I will lose my job, a middle class manufacturing job, when the plant I work at closes and the work moves to Mexico. Management has offered me a double rate of pay and pay for my expenses if I would go to Mexico and train their workers how to do our jobs. I was too angry to go, telling them to go to hell. My last day of work is fast approaching and the labor market is already flooded with laid off employees from previous rounds of layoffs. I was probably going to be happy to make 40% of what I make now. At least I had certificates in various equipment, first aid and forklift. Those should help but it depends on getting an interview.
I went home and talked to Lisa, trying to reassure her I would find a job. I had already signed up with the state job board and the company had so graciously offered 'job placement' help I say with sarcasm. I went to their office and found a bare bones place where a placement company had been hired to provide services. They were going through the motions. They'd be paid either way, why work hard? There was a list of low-end jobs that would never support a single person nevertheless a family.
"Don't think you're gonna sit in that recliner and collect unemployment as your only pay. It ain't gonna be enough." This from Lisa, who would lose some of her middle class existence. She was already being a bitch about it.
After surveying the local job market, I began to cast a wide job search, looking as far as 200 miles away. Frankly, I was desperate. I got a call for a job interview 125 miles away. If I got the job I'd be renting a room and only coming home for the weekends. Lisa listened to what I said then commented at least I'd be working and out of her hair. I made the trip and was interviewed. My certificates impressed them, with the primary interviewer saying I was a motivated man who prepared for the future. A week later I got a job driving a forklift, they told me I'd get the next manufacturing job available. My pay was 70% of what I had been making, adding the trip cost and/or renting a room made it even worse. Maybe I'd just commute.
Lisa listened to what I had to say, then said, "we're gonna have to make big cuts in our budget." Otherwise she just wailed and then began attacking me for being in such a mess. Maybe living elsewhere would be preferable to this.
I started my job and began the laborious job of stacking pallets of goods on pallet racks up to thirty feet in the air. It required vigilance on the ground for people and obstacles, getting the pallet in the right space assigned by a computer as well as the possibility of smashing a light thirty feet in the air. Trust me, its not a pretty sight as red hot pieces of glass fell everywhere. It's not a job for someone with neck issues either because all I seem to do is crane my neck up. But at least I'm sitting down.
My first paycheck a week later caused Lisa to begin complaining again. I made a list of our expenses. Totaling them showed me how much we would have to cut. We owned our own house and our two well-used cars were close to paid for. I had already sounded out Lisa about moving closer to my new job. That caused her to bitch again as she would lose her friends. I told her what we had to cut given my commuting expense and diminished pay. She bitched and argued about that. She fought me on every cut. Netflix? No, I watch that all the time! Cable TV? God no, how will I watch my soap operas? HBO? No way! I ended up just telling her I'm cutting what I listed and began going down the list cutting our services. Cable TV was saved when they offered a bare bones rate for reduced service. And on and on it went.
I was happy to go back to work on Monday. Lisa and I haven't had sex since the notice of closing was sent out three months ago. She wasn't in the mood she said. At this rate I wouldn't be in the mood either, at least not with her. The griping coming from her was just nonstop.
I started looking for a place to rent. I found a place by accident. I was talking with another employee and he recommended I talk with Sean. He pointed out a small framed person close by. We all look alike in hard hats, jeans, safety boots and safety vests. The hats are of different colors to denote your area of work. Mine is basic white for warehouse. I was looking at a yellow one which signaled a manager. I walked up and said, "Sean, can I talk to you?" I walked in front of him and found that he was a her. She looked up from her phone and waited for me to say something. "Roger said you might have space for one where you live. I'm William, by the way."
She didn't offer a hand to shake. She just stood there without saying anything until I was ready to turn away and get back to work. She shifted her stance. "I'm sorry to make you wait, I was listening to an important phone call." That's when I noticed the ear piece. "Yes, I own a house and am looking to share it with someone to reduce my expenses. I've been looking for a female exclusively but have just begun looking for anyone. I'm Sean but I prefer my middle name, Denise. Sean can be male or female. I prefer the more feminine name. At work, though, it's Sean." She offered a hand and I had to change to offering my left hand to shake hers. I noticed her other hand, the right one most people usually shake with, was heavily bandaged. She noticed my glance but said nothing. I explained my situation of being married and living 125 miles away. "I'm looking for a Sunday through Thursday situation. I'm quiet and clean. I don't cause trouble or drink more than one drink per night."
"It's $400, does that work for you?" Given what it costs to commute, it's a bargain. She told me to meet her at 5:30 at an address she gave me.
"I've not seen you before. Are you new?"
"Yes, ma'am, I am. I'm a refugee from the plant closing there."
"It's Denise, not ma'am. I heard about the closing. That just irks me no end. It shouldn't be allowed in my opinion, not that anybody cares what I think." She smiled for the first time and I saw a beautiful smile. The eyes were blue but were clouded for some reason. "See you soon."
After work, a night I turned down overtime so I could meet Denise, I drove to the address she gave me. It was an OK house though the neighborhood was a little rundown. There was a SUV in the driveway. I parked and walked up the steps and knocked on the door. She opened it and I faced a mass of reddish brown hair surrounding an elfin face. She noticed my glance and said, "it's a fight everyday to get it so I can wear my hard hat. Come in." I walked into the living room and looked around. This definitely wasn't a rental. This was somebody's home. "I need peace, no parties, no drinking to excess and absolutely no drugs. If I see it or smell it, you're gone. I've got friends who will eject you in a heartbeat."
"Then I'm who you need. I'm married, work hard and need my downtime to be quiet after working in that noisy warehouse all day. I'm commuting daily and four hours a day is just wearing me down. Winter will happen and driving that road in the dark with slippery roads is a nightmare I repeat over and over."
She looked at me for a moment, then said, "the room is yours. Rent plus an equal amount of deposit is required. Rent is due on the first. I just get a positive feel from you. I'm going on instinct" I again looked at her bandaged hand and she caught the look. "We'll talk about that later. Let's look at the rest of the house." It was mid-1900s or earlier, arranged in a traditional look of living room, dining room and kitchen in a row. A hallway led to three bedrooms and one bath. I glanced in an open door to see what must be the master bedroom, then she guided me into another room. "This is your room. It's furnished. If you need something else talk to me. Bed linens are included."
I looked around, opened the closet door and looked inside, went to the window and looked outside. This was very comfortable. "I'm looking forward to living here."
"Sit in the living room, I'll get us a drink." She brought two beers, handed me one and sat down on the couch. I had taken the only chair. A look passed over her face as she glanced at me. She looked down and said, "you're sitting in the chair that my soon-to-be ex-husband sat in."
I waited for her to say more.
"I'm a victim of assault. My husband and I were verbally fighting in this very room when he attacked me. He slammed me against a doorframe hard enough to break bones in my wrist. He then threw me to the floor and began to choke me. My husband was six foot three, well over two hundred pounds and was strongly muscled. I'm five foot two and one hundred pounds. I think he would have choked me to death if I hadn't gone limp as if he had succeeded. He eventually lessened the pressure, then got up and walked away. Afterward, he went outside and I called the police after I was able to get up and stumble to my phone.. He was arrested and charged, his trial is months away. I have a restraining order against him being within two hundred feet of here. It's been four months and I'm just beginning to function in other than autopilot mode. I filed for divorce with the help of a victim's counselor provided by the state. He's been served so it's just a matter of time now. I put some furniture on the driveway and his friends carted it away. The police allowed him in the house to get his clothes. I was required to leave but left a list of what he could take. I need help with the expenses. Thus, here we sit."
