‘Please, don’t fire me,’ said Colm.
The manager looked him in the face and kept very still. ‘The decision has been made.’
‘But I can improve. I’ve only been here two weeks.’
The manager turned over a piece of paper on his desk and frowned. ‘In the two weeks you have been here you have made three sales. The average salesman here makes six sales a day – minimum.’
‘I’m new. Plus, I’ve got time to improve,’ said Colm as he leaned onto the edge of his chair.
‘When we hired you, I remember you saying you were a people’s person.’
‘I am,’ answered Colm, ‘I love people. I’m great with people.’
‘Yet when you’re here you look at your shoes more than you look at the customer.’
Colm had no answer.
‘Listen, the decision has been made and today is your last day. You will be paid the basic rate and the commission on your three sales.’
With that, the manager stood up, offered his hand, and Colm gently shook it.
They let him go home early at midday. He undid his tie and slumped out of the store and into the closest bar he could find where he ordered a beer by the windowsill.
Colm watched the workers passing by. Everyone had a place to be, someone to see, and everyone moved with a sense of purpose and urgency. He had none of that as he gulped his beer and realised the sheer mess he was in.
His wife would not take this well. She’d called him a layabout as she nursed the two kids, while he sat around doing little most days, lost in his games to pass the time. He’d never managed to hold a job for longer than a few months – he felt defective somehow – like he’d been created without the ability to be able to earn any money no matter which way he turned.
He ordered another pint and he decided not to tell his wife about the firing today. He could think of something better to tell her tomorrow that would make it all seem okay.
As he pondered his fate, the manager and two sales staff walked out across the road. Colm ducked in his chair and bundled his beer to his chest. He held himself kneeled to the ground for twenty seconds before he looked up.
The manager paced into the distance with the staff following like ducklings.
Here Colm was safe, with the winners passing by.
