A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66b)

He didn’t say much but told everybody he’d check in with each and every one later in the day to find out just what they did. Then he and the Controller left together. As the group broke up Irwin grabbed me by the arm and led me to the vacant office that Leo would be occupying. I couldn’t imagine what this was about. Once inside and the door was closed he looked at me and told me not to react to harshly to what he was going to tell me. I figured, for sure, I was being fired. But no. It was worse. Leo was Nina’s son in law.

I’m sure it was because I’d thought of him (Leo) as a sort of buffoon but I remember laughing. Irwin was serious though. He told me to sit down and he’d give me quick lesson in local politics. A bit earlier I told you that the County was primarily Republican but, because of some corruption the Democrats had made some inroads in the recently completed election. However, they didn’t take control of the Board of Supervisors but did win two of the ten positions, making it now six to four. Leo was one of the two Republicans to lose. Since he was a tried, true and loyal Republican they had to do something for him. As the Controller, a Republican, had won and there was a vacancy in his department, Leo ended up as the Deputy. As I also told you before, I was apolitical and this situation made me even more so. If it weren’t for the relationship between Leo and Nina I might’ve been able to partially, at least, accept it. When I finally gathered my thoughts I asked Irwin, point blank, why couldn’t anyone put an end to Nina’s tardiness and extended breaks. He shrugged his shoulders and said but one word... Leo. Even though he’d lost the election he was still a powerful force in the Republican fold and Nina was riding it for all it was worth. When Irwin indicated that we were through I asked him what I should do. “Suck it up” was what he said and walked out of the office.

It was the longest afternoon I’d spent since I started. Leo was calling all the women in to his office, one by one and after Linda and Dora’s turn he left his office with his coat and hat. Nina, as usual, left at ten minutes to five. I did a quick calculation based on what she’d been able to process and came up with the fact that, without Nina spending time after work, there was no way we’d be able to hand the checks to the Treasurer’s office before Friday. And this was after but one half day of work. Jay and I figured out that of the three and one half hours of time since the keypunchers had given the cards to Nina she’d only put in a little over two hours of actual work. I don’t know why I felt so bad about the situation. The responsibility had been taken from me. I guess it was because I knew I could get it done and do it right. Jay handed me a sheet of paper with numbers on it. He’d been keeping tabs on what Nina was doing. He had everything... ten minutes blabbing to Linda... five minutes on the phone... 20 minute break... etc. It was obvious to me that he wasn’t going to let the payroll system that he’d developed be taken down by her. I felt a LOT better!

As I walked out of the office I realized I had yet to tell Jay about my buying the Chevy. I didn’t think that was the time so headed home. I know Elle didn’t understand 90% of what I was telling her after the kids went to bed but she pretended to listen. It helped.

Tuesday was more of the same as far as Nina was concerned. Yak, yak, yak, both on and off the phone. Right after she got back from her hour and fifteen minute lunch she took a handful of processed cards and stacked them into the working tray backwards. I don’t know why I happened to be looking at the tray when she did it but I called her attention to it. She immediately denied it but I made her go back and look. Her response? A laugh and some inane comment. I felt like I was watching a sinking ship, had a bucket but couldn’t use it because my hands were tied.

The first I saw of Leo was around 2pm. He went into his office not to be see again until a little before 5pm when he left with his coat and hat. By the time 5pm came I calculated there was at least eight hours of work to be done to have the checks all finished. I knew it wasn’t going to happen because, exclusive of the time Nina had wasted on the phone and just plain yakking, she’d only put in 5 3/4 hours actually in the room and there was no reason to believe that Wednesday would be any different. We knew the absolute latest the Treasurer’s office could get the checks and have them delivered for Friday distribution was 2pm.

I happened to see Irwin about to leave and went to cut him off. I told him of my observations and, initially, he appeared to be annoyed with me. He took a few steps down the hall and then stopped and turned into the Controller’s office. No one had seen him since Monday so I wondered what Irwin was doing. The secretary was still there and I, still out in the hall, heard Irwin ask if she was still able to get in touch with the Controller. I could hear parts of Irwin’s conversation but couldn’t get the “feel” of it. The secretary came out with her coat on and waved me into the office. Irwin had the mouthpiece covered and when he saw me asked if there was any chance at all of making the deadline. Without hesitating I said “Yes!“. A minute later he said but one word... “GO!“

To be continued...