Y8/shortstory/MC

The Job Interview
By: Maria Correa 8B

He was walking down the street talking on the phone to his beloved wife, Roberta.
“How did it go?” she asked with enormous hope and excitement.” Did you get the job?” She asked again.
“Well lets just say this isn’t my day,” Patrick said while 2 or 3 cars were using the horn as he crossed the street when the light for the cars was still green.
“I’m so sorry Pat, it’ll be next time, ok?” Roberta said, trying to cheer him up. “See you at dinner, ok? Bye.” and she hung up the phone.

Patrick realized that during his short walk, talking on the phone, he had turned at the wrong block. He was standing in front of a green peppermint building with small windows which a few were broken. As Pat’s eyes rolled from top to bottom they finally reached the door.
It was made of wood and had two glass windows on each side on the top. On the dirty, filthy floor was sitting a homeless man leaning on his back covering a big red letter sign.

“Inter…” That’s the only thing Patrick could read. “Excuse me, sir, could you please so I could see the sign behind you?” He tried to ask cordially, but he was really wishing the man wasn’t there , not only because he couldn’t see, but because of the awful smell surrounding him.
“Sure,” the man said very nicely and polite, “For a dollar, of course,” he said.
“I’m not giving you a dollar for moving!” he replied, reaching his phone from his deep pocket, “I’m calling the cops,” he warned the man so he would get scared when he actually didn’t meant it.
“Ok, ok,” the homeless stood up, grabbed all the smelly clothes that were in a crowded bunch and ran away.
The sign said “JOB INTERVIEWS HERE 7th FLOOR.”
Patrick thought for seconds about his journey before he ended up in front of that sign. He pulled from the golden door knob and walked gently to the elevator. He got inside it alone and clicking bottom number seven after taking a quick glance to his watch. The doors of the elevator slide open. There was a wide, long, dark hall filled up with different beds and their mattresses.
Pat crossed the hall and knocked on the only door, his legs were shaking and sweat came down dripping down from his fingers.
“Come in…” a weird voice said and the door opened slightly.
It was a small room. An office. There was a brownish wooden desk and two steel chairs, an old painting on the wall and a fan turned off.
“Ok. Lets get finished with this quickly, there’s a big pepperoni pizza waiting for me downstairs,” said the man sitting on the chair behind the desk, his feet were on it and he was wearing a pair of purple shoes and a red suit.
Pat was wondering what kind of job was he applying for but he didn’t dare to ask.
“What’s your name?” that was he’s first question. Pat mumbled and said.
“Paa, paa, trick, sir” The man’s eyes examined his body carefully.
“How long have you been working in this type of job?” He asked waiting for an acceptable answer.
“I’ve been working in this type of job for…” he paused.
“Excuse me sir, What’s the job you are interviewing me for?” He asked very frightened.
“I guess you’ve never worked in something for this…” He answered to himself.
“Since when have you wished of working here?” Patrick didn’t answer and stood silent as the man sitting ticked with a blue pen the interview sheet.
“Why do you want to work here?” He ticked again and didn’t give a chance for Pat to answer him.
“How old are you?” Ben asked Patrick.
“Uuh… 24?” He finally answered a question, with doubt of if he should have.
“What’s your favorite food?” he asked.
“Pizza?” Patrick tried to give an answer which he thought the man would like because of the previous events.
“That´s enough, you have the job,” he determined “You will receive 3,000 dollars a month ok?” the man announced as he tried to reach the door to get his pizza.
“But, sir, what’s my job?” Patrick asked curiously.
“To try the mattresses of course! What did you think! You will sleep the hole day and tell us if the mattresses are either good or bad. Well, see you later” he left the room as Patrick’s eyes were glistening with joy, he jumped like a kangaroo towards the bed and lie there for hours sleeping like a baby.