Just a Job

  Just A Job

  A Decalogy Short Story

  Laura Sherman

  Outside The Box Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed are either products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.

  Just A Job — A Decalogy Short Story

  Copyright © 2019 by Laura Sherman

  Cover design by M. Kabeer

  Edited by Andrea Haug McDaniel

  All rights reserved.

  Outside The Box Publishing

  411 Cleveland St. PMB #220

  Clearwater, FL 33755

  laura@laurasherman.com

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without author’s written permission, except for the use of quotations in a review.

  If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review of it at my Amazon Author Page.

  Thank you. Every review helps.

  Created with Vellum

  To Rod Serling —

  Thank you for your extraordinary inspiration.

  Introduction

  I remember the intense emotions and physical phenomena that swept over me when I became a mother. Three times. Three lovely children.

  Most of the emotions I experienced were warm and loving.

  But some of them were a bit scary. I’d get the oddest frights, especially when my children were infants.

  I worried that the roof would collapse on us at any moment or that I’d drop my precious bundle. Neither of these things happened, nor any of the other dozen odd and outrageous micro-terrors that would hit me at all hours.

  These experiences, these bizarre thoughts, these intense emotional bursts inspired me to write Just a Job.

  Contents

  Just A Job

  About the Author

  Just A Job

  It was Mildred’s second strike. She sat on the hard metal chair and attempted to look as inconspicuous as possible. There was some small comfort in the veil of hair that fell over her face. One more strike and she would have to turn her brown dress in for a dull gray one.

  Looking around the room she saw the Blues bustling around in their government cubicles helping other Browns like her. Once in a while a Red or Green would pass by on the way to one of the larger offices to the right for a meeting.

  If only I could wear a different color.

  Any color other than that of tired dirt would be nice.

  “Mildred 259?” a crisp voice called out.

  Mildred turned to look up at the Blue who was glaring down at her. “Here,” she said in her most pleasant and polite voice.

  “Well, come along,” the woman said. Mildred did her best to follow the Blue through the maze of cubicles. She caught brief bits from various interviews along the way. A few of the other Browns had single black bars on their sleeves, but no one else had two.

  They’re not like me.

  Passing through the cubicles, they entered a large open area. The Blue that Mildred had been following stopped at a desk then indicated that Mildred should sit down. “Back again so soon?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mildred replied.

  “How old are you?”

  “Seventeen, ma’am.”

  The woman paused and stared at her. “And you already have two strikes?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What happened this time?”

  “It wasn’t my fault,” Mildred said. She concentrated, and two fat tears fell from her eyes.

  “What happened?” the Blue snapped. “I don’t have time for melodrama, girl.”

  Mildred quickly wiped her tears away. “Yes, ma’am. The child, he ran away.”

  The Blue looked shocked. “Was he recovered?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Lucky for you!”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The Blue looked at her in disgust. “I need to fill out the standard paperwork.” She pushed aside some of the accumulated papers on her desk to reveal an antiquated computer built into the surface of the metal desk. She pulled out the keyboard from under the desk and started typing.

  Mildred watched her type for a few minutes then tentatively asked, “Ma’am?”

  The Blue stopped typing and looked up at Mildred “Yes?” she asked, glancing at her watch.

  Mildred stared at the edge of the desk in front of her. “I was just wondering if I could do something else. A different job.”

  The Blue furrowed her brow. “You want to clean houses?”

  “No. No, ma’am,” Mildred said with a deep sigh. “I mean like something completely different.”

  The Blue barked a laugh and resumed typing. “You’re a Brown.”

  Mildred ran her finger nervously across the cool edge of the black metal desk. “I know, ma’am. I understand that, but I’d like to be something else.”

  The Blue stopped typing again and looked at Mildred as if she’d grown another head. “Oh, you would, would you? Well isn’t that nice! A two-strike Brown wants to be a…,” she paused a moment for dramatic effect. “a what, exactly, would you like to be? A Red perhaps?” She looked around at a neighboring Blue. “Hey, Delores, did you hear this?”

  The two shared a laugh. “Just when you think you’ve heard it all!” Delores said.

  As other Blues and Browns at surrounding desks looked their way, Mildred slumped back against the chair. “No ma’am, I know I can’t be a doctor or a nurse. I’m not saying that.”

  “What then?” the Blue asked, shaking her head. “What is it that you’d like to be?”

  Mildred felt the critical eyes from the others around her. Instinctively she covered her left sleeve with her hand, hiding her two black marks. “Nothing, ma’am,” Mildred murmured.

  The Blue nodded and resumed her typing. “Nothing’s about all you’ll ever be.”

  When the Blue was finished, she stood up. “Wait here. Your next assignment should be arriving shortly.” The woman sauntered over to the water cooler to chat with other Blues. Mildred shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Her eyes flicked over other Browns who were waiting nervously for their next assignments.

  Where will I go next?

  How many children will I have to watch?

  She fervently wished for a wealthy family. Of course, with her record that was a pipe dream. She had heard of some Browns living in homes where they had their own room–with a door. Those lucky Browns received new clothes when their old ones got worn out. Some were even stylish. Looking at her drab brown dress, she sighed. Her families had always been pinching pennies.

  After a few minutes the screen inside the desk beeped loudly. Mildred jumped at the noise. When she looked up, she noticed her Blue hurrying back to her desk.

  “That was fast,” the Blue grumbled. “I thought I’d have at least another thirty minutes.”

  Mildred sat forward in her chair. “What does it say?”

  The Blue looked at her pointedly and Mildred quickly added a “Ma’am”.

  “It says what it says. I’ll tell you soon enough,” she sniffed. Then she muttered, “When I understand it.”

  Abruptly, the Blue stood and disappeared into one of the side rooms. Mildred fidgeted in her seat. She tried to crane her neck so that she could see the screen but couldn’t from her angle. She chewed on her lower lip, toying with the idea of standing up and walking around the desk when the Blue came back. On her heels was an older man wearing a midnight blue three-piece suit.

  Mildred immediately stood. This must be a man of great importance. Her eyes shot up and down the length of his body
. She marveled at the luxurious silky fabric of his suit. Her heart soared with hope.

  Are you my new boss?

  The man sat down on the other side of the desk. “Tabitha, you don’t mind if I take over your desk, do you?” He gave the woman a soft smile.

  The Blue blushed. “No, sir. Of course not, sir. It would be my honor, sir!” Mildred felt a little better knowing she wasn’t the only one flustered in this man’s presence.

  The man typed a few things into the computer then looked at Mildred. He leaned in and said in a voice just above a whisper, “Mildred, it says here that you are eligible for a nanny job with a Hierarch family. They have twin three-year-olds.”

  She gasped. “Silvers?”

  “Shh,” the director said. “I don’t want to cause a scene with the other Browns. You understand, right?”

  “No, of course not,” Mildred said, matching the director’s tone. “But Silvers! Do they really want me?”

  The man nodded and gave her a small smile. “Seems so. It appears that this is your lucky day!”

  Mildred’s mouth silently opened and closed a few times. Thinking back, she couldn’t remember ever having a single lucky day. Her parents, being two pale Browns of low income and status, had been unable to keep her. They had given her over to an orphanage when she was almost two. All orphans were automatically trained in service and dressed in brown. It didn’t matter what their interests or abilities might be.

  Tabitha’s ill-concealed look of resentment wasn’t lost on Mildred. She chose to focus on the director. He seemed nice. As she looked at him, she realized he was probably waiting for some sort of response from her.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said.

  “So, you’ll take the position?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course!” she replied quickly.

  The director exhaled in relief and smiled. “Good, good.” He then turned to Tabitha. “Will you put the finishing touches on the paperwork?”

  The Blue nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  He turned back to Mildred. “We’ll have you to the family by 4:00pm,” he said and left.

  As promised, Mildred found herself in a private shuttle by mid-afternoon. She was heading for a neighborhood she had always wondered about but never seen. As they continued north, she noticed the gradations of color shift. The clothing people wore became richer and more vibrant. Never had she seen such an array of beautiful colors.

  Scattered along the sides of the streets were drab Grays holding their heads low. Each tended to their menial duties in a subdued manner. Mildred shuddered. If she failed this new job, this would be her fate.

  Please don’t let me get a third mark.

  A Gray was never allowed to speak to anyone other than another Gray. They worked ceaselessly, doing the jobs unwanted by people of color. Grays ate, slept and worked with no hope of rising out from that dismal colorless world.

  When the driver pulled into a long winding driveway, Mildred’s breath caught in her throat. There, before her, was a beautiful mansion that sprawled across acres of lush land. She was deposited at the door of the Silver’s home at 4:00pm sharp.

  Mildred was ushered into a large living room. The butler paused and ran his eyes up and down her dress, lingering for a moment on her left arm.

  “Sit,” he said, pointing to a couch. Mildred blushed and complied with his order. She wished that she could somehow purchase a new dress, one devoid of marks. She was just a step above a Gray. On top of that, her antiquated, dingy brown dress was horribly out of place in these surroundings. And the fabric itched.

  The Silvers are going to take one look at me and send me away.

  She looked around the room and had a hard time remaining on the sofa. All around her were beautiful objects of glass and silver and gold. She especially liked the animal figurines. The larger sculptures were probably worth a small fortune. She wanted to get up and look at them more closely.

  “You must be Mildred,” a soft, feminine voice called from the doorway. Mildred quickly stood up to greet her new employers but stumbled when she saw the couple entering the room. They were the most beautiful people she had ever seen.

  Silvers.

  The man looked to be in his forties. His short-cropped hair was brown with white accents. He wore a silver tunic made of wispy material that floated around his body in a flattering way.

  The woman on his arm had light blond hair that flowed over her shoulders like a soft mantle. Her silver dress was fitted on the top then flowed freely around her waist, swirling down to her feet. The dress had tiny multi-faceted diamonds sewn into the fabric, which sparkled as she moved.

  Mildred stared at them in silent wonder. The two Hierarchs seemed to understand her overwhelm, so they gave her a moment to recover. However, when she just continued to stare agape at them, the man said, “I’m Joseph and this is my wife, Bonnie.”

  Mildred nodded, still mute with awe.

  “If you stay,” Joseph continued, “we’ll be your new family.”

  Startled, Mildred burst into sudden jerky tears. Horrified, she tried to stop herself from making a fool of herself, but the combination of fear and nerves was too much to contain.

  Joseph nodded to his wife then gently nudged her forward. Almost reluctantly the woman took a few steps forward and reached out to Mildred. “Don’t worry. You’re home now.”

  Mildred stared at the sparkling woman in front of her and cried harder. She was so beautiful it was almost painful to look at her, but she couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away.

  Bonnie glanced back at her husband, who nodded toward Mildred. Turning back, Bonnie wrapped her in a warm embrace, pulling Mildred to her silver breast.

  She marveled at the soft silkiness of Bonnie’s clothing. This must be what clouds feel like. As she felt Bonnie’s steady heartbeat thumping, Mildred calmed down. Closing her eyes, she felt cared for.

  After a few moments, Mildred pulled herself up from the woman’s chest. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

  “There’s no need to apologize,” the woman replied gently.

  Cautiously Mildred looked to Joseph who nodded and said, “We understand. Please, have a seat. We’d like to get to know you.”

  Mildred sat down and crossed her arms. She hoped to cover up her sleeve.

  “There’s no point in that,” Bonnie said with a shake of her head. “We know you have two marks.”

  Mildred let her arms drop. She exhaled loudly then looked up at Bonnie and Joseph. “Why do you want me?”

  Joseph laughed and turned to his wife. “See? We made a good choice.”

  Mildred gave him a confused look.

  Joseph smiled at her. “I enjoy your honesty.”

  Mildred nodded, feeling relieved that she hadn’t said the wrong thing. She noticed that he hadn’t answered her question, but she wasn’t about to repeat it. “What happened to your last nanny?” she asked instead.

  “The girl didn’t work out,” Bonnie replied. “She just wasn’t invested enough for my liking. I want someone who’s really going love the children. Someone who will care for them as she would her own.”

  Mildred nodded, but was still confused. “And you want me?” she said more to herself than the Silvers.

  Joseph patted his wife’s knee. “We’re looking for someone special to help us. Someone who will commit themselves fully to our family. Someone who will do anything to protect our children.”

  Mildred nodded and looked down at her hands.

  I would do anything to stay here.

  “Good,” Joseph said. He nodded to the black marks on her sleeve. “But first, tell me how you got those.”

  Mildred shrunk back into the cushions as her cheeks blazed red. “I was a nanny in a few homes,” she began, her voice so low it was barely audible.

  “Look at us,” Bonnie commanded.

  Mildred immediately complied. Bonnie’s authority was compelling. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Better. Now speak clearly and tell us the entire tr
uth,” she said.

  “You can trust us,” Joseph added with a smile.

  Mildred nodded and pulled herself straighter in her chair and cleared her throat. “I was fourteen when I graduated.”

  “Which orphanage?” Bonnie asked.

  “259.”

  Bonnie nodded. “I’ve worked with a number of orphanages here in town. I’m not familiar with that one.”

  Mildred smiled at Bonnie. Fond memories flooded through her. Hierarchs would occasionally visit her orphanage, bringing treats and little gifts. One Silver had read to her when she was just a toddler; Mildred could still feel the tender embrace from that beautiful woman.

  Bonnie gave her a moment then prompted, “You were saying that you were fourteen…”

  “Yes, ma’am. I was placed with Greens.”

  Joseph nodded. “Which bank did they run?”

  Mildred shook her head. “I don’t know, sir.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Go on,” Bonnie said.

  “They had two children and no other Browns. So, I had to clean, too. I had trouble keeping up, but I managed OK. The wife had another baby and had to quit working. That’s when I was sent away.”

  Joseph cocked his head to the right. “Why did she have to quit?”

  “They couldn’t afford to keep me.”

  “But Greens—"

  Bonnie gave her husband a pointed look. “Maybe she wanted to stay home with the children.”

  Joseph frowned. “Maybe.”

  Bonnie turned back to Mildred. “Not one of your marks then?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Continue,” Joseph said.

  “I went to a Blue, then a Red and then back to another Blue,” Mildred recited, recalling her exact history. She paused for a moment. “Then I went to another Green. They had two children and a few Browns to clean. It seemed like a great job.”

  “Things aren’t always as they seem,” Bonnie said quietly.