he found sexual harassment remains
alive and well in the workplace
though its really better when served
warm and wanted
unwanted
its like a bowl of stone cold
butter-oiled oatmeal
he knew exactly what that was
Youre not leaving this table until you finish your
breakfast
Youll be late to school if it takes that
he missed school that day
when his father came home that
evening after his brother and sisters had their breakfasts and lunches and dinners
around him his grandmother and mother taking their meals too his father asked him
when he was going to eat his oatmeal
Im not
Youll sit there in that chair until your father
comes home his mother threatened his father was the disciplinarian
he had the straphe wore the belts not
that his mother or grandmother werent up for the task if it presented itself if it demanded
immediate attention
Eat your oatmeal
Im not
the simple fact of the matter was
that morning oatmeal didnt appeal to him
he liked oatmeal just not that morning
he was willing to eat something
other for breakfast Cheerios Rice Krispies he considered then thered be more for his
siblings if they wanted or for his mother and grandmother
the gaggle enjoyed their
breakfast complete with all their
enthusiastic(over-the-top) mmms and aahs and spoon-lickingthey could endeavour
all they wished however he understood
their taunts
he didnt want the oatmeal that
morning
if he didnt want it he wasnt
putting it in his mouth
he sat at the big oak kitchen
table in his grandmothers first floor flat
when his father came home he took
his dinner at the head of the table
they didnt speak
his brother and sisters were
already in bed
when time came for the adults to
go to bed his grandmother came into the kitchen
she had her way with him
he knew it she knew it
in broken English she asked if he
was going to eat his oatmeal
Im not
Mebe you sit here all the night
I dont want to
Ah
she leaned over and kissed him warmly on
top of his head
his face was near her throat
he liked how his grandmother smelled
Good night my boy
Good night Gramma
she left the kitchen
a little later
their voices murmuring
in the livingroom his father came into the kitchen
he ignored him
he turned
on the small light affixed to the face of the stove and exiting the kitchen he
turned off the overhead light fixture
beyond the dark maw of the doorway
leading into the livingroom he heard them moving around providing their toiletry
he heard them say their goodnights
the house fell still
the stove light shone enough to light
the round clockface above the refrigerator
he watched its secondhand sweep
it when around and around and
around
it was silent
it was mesmerisingaround and
around and around and around
he heard his aunt and uncle in
the flat above shuffling preparing for bed too
when the secondhand pointed briefly
at the 3 and at the 9 he imagined himself hanging by his arms from it
he didnt fall from the secondhand
from the 9 until it was nearly at the 12
consistently he fell from the 3
before it passed the 5
it seemed he was better at ascending
than descending
thinking back
it was probably then that
he mastered telling time
at 1:13 the secondhand nearly
at the 10 his father quietly entered the kitchen barefoot
he took the bowl away from
between his armsfrom between where he placed his hands down on the table palms flat
his father scrapped the oatmeal from
the bowl with a spatula from the drainboard into a brown paperbag held in a
white enameled trash can
to no one in particular he said What a waste What a waste
he ran water into the plastic
bowl then set it down on the bottom of the deep legged porcelain sink basin
returning to the table his father
picked up the teaspoon that rested inside of his right elbow and put it away in
the silverware drawer in the separate pantry
he closed the pantry door
then he crossed the pale green linoleum
and stood directly across the table from him
Are you hungry
I am
Then maybe youll remember this in
the future Its time for you to go to
bed Fold the school clothes youre wearing
youre wearing them again tomorrow Brush your teeth
Yes Dad
I love you son
I love you too Dad Good night
Good night son
he walked into the brisk air conditioning through the automatic sliding
glass doors into work and per usual he greeted the cashier on duty then his manager he asked him if he had anything in
particular he wanted him to accomplish that evening
I appreciate you asking I thought this afternoon I might have you work the tasting floor
The tasting area
Yes the tasting area You say it as if it were malignant
Awright good insight So I have to ask why you thought Id work the
tasting areahaving not been prepped informed or instructed Do you think its
wise to put an uninformed person before our customersI mean dont get me wrong I can make up bullshit with the best of
them but do you really want me
disseminating bullshit about product or several productsIll assume these wines are
what corporate wants pushed but more so you know I dont drink wineIve never bought
wine here I drink beer and spirits If I had
to go wine tasting family or friends I offer to be the designated driver and I
do so by design Because I dont drink wine
Let me put it this way
I dont put
anything in my mouth that I dont intend to swallow
OhWhoa You be very carefulvery careful Thats unnecessary thats an unnecessary an unfortunate remark Could be misconstrued as sexual harassment
It could Youre sexually harassing me and I find it distasteful most unwanted undesirable(cold)
Moanday evening, 4 9. 17
1608, Saturday,
9 9. 17
