Another extract "Darker before Dawn"

Jasmyn steered her to a corridor on the right of the stairs. The corridor led towards the back of the building and opened out onto a large area – the staff room/canteen. Sharon made a rapid survey of the room before being steered to a series of lockers lining the left wall. Jasmyn pointed out Sharon's locker.

"These are useful for storing anything we will only need once or twice during the day or maybe only when we leave – like our handbags. I usually bring lunch from home – it's cheaper. I seldom keep it in the fridge I rather store it in my locker."

"Oh! Why?"

"Because of Ravenous Roger!"

"Who is he?"

"We wish we knew! Someone on the staff is very fond of raiding the fridge and stocking up on other people's lunch! It's sickening. Because we don't know who it is, we have given the perp the nickname Ravenous Roger. Believe me your food is safest in the locker. I brought a temporary lock for you. If you like it you can have it but if you want to buy your own I will keep it for the next newbie. I won't be offended!"

"Thanks Jasmyn. I will certainly use it for a while at least, to help protect my meagre belongings from Ravenous Roger!"

As they stood by the lockers Jasmyn pointed out the other features of the room.

"The fridge – the table top stove, Microwave, toaster, kettle etc are there next to the sink. That way!" laughed Jasmyn as Sharon scanned the nearest walls.

"Oooh I see you have a coffee maker!"

"Yep the best there is – it helps keep all the creative minds focused! Just remember we clean up after ourselves!"

Sharon's eyes wandered around the room.

"Gee that’s a big balcony!"

Jasmyn led the way to balcony in the outer wall. "Usually the smokers can be found here but as the firm has a strict policy for smokers, the number of people smoking is dwindling. They liked it when they could smoke while they were working. Now they have to take a smoke break. Every smoker has three quarters of an hour for lunch and five minutes for morning tea and ten minutes for afternoon tea. Non smokers get one and a half hours for lunch and fifteen minutes for both tea breaks."

"But isn't that unfair? Don't the smokers complain?"

"No. The conditions were set up in consultation with the smokers and all new employees have to either fill in a non smoking clause (as you did) or sign the smoking conditions of employment form. In the original discussion we set the average number of cigarettes to be ten. So if every cigarette smoked takes ten minutes (to get to the balcony, smoke the cigarette and get back) They are using up one hundred minutes and we are only using up sixty. We should be complaining!"

"But don't most people smoke less in a work day?"

"Yes but they didn't think of that when the original document was drawn up – cigarettes were cheaper then so people smoked more. They soon realised that they were at the short end of the stick and the more enterprising ones decided that smoking was a mugs game and gave it up."

"So it had a positive outcome!" laughed Sharon.

"Oh yes!" said Jasmyn.

She led the way to the balcony. Even though the balcony was on ground floor level it was slightly elevated and there was still an interesting and fairly open view of the Jacaranda trees still in full bloom. Sharon looked across at a quilt of colour ranging form the red of the roof tops to the red, yellow, green of traffic lights all interspersed with the unique jacaranda colour. Sharon could imagine the carpet of flowers on the pavements below the tress.

"And over there in the middle of the room are seats, couches, bean bag chairs – anything you need to relax during your breaks." Jasmyn's voice interrupted Sharon's thoughts as her imagination peopled the city below her. "We also have a sort of park, more like gardens really. It has a lake with ducks and various other flora and fauna. Come now!  Time to move on!"

By the end of a rapid but extensive tour, Sharon was taken to the editorial department. She would spend a few days here learning what happened to the Manuscripts that were sent in by hopeful writers.

 
Jasmyn beckoned to one of the harassed looking men who seemed to be immersed in paper. "Hi Reuben! I've brought Sharon to help out here for a few days. She needs to understand how our publishing house works and Mr Bezuidenhout knew that you were the best person for the job. When you are ready to move her on could you or Eric please take her to the publicity department? 'Bye for now Sharon. I know you are going to enjoy it here! See you round and about - if not see you on the Christmas tree!"