A Day in the Life

A day in the life: Part One – Derek

‘Today was like every other day for me, wake up, brush my teeth, shower. Very routine you could say, but really is adult life anything other than routine?’ Derek thought to himself as he smoothed the collar on his dress shirt. “First day” he muttered to himself as he took a second to stare at himself in the mirror before he moved from the bathroom to the kitchen collecting his bag.

Derek Watson is your typical man, 29, average hight, average build. Today he is about to start his very first day at his new job, a shipping and receiving clerk in a generic office building downtown in a generic city of a generic country. Derek has no formal education, few friends, and his idea of a great Friday night is staying home alone. His over all opinion of himself and others is very low you could say.

He paused for a moment, his messenger bag on his shoulder. ‘Mental check’ he thought opening his bag to purse the contents. ‘Keys, ID, debit card…ok got everything’ he took out his keys and held them in his hand as he prepared to leave the small apartment he called home. Opening the door he walked out into the hall, closing it behind him. After he locked up he walked down the hall, the faint sound of cars echoing through the hallway. he took a second to slip in his ear buds, a vague attempt to block out sounds around him. Turning on something he downloaded last night he began his quest to his new job.

‘They say new experiences are supposed to stick in our heads, our first day of school, first kiss… even our first bus ride to our new job… but here I am, and I can only vaguely remember how I got here’ he lamented in his mind, stepping off the bus, other people following. Derek noticed two things off the bat as he pulled out his ear buds. One, people are always talking on their phones in a manner that one would assume they are having the most important conversation of their lives. The other, well no one seems to smile and everyone is walking with purpose. ‘Thats three things’ he corrected himself in his head. He walked forward towards the front door of the thirty floor building, that if all went well… ‘would allow me to pay my rent’ he finished once again in his head.

Derek felt out of place in this building, public places never really did suit him very well. He also felt very awkward in his clothes, like they were a size to small or he was pretending to be something he was not. Derek was so lost in thought he had not realized he almost walked right into another man.

“Hey, watch were you’re going” the man said to him.

“I am so sorry.” replying Derek, looking down at the floor slightly. He felt it was an appropriate thing to do when one does something thats rude or inconsiderate

“Kids” Derek hears as the man walks away.

Looking back up after a while, he continues walking. ‘life’ he thinks to himself.

~~=~~

Derek made it to work, was that something one could be proud of? his morning was spent filling out forms, god where there many many forms! Was this torture? At least his boss was decent. After a boring tour and a very informative presentation of work place harassment, Derek was shown to his work area.

“This is the PEN” his boss told him.

’what was his name? Steve, Shaun, Stephen?’ He made a mental not to figure it out later rather than asking again.

“You will be working with one other person, and you two will be in charge of accepting things for shipping companies and sending stuff out with them as well” His tone and posture very dry.

Derek was pretty sure… well really thought that his boss could really care less about his job, if the desert coming from his who body was any indication. He was brought back to reality once his new boss spoke again .

“This is Klarissa, she will be your guild to this place while you get settled. I trust that won’t be an issue Ms. Newton?”

Derek watched as the girl swirled her chair around to regard her boss, a not so happy expression on her face.

TBC