Who Was Holding the Handle...and the Blade

It was silent as evil pervaded the lobby.

The receptionist, Miss Short, always a bit neurotic, had become practically suicidal due to her length of employ at Blowford's office.

Ms. Dean, who worked upstairs with Mr. Blowford, often referred to Miss Short as the 'Matron' of Bellevue. It did seem they worked in a mad house.

The chief psychopath was the one and only Max Blowford; the biggest bag of wind and hypocrite in the parish if not the country.

Ms Dean who equaled Blowford in qualifications, should have been a partner, but Blowford treated her as an inferior.

Miss Short couldn't understand why Sandy Dean allowed it.

People who didn't know Paul Blowford, who only heard him on the radio babbling about 'reparations' and 'Marcus Garvey' and 'Black People' thought he was a great liberator.

Blowford was the most oppressive boss anyone could work for. He would shout at everyone, underpaid, deducted pay for lateness and absence. He was the reincarnation of a slave master.

Blowford's malignant son, called 'Slugs' , lived at the office. Forty two years old, the 'child' had no profession, no home, nothing but a blood connection to Blowford. Slugs was appointed the 'I.T.' officer, although Slugs knew less than a 'help' key.

Another son, by another woman, Matt, also worked there as an assistant. Matt was a zombie. He didn't talk to anyone, he didn't cooperate, he was a cold and silent presence.

Other members of Blowford's staff were, Stan Blair the all around 'go for' as and Keisha Thompson the slave.

Stan was to come to work, clean up dog mess, then be ready to play messenger, file clerk or aide. Keisha was to mop the office then be ready to fill in the gaps left by Stan.

Shouting and abusing his staff, including Sandy Dean, who did most of his work, was standard at Blowford's office.

Although Keisha, the erstwhile office maid, wasn't very academic she fully understood Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity.

At work ,time ran slower. She would look at her cell phone, the time was 10:12 although it seemed she'd been working for six hours it had only been just over two.

She'd look again, after what felt like two hours, and it was 10:23.

At home, during the weekends, she'd make breakfast, clean up, and it was lunch time. She'd finish lunch, turn around, and it was dinner time.

She mentioned this to Sandy, who totally agreed with her, for she also experienced the time warp.

Since Ms. Dean came to the office, Blowford could take on more work. He would dump almost everything on Ms Dean, and only pluck a few choice plums.

No matter how hard Ms. Dean worked, no matter what she did, how well she did it, he never commended her. He only attacked. He attacked for a missing comma, for how she dressed, which bathroom she used, probably for breathing his air.

The Staff couldn't understand why Sandy didn't stand up to him. Everyone liked her better than him. The clients preferred her.

Speaking to Sandy on one of those off occasions when Blowford wasn't around, (he didn't allow his staff to talk to each other) she explained; "I'm leaving," but didn't give a time.

Blowford was in serious trouble. There had been complaints about him. A lot of complaints. He couldn't dump them on Ms. Dean. It was he who took the money, he who was hired, not Ms. Dean.

Ms Dean made it clear to everyone, from staff to client to public official, that these were NOT her clients, they were Blowford's. That she was only given the file and was acting to merely explain his absence.

Although when she first came she had accepted a sense of 'partnership' in a month she decided against it. She chose to be the nothing Blowford pushed around.

Sandy reached her limit. She considering options when Blowford attacked in his usual insulting manner.

"I think I should leave..." she said softly.

Blowford heard her and changed his mouth; tried to be nicer, yet still insulting. After all, Ms. Dean couldn't do better.

Ms. Dean didn't say anything, she decided she would leave at the end of the month.

Ms. Dean ran into Ms. DeSouza, who had once invited her into her office. Sandy asked if the post was open, Chandra DeSouza instantly affirmed.

Sandy would begin the 1st of next month. Chandra was happy about it, so was Sandy.

Sandy decided to leave a week early and disappear before going to Chandra's office.

Sandy would say nothing to anyone.

Sandy Dean arrived on what would be her last day. She went to her computer and began deleting files. This meant that every file she had worked on from day one was gone.

She took the various documents dumped on her desk and put them into the file cabinet in no particular order.

These two actions would cripple Blow's office.

Taking her few possessions she left without a word.

Sandy would not start working for Chandra until the following week, so decided to use her pay to book into a fairly inexpensive guest house on the beach.

She had no intention in informing Blowford she had quit.

She had selected this particular time because Blowford had a large number of appointments. He could not possibly fulfill them. This would leave many clients angry and probably lead to their departure.

Blowford would learn he needed Sandy much more than she needed him.

Which was a sweet revenge.