Chapter 1
Who is he?
Oh lord! No one would believe that it was him! A popular visionary, influencer and a motivational speaker! Loved by everyone who knew him or listened to him! Charismatic and adored by the generations he worked with! Anyone I know would trust him with his life! While I..
It all started the day I got promoted to my current status! I knew who he was of course! The boss of the boss of my bosses, is one way to describe it!
I was a minor employee before, I would never be allowed to sit on a table across from him, with a group of my newly appointed colleagues, if it wasn’t for that promotion! He scanned us all, he saw me, with that unfamiliar expression I couldn’t read! And started cracking the jokes he was so known and loved for!
“What about you?” He asked me out of the blue, in a mocking tone” did your new team accept you being so young?”
I was offended, hot in a rage my bosses had agitated few hours after I accepted my new post in their establishment! despite being appointed by a higher figure they could not challenge!
“ I’m older than I look!” I heard myself say in an angry voice!
“Are you?”
“ I’m 65!”
I heard the room around me roar in laughter! I was in my early thirties and indeed looking younger than I actually was!
He didn’t laugh, he actually blushed and with a little smile he gave my boss next to him he said “ well, then didn’t I just give her quiet a compliment ..”
he looked embarrassed, cornered for fearing of being inappropriate, and changed the subject quickly!
There was another meeting, with the establishment being inspected by the quality Authority soon, he came in late and sat deliberately in the seat before me!
I had just discovered I was pregnant, starving with nausea getting the best of me, I was hardly paying attention to what was being said!
Him, being so smart in snatching a chance to avenge himself, looks at me and shouts in his comic theatrical way “ say something! Contribute with something instead of just sitting there!”
People laughed, my boss, who wasn’t satisfied with anything I provided recently looked at me with a mocking smile, and I tried to smile along and take it light heartedly!
Moments later I suggest something, and he politely, without even giving me a glance, approves briefly!
I felt like disposable garbage!
I was going through a lot of pressure added to the ailments of a first trimester pregnancy! His frequent meetings, and my constant struggle with my bosses did not help!
I went from work to the hospital back to work and it nearly killed me!
The inspection came and went, and all the Monstrosities we went through paid off! We had the highest of results, and of course he was there to celebrate!
He went from one employee to the other thanking them personally, and when he passed through me he doesn’t say a word!
The man hates me! There is no other way to explain it, he runs away the moment he sees me! Do I repulse him so?
Until the moment came, in the middle of the chaos of the office party when everyone was busy with someone and everything was all over the place, when he was sure that no one would see him, that he stares at me!
My god! That long intense glare!
I could feel his eyes hot and daunting on me! I lift my eyes and we lock gaze, he knows that I caught him and he doesn’t look back!
I don’t understand him! What does he want!
Looking at me like that, like he could undress me with his eyes, and finally I somehow understand!
I stand and leave making it clear that his behavior is not welcomed! No matter who he was!
Another meeting few months later, I somehow forget whatever that thing that happened was, and he smiles warmly and encourage me to give an opinion and speak before everyone, as if I was the most important person of them all! He was kinder this time, the apparent pregnant belly before me prominent and perhaps contributing to the kindness!
So you didn’t encourage him?
I didn’t even understand him! He didn’t look like he would behave like this! I even doubted myself! I thought I was over analyzing things!
What happened next?
There was the one meeting the following year, I was there early as was he, I welcomed him in with another colleague .
I asked if he wanted tea or coffee, and he asked if we had something special!
I had no idea what beverage we had to offer in the administration building, I worked in another one, so I looked bewildered to my colleague who just says “ we have whatever you like!” Encouraging him to ask for something specific.
Disappointed, he says nothing!
The meeting commenced, I feel his hot gaze upon me again and I catch him looking at me, embarrassed he looks away and proceeds as if all is normal!
It can’t all be normal right? This all means something, I thought to myself!
Did you act upon it?
Of course I didn’t! I was a married woman! A mother to two little children, and he was in his 50s or so!
Old enough to be a parent of mine! And he’s my boss, it was all very inappropriate!
I don’t deny though that I liked him, as did everybody around me. He was charismatic and funny! He had that warmth about him, you would very much enjoy his company, except for that one time when he was glancing at me intensely! That time he was just plain scary!
So it seems you both never acted upon your emotions!
Our emotions?
You just said you liked him?
In a fatherly way! His behavior confused me! I couldn’t understand him, I was just sure that he was very careful around me! He isn’t his self, sometimes though, if you really pay attention to the little details, you could see his struggle!
Would you describe him as a decent man?
Yes, if it wasn’t for that scary time!
Let’s carry on, how did you get closer to him since he, as you said, was very careful not to show his feelings!
Working with my boss killed me, she was moody and exhausting! I thought my success would make her easier to work with, but it didn’t. She got worse every day , I thought I wasn’t wanted there any more. So I was complaining to a friend of mine, lucky enough to escape my boss to another establishment, and she advises me to go talk to him.
I refuse at first because I knew how close he was to my despicable boss.
He’s a kind man, she says! Go to him I’m sure he’d help!
I dismiss the idea until my boss reduces me to tears the same day, so I get his phone number and I call him.
