The beginning of my journey started one morning a year ago with a fateful news, the type that's been making rounds around corporate offices that you wish never to befall you but eventually does. I got summoned to my boss's office and took a seat while he sat behind his desk, deliberating for a moment, passing time by glancing back and forth at some document he had in his hand. Somehow I knew what was coming -- the accounting firm that I'd worked for more than five years was being hit by the recession badly. Management was cutting staff by half its size. Already two of my erstwhile colleagues had been given the booth; I figured it was inevitable my time too would come ... except it wasn't something I was actually looking forward to hearing.
My boss took his eyes off from the document he'd been pretending to peruse and fixed me with a pair of doleful eyes.
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you, Jim," he said to me.
'Oh Boy', I muttered to myself, though I kept my face calm. "What kind of bad news, sir?"
"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this ... but I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go."
Just like that -- the words were finally out. I try to think back on whatever emotion I must have felt when he said those words and for some reason I couldn't think of any. In a way I felt kind of relieved that it was over. All those endless nights that have had me wondering when my turn of getting axed was going to come up -- tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Next week ... or maybe next month -- the thinking was now over.
"You don't seem disappointed?" my boss, Mr. Sheffield, a wizen-faced man in his mid-fifties, said to me.
I shrugged at first, and then said: "Can't say that I'm not, sir. I mean I am aware of the company's downsizing and everything ... I figured this day would come eventually. I'm just glad it's finally arrived and I can get down to thinking about what next."
"You got something else lined up somewhere?"
"Yes sir, I've got a thing or two going on for me," I lied. "I've already sent out my resume to other accounting firms around, so right now I'm just waiting to hear from them."
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "That was fast; you in a hurry to leave us or something?"
"Got nothing to do with that, sir. I need to get me something doing, I hate being idle."
"I can understand. Believe me, it wasn't my call. God knows, you're one of our best field accounts here. It's going to be a different place without you around."
I don't know if he actually meant those words, or if it was some means of him to blow smoke up my ass. In any means I really didn't care. What mattered was that hopefully from that day onwards I wasn't going to be bogged down with insomnia, thinking about getting fired when now the dream has finally been made real. I was getting fired ... and I just didn't know whether to be happy about it or sad. It would have been good to have felt some measure of sadness ... or perhaps even anger. I could have gotten down on my knees and gone over to hug my boss's feet, cry him a desperate river and beg him not to axe me -- "Please boss! Fire someone else -- anyone else -- just not me!" -- but what good would that have done. Besides doing that would have meant me bowing down to kiss his ass. In all my thirty-one years of living, never once have I submitted to being an ass-kisser. Especially not to a white man's ass.
I talked shop with him for like another minute before deciding it was time I made my leave. He told me I could take till the weekend before I clear my things; I told him it was no problem, that I'd make sure I leave during lunch hours. I shook hands with him one last time. He wished me goodbye and good luck, and then I was out of there.
Several of my colleagues where keeping vigil for me outside my office when I rode down the elevator. They too had overheard my being summoned and from the look on my face knew that I too had just been axed. I went into my office, took out five carton boxes which I'd left in my closet just for a purpose such as this and one after the other started filling them up. A couple of my colleagues came by, shook hands with me and as well wished me god's speed and good luck, but really I wished neither of them had done that. In a way I could perceive the sense of relief that green-lit their faces as they as if they were happy it hadn't been they who were getting fired.
Lunch break arrived and I was almost done with my packing. I called up a security guard from downstairs to assist me moving the boxes down the parking lot to the boot of my Ford Taurus. I was nearly drained by the time I came down with the last couple of items in my hand and finding no space anymore in my booth, threw them into the car's backseat along with my jacket and tie. I shook hands with the guard who'd assisted. He told me to take it easy; I replied that I would. I took one at the company building, wanting to treasure its sight only just for a moment, before then entering my car, starting the engine and cruising out past its gate.
Home is where the heart always is, and I felt the rigour of the day gradually melting off my mind and chest when I drove into the parking garage of the apartment building where I resided. It took me an hour moving my office stuff up to my apartment and dumping them off in the closet of the spare bedroom which I'd long converted as my study room. When I was done, I took a shower and then went and got myself a beer from the fridge before going over to sit my ass on my favourite couch in the den. I picked up the TV remote and flipped it to a music channel. Feeling dissatisfied with what was playing, I turned to a movie channel and relaxed myself watching while I sipped my beer. I didn't want anything to remind me of my now being out of work.
I was halfway done with my beer when I heard a key turning in my door's lock. I knew who it would be even before the door came open to reveal Tyra's loving brown eyes. She was just as startled to find me at home at that hour, and I couldn't blame her. She had a knapsack bag on her shoulder and deduced she was planning on staying over the night. Damn! I was hoping to be alone that day. I wanted to be alone so as to make plans of whatever next move I needed to make; last thing I needed was some distraction, especially a beautiful one like Tyra.
"Hey there beautiful," I came over and hugged her, stopping to kiss her lips. "Wasn't expecting you'd come around today."
"You know me -- ain't nothing that's ever going to keep me from being with my babe. Anyway, I came to drop off this knapsack of yours that I burrowed last time I went to stay with my mom." She left me and went into the bedroom. A minute later she was back with a realised look on her face that told her that something was amiss. "Aren't you supposed to be at work? I wasn't expected to meet you home so soon."
I should have lied to her, but of what use would it have done -- she was going to find out the following morning when she sees me sleeping instead of being out at work. "Honey, I got fired today."
She couldn't believe what I'd just said, and the way she stood there staring at me with those near oval eyes of her she probably figured I was letting her in on some crude joke. Except it wasn't anywhere near April first, and when she noticed the seriousness in my face, it told her better.
"Oh babe, I'm sorry." She came over and hugged me. At that moment that was just what I needed. "I'm so very sorry. Was it the down-sizing thing?"
I nodded.
She hugged me once again, caressed the back of my neck. "Don't worry, it's all going to be alright. I know it'll be. I love you, babe."
I breathed in her scent -- she smelled so good. "I love you too."
I kissed the side of her ear. She gave a startled jump -- she nearly almost made like that whenever I kissed her at that most sensitive spot of hers. My hands went down her back to cup her ass that was hidden behind her jeans shorts and grasped it. My erection had instantly awoke and was at that moment forcing itself up my shorts. Tyra could sense it as she pulled back a bit and reached her hand inside to pull it out into daylight. She fell to her knees before me, looked up at my face just as she popped the head of my cock into her mouth.
She sucked me with an urgency I'd swear was unlike her. With the problem of figuring where or how to start earning a second living, I shouldn't have been able to sustain an erection, but I couldn't deny that powerful blowjob my woman gave me. When she was done, I picked her up and dropped her on the bed and together we ripped each other's clothes off like a pack of hungry lions. I wanted to go down on her but she bade me not to -- she was in a hurry to get fucked.