31. Workplace Violence. Abuse. And Brutality.A day after the beating, and Gavin went back to work, walking by limping with his bruised leg and body. It was painful. And as though that was not enough, the weather itself was unbearable. The sun was high in the sky. The heat seemed to sip in through the wounds and into his bones. As he walked, tears hung to his eyes on standby. "I am not going to let him get away with this," he swore through the pain he was going through. "I promise I am going to make him pay for what he did." But physical pain was not the only thing Gavin was facing. Although he tried to ignore it. His heart too was wrenching on the inside, seemingly almost about to collapse. He could not help but remember the argument he had with Meghan just a few days ago when she saw him lying flat in the living room of their house. Her words, as sharp as a needle, and as cold as ice, still tore through him. The images and words kept on playing in his head, causing him more unt
Gavin's mouth was immediately short for words. He felt like there was more he could say, but then decided against it. He was quiet for the first few seconds after Brax had said what he said. He stood still, as though frozen in the coldness of time."Did you hear me, or did you not?" Brax once upon declared quite brashly. "Go to work this instant, or stay here and the next three minutes, lose this job. It seems you have become unable to hear in a matter of seconds.”Nothing to say, Gavin bowed his head and moved on ahead. He found right after he opened the door that Ron the C.S.O was still right there eavesdropping.Their eyes met and as Gavin had expected him to do, he went down to mock him. "Look who just got sent out of the office after trying to report me. You. Can you not see it, Gavin? You are a failure. You better go deliver on that job like the boss have told you to. You know you don't want to disappoint him." Gavin ignored him as expected to. He walked past without sparing
Ugh, another person trying to insult him again, Gavin thought, totally unimpressed by the woman's words or behavior."Are you really an employee of the City Express? Why do you look so tattered and beaten up like a bull?" The lady did not seem to want to back down on her repulsive questioning.Well there was nothing Gavin could do about it. He began walking back to his motorbike. But the unrelenting old woman followed him. "Why are you not answering me?" She asked, becoming furious with every step she took towards him, and every step he took away from her.He still gave her no replies. On his mind was only one imperative at the time: meet up with Meghan and find out what she wants to tell you."This is bad customer service. How can you be an employee of City Express? You're unprofessional, you're ugly, and you lack disrespect. Your body is also badly shaped. Don't move any more inches, you scoundrel, or I will call your boss, right here, right now."By that time, Gavin was already on
Gavin was shocked to hear that. His eyes were widened for a minute as he thought to ask why. But he had the feeling that the answer would not have been something he would love to hear."Okay, fine." He agreed. He was far too curious now to back down from it. And he felt good that his wife wanted to talk to him about something. It meant to him that at least she still felt he was dependable enough to tell.It had been a long time standing since she had done that. It had him really gibbering feelings in his guts. And he wanted to keep feeling that way. "Really? You agree to that?" Meghan asked, surprised at his willingness to act that way even at a request she felt to be humiliating and embarrassing."Of course. Anything for you, my love. You can tell me anything you want to tell me. I am here for you."His words pierced her heart. So much so that she began feeling bad for making such a request. She heaved a sigh, looked out of the glass windows for sometime, watching the streets filled
Meghan flushed red with anger, nearly smashing the table with his her hands. The jug in the middle of the table bounced up and down a bit. She only realized herself when she turned her head around and saw that there were people looking at her."What do you mean by that?" She said angrily. "Are you trying to make fun of me, Gavin? Please don't do this to yourself. Please don't. You don't know at all how you look at this instant. I beg of you, Gavin.""What?" Gavin asked rhetorically. "How hard is it to believe that I am the one that made it possible to get the deal."With every word that came out of Gavin's mouth, Meghan would only feel her anger surge up the more. "Will you just shut up?" She demanded angrily. "How can you say that? How could you possibly have gotten me the deal when you literally have nothing?"Gavin did not say a word at this. He couldn’t quite possibly blame her for something he had not told her about before."I know what you are doing, and to be quite frank with
"Okay, if you want me to believe you, give me some form of proof that would allow me to," said Meghan, still hard pressed that her husband kept telling her something she considered to be nothing but a lie. "And what do you want me to tell you, Meghan?" He asked, half his face still covered by his palm, trying to show just how dismayed he was by her suggestions and rhetorics."I don't know. Anything. You are the one making the claims. You should have evidence without me telling you to." Gavin sighed. "I guess that is fair. Let me tell you the name of the President. I am pretty close to him. He is Thomas Winnicks." Meghan rolled her eyes. "Oh lord, Gavin. What do you take me for? Why do you decide to lie to me like I am nothing but a diaper-wearing child in your eyes? Are you not being funny. Are you not ashamed? Who on earth doesn't know Thomas Winnicks? Why would you think you are the only one that knows him? Knowing him does not count for anything. You know that. Stop acting like
Silence came and went away in a hurry. What replaced it was an outburst of laughter from Gavin, sitting down on the chair, his head spun back like it was about to fall of any moment, cackling in a hysterical manner. "What? Why are you laughing?" Said an angry Meghan towering over him. She had lost all care of people staring. "Yes," he said, right out of the blue, after having a pause from his hysterical laughter. "Why?" She asked, again. "What the hell do you mean by yes?""I said, yes. I will buy you the ticket to the event. Is that not what you wanted to hear from me? This is it. Yes." Gavin looked her straight in the eye. Meghan was shocked. Her lips were parted for close to two full minutes in total surprise at how relaxed he was, and also that she had just agreed to buy a ticket that cost so much money. She had not expected him to. She was expecting anything other than that. She was even expecting that he would leave the cafe in anger, but there he was, not looking as though
He watched her go away, disappearing behind the door, over the corner of his eyes. He felt cold, a certain shiver, as if blown by the wind. His body shook immediately. For a minute, he felt himself almost become engulfed with sadness at her condition. But before he could get swallowed up by it, he laughed."Haha!" He could not exactly tell why he was laughing, but it felt good to transform the strange hollow he felt in his heart to something happy. Even if the laughter didn't sound so happy. He was not feeling sad because the money wasn't available to do what she wanted, but because she threatened to divorce him. She wasn't going to divorce him for that, was she? Of course, she wouldn't. But he did not want to wait to find out either. He laughed once more at the ordeal, and most especially, at the request. It was totally something he could not handle, so fretting over it was really out of the question.He placed his hands on the table in front of him and squinted. By his hand, his pho