My Big Boss and Ground Hog Day
Without Prejudice
I was there a week before I met him. A name but not a face, just a name. I asked Lynn-Anne about him, "Who is this man ", I asked and pointed to the list of names of the 6 directors. It seemed to ring a bell, this mystery mans name. ""Oh, him", she said and smiled, "He's the oldest Man here, Yes he is very old!" I had been at the job a week and felt right at home. The CEO I had met on the first day and thought he was the cleaner. He had let me in and ran up the stairs in front of me, "You're very fit", I commented and he laughed as I trudged up close behind him. I was formally introduced to him that afternoon by my two immediate bosses, Gary and William. I had worked for them before at other Automotive places. They had both asked for me to come on board and I was more than eager to work for them again. Just after lunch I thought what I thought was some old woman screaming from behind the wall where Gary and William sat studiously at their desks. I crept nearer. I could hear the voice again and really angry now. "Well if you saw broken fucking glass in the fucking toilet why the fuck didn't you pick the fucking glass up?" The voice screamed. "Who is that ?" I asked Gary. "That's the big Boss, Nick", He replied. "Is he always like that ?" "Oh, yes, but this is a good day!", and he and William laughed. That afternoon I was formally introduced to Nick and sure enough it was the man that had let me in that morning. I just smiled graciously and a bit nervously and that was that. I began work for my two bosses. It was different from any Purchasing I had done before. Not as immediate as production more O.E., which meant I was on a steep learning curve at first. Head down and bum up. I looked at the list of Directors and learned their names. Nick was CEO, then there was Alby, Derek, who worked at Albury, Graeme, also Albury, the good looking accountant Nate and some other man who was working at Springvale where I was and hadn't met. Yet.
I lived with my daughter at the time after a relationship I had been in had reached its nadir. He didn't want to buy anything like a unit or house. I did, end of relationship. It wasn't going anywhere. He was quite happy to continue but I saw no sense in it and moved out. I had been to Queensland to look after my Sisters house while she and her Hubby were cruising the Bahamas. I had plenty of time to myself there, to write, read and think nothing about the relationship. Not even sadness it had ended after 5 years.
The house we had shared he had moved out of and in with another woman. He now loved her, he texted me and I was so glad but being a woman was a tad miffed. The house he had left his son in and I knew the son was a lazy druggie and my name was on the lease.
Just before I left Qld I texted William and asked him if he knew of any Purchasing roles back in Melbourne. I then flew home to sort out the house. I stayed with my youngest daughter who lived just around the corner from the leased house. The old boyfriend was not willing to meet me there so I went on my own, my youngest daughter as back up only.
What confronted me was a hovel, a druggie mess and I threw the son and his girlfriend out and started cleaning. It took me three weeks. I wont go into what had taken place there but it was a mess and I had to re paint some of the house. I had to move all the furniture to my daughters garage.
My ex would not pick anything up or help with the clean up. So I just did it all by myself. The task was massive, but I claimed all the bond back as I had done all the work. My ex would not come near me and I don't blame him. I was pretty furious at the mess and the state of what once had been an immaculate home.
Living at my daughters was good but I needed my own place. Her girls were little and played with my clothes and makeup. I was a bit down for a while and then came the call from William to say he thought he had a job for me. I was interviewed on the Thursday and was at work the next day. The routine was simple and the place was great. 72 people worked there, 69 men and 3 women, of which I was one. The first day I met Lynne_Anne and we were firm friends from day one. She was shy, funny and Indian. Wicked sense of humour to her.
After I had settled in and found my feet I had a chance to raise my head and look around me. There was another lady across the office, Stenka, a woman who had been with the company a good few years in Albury. The rest of the office and the connecting office was full of men. Some old, some young, design engineers, Cad men, all highly intelligent, driven and hard working. A few Indian boys who worked tirelessly and were funny and irreverent beyond belief. They called all the big bosses by their last names only. It reminded me of Grammar School.
Nick was a squat, smiling tirelessly yelling man and after the first few times of his yelling I started to very quickly begin to ignore his tantrums. They were never aimed at me which I was glad about as I would have just burst into tears. There was a lot of yelling when I first started and like all the rest I would just dip my head down and keep on working. Ignoring, but I must admit it reminded me of my ex husband who did the same. It seemed a little self indulgent to me and I wondered how Nick didn't have a heart attack the way he carried on.
I must admit there were times I wished he did. Just a small one anyway and get carted off to hospital so we could get a break. One man had the audacity to get up and shut the door on his office once, Nicks Office and I wanted to applaud. but didn't dare.He was funny though, Nick, he said once when he was going around the office and ordering one of his hench men to get rid of stuff.
"get rid of that", pointing to a desk, chair, cabinet, whatever,
"She can stay" And pointed at me. I just laughed.
He was funny and irreverent and ultimately he was a caring man I found out, but at that time he was just someone I was scared stiff of. He was openly sexist, had no time for women unless it was to fuck them, usually a personal assistant or similar. I didn't find him the least bit attractive, he looked like my younger brother in looks, not demeanour so I just quietly though of him as a younger hot headed brother.
The office was so 80's in the way it was I fully expected ashtrays to be put on the desks. It was politically incorrect to the nth degree, openly sexist remarks abounded, as did swearing, yelling and racist remarks. I had been warned about the "Blokey" atmosphere at the interview so I just took it with a grain of salt at first. I thought I could handle it. But I had forgotten about my Corporate conditioning at places like GMH in Fishermens Bend and Holden Special Vehicles in Clayton. I had over ten years of working in places where sexism and racism was taboo. And I found myself wincing at some of the things that were said.
Especially to the shy Indian people that needed their jobs and kept their mouths shut or laughed back at racist remarks, but I felt ashamed at not speaking up. It seemed to be though that you put up or shut up, so I needed the job so I shut up too.And within a week I was to meet the man I didn't know or know of and that was to be a revelation of the utmost importance. For me anyway and ultimately for him as well. And it would test me of all my skills learned to date and then some.
The week had begun as per normal. I usually was up at 5am, to try and beat the traffic from Narre Warren South in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to Springvale. It was not a long distance but traffic was always heavy and coming home sometimes took me an hour and a half. I would wake in the dark and come home in the dark. The early mornings gave me a bathroom to myself at least but I had to be careful not to wake the sleeping household. I dressed and made up and was out the door by a quarter to six and arrived at the office by 7am each day.
Nick liked us to still be at our desks until at least 5.30 pm and I was always chafing at the bit to be gone. Trying once again to beat the traffic, but never did. In the back of my mind was the thought I had to get a place of my own and it had to be nearer to work. My Son In Law needed his garage back where all my stuff was stored. And I needed to lessen my hours spent in the car every day traveling back and forth. But I had just started at the job and needed to be a little more secure before I could make another move in my life.
There was a man that Lynn-Anne called "Golden Balls", he was only young but a pet of Nick, who had trained him. He was a nice young guy but was rude to her and I didn't like that. Stenka was the same Lynn-Anne said, treated her like dirt and I witnessed this myself one day as I went into the office behind reception. Stenka treated Lynn -Anne that day like she was a serf there for only her needs and I was shocked. I stood back and just listened. Stenka ordered Lynn-Anne around to do her work as if Lynn-Anne was beneath her and they were both on the same level. I winked at Lynn-Anne and said nothing.
Later that week on the Thursday Lynn-Anne rang me on the in house phone at my desk.,
"So and So is leaving today and we're having a BBQ, could you ask William or Gary if you are allowed to come and help me?"
I was allowed and I was more than glad to help her, she was such a sweetie. We talked as we prepared. We were cutting up salads and buttering rolls. We were allowed to have alcohol at the BBQ which I was surprised about. A guy came in who I decided already I didn't like. He was a Croatian and always asked me to do his work and I had told him to ask William or Gary if it was alright, as I only answered to them. I
n offices I had worked in it was always strict procedures as to who you took orders from and he was just a lazy arse who wanted others to do his work for him as far as I was concerned. besides which I didn't like him, anyway for some reason. But he came in from his important errand of getting only the best meat for the BBQ and stopped to gossip. I totally ignored him and Lynn-Anne was always polite and chatted. He saw he was getting nowhere with me and left and we continued on in companionable silence.
At the BBQ which was well attended I asked who people were and Lynn-Anne explained who was who. I said,
"Is that the other Director, over there, the oldest man one, that one with the grey beard and hair?"
She looked up and laughed.
"Oh, no, that's Barry"
"This is Gabriel Moore" and she tapped a man on the shoulder and he turned around. He smiled down at me and I swear the earth shifted on its axis, just a little and I felt dizzy, and a little sick, I shake his hand and then I turn and run away. Back to the reception and take the stairs two at a time. Below me from her desk Lynn-Anne laughs and I laugh, too,
"Very funny, You'll keep ! "
I lived with my daughter at the time after a relationship I had been in had reached its nadir. He didn't want to buy anything like a unit or house. I did, end of relationship. It wasn't going anywhere. He was quite happy to continue but I saw no sense in it and moved out. I had been to Queensland to look after my Sisters house while she and her Hubby were cruising the Bahamas. I had plenty of time to myself there, to write, read and think nothing about the relationship. Not even sadness it had ended after 5 years.
The house we had shared he had moved out of and in with another woman. He now loved her, he texted me and I was so glad but being a woman was a tad miffed. The house he had left his son in and I knew the son was a lazy druggie and my name was on the lease.
Just before I left Qld I texted William and asked him if he knew of any Purchasing roles back in Melbourne. I then flew home to sort out the house. I stayed with my youngest daughter who lived just around the corner from the leased house. The old boyfriend was not willing to meet me there so I went on my own, my youngest daughter as back up only.
What confronted me was a hovel, a druggie mess and I threw the son and his girlfriend out and started cleaning. It took me three weeks. I wont go into what had taken place there but it was a mess and I had to re paint some of the house. I had to move all the furniture to my daughters garage.
My ex would not pick anything up or help with the clean up. So I just did it all by myself. The task was massive, but I claimed all the bond back as I had done all the work. My ex would not come near me and I don't blame him. I was pretty furious at the mess and the state of what once had been an immaculate home.
Living at my daughters was good but I needed my own place. Her girls were little and played with my clothes and makeup. I was a bit down for a while and then came the call from William to say he thought he had a job for me. I was interviewed on the Thursday and was at work the next day. The routine was simple and the place was great. 72 people worked there, 69 men and 3 women, of which I was one. The first day I met Lynne_Anne and we were firm friends from day one. She was shy, funny and Indian. Wicked sense of humour to her.
After I had settled in and found my feet I had a chance to raise my head and look around me. There was another lady across the office, Stenka, a woman who had been with the company a good few years in Albury. The rest of the office and the connecting office was full of men. Some old, some young, design engineers, Cad men, all highly intelligent, driven and hard working. A few Indian boys who worked tirelessly and were funny and irreverent beyond belief. They called all the big bosses by their last names only. It reminded me of Grammar School.
Nick was a squat, smiling tirelessly yelling man and after the first few times of his yelling I started to very quickly begin to ignore his tantrums. They were never aimed at me which I was glad about as I would have just burst into tears. There was a lot of yelling when I first started and like all the rest I would just dip my head down and keep on working. Ignoring, but I must admit it reminded me of my ex husband who did the same. It seemed a little self indulgent to me and I wondered how Nick didn't have a heart attack the way he carried on.
I must admit there were times I wished he did. Just a small one anyway and get carted off to hospital so we could get a break. One man had the audacity to get up and shut the door on his office once, Nicks Office and I wanted to applaud. but didn't dare.He was funny though, Nick, he said once when he was going around the office and ordering one of his hench men to get rid of stuff.
"get rid of that", pointing to a desk, chair, cabinet, whatever,
"She can stay" And pointed at me. I just laughed.
He was funny and irreverent and ultimately he was a caring man I found out, but at that time he was just someone I was scared stiff of. He was openly sexist, had no time for women unless it was to fuck them, usually a personal assistant or similar. I didn't find him the least bit attractive, he looked like my younger brother in looks, not demeanour so I just quietly though of him as a younger hot headed brother.
The office was so 80's in the way it was I fully expected ashtrays to be put on the desks. It was politically incorrect to the nth degree, openly sexist remarks abounded, as did swearing, yelling and racist remarks. I had been warned about the "Blokey" atmosphere at the interview so I just took it with a grain of salt at first. I thought I could handle it. But I had forgotten about my Corporate conditioning at places like GMH in Fishermens Bend and Holden Special Vehicles in Clayton. I had over ten years of working in places where sexism and racism was taboo. And I found myself wincing at some of the things that were said.
Especially to the shy Indian people that needed their jobs and kept their mouths shut or laughed back at racist remarks, but I felt ashamed at not speaking up. It seemed to be though that you put up or shut up, so I needed the job so I shut up too.And within a week I was to meet the man I didn't know or know of and that was to be a revelation of the utmost importance. For me anyway and ultimately for him as well. And it would test me of all my skills learned to date and then some.
The week had begun as per normal. I usually was up at 5am, to try and beat the traffic from Narre Warren South in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to Springvale. It was not a long distance but traffic was always heavy and coming home sometimes took me an hour and a half. I would wake in the dark and come home in the dark. The early mornings gave me a bathroom to myself at least but I had to be careful not to wake the sleeping household. I dressed and made up and was out the door by a quarter to six and arrived at the office by 7am each day.
Nick liked us to still be at our desks until at least 5.30 pm and I was always chafing at the bit to be gone. Trying once again to beat the traffic, but never did. In the back of my mind was the thought I had to get a place of my own and it had to be nearer to work. My Son In Law needed his garage back where all my stuff was stored. And I needed to lessen my hours spent in the car every day traveling back and forth. But I had just started at the job and needed to be a little more secure before I could make another move in my life.
There was a man that Lynn-Anne called "Golden Balls", he was only young but a pet of Nick, who had trained him. He was a nice young guy but was rude to her and I didn't like that. Stenka was the same Lynn-Anne said, treated her like dirt and I witnessed this myself one day as I went into the office behind reception. Stenka treated Lynn -Anne that day like she was a serf there for only her needs and I was shocked. I stood back and just listened. Stenka ordered Lynn-Anne around to do her work as if Lynn-Anne was beneath her and they were both on the same level. I winked at Lynn-Anne and said nothing.
Later that week on the Thursday Lynn-Anne rang me on the in house phone at my desk.,
"So and So is leaving today and we're having a BBQ, could you ask William or Gary if you are allowed to come and help me?"
I was allowed and I was more than glad to help her, she was such a sweetie. We talked as we prepared. We were cutting up salads and buttering rolls. We were allowed to have alcohol at the BBQ which I was surprised about. A guy came in who I decided already I didn't like. He was a Croatian and always asked me to do his work and I had told him to ask William or Gary if it was alright, as I only answered to them. I
n offices I had worked in it was always strict procedures as to who you took orders from and he was just a lazy arse who wanted others to do his work for him as far as I was concerned. besides which I didn't like him, anyway for some reason. But he came in from his important errand of getting only the best meat for the BBQ and stopped to gossip. I totally ignored him and Lynn-Anne was always polite and chatted. He saw he was getting nowhere with me and left and we continued on in companionable silence.
At the BBQ which was well attended I asked who people were and Lynn-Anne explained who was who. I said,
"Is that the other Director, over there, the oldest man one, that one with the grey beard and hair?"
She looked up and laughed.
"Oh, no, that's Barry"
"This is Gabriel Moore" and she tapped a man on the shoulder and he turned around. He smiled down at me and I swear the earth shifted on its axis, just a little and I felt dizzy, and a little sick, I shake his hand and then I turn and run away. Back to the reception and take the stairs two at a time. Below me from her desk Lynn-Anne laughs and I laugh, too,
"Very funny, You'll keep ! "
