...
"She snaps her fingers and walks away from the window. I watch her walk away...."
pen factory
fiction by mike daily
A man calls out from behind a glass partition at the Department of Employment Services (DES). "Anybody interested in working in a pen factory?" he says. "Six twenty-five an hour, five days or more. Anybody?"
"Pen factory?" someone says.
"Six twenty-five?" someone else says.
"Where’s it at? What part of the Valley?"
"Canoga Park. They’re looking for three people. You start tomorrow."
I get up. I go to the man. A woman reaches the window before me. She taps on the glass.
"One question," she says. "Do you have to use both hands? I have cerebral palsy in my right hand so I was just wondering if you have to use both hands."
The man looks at her.
"Can you use your left hand?"
"Yes," she says. "Yes I can. I can do wonders with my left hand."
She turns her head to the side and smiles.
"I’m not sure," he says. "It may be assembly. Let me call to find out." He calls.
"Yes, it’s assembly. You need both hands."
She snaps her fingers and walks away from the window. I watch her walk away.
The man slides me a card.
"Fill that out."
I take it and fill it out. I slide it back.
"You start tomorrow." He writes something on another card and slides it to me. "Next."
I look at the card. The card states Company Name, Address, Whom to See, Directions, Date of Appointment and Time of Appointment.
Tomorrow. Seven a.m.
It goes on to say it will introduce Mick O’Grady for employment as General Laborer.
Six twenty-five an hour.
I have a job.
