Extract from "Darkest before Dawn"

After all the forms had been filled in Mr Bezuidenhout took Sharon to the HR department.

"I'm sure you remember Ms Munien Sharon?"

"Oh yes! Hi! It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise!" said Ms Munien as she stood up and reached across the desk to shake Sharon's hand.

"We've filled in all the forms," said Mr Bezuidenhout. "Would you mind helping Sharon become orientated? Oh and would you bring her back to me when you are finished?"

"Not a problem!" Ms Munien took the forms from Mr Bezuidenhout's outstretched hand. "let me take a few minutes to check to see that it is all filled in and that we have all your necessary information. Please take a seat I won't be long."

This little wait gave Sharon time to take stock of her surroundings. In her mind she went over the route she had followed this morning.

Entrance – front desk – chairs and tables in a sort of reception area. She wondered why the area had been painted and decorated in various shades of blue. Loads of offices spanned out from the reception area. Mr Bezuidenhout's was the … First? Second? On the left? Oh for heaven's sake! She was lost already! And how did they get to this office?

Sharon looked up and saw Ms Munien watching her with a smile darting across her lips.

"And what was that worried face for?"

"I was trying to remember how to get to the few places I have been this morning!" Sharon sighed with exasperation.

Ms Munien laughed. "Here is your Orientation folder and if you open it you will see that there is a floor plan on top! I remember how confused I was when I first arrived so when I was given the job of updating the Orientation file I made sure that we included a floor plan. Page one is ground floor, Pages two and three are first and second floors and the last page is the basement."

"Surely I won't need the basement?" A picture of broken tennis racquets, a snooker table, bags, trunks and valises as well as moths, rats, spiders and roaches formed in her mind. She gave a little shiver as she thought of all these "animal" pet hates.

"You'd be surprised! You will probably clatter down there at least once a day!"

"Eeeeew!"

s Munien laughed. "Let me get rid of those fears! Let's make that our first stop."

Ms Munien led Sharon to the stairs leading to the basement. "By the way, please stop calling me Ms Munien – My name is Jasmyne"

"What a beautiful name! I'm going to love using it."

Jasmyne led the way down the broad staircase. She stopped halfway down and extended her left arm to the left.

"These are the smaller machines that do small print runs. And on the right are the big machines that are used to do the big print runs. If you go through the door at the back you may find your dust and roaches. It houses our archives. Fortunately we seldom need to go there! Everything we need is normally stored digitally. And no self respecting roach would be seen among these machines they wouldn't survive a second!"

"Wow it is so noisy! Down there."

"Yes you'd think a digital press would be a lot quieter. So on with the tour!" said Jasmyne. 

Suddenly Jasmyne grabbed Sharon's right wrist to stop her climbing the stairs.

"You know, I've just thought of something!"

"What?" asked Sharon.

"There are probably no roaches and spiders in the archives – they'd have been eaten buy the Parktown Prawns!"

"What's that?" asked Sharon.

"Oh it's like a mutant cockroach!" said Jasmine flippantly.

"WHAT?" shrieked Sharon. "You're kidding me!"

"Shh!" laughed Jasmine. "I kid you not! Make it your first Google search when you have settled in your office."

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