Mailroom Standoff and a Pricey Vest (Part 3)

The Mailroom Standoff

With the day’s forthcoming conclusion, the only other point to poke at is our doing the mail at the end of the day and the confrontation with the mailroom that late afternoon. Usually we get the mail out by 4:00 p.m. but today, lagging behind a touch, the mail didn’t go out until 4:15 p.m. Without placing aspersions, it wasn’t fully my fault and I hate getting shit put on me for someone else’s problems.

Delivering the mail a touch late, I was greeted with despondent looks. One of the girls in the mailroom were even so obnoxious as to hiss at my being late, complaining “You expect us to get all that franking done” much to herself. The tension was alive in the room and as I felt I was obligated to resolve the situation I asked “When is the last time you head upstairs to collect the mail”.

The gay guy with the vest noted that their last pickup was at 11:00 a.m. and knowing one of the guys picked up until 4:00 p.m. I learnt that these were only courtesy calls. Despite my not being able to see the efficiency of their only picking up in the mornings when everyone is sending off their letters at the end of the day I tried to be naïve and courteous in the same sentence.

“We’ll try and get the mail out from 3:30 p.m.” I explained leaving them with a sense of hope and content. Shutting that hissing bitch up, I walked back to the elevator, bashing my hand against one of the walls as my blood pressure rose a couple of notches. Bending my own will just to justify an end to a means wasn’t my idea of choler-reducing but as I walked back to my desk, I cooled down with the notion that the day’s end was near.

Shopping For A Vest

Concluding the day with some ease, I headed outside with Najla but soon parted as I chatted with Linh then headed on my way to Pitt Street. With two items on my list to purchase, I headed straight to Gas Station. Perusing for a couple of minutes before I approached someone, as usual, I noted something that caught my attention.

Having a great shirt that was half black down the bottom and white on the top, I figured it would go great as a casual but smart look for the City. With their prices slashed down considerably, I also checked out some sweat like pants they had but with much more style. Knowing that these pants would fit well with the ‘Guess’ shoes I have, I thought about placing them on lay-by but in the end decided against it.

My real intentions of being in Gas Station were soon met as I approached the counter down the small flight of stairs. One of the good looking lady assistants was up a large ladder, fishing out a box with shoes from a secluded shelf way up above our heads. Having a skirt on which covered enough, I glanced curiously at her and as she came down, I engaged her with some conversation about the shoes being up there and then we talked of my shopping intention.

The Lost Gucci Watch

Engaging in some vibrant conversation as she looked around for my vest in the cupboards, I talked about how I had almost lost my wallet on the train for the day. Thinking that losing $590 was bad, I heard her story of how she was at a coffee shop in the morning and how after placing her $1700 Gucci watch on the table for a short while, she ended up losing it.

She only took it off because it was choking her arm and as she stepped out of the store and lifted her arm to check the time her face froze as she thought “Shit”. Heading back to the store she asked the waiters there if they had seen a watch lying around and when they acted oblivious she yelled “Surely one of your waiters is going to have seen a $1700 Gucci watch lying around”.

Still, they showed no memory and therefore, her watch of sentimental value was lost. Explaining how her mum gave her that watch for her birthday, I figured her parents must be in the money or they like treating her out because she was good looking and upper class enough for such events. Somehow, now my little story failed in comparison as I comforted her losses. It wasn’t National kindness week yet so I didn’t try giving her a hug or something that would have seemed way from my character at the moment.

Haggling Over A Price

Purchasing the vest took a touch more time than expected as it had gone down from what I thought was $135 to $90. However, on the docket in my hand the price was $155 to which I was obviously deceived into buying the item. Protesting the price to her mid conversation she called someone up to have it lowered which was successful. Nevertheless, I wanted her to drop my lay-by so that I could buy the vest at the cheaper price but after finding out that I would forfeit my $35 deposit, it didn’t end up being worth it.

The best my haggling could do was decrease the price by $10 but either way, if I dropped my deposit or not, I was still going to be paying an extra $90. Saving myself ten dollars from that price, I ended up paying the deposit off and walking away with my new found riches. This was not the last I would see of their clothes or such beautiful women, I will be back.

New Glasses At Town Hall

The next shop I headed to after a brisk walk was Nitrogen at Town Hall. Perusing over the glasses, I started chatting to the lady behind the counter who wasn’t anything special but had a great attitude towards conversation. Noting that they gray frames were definitely better than the gold in my Black Fly glasses, I tried them on as well as some other glasses that the girl showed me.

Speaking upon a number of subjects including the hiked price of trains, the guy whom I talked with the very first time and looked like a Maltese Hamster joined conversation. Through my noting that I lived in Campbelltown he also acknowledged the same and my assumption that Campbelltown was a hole that keeps sucking you in. Apparently, he knew the new owners of Chevy’s through a friend and told me of the clubs he visited in the City on occasion.

“I’ve lived in Campbelltown for thirteen years” he noted which is pretty much the same amount of time as myself. In the end I decidedly bought the glasses, figuring it to be a bold, expensive but good move. From there and after forty five minutes already of shopping I headed quickly to Town Hall Station and caught the next available train to Campbelltown. On the way back I don’t think I slept on the train as I didn’t have a window seat.

Harley On The Platform

Back at home, when jumping off the train I took a glance back as I usually do to see what girls are jumping off the train. In the corner of my eye I was attracted to what seemed to be a familiar face and turning my head back to do a triple look, the girl finally said “Yeah, it’s me”. Harley ended up being behind me and as she approached me she leant over to give me a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

Surprised a little at her usual embrace, we walked up the stairs together as I remarked upon her hair, how it was shorter and a touch red. Joe noted how at one stage it was a purple dyed color and as we made our way to the top of the stairs she departed for the Macarthur Platform. “I’ll give you a call sometime for work” I uttered on my wind down the stairs, if I’ll stick to my word is another story.

Stepping down to the buses and some minutes later, I caught my bus back home and from there, prepped up for the computer to which you would already have received knowledgeable data. That to the point is my Thursday night concluded and with the time being 11:30 p.m. and my wanting to get an earlier night that my usual after midnight predicaments, I shall switch off now and do just that. These memoirs, to which if they were to have a name of value in their publishing era, I would call the books ‘A Daily Triumph’. It might need a catchier name than that but in these late hours where sleep knocks on my mind, I shall think none better…