SETTLED... at least I thought so (Part 63c)

In the back of my mind was the “bet” between Mac and Lil. I’d seen Mac a few times and it almost seemed like he was trying to avoid me. About mid week I ran into Jim and, since he was the one who had told me about the whole thing, I asked what he knew about it. He wasn’t willing to talk that much but he did tell me that Mac and Lil (and Andy) had supposedly worked something out. I didn’t know what that meant and still didn't know who had won and who had lost. Jim wasn’t very forthcoming about it. By now I was really puzzled.

A coastal storm messed up the plans for spreading topsoil over some of the newest pads that Andy had cleared across the back part of the park. The new guy the “boys” had hired wasn’t keeping up with the job so I was pressed back into action. The rain made it so there were no clothes line peeks but on two of the service calls I made there was some lingerie hanging on temporary lines hanging in the bathrooms. I found one of them to be interesting in that the panties were the Carter’s Spanky pants with little flowers that I’d seen Ruthie wearing during the Summer. I had no money to spare but put it in my mind that when I did I’d have to try and find some.

Saturday the weather cleared but the ground was too wet to work in. Andy had tried but got his bulldozer buried in the sand. The “boys” had contracts on two more of the new trailers and were expecting a delivery of three more new ones that next week. They wanted to get the sold units in place so the newer ones could be displayed. We were out of cement blocks that were used under the trailers to stabilize them so I got sent to get a new supply. I’d done this a time or two and knew the foreman at the plant to be known as Larry and that everything had to go through him. He wasn’t there when I got there. I asked around and finally this heavy set woman with a huge smile on her face showed up and asked if she could help. I explained that I’d been told that I HAD to deal with Larry and he wasn’t there. She laughed and said that it was OK. She was Mrs Larry and laughed again. I placed the order and loaded the blocks on the pick up truck and then went to sign the order ticket. She saw it was for the trailer park and mentioned that she had baby sit for both of the “boys” when they were young. It was further evidence of small town living. Then she looked at my signature and asked if I was related to anyone in town as she recognized my last name. I mentioned my grandfather and she then laughed again (she did that a lot) and said “You must be Rick’s son“. I was and acknowledged it to her. She and my father had gone to school together.

I spent the next twenty minutes tracing my life’s travels for her. When I was done she sounded like my grandfather when she asked why I wasn’t using my college diploma. My answers weren’t satisfactory to her and it was almost like an order when she told me she wanted to see me in her office sometime the following week. I thought she meant at the cement block factory but then she handed me a card. On it read ”Deputy Director: County Civil Service". She then explained that her father owned the cement factory and her husband, Larry, managed it. She told me how to find her office and sent me on my way. As I drove back to the park I wasn’t quite sure what had just happened.

I didn’t say anything to my grandfather when I took him to visit my grandmother on Sunday. I barely mentioned it to Elle just casually saying that I had another interview but I didn’t know for what. She gave me a puzzled look and let it pass.

Monday and Tuesday were taken up setting the new trailers on their pads. On Wednesday I called the lady and asked if I could come in late in the afternoon as I didn’t want the ”boys“ to know I was out looking for a job. She told me to come in around 5:30pm and she would wait. The building was new and not yet fully occupied. It took a bit of searching to find her office. She was waiting at the receptionist’s desk and had a few sheets of paper for me. I’d told her on Saturday that I was an Economics major with a concentration in Public Finance. After greeting me she held up one of the papers. Across the top in bold type it read ”STAFF ACCOUNTANT“. Then she said ”the position is yours... all you have to do is take a test.“ I was dumfounded. I had no idea what the job description was nor the pay. I was almost speechless. When she realized that she had overwhelmed me she slowed down a bit and let me read the paper she’d given me. Three things jumped right out at me. First was the $97.50 for a 35 hour, five day week. Next was that I’d get nine paid holidays and two weeks paid vacation. The last was that I’d be eligible for hospitalization and medical coverage for both me and my family after three months employment. I remember just staring at the words on the paper. Finally she broke the spell with one word... ”Well?“ I turned and looked at her and saw that same big smile I’d seen on Saturday at the cement block factory. I decided that I liked this woman... a lot!

The long and short of the process was that I had to take a State administered test; wait for my score and see where I stood on the list for the County; be interviewed by the County Comptroller and start work. The lady, who wanted to be called Mrs K, said it would probably be around Halloween before I would be able to start. After reading about the pay, hours and benefits I was ready to start the next day. As I left she told me not to worry about the test or the list. The test was known to be easy and the job had been open for a few months and no resident from the County had even taken the test. Pass it and the job was mine was the way I took it.

Even though it only took about five or six minutes to get home it seemed like an hour. I couldn’t wait to tell Elle... and eventually, my grandfather. Another change coming in my life and this time I couldn’t wait for it to happen!

To be continued...