they said seemed to shame him.
She is not incompetent. She's been like this most of her life, but her husband definitely wouldn't have allowed this to happen when he was alive. And, I can identify...we all need to be needed, don't we? But, this does cross a line.
I know she is angry with them and humiliated. I would be too. On the other hand, I hope my true friends would put a stop to anything like that if I got sucked into it. So, as you can see, all this drama was going on during my last day of work. The worst part? I didn't get to give her a goodbye hug before I left tonight. I've called her at home a couple of times, but she's not answering. I hope she is okay. Please let her be okay.

2 comments:

  1. My mother is in a similar situation with my brother who has not worked in oh, about 20 years now. he lives at her house and basically doesn't do much of anything as far as I can see. She has no money and when her car died I was the one she turned to for help with that. These situations suck the life out of you and they are no-win.

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  2. That must be so frustrating! At least your brother is there if she has a health problem...? Has he sought help? It can't be much of a life for him either. Chronic depression perhaps? This guy allows her to drag herself all over the place to deliver money to him. She drove to Manchester and back last week to get cash to him.

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