BRING IT OUT OF THE OFFICE

May 22, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

A VIEW FROM INSIDE- OUT—A DIASPORA SERIES

She sat next to me in the minibus. We struck up a conversation easily. The chat was friendly and respectful. Nothing else was involved!
She wore a matching blouse and skirt, pastel in colour and very well tailored. It fitted her quite naturally as if it were made for her slim figure.
From the outfit, I presumed that she was working in an office. My first question though was about her apparel. Was it her uniform?
She answered in the affirmative. She worked at a government agency and in an office. I asked whether she did the tailoring herself.
She laughed heartily and said in that typical Guyanese fashion, “ No, I cannot sew. It was made by a seamstress.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how much does it cost to sew one of these outfits?” I queried.
“Oh, the entire suit cost me $3,000 to sew,” she answered.
That much? “That must take a great chuck out of your salary to have to pay for the uniforms.”
“Not really”, she said, “ the office refunds the cost of the material and for sewing the uniform.”
“They do that?” I queried. “That is nice. So you can say that the clothes you have on today was paid for by your employers.”
She smiled in acknowledgement.
As the journey got underway, she began to wriggle in her seat as if some red ants were biting her behind. It was then that I noticed that she was trying to get a folder out of a handbag she had beneath on the floor of the vehicle.
It had been a long time since I had seen such a folder. In fact, I was very much interested in purchasing one of those folders to keep my documents. As she opened it to get something out, I observed that it contained more than just documents. There was a pen, a pencil, a ruler, and a staple machine resting on a yellow writing pad.”
“That folder sure holds a lot,” I said. “Where did you buy it?”
“I didn’t she said. All these things here are part of my office supplies,” she confessed.”
“You mean to say that at the office you are supplied with all of those things? Including the pen?”
“Yes, including the pen” she replied “I am going to a meeting.”
So how come, you are traveling by bus? I asked. How come your employers are not transporting you to your meeting? I asked.
Oh, she said, “ The boss sent the driver to pick up his wife so there was no vehicle available.”
“Very interesting!” I said.
We continued to chat but somehow with every kilometer covered she became more restless. At one point she crossed her legs and I noticed that she had on an elegant pair of shoes. High-heeled and fashionable.
“Lovely shoes” I remarked. “Where did you buy those?”
“I did not, “ she answered.
“Please do not tell me you got those from the office too.” I said.
“No,” she laughed. “These are not considered office supplies or part of the uniform but I will tell you a secret…”
A confession. And so quickly. I must have been a good conversationalist. I perked my ears.
She began, “ While I did not get this from the office. I got it from someone in the office.
“That is nice,” I said. “One of your girl friends at the office gave you her shoes?”
She looked a little annoyed at my suggestion. “ I do not deal with lef -lef.” she retorted.
I quickly apologised and a smile returned to her face.
“But I will tell you the truth she said. I got it from the boss. He is my friend.”
As we approached a junction she hailed the driver to stop. He did and she disembarked. As the bus pulled off, I noticed her entering a commercial school.

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