Plus mieux, au mieux...say, "Mew?"

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So...Tuesday I did go to the UAW offices. I collected my thoughts and the papers from Strand, various warnings and suspension papers. Horace and I talked and eventually Nancy and Fred and someone who I guess was a lawyer showed up. Nancy and Fred looked happy and clean. I thought we might all sit down and have a few laughs...a drink, maybe toast to future happiness. Horace went to greet the party. Then Bob O. showed up. I was really glad to see him.

Bob and I sat and talked to Horace for a bit. Nancy and Fred went into another room with the lawyer. As Horace and Bob talked, I realized that Bob was there apparently because he also had a grievence with Strandbooks. I remembered his suspension a few months back. Horace left and Bob and I talked for a bit. We waited for Monique form the third floor. Monique came in and told us about how Nancy had gotten angry with her because she had been slow in getting Nancy's lunch one day so she had asked Nancy to not use her that way. Apparently, Nancy asked her the very next day to go get her lunch and she refused. She had higher priority work to do. I guess Nancy disagreed.

Bob and Monique were called in to meet with the Basses. I waited expecting to be called in. Oddly I was not nervous. I felt like I had good points to argue against being harrassed and fired. One of the UAW workers showed me a book and asked if I had read it. It was a story about a man that had twice died and lived to tell about it.

I looked at the book. I listened to him describe the amazing tale. Then he asked if I had heard of Si Babba (sp?). This was one a really wonderful thing he had asked. He reminded me so much of John Piper, my neighbor at Milo. John was always finding me when I was down and lifting my spirits by talking about hopeful things. He also talked about Si Babba (sp? Sigh Babba?).

After that I was in sort of a happy day dream thinking about how great John Piper was and how much this person reminded me of John (Jack) Piper. Then Pablo called me into his office. He sighed and ruffled some papers and said they wanted to fire me. My little bubble of bliss burst.

I guess I had convinced my self that the Basses were just having some fun at my expense and would call me in to say, "Just kidding." We think you are GREAT, Jennifer "Candide" Johnson. Thanks for being a good sport. How 'bout a raise?" Then we would lift our glasses and toast to a happy and prosperous future for all.

Instead, Pablo and Horace broke the news that the Basses would like me out of their lives and were prepared to offer me the right to file for Unemployment. Wow!

I flipped. How could they "offer me the right to file for unemployment"?

Was that their right to offer or withhold such a thing?

Pablo said yes.

He said he was legally bound to inform me that I could accept this offer (I hadn't let him finish) of unemployment and two weeks pay...or I could ask for (arbitration?) which could take a long time. It was up to me.

I asked how long I had to decide. Horace said he would try one more time to talk to them and would call me Thursday--oh shit! I'm late!

I have to get dressed and run to the garden!

to be continued!