Things were definitely getting more interesting. People can be amazing- whether they be family, friends, co-workers employers…or strangers. They (well all of us really) have that “amazing-ness” lurking somewhere inside them. They can say to others “you must take me for a fool” or “I wasn’t born yesterday!” 

Then, of course, they will turn around and take you for a fool or act as if they think you were born yesterday. And these amazing people will attempt to persevere in this type of behaviour. They’ll do it once, hold their breath to see if it works. Take your silence to mean that it worked. Rejoiced that they got away with it. Maybe even promise not to attempt it again.  Or maybe promise to do it again...see how much rope they can tow...how many feet on the tape measure before you blow.

People are simply amazing. But what are you to do? Particularly as a young woman in a field as cruel one minute as it is quite generous the next?  What are you to do?  Particularly when you are so wrapped up in your still newfound peace and freedom and don’t consider yourself a threat to anyone. What are you to do?  You could give that person a stern talking to- let them know that you know their game. Let them know that you have no need for anything of theirs.  Or you could let it slide…hoping that there won’t be a repeat or alternately just bracing yourself for the repeat. What can you do, but ensure that you don’t emerge from it any lesser a person or any more scathed than you were upon entering- but wiser to the amazing-ness of people?

So, the new phase was here.  The company would no longer need as many stories from me.  I’d be asked to attend functions, like Parliament, which I should of course, attend in person and stay the whole day if necessary. Then at the end of the day, they’d want one…or if I was lucky, two stories of the bunch. The editor/writer/CEO et cetera would place calls under some guise to ensure that I was indeed at Parliament. What could I do but obey?

There’s no rule that obedience cannot contain dissent. So, I planned my days carefully and each day I notified the editor/writer/CEO et cetera of my two story ideas. I waited for approval before I began any story.  I ensured that that approval arrived via email so that I had some record of it.  With my past and with people’s amazing ability to stick to their word, I had no need for telephone commitments. I kept things formal, began emails with I will focus solely on ….. today as per your dictum….  I could go along with the game.

Of course, there were limits to going along with the game. I refused to attend any function for a whole day to produce one article.  There were other more profitable things to occupy my day. 

I’d made a decision way back when I had that meeting with both the editor/writer/CEO et cetera and the owner of the company. I had a plan.  I had an out.  Well, not so much an out as an in- the itch was back…and there was only one way to soothe it.  I could spend my day filling out forms, gathering documents, preparing myself for that out/in.

The mere act of preparing for that out/in left me so hopeful, happy and even less fearful of the future- that when the company in its eagerness to smelt two stories into one and so renege on a commitment to use two stories it had asked for fouled up the end result and attached my name to it- there was only surface anger.  It was my birthday.  I asked to be left alone. I knew I wouldn’t be spending another birthday in any situation like this.

Coming Next Tuesday: #40 As long as I live….