Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Smiley Faces

Inspired by a video created by Kian Woon, I attemp to write a mini novel on a topic that is haunting everybody now.

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Eileen has not put up any lipstick for a week. In fact, she hasn’t dressed up. No make-up. No perfume, and of course most of all, she has not shown any cleavage for a week.

The reason is simple : don’t get any attention in the workplace during a bad time like this. The bald guy sitting in the room is running through his mind to pick a few people to let go. Simon has to go. That fat-ass is so gone. And what’s the name of the big-boob girl. She is cute but hey we are not running a freaking beauty contest here.

Eileen looked around the office today and almost everyone dressed black or white. A fucking funeral, she uttered.

It had to happen. The phone rang.

“Hey uggh… Eileen, you got a second?”

“Bob I have got a big presentation tomorrow.”

“Won’t take long”

She entered his room preparing for the worst. Do not cry, do not show your weak side. Tears will only compound his pleasure in murdering me. She kept reminding herself.

“Eileen, how long have you been with us?” He had a smirk on his face.

“Bob, you know it”

“See.. you know it’s unfair for us to keep anyone whose prospect is limited here”

Then came the silence. Sheer silence for 30 seconds.

“Bob, you know what, I haven’t put up any lipstick for one full week. It means nothing to you? And how could I be circled out?”

“Because you are capable. And you have been with us long enough to earn a promotion. You are taking over Jason’s position. I know you are close to him but it isn’t an easy decision for us too. I want to talk to you first because if you ain't ready for the bigger responsibility, I won't force you.”

Eileen walked out of Bob’s room and was utterly confused.

Jason was an average Joe. Never been a star, but never did something stupid either. He sometimes made stupid jokes and laughed like a horse but otherwise completely unremarkable.

Eileen logged on to MSN, eagerly trying to break out the good news to her boyfriend.

Poor Jason is online in MSN too. Eileen felt obliged to say something to him. His status is : Looking forward to a vacation in Paris !!! And two big smiley faces followed.

It all made sense now. Nothing is more disgusting than two big smiley faces in the MSN in a time like this. What the fuck are you trying to prove? That while all of us working our asses off here, you have the privilege of disappearing into Paris? And you have the gut to put three exclaimation marks and two smiley faces to boast about it?

Eileen immediately blocked Bob from her contact, and erased all the cute status updates in Facebook too.

"Maybe I can show a little cleavage tommorrow, just a little" She murmured.

She slept like a baby that night.