This is in response to Esther’s Weekly Word Prompt.
This Week’s Prompt : Bank
***
Tirade Of A Lone Soldier
When the Company decided to downsize, the earmarked lot was not outrightly thrown out of the job. Designated as “Officers On Special Duty” they were just made to sit the whole day in a room without any assignment for an indefinite period.
A few incorrigible optimists thought that it was just a temporary phase and that they’d get reinstated in no time in the mainstream, wishfully, with a promotion. A few, after marking the daily attendance, went about their personal work, unperturbed. Then there were a few who took to spirituality – creatively utilising the hours getting connected to their innermost core in a state of deep meditation till the cover got busted by loud snores emanating from their disloyal nostrils.
The clever ones banked on the ‘goodwill’ of their seniors and took advantage of this golden opportunity to build greater professional rapport by selflessly running their personal errands and facilitating meticulous execution of their domestic chores.
Most welcomed this leisurely interlude contented that at least the salary was not being stopped from getting regularly deposited in their bank accounts at the end of each month.
Unfortunately, I, a workaholic, was admitted to a mental hospital by the end of the second month.
Acute depression, they said it was.
***
In the asylum, after the initial period of medication and counseling, I took upon myself the task of tending to the garden, sweating it out in the heat of peak summer, planting banks of fresh seeds which soon erupted in a flood of tiny green shoots to the delight of the staff responsible for the beautification of the gloomy facade.
In the afternoons I read out volumes after volumes of motivational tomes to the ‘quieter ones’ which put them into a soporific state in surprisingly lesser and lesser time compelling me to suspect more and more the intent of the writers as days wore on.
A few got themselves released before completion of treatment to the chagrin of their medical and nursing attendants. As I was not privy to the closed door exit interviews the cause of their hasty retreat and the huffed look on their guardians’/care person’s visages seemed utterly baffling.
Notwithstanding, in the evenings I’d robustly deploy myself in providing meaningful assistance in the Administration Office, infusing order in dealings that appeared to be chaotically managed till then.
In general, I made myself exceptionally useful for whatever time my stay in there was destined to be.
In fact, with my active involvement in the day to day functioning, I had almost come to enjoy my incarceration.
***
I knew the inmates found me extremely helpful and cooperative.
The staff visibly valued my presence.
The doctors looked immensely satisfied with my astonishing progress.
My Evaluation Report read in bold “enthusiastically work oriented.”
***
But despite my undisputed achievements as an unusually ardent patient passionately committed to providing excellent in-house services, I, could not, for the love of God, figure out why a month later they decided to put me on sedation for most hours of the day.
In case you have any idea pray illuminate, will you ?
Geeta ji, What a brilliantly crafted satire had me laughing, thinking, and feeling for the lone soldier all at once!😅🦋✨
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I am immensely pleased that you could empathise with such a brilliant, self motivated performer who was so unjustly ‘trampled’ to sedation by unfeeling medical practitioners who realising his remarkable aptitudes deliberately sidelined him. The corporate world is not the only place where such injustices take place. It happens in loony bins too.
😂 😂 😂 😂
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Brilliantly written! The humour and irony made me smile, while the ending leaves so much to think about. Loved this, Geetaji. 👏😊
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It’s definitely difficult to handle an over zealous worker!! Thank you so much Maha.
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This is a sharp and darkly funny commentary.
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A clever, witty twist on the prompt 😊!
The transition from corporate ‘limbo’ to asylum ‘over-achiever’ perfectly captures the tragedy of a modern workaholic whose entire identity is tied to production.
As for the final question, the character’s behavior strongly reminds me of Isaac Asimov’s classic short story, “Robot AL-76 Goes Astray.” In it, a discarded robot gets lost in an environment it doesn’t understand, but because it is hardwired to produce, it compulsively builds a massive machine out of junk parts until the terrified humans around it order it to shut down.
Like AL-76, s/he is a malfunctioning machine of productivity. When her environment changed, she couldn’t rewrite her own programming, so she just kept spinning her wheels until the staff had no choice but to hit the ‘off’ switch 😊.
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Enriched by your elaborate comment. Thank you Chetna.
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This is beautifully written. It reminded of the many family friends, neighbours who after retiring seem to lose a sense of purpose in their lives. We are so tied to our work lives that we forget we exist outside it. Yet, at the same time, many of us continue working for we identity that us our only purpose in lives and given the uncertainty about everything we continue running the rat race. Isn’t it quite ironic?
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Yes, you are right. I like how you have correlated asylum with retirement. I had a boss whose life revolved around the office. We often wondered what would come of him once he retired.
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I reckon it is therefore necessary to have a hobby, a hobby group or something that keeps us going other than work.
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Absolutely 💯
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Loved this story Geeta.
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Thank you very much dear Sadje.
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You’re very welcome. You have a wonderful talent for storytelling.
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Thank you so much Sadje. 💕
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You’re welcome. Have you thought about writing a book of short stories? I’m sure it will be very popular! 💞
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I have one short story collection published but now it’s out of print and the publishers did not take care of its proper marketing.
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That’s sad. I hope you have a copy of it. I’m sure you can add new stories to it and get it republished
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Perhaps someday..
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Insha’Allah
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A good variety of uses of the word
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What a unique way of looking at the prompt! Fabulous! Great wriitng and you left me with a big smile on my face 🥰
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Thank you very much Esther. I am glad you liked the post.
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A different perspective! Nice.
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Thank you very much Indrajit.
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