The Gathering Storm

It was an inopportune day for a job interview. Friday 13th, I really needed the job. I’d been out of work for three months now, and Christmas would be here soon. No one hires new employees over the holiday season. I had thought I was well set up for unforeseen changes. But I didn’t foresee Trent and Clark (Newspapers) Inc. suddenly going out of business. They hadn’t even paid me my final month’s salary.

I had heard that most Americans would last about five months if they lost their jobs. That seemed to be pretty accurate for my situation. The actual effects would take a little longer – the bank would need time to shut down my credit, take possession of my home, and so forth. That would delay a further three to six months. But failure to find employment in five months would definitely exhaust my resources, and then the downhill slide would be inevitable.

I had taken steps to stay afloat as long as possible. I was eating ramen or egg sandwiches every day instead of dining out; I’d sold my car and bought a heap of junk to replace it, getting rid of the car payment and downgrading the insurance to a bare minimum; the daily Starbucks run was now a distant memory; the air conditioning kicked in when the inside temperature rose above 80 degrees; all streaming services had been canceled. I estimated that I had extended my economic viability by about one month. I had to get this job.

I dressed in my best interview outfit. A sleek black trouser suit with a red silk shirt, heels that were smart but comfortable. It’s hard to disguise foot pain in an interview – it’s better to go for casual but comfortable shoes.

I made a mug of coffee at home to steady my nerves. I didn’t want to appear stressed and desperate. My nerves got the better of me, and I spilled milk across the kitchen table and onto my shoes. Taking a deep breath, I cleaned up the mess, checking for splashes on my clothes. It seemed to have missed the fabric, which was a huge relief. I told myself it wasn’t a bad omen after all.

As I drank my coffee, I checked the internet for local and national news, as well as the business information for Golding Hawkins, the financial company I was to interview with today. It would be tragic to show up for an interview unaware of a major issue the company was facing or fail to congratulate them on a recent success. The only thing that caught my eye was a potential for tornados later in the day. Not unheard of in Tornado Alley, but not good news for my rust-bucket, underinsured 1997 Mazda.

I checked my hair and makeup in the mirror – both neat and businesslike – put extra copies of my resumé and references in my document case, and drove into the city.

The sky was overcast, the clouds a leaden gray color, but there was no rain yet. I was driving more carefully than usual. I couldn’t get into an accident or get a traffic ticket this morning. On the way home, fine – but nothing could happen to put me off my game for this interview.

I found a suitable parking spot that wasn’t exactly legal, but was close to the office building. I breathed deeply and pulled the pocket mirror out of my purse to check my hair and makeup (presumably in case a family of rats had nested in my hair since I left the house forty minutes ago). Getting out of the car, the pocket mirror dropped to the ground, shattering on impact. I tried to stay positive. It had served its purpose, I didn’t need it any more today. Walking into the building, I double checked the location of Golding Hawkins, and took the elevator up to the 10th floor.

The reception area was surprisingly relaxed and friendly. I gave the receptionist my name, and she waved me to the seating area, pointing out machines that offered cold water and hot coffee. I was about ten minutes early, so I poured myself a cup of water. Walking to a seat, I almost tripped when a cat ran across in front of me. A black cat, no less. The receptionist looked up as I gasped. She laughed and said “Don’t mind Morris. He’s the office cat. Not that there are mice or rats in the building, but Morris is poised to take them out if they ever appear.”

I smiled weakly and sat to drink my water. Just how many evil omens could I have for one interview? I gave myself a stern talking-to. Milk, cats, mirrors – all normal occurrences. Not something an administrative manager would be disconcerted by. Maybe the cat was part of the responsibilities of the position.

A short middle-aged woman in a flowing dress appeared in the reception area and walked towards me. “Ms Stevens? I’m Gloria Debenham, head of HR. You’re here for the admin manager position, yes?”

I stood and smiled, offering my hand. “Yes. Please call me Heather.”

I followed Gloria into a small meeting room where a bored-looking man in a dark suit was already seated, with what appeared to be my resumé in front of him. Gloria introduced him as Doug Shepherd, the Accounts Manager. We shook hands, and I sat across the table from the two of them.

They asked a few cursory questions about my previous job, but didn’t drill down into details. It quickly became apparent that they had already made their preferred selection for the job. My heart sank. I was upset that I had wasted my time coming to the interview, and in retrospect the omens had been telling me something. So I was greatly surprised when they started discussing salary and start date. Had I misread the situation? Had they actually pre-selected me?

I did my best not to look surprised or grateful. Yes, I would be comfortable working for my previous salary initially. This was a slightly different position for me, and I’d need a month or two to get up to speed. However, I’d like to revisit the salary at the end of my probationary period. I would be available to start on Wednesday of next week, if they confirmed their offer today. As the new manager in the office, I’d be prepared to work over the holiday period.

I left the office in a daze. They had promised to get back to me today and confirm details. If I heard from them today, I’d treat myself to a DoorDash dinner tonight.

There was a parking ticket on the car, but I was too elated to care. The looming bankruptcy that had been bothering me for the last few weeks was banished for now. The rain had started, but it wasn’t too heavy yet.

As I drove through the suburbs, the wind and rain picked up. It was now very dark, and visibility was poor. I kept checking the sky. Was it developing the greenish tinge that signaled a tornado? My cell phone rang, and I pulled off the road to answer it. I wasn’t taking any risks now that things were suddenly turning around for me. Sure enough, it was Gloria, confirming the starting date and salary, and telling me the offer letter had been sent out both by email and regular snail mail. I would need to fill in the forms before arriving for work on Wednesday.

I stayed calm and professional while on the phone with Gloria. As soon as the call was over, I screamed with joy and relief. I had pulled into a small shopping mall, and I could see a Starbucks drive through. The heck with unnecessary expense. I was going to buy a venti latte.

As I waited in the drive through line, I saw a black bird huddled in a tree, trying to avoid the rain. A crow, maybe, or a raven? I wasn’t 100 percent sure how to tell the difference. I wound the window down and threw out a stale cookie from the center console. He stared at me, unblinking. It was probably not worth the effort for him to leave his sheltered perch and flap through the heavy, buffeting rain.

Once I pulled back onto the road, I reached down to take a sip of my latte. I heard the noise, but for a minute I didn’t realize what it was. The tornado whipped past me, damaging the Starbucks and a row of shop fronts. Amazingly, although it was so close, my car continued in a straight line as if nothing was wrong. Today was a lucky day after all!

I woke up in the intensive care unit. I had no memory of the tree falling on the car, or of being pulled out of the wreckage. Before I even asked about  how serious my injuries were, all I could think about was next Wednesday. What was the chance that I would be able to start that very necessary job?