Backlashed
By: CNJ
PG-13
6
Lucille:
"...and to copy the program onto the hard drive, just highlight it and bring up the save menu," Gina Ving instructed that September in the class.
I smiled softly as I wrote it down along with the others in the class. With Alicia's help, I'd found this school which isn't far from work and I'd catch the bus there three evenings a week after work. Thank the stars the buses here ran late and the class ran from seven to eight-thirty.
The instructor was helpful and clear too. Just having this class made work more bearable. Over the summer, two more women got the ax. Neither Vera Moles or I were one of them.
I still was nervous around Gary and now even Charles was making me uncomfortable. I just had to keep on lying low for another eight months or so until I finished these classes, two of them. In the few days I'd been taking this course, I'd learned quite a bit and we were actually getting hands-on experience.
Daniel was relieved to hear it too and I'd let him know how grateful I was for his help in getting Alicia here. Alicia, now back in New York, kept in touch and I'd written to let her know when I'd started.
The days that fall were long and tiring, but the classes made it all worth it. I continued to learn a lot and Daniel, Alicia, and Mr. Miyagi proved to be a great support section.
"You're doing it, Mom," Daniel told me with a smile as we sat down for dinner at Mr. Miyagi's place on a Friday night in mid-November, two weeks before Thanksgiving. "The newest champion!"
"Oh...Daniel!" I laughed.
"And it's so good to see you smile again, Mom," Dan added as Mr. Miyagi sat.
"And soon, you get better job," Mr. Miyagi added. We then dug in.
At work, I could see the other women struggling to get by and my heart went out to them. I'd discreetly told Vera Moles and a couple of the other women about the class I was taking, but I was careful not to tip off the supervisors that I was taking the class.
The atmosphere was still very tense at work and I was still very fearful of siccing any one of them on me or any of the other women. Vera told me that she'd tried to get a loan with no luck.
"Oh, God," I gasped. "I wish I could..." She knew that it had been through Alicia's help that I'd gotten the money for the class.
"I know," Vera shrugged. "I guess I'll hang in there until I get bumped, then hopefully find another job fast." We sat for a long minute in the lounge. Vera no doubt uncertain about her future. I looked toward the offices, thinking about the few empty computers there that hardly anyone used.
"Tell you what," I leaned forward in a sudden rush of courage, the bravest I'd felt in ages. "There're a couple of computers back there in empty offices that nobody uses. I could give you a few pointers with computer skills so you can have some skills at hand. That way you can find a better job."
"You can?" Vera leaned close.
We looked around, making sure no ears were around. I even got up to check out in the hall under the guise of looking at the time on the clock out there.
Then I sat again and told her after everyone else went home for the night and there was virtually no one there but a few night guards and the clean-up crew, I could use one of the empty computers to teach her a few things. It would have to be Tuesdays and Thursdays since the other two nights, I had the class.
"But we can't let any of the supervisors find out," I cautioned. "I could get some of the other women together and show you some of the stuff I've learned. That way, we have the knowledge to stand on our own than be at the mercy of the management."
"You are swell, Lucille LaRusso," Vera grinned. "Thanks, it'll help a lot."
So I kept my promise and got at least three other women together. We'd be better equipped. With new knowledge, we'd be better prepared to handle whatever lay ahead. It proved to be a bit trickier than I'd expected since Charles hung around until almost seven and we'd had to make ourselves scarce.
Vera and I headed to the bathroom and Maria Aqui pretended to be looking for something by her terminal as she kept a lookout. Finally, on that first night after Charles left, she headed to the bathroom, called Vera and me, letting us know that Charles had left. And it did work out well once we got past that part.
The office computers were slightly different in programming, so I had to feel around some, but I got it. Oh, boy, it was empowering to pass this on to others!
"Way to go, Mom!" Daniel whooped one night over the phone in early December as I updated him on what I'd been doing. "Told you you're smart."
"Thanks, darling," My son's compliment made me feel really warm inside.
I still sometimes had a hard time believing that I was learning all this new stuff, including a lot of the computer jargon that was becoming more and more necessary in today's world. I finally felt like I was catching up to most of the world and that I'd get somewhere soon.
"Oh, hey, Daniel...what do you want to do for your birthday in two weeks?" We made plans where Mr. Miyagi and I would take Daniel out to eat, then we'd come back to my place and have cake and give him his birthday gifts. Hard to believe my son was almost twenty-one.
"Hey, Lucille..." Gary called as he passed my terminal in mid-January. "Got any new ideas for us to toss around, make this company advance?"
I looked up briefly from my typing and tried not to feel nervous. Come on, Lucille, you can do it, I willed myself. Look how well you've done in the class.
"Not really, I've been busy with other things," I finally said.
"No...?" Gary gave me his cold grin and I fought back a shudder and shook my head.
"Ahhh, she's a little shy since the last joint venture," Mike Bode snickered and gave me a nasty grin. "Whatsa matter, LaRusso, don't tell me you're afraid somebody's going to maybe...heist it and take it as their own? Not to worry, dear, Gary will safeguard it and promote it."
They both snickered and passed on by. I let out my breath and kept typing. Just one more class and four more months, I told myself and I can be on the road to leaving this hellpit.
Helene Vanner, Vera Moles, and several others and I were gathered at the terminal the following Tuesday night after the last manager had left. I'd been able to teach the others quite a bit and Vera was able to add that to her resume.
"Just add me as a reference," I told her. I'd finished my first class and had started my second just last week. Four more months, four more months, I told myself silently as I passed my new knowledge on to the other women. We then sat a minute.
"I heard Anne Speacher found another job," Helene told us.
"Oh, good," Maria nodded.
"What kind of job?" Vera asked.
"Same thing, data entry," Helene told us.
"Hopefully, without any harassment," I added.
"I hope so too."
"Me too..." the others nodded and we talked a bit more on where we hoped to find work.
I don't know what made me look up, but someone was there in the next booth and I gasped when I saw that it was Gary. That made the others look up and Gary peered over.
"Am I missing some late meeting?" Gary asked with a sneer. "An all-chick meeting?" His eyes wandered over to the computer and my heart skipped a beat.
"No..." I hoped my voice didn't sound nervous. "Just waiting for some rides and showing the others some...data entry lists..."
I got up and turned the terminal off before Gary could see that what was on the screen was more complex than just lists for the restaurant supplies.
"I'll take your word for it, Lucille," Gary smiled, but his eyes were cold. "I just hope you all don't let it turn into one of those little women's rap sessions that went around about ten years ago."
Gary and I held a short staring match and he then looked at the others, then left. We sat quietly a minute.
"Oh, God, I was afraid one of them would catch us," Vera whispered fearfully.
"We haven't done anything wrong," Helene told us. "Don't let him or any of them intimidate us."
We then got ready to leave. My heart pounded all the way home. Maybe we weren't doing anything wrong, but I felt as if I were walking on a high wire or walking on thin ice and feared I was taking a real risk.
I just hoped Gary or any of the other managers didn't find a way to retaliate…at least before all of us found other jobs.