Short Story: An unexpected bonus

Clive clocked out as he always did at exactly 4.15pm. He made his way to the change rooms, happy that soon the grime of the gruelling day spent at his lathe in the workshop of a large trucking company would soon be swirling away down the shower drain.

Graham, his lifelong friend, had beaten him to it. “Hello Clive, good day?” Clive was glad that his friend had soap suds streaming down his face and therefore could not see the look of concern which flitted momentarily across his friend’s face.

“Not too bad Graham, Clive replied briskly.”

“Have you heard anything more about the retrenchments”?  Graham asked. “No, still a nasty rumour at this stage, we shouldn’t have a problem though, as long as management sticks to the last in first out policy.”

Both men had worked at the factory ever since it had opened, almost twenty years before. They had bought homes nearby, had married sisters and their children attended the local school.

Graham dried off and took some clean clothing from his locker. Now that the grease of the mechanical workshop had been sluiced away, he looked quite presentable. A shock of auburn curls crowned a rugged clean-shaven face, his blue eyes were bright and intelligent and he had never outlived his nickname of stretch, standing six two in his socks.

Clive was the direct opposite; he had the short stocky build of a boxer, dark spiky cropped hair stood up on his head despite his best efforts to tame it. His nose was slightly askew from a school yard brawl and his brooding brown eyes could pin one to the wall with a single glance. And yet, as is often the case, opposites attract and Clive had had Graham’s back since the third grade.

“You’re very quiet Clive?” Clive gave his friend a sharp glance as if wanting to tell him something and then thought the better of it. “Oh, just thinking about Paul’s chances at the athletics meet this weekend.”

Clive’s eldest son Paul had shown great promise as a sprinter. He had been chosen to represent his school at the National meet in Stellenbosch in May. Clive was extremely proud of his son but he knew that he was going to have to disappoint him this time around.

The cost of living had been steadily rising, cutting into the family’s savings, bond costs too had risen, school fees, uniforms and school supplies were through the roof and just when Clive thought that it couldn’t get any worse, his wife, Catherine had been retrenched from her administrative job at the local super market. There was no way that he could afford the five thousand rand needed to equip and fly his son out with the team.

The public address system brought him out of his reverie. “Clive Scott, please report to the plant manager’s office. Clive Scot to the office please.” Clive stood rooted to the spot. Graham rushed over to his friend’s side, “don’t think the worst Clive! I am sure that this isn’t what you suspect it might be, you are just too darned good at your job!”

The two men clasped hands and Graham began to pray for his friend. “Lord, we ask that you intercede for Clive, whatever the circumstances, please go before him and give him the strength that he needs to see this through, amen.” Clive stood with his head bowed low. Should he lose his job now, the future looked very bleak indeed!

With leaden feet, Clive walked across the asphalt path which separated the factory from the administrative block. He pushed open the glass doors and approached the reception desk. “Good afternoon Clive, Melinda, the receptionist said in a quiet voice, go right through, Mr Du Toit is expecting you.”

Clive entered the familiar office of his employer. It was here that he had had his interview so many years before. It was here that he had been promoted to foreman and it was here that his boss had handed him a cigar on the day that Paul had been born.

The burly suited man who stood up extending a hand to Clive was typical of one who had had the courage to step out into the great unknown and establish a truck repair company at a time when many other companies had been forced to close their doors.

But now, the wheel had turned once again and years down the line, he was being forced to begin retrenching trusted employees in order to weather the worldwide financial storm in an attempt to survive until the economy recovered.

Clive shook his boss’s hand firmly. The man picked up an envelope from his desk, hesitating only a moment, before handing it to Clive. “Clive, this envelope contains a cheque for a five thousand rand. We have decided to award you a well-earned performance bonus.

Even though times are tough, your ability to bring your projects in on time and under budget have greatly assisted this company in staying afloat. We appreciate all that you have contributed over the years and hope that you will be with us for many more to come.”

Clive stood speechless. ‘”Oh thank you Lord,” he whispered under his breath. The look of concern mirrored in his brown eyes quickly changed to one of joy and relief. “Ask Graham to come and see me would you? Mr Du Toit asked, our accountant was feeling generous and we have a cheque for him as well!”

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram