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The female buffalo grazed on the new grass sprouts. She did not notice the rest of the herd moving steadily away. Her keen senses had failed to warn her of the impending danger. Two female lions were crouched, only one hundred feet away, in the higher grass. Their fur stood straight on their backs as their muscles tighten in anticipation of the coming charge.
Suddenly, the buffalo stopped her chewing. With an uneasy feeling she looked with apprehension toward the tall grass. She bolted toward safety as the lionesses bore down on her. In her fear and effort to elude the pursuing hunters, she failed to see the three lions stalking her from the front. The trap had worked. She was now surrounded by all five lionesses of the pride.
Lowering her head, she swung her horns wildly as she desperately tried to ward off the attack. Two lions charged from the front and stopped just out of her reach. This distraction allowed a lioness in the rear to jump onto the back of the hapless buffalo. Digging her claws and teeth into the skin, the attacker clung to stay atop the prey. The buffalo bucked and spun around trying to dislodge the hunter from her back. Another lioness swatted her right leg with a mighty blow causing blood to flow freely from the wound. Snorting with pain and terror she was unable to react quickly enough to prevent another lioness from clamping onto her nose.
Her heart was pounding as she struggled to breathe. The weight of the lion on her back was quickly draining her strength. Finally, she was able to shake the lioness from her nose just as another one grabbed her neck and held on fast. She gasped for air as blood from her nostrils made its way to her lungs. Her eyes glazed as the weight on her back and the lack of oxygen began to take its toil. Another lioness nipped at her hooves. In one last desperate act, she shook violently and bellowed as loud as she could in a frantic prayer for help. No one came to her aid.
Realizing there would be no intervention, she felt as tired and alone as she ever had. A wave of calm slowly settled over her. No longer did she feel pain. Everything around her moved in dreamlike slow motion. All she knew was how exhausted she felt. With her legs wobbling, she laid down in the grass as the lions moved in for the kill.
In amazed abandonment she watched as the lionesses tore her belly open with their scissor-like teeth. Numbness kept her from crying out as they feasted on her intestines. With a feeble snort she settled into the blackness of unconsciousness as the male lions of the pride scattered the females away and started devouring her internal organs.
A male lion paused long enough to raise his head and lick his bloody lips. With a mighty roar of victory, he announced to the whole African plain that the lion is still king of the beast. As he returned to eating, the female buffalo took her last breath, and the beating of her heart came to a stop.
There is no sympathy for the prey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The female buffalo grazed on the new grass sprouts…
“Good morning, Amalgamated Malaise Corporation. How may I direct your call?” asked Rhonda in her matter-of-fact voice. “Please hold while I connect you to that extension.”
After connecting the call, she returned her attention to her personal phone conversation.
“Yeah, I got here ten minutes late,” she said as she glanced around to make sure no one was watching. “But, you know I didn’t have a choice.”
“Do you think you’ll get into trouble?” the question came from the other end of the phone.
“Nah, my boss ain’t gonna cause no trouble,” she replied. “She’s got a heart of stone but I got a legit reason this time.”
“But you put in for that promotion,” said the caller. “You don’t want to hurt your chances with that.”
“I doubt it,” she offered. “They’ve turned me down every other time I’ve applied. I figure if I bug them enough, they’ll finally give me something better than answering the phones all the time.”
“Well, you deserve it,” the caller reflected. “You’ve worked your butt off for them.”
“I know but I’m not part of their little group,” she declared. “If you’re part of that you can be as sorry as you want and still get the best jobs. But I ain’t playing no games.”
“Have you had your interview yet?” asked the caller.
“Yeah.”
“How’d it go?”
“Oh, the regular crap,” she replied. “They really don’t care what you think or how well you can do the job. They just want you to say the stuff they want to hear.”
“When will you find out if you got the job?” the caller asked.
“They said later today,” she reflected. “But don’t hold your breath. They move at their own speed, which is just a little faster than a tortoise.”
“Well, good luck,” offered the caller. “I guess I’d better let you go. I hear your phone ringing.”
“Ah, it can wait,” she laughed. “If I don’t answer what’re they gonna do? They’ll just call back like they always do.”
###############
Her keen senses had failed to warn her of the impending danger…
“She’s at it again,” declared Sandy as she joined Tess at the window of her office. “You’d think she’d have enough business savvy to realize what’s she’s doing.”
“You expect too much of her,” snickered Tess. “She’s no different than the day we hired her.”
“You hired her, remember?” laughed Sandy.
“Well, we all have our moments, don’t we?” asked Tess as she joined in the laughter.
“I don’t know. You hired me, too,” offered Sandy.
“Oh God, two strikes,” bellowed Tess. “One more and I’m out.”
“C’mon,” said Sandy in mocked shock. “You’re not lumping me in with the likes of her? Are you?”
“Nah,” smiled Tess. “I’m just having some fun at your expense.”
“Well, I guess I’d better go out there and tell her to start doing her job,” sighed Sandy as she grabbed a cup and poured coffee in it.
“How many more times are you gonna do that?” asked Tess as her voice took on an unemotional tone.
“I know I’m going to have to get rid of her,” declared Sandy. “I just wanted to give her enough rope to hang herself.”
“I think you’ve given her plenty of chances,” offered Tess. “You might as well go ahead and cut her loose.”
“Well, OK, if that’s what you want,” reflected Sandy. “How about waiting to the end of her shift? That’ll give me a chance to get a temp for her.”
“Yeah, that’ll be fine,” replied Tess. “I guess we can ignore her bid for a promotion.”
“You’ve got to admit, she’s got some gall,” smiled Sandy. “No matter how many times she gets turn down, she keeps applying whenever an opening comes up.”
“Yeah, and she’s just wasting all our time,” reflected Tess. “All she’s ever been qualified for is a receptionist. And now she can’t even do that good enough to keep her job.”
“I remember when she first came here, she declared to everyone how she wanted to move up in this company,” offered Sandy. “She’s sure had a funny way of proving her worth.”
“The only thing she’s proved is how worthless she is,” declared Tess. “She was just fooling herself and anyone who would listen to her. It was easy for me to see that we hired her as high up as she would ever go.”
“Well, let me go out there and see if I can motivate her to start doing her job,” offered Sandy. “Maybe that way we’ll at least get some work out of her before I let her go.”
###############
A lioness jumped onto the back of the hapless buffalo…
“Good morning, Amalgamated Malaise Corporation. How may I direct your call?” asked Rhonda in her matter-of-fact voice. “Please hold while I connect you to that extension.”
“How’s it going Rhonda?” asked Sandy as she approached the receptionist desk.
“Not the best,” she replied.
“I took a look at the time punch and saw you were late again this morning,” declared Sandy.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” offered Rhonda. “Kenny was sick this morning and I had to find a babysitter. You know the daycare won’t take him if he’s running a fever.”
“This is starting to happen a lot lately,” declared Sandy.
“Well, what can I do?” asked Rhonda as she bristled at the comment. “Sometimes it really hard on us single parents.”
“Yeah, I know your son needs you,” offered Sandy. “But we need you here, too. We’re trying to run a business and this phone has to be answered.”
“I understand that,” reflected Rhonda.
“Good,” declared Sandy. “And do you understand that the phone is not for your personal use?”
“Well, I have to check on my son,” offered Rhonda. “I may need to take him to the doctor.”
“Your babysitter can call you if he needs to go,” reflected Sandy. “There’s no need to ignore the business here and keep calling to see how he is.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rhonda humbly replied. “I’ll not call any more today.”
“Good,” declared Sandy. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, I’ll leave you to do your job.”
“I will do my job, Sandy,” offered Rhonda. “You can count on it.”
“Thank you,” replied Sandy. “And I hope your son gets better soon.”
###############
Another lioness clamped onto her nose…
“OK, what is this supposed to be?” asked an irritated Paula.
“What do you mean?” inquired Rhonda. “I typed it exactly the way you said you wanted it.”
“I didn’t want it with all these typos!” Paula declared in a huff. “You ever heard of spell check?”
“There’s no spell check for half those words,” replied Rhonda. “Most of them are company acronyms.”
“How long have you been working here?” muttered Paula. “Even a rookie could do better than this!”
“Well, why didn’t you just type it yourself?” offered Rhonda. “That’s probably the only way it’s gonna be good enough for you.”
“Oh, sure, I guess I’ll have to now,” declared Paula. “But you’re the one who wanted to impress the big shots around here. You’re the one who wanted them to see how talented you are so you could get that big promotion. How’s that going?”
“You know how it is around here,” smirked Rhonda.
“Yeah, you’re not part of the in-crowd,” reflected Paula. “You’ve got two chances: Fat and slim.”
“Well, one of these days they’re gonna wake up and see what they’re missing,” declared Rhonda. “I can do the job as good as anyone. I just need the chance.”
“Then why don’t you impress them and retype this report for me?” smiled Paula. “And this time do it right.”
“I’ll have to do it during my lunch hour,” sighed Rhonda. “You can’t do it?”
“No,” declared Paula. “I was counting on it already being done. Now, it’s throwing me way behind.”
“All right. All right, I’ll do it,” offered Rhonda. “You’ll get your lousy report the first thing this afternoon.”
“Good, that’s all I ask,” smiled Paula as she turned and headed toward her work cubicle.
###############
Her eyes glazed as the weight on her back began to take its toil…
“Good afternoon, Amalgamated Malaise Corporation. How may I direct your call?” asked Rhonda in her matter-of-fact voice. “Please hold while I connect you to that extension.”
“I just wanted to call for a second to see how Kenny’s doing,” Rhonda said in a low-key voice.
“He’s asleep right now,” answered the voice on the other end of the line.
“Is he still running a fever?” Rhonda asked.
“Not much now,” came the reply. “The medicine’s kick in. He’ll be all right.”
“I know, but I just had to check on him,” sighed Rhonda. “And I sure thank you for looking after him. I don’t know what I’d done if you hadn’t.”
“Glad to help out,” came the reassuring words. “I know how hard it is to be a single mom.”
“And this place doesn’t help much,” declared Rhonda. “They want you to believe it’s a great place to work, but it’s just a charade.”
“That’s about the way it is everywhere,” observed the person on the line. “When it comes right down to it, it’s all about the mighty dollar. They don’t care about anything else.”
“If I could get another job somewhere else, I’d be out of here in a heartbeat,” reflected Rhonda. “But I don’t have time to look anywhere else. And I need the money. So, I just have to put up with all the crap they throw at me.”
“I know you’re doing your best,” said the voice on the phone.
“I just get so sick of this place,” offered Rhonda. “Sometimes I think it’d be easier if I just went on welfare.”
“Ah, don’t think like that,” comforted the voice. “You’ll do OK.”
“Well, I don’t know how much more I can take,” reflected Rhonda. “They just stifle you here. They’re always on your back and they never ever give you a break. You can work your fingers to the bone and they don’t care. So long as you make them look good and don’t do anything to embarrass them in front of their bosses. And then when you do a good job for them there’s no recognition. They act like you only did what you’re suppose to do.”
“I guess your check is supposed to be thanks enough,” offered the voice on the phone.
“Oh yeah, you’re supposed to get down on your hands and knees and thank the powers-to-be that they have graced you with your weekly paycheck,” smirked Rhonda. “And don’t even try to get promoted around here.”
“Hey, Kenny’s stirring,” said the voice on the other end. “I’d better check on him.”
“Let me know if you need me,” offered Rhonda. “I’ve only got an hour to go. And thanks again for all your help.”
###############
She bellowed as loud as she could in a frantic prayer for help…
“You wanted to see me, Sandy?” Rhonda asked as she walked into her manager’s office.
“Yes, I did,” replied Sandy. “You know Julie from HR?”
“Yeah, I do,” answered Rhonda as she started to become suspicious of the purpose of the meeting. “What’s she here for?”
“Please have a seat, Rhonda,” ordered Sandy. “We’ve got something serious to talk about.”
“Oh, no, you’re not going to do this to me,” declared Rhonda as she slumped down into the chair. “This is the worst thing that can happen to me right now!”
“Well, I’ve talked to you and talked to you, but you haven’t responded,” reflected Sandy. “I’ve got Tess on my back about your work, and I can’t allow it to go on like this any longer.”
“Please, Sandy, give me one more chance,” pleaded Rhonda. “I can do the job. I just need a chance.”
“You’ve had your chances,” declared Sandy. “I’ll need you to turn your keys and security badge over to Julie.”
“Can’t I do something to change your mind?” begged Rhonda. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”
“No, the decision has been made,” replied Sandy. “A security officer will be here shortly, and he’ll escort you out.”
“Here you go,” offered Rhonda as she handed the items to Julie. “Sandy, you’re just one hard-nosed bitch!!”
“Now there’s no need for that,” declared Julie. “Let’s keep it civil.”
“Oh, that’s easy for you to say, Miss HR!” yelled Rhonda. “You’ve still got your lousy stinking job! Wait ‘til they decide to screw you the way they’ve done me. Let’s see how civil you are then!!”
“The officer’s here,” declared Sandy. “Rhonda, I want you to leave.”
“Oh, I’m leaving,” shouted Rhonda. “And you go to hell, you asshole!!”
Sandy and Julie watched as the security officer escorted Rhonda to the front door. He held it open for her as she turned and flip her middle finger at the two women.
“It’s never easy, is it?” reflected Julie.
“Not with people like her,” offered Sandy. “But it had to be done.”
###############
No one came to her aid…
Sandy knocked and then opened the door to Tess’ office. “You got a minute?” she asked.
“Just one,” came the reply.
“I wanted to let you know I took care of Rhonda,” offered Sandy.
“That’s good,” declared a distracted Tess. “I just got word that Arthur Davidson is on his way here.”
“The CEO’s coming here?” asked a surprised Sandy.
“Yeah, he’ll be at the airport in an hour and a half,” continued Tess. “I’ve got to get myself over there.”
“Wow, he hasn’t been here in a couple of years,” reflected Sandy. “What’s he coming for?”
“Who knows,” replied Tess. “He doesn’t tell why he’s going to one of his factories. He just shows up and makes things happen.”
“You want me to get Rhonda back?” asked Sandy. “I know he doesn’t like temp help.”
“No, you’ve already let her go,” reflected Tess. “If he stays over tonight you just make sure you’re sitting at the desk when he gets here in the morning.”
“You want me to be the receptionist?” asked a shocked and surprised Sandy.
“Yeah, just until he leaves,” smiled Tess. “Then you can bring your temp in and go back to doing what you do.”
“OK,” offered Sandy. “Hey, wait a minute. Didn’t you put in for that vice-president vacancy?”
“Yes, I did,” answered Tess.
“Oh, my God, Tess,” laughed Sandy. “That’s why he’s coming. You got the job!!”
“Well, I don’t want to speculate,” smiled Tess. “There was some stiff competition, but I think he was impressed with my interview.”
“This is great!” continued Sandy. “You’re going to have to move to corporate headquarters and all. And who’s going to get your job?”
“Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” laughed Tess. “But you stick with me, and we’ll see how far the both of us can go.”
“You know I’m there with you,” declared Sandy. “You’re the best boss I’ve ever had.”
“Oh, don’t go getting sentimental on me, now,” smiled Tess. “Can you hold it down here while I get to the airport?”
“Sure thing, Ms. Vice-President!” laughed Sandy.
“I must admit, I like the way that sounds,” reflected Tess. “Anyway, I’m out of here.”
###############
A male lion paused long enough to raise his head and lick his bloody lips…
Tess waited impatiently on the tarmac as the private jet rolled to a stop. She gave a hearty wave even though she was not able to peer through the shaded windows to see who was in the plane.
“Who’s that waving?” asked Arthur Davidson as he gazed out the window at the woman flailing her arms.
“Oh, that’s Tess,” replied his director of HR.
“So, that’s Tess,” reflected Arthur. “She came here to pick us up?”
“Yeah, I called and told her we were coming,” answered the director. “That’s all I told her.”
“Well, that’ll work just as well,” offered Arthur. “We can do our business here and not have to go to the plant.”
“I figured it would save us a trip,” offered the director. “We’re already behind schedule. This will help us get to Tampa by sunset.”
“Good,” declared Arthur. “Let me see the notes again.”
After a few moments of examining the paperwork Arthur looked at his assistant and reflected, “She actually applied for Lou’s old job.”
“Yes, and I firmly believe she thought she actually had a chance at it,” laughed the director. “Imagine that!”
“Yeah, now I remember her interview,” reflected Arthur. “It was horrendous! I’ve never seen a person stumble over themselves as much as she did.”
“She probably thought she did a wonderful job,” offered the director.
“People never cease to amaze me,” offered Arthur. “They continually try to climb the ladder of success until they reach their own level of incompetence.”
“Well, she’s definitely one of them,” declared the director. “Have you looked at her numbers lately?”
“Yeah, they were in the papers,” replied Arthur. “Numbers don’t lie. It just shows we’ve made the right decision. Is Jim going to be here in the morning?”
“Yes, he’s flying in later tonight,” revealed the director. “He’ll take over operations at the plant first thing in the morning.”
“There’s something I want him to handle in the next few days,” declared Arthur as he pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket and handed it to the director. “I printed out this email.”
“She’s been sending these to you?” asked the director.
“Every week,” sighed Arthur. “I don’t mind feedback from subordinates, but her ranting is starting to get on my nerves.”
“Well, I’m sure Jim will take care of it,” offered the director. “I’ll call him first thing in the morning. Let’s see her name is Sandy. She’s one of the supervisors.”
“Tell him to do it right,” ordered Arthur. “I don’t want this to come back and bite me in the ass.”
“You know Jim, he’ll make it look like her fault,” smiled the director. “What I can’t figure is why she bothered you? She should’ve been running these through the plant manager.”
“In her first email she said Tess knew about it and approved it,” revealed Arthur. “I guess they think they can get cozy with me and then they’ll have my ear on every little snit they can think of.”
“Well, don’t think about it anymore,” offered the director. “Jim will get rid of her.”
“Good,” declared Arthur. “Now, let’s go take care of Tess.”
“It is kind of ironic though, isn’t it?” reflected the director.
“What do you mean?” asked Arthur as he unbuckled his seat belt.
“On the day she probably thinks she’s getting a vice-president’s job,” replied the director. “She’s actually getting the boot.”
“Well, that’s business,” reflected Arthur. “That’s why we’re paid the big bucks to make the tough decisions.”
“Ah, she has got some talents,” offered the director. “She’ll find another job pretty easy.”
“All right then,” declared Arthur. “Let’s go get this done!”
There is no sympathy for the prey.
THE END
Copyright ©2006 by Jerry W. Crews
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