Another Day at the Office

Basil was going to be late for work, but he’d had a rough night. Little voices in his ear kept him thinking, rather than enjoying some rest. As he headed to work, he caught sight of Jim through the crowd and called out to him.

Jim hadn’t noticed Basil at first, he was too busy eyeballing a cutie in front of him. But when he heard his best friend calling through the nondescript sounds in the background, he quickly darted in the other direction.

“Basil” He shouted, hurrying to his friend. “How goes it?”

“So far, so good. But it’s early.” he remarked, a little less chipper than usual as a female rushed by trying to make it to work on time. She had grazed him as she passed.

“Rude!” Jim bellowed behind her.

“It’s been like that for weeks.” Basil complained as they proceeded together.

“Like what?” his friend asked.

“Everyone is in such a hurry anymore. Hurry to get to work. Hurry to crowd the main lanes in. Hurry to your position. Hurry to eat. Hurry to wow the client. Hurry, hurry, hurry! I’m sick of it. I need a vacation.”

Jim laughed lightheartedly.

“Oh, come on!” he said smartly. “I thought you were a company man.”

“Not right now.” He replied, shooing at school children who were giggling as they passed.

“Easy”. Jim remarked, truly concerned for his friend. “They’re just kids, ya know.”

“Of course, I know. It was giggling little monsters just like them that kept me up with their noise all night. I mean, honestly! It doesn’t matter where I go to rest, there’s always something. And I’m tired of everyone “looking” at me.”

“No offense Basil, but if people were to stop looking at you, you wouldn’t have a job. If you didn’t have a job to do, you might lose your sense of purpose. You know what happens after that.”

“Yeah. I rest!”

“Look.” Jim offered. “On lunch today, if you want to sneak off for a nap, I can run interference for you.”

“Thanks, Jim.” Basil replied. “But no. It’s not just the lack of rest. You speak of lack of purpose, but I feel I’m living without purpose now. Who knows? Maybe I’m already on my decline. I’m not some school-aged kid anymore. You know? Remember Marrick?”

“How could I forget?” Jim replied, scooting to one side for an oncoming group, and then back over to Basil. “That’s not what’s bugging you, is it?

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m only days away from calling it like Marrick did and just eating myself to death. I don’t remember the last time I just took off for the sake of enjoyment. I mean, every day, I just want to hide, disappear, to be free of all this craziness and be myself. You know what I mean? To not have to answer the dinner call, not have to entertain guests for “the man”. Does that make sense?”

Jim quickly got in front of Basil to cut him off and the two looked at one another for long moments before he spoke in hushed tones to his friend.

“Hey. You need to perk up. If the boss sees you getting despondent, you may not get the opportunity to disappear. They’ll get rid of you the “old-fashioned way”. If you get what I mean.”

“At least I wouldn’t have to do this anymore.” Basil’s heart ached for freedom. How he had gotten caught up in this slave-like labor was beyond him because he had been working here longer than living his other life. All he knew was that he didn’t want to do it anymore, and if that meant he had to end his own life, he could certainly entertain the idea.

“Basil!” Jim turned deeply affected eyes to his friend. “You can’t leave me! Who am I going to look at girls with? Who am I going to console on the way to work? It’s the ripple effect. Your ripple on these waters would stir and change me, like Marrick changed you.”

Both were quiet for a while, when Basil caught sight of Becky out of the corner of his eye. She was apparently as late as they were this morning, which got Basil to thinking. In a world with her in it, there had to be a reason to exist. He was too shy to try and catch her, though. Every morning they were close together trying to get in on time so that they could get breakfast. Usually by the time they arrived, everyone had eaten the good food.

“Why don’t you just talk to her?” Jim said.

“Who? Becky?” Basil asked as his friend nodded. “Nah. She’d never even look at a guy like me.”

“You’re not as bad off as I thought if you’re still looking at the ladies, my friend.” Jim laughed. “What have you got to lose? Your life is just steaming flotsam on the bottom of the ocean anyway, to hear you tell it. The absolute worst thing she could do is say “yes” to having breakfast with you. Remember, the early riser gets the worm.”

“It’s been my experience,” Basil remarked with a chuckle. “that the worm is usually attached to a hook!”

Jim laughed.

“True, but man… if she’s holding the hook? It’s a sexy hook.”

They both laughed.

“You’re not waxing philosophical, my friend.” Jim told him. “You’re just lonely. Go on and talk to her. I’ll see you at breakfast… unless you get lucky.”

Basil laughed a bit, but took his friend’s advice.

“Becky!” he called out to her. “Hold up!”

Becky slowed so that he could fall in next to her.

“Do you have anyone to eat breakfast with?” He asked.

“I do now.” She giggled. “You want to join me today in entertaining a few of our clients? I could certainly use some help in my presentation, and no one knows this game better than you!”

“I’d love to help.” Basil replied, totally surprised by how well this was going. He should have done this a long time ago, but he was just too afraid. Jim was a good friend, always looking out for him. He glanced over to where he’d left his friend, but he’d gone. Looking ahead, Basil could see he was already chatting up some newbie from the main pool.

“I think we’ve missed breakfast.” Becky said, pulling his attention back to her. “Rain check on breakfast and meet at lunch today?” She asked.

“Sure!” Basil answered. At this, he thought he had reached his cue to leave and began to turn away.

“I don’t know where you think you’re going.” She scolded him. “We’ve got clients inbound, and you said you’d be with me today.”

Basil’s heart soared.

Becky pushed herself closer to him so that he could feel her presence and the two of them faced the glass together, ready to begin their pirouette.

The lights came up, and the people crowded beneath. Ordinarily, Basil tried to hide from their glances, but Becky was here, dancing with him in the cool waters, her body encircling his. Though they could not hear the voices of the onlookers, they recognized the excitement on their faces as they continued their dance.

As they swept up, Becky spun through the water and then dove through a small school of Clownfish and sailed through the blue toward the glass. She put her lovely body against the glass for human children to try and touch her. Basil stood in awe of her. She had such beauty and grace. She had that light in her that he once had held for his own.

Deciding to capture that back unto himself, Basil rushed to the glass and rolled into it for the people to see. Jim had been watching all of this above and the moment he saw Basil swoop toward the glass, he did the same.

“Basil!” He skittered through the water. “Let’s give them something to talk about!”

Not missing a beat, Basil turned fast toward his friend and the two of them were in a dance of their own, careening through the water side-by-side and once again frolicking in a deep love affair with being alive.

The day continued from one group of bipeds to another until the lights of the aquarium went down. Becky had dinner with them both and at the end of the day as the two friends headed to the dark side of the aquarium, Jim stopped for a moment.

Realizing that his friend had stopped, Basil turned back to face him.

“What it is?” He asked.

“I’m glad you finally talked to Becky.”

“Me too.”

“Do you think tomorrow we can start looking for someone for me?”

Basil was elated at the thought.

“You have someone in mind?” he asked

“I can think of a few gals.” Jim replied, to which they both had a good laugh.

“Well, see ya tomorrow, Jim.” Basil said as he slunk into a dark corner to try and sneak some rest.

“Night Basil.” Jim answered as he swam away.

When the school children giggled nearby, Basil didn’t listen. His mind was full of the wonderful things he and his friends would do tomorrow, and he finally got some rest.