Chapter 2 Peggy: What's the use in trying to make yourself heard when no one takes the time to try to understand?
Peggy's point of view
On my way to the office, I went into a café… that was my first mistake that day… I approached the counter and stated my request in a clear, calm manner.
"I would like a cup of hot tea, with milk and sugar, and a slice of toast to go please."
"I'm sorry, I'm not understanding, could you please repeat what you said?,"
"I said I would like a cup of hot tea, with milk, and sugar and a slice of toast"
"I'm still not sure what you're saying, ma'am."
I blinked ferociously at the girl and then at my watch and then back at the girl. She tutted and sighed
"Let me see if I can help, she said angrily.
She went to the staff room and brought through another member of staff. I tried the order again, but the second girl didn't understand me either. I glanced irritatedly at the time as I was about to be late for work, but I hadn't yet eaten, and I was hungry.
Mr Stark came in with his butler, Mr Jarvis.
"Hey Peg, fancy meeting you here"
"If you'd believe this, sir, the waitresses here do not want to take the time to try to understand what I am saying because I speak The Queen's English. They say I'm hard to understand"
"Really? That's a crock full of bull plop, Peg, and you really shouldn't stand for it. I mean, I understand you perfectly. Miss, is your manager around?"
"I'm the manager!"
"Is there someone in charge I could speak with?"
"Yes sir"
"May I speak with the supervisor?"
"Let me ask"
A pale, thin young man, with dark brown hair and green eyes, stepped out of the back room. He sneered at me and leaned against the counter like this was the last place on earth he wanted to be.
"Son, my name is Howard Stark, this is my friend Peggy Carter… She is being discriminated against by your employees because she is British and speaks with an accent. That is unacceptable. It is racism, and it won't be tolerated."
"Yeah? Maybe if your creepy girlfriend tried to make herself understood, my employees would be more inclined to understand her" he spat, rolling his eyes.
"All right, that's it… I am buying this establishment, and I'm firing you. You just made a mighty lifelong enemy."
"I don't know who you think you are, but you and creepy over there are banned from this diner… for life."
"I just told you, you mollycoddled spoiled idiot, I am buying this establishment, and you're fired… My name is Howard Anthony Walter Stark, as in the principal owner, co-founder, and CEO of Stark Industries… ever heard of it?"
"My name is J. Jonah Jameson III, I am 15 years old. When I graduate from high school, I'll be training to be a journalist. If you continue to antagonize me and accuse me of things… I will set my grandfather's lawyers on you so fast your head will spin, and then I will expose you for the corporate fraud you are!"
"Typical spoiled rich brat! Has to go running to his granddaddy for everything!"
"My grandfather brought me up!"
"You are the epitome of a spoiled brat! You got everything handed to you on a silver platter… My father abused my mother, and I don't just mean physically. Then one night he murdered her in front of my brother and me, then he drank himself to death, in prison. Every cent of what I have, I have earned… the hard way. I used to help my father sell fruit from the time I was 6 months old. After my mom died and my old man went to jail, my brother brought me up from when I was 9 until I was 19. He joined the police academy and was such a good student that they fast-tracked him through the training ranks and made him a sergeant so that he could pay for me to go to Phillips Academy and then MIT. He didn't need to enlist when the war in Vietnam happened, but he did to save me from having to. My brother died when a pineapple bomb exploded in front of him in Vietnam. I graduated top of my class at MIT, and my best friend and I founded Stark Industries. So don't you dare stand there and threaten me with your grandfather's attorneys, you spoiled little brat. My lawyers can and will run rings around him and his lawyers… more to the point, you're going to go to jail if you continue to disrespect the two war heroes standing right in front of you… Ms Carter and I were in the Super Soldier programme. She and I currently run the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and we are now 25 minutes late for work thanks to your Shilly-shallying… I'm closing this place – my butler is dealing with the lawyers as we speak. When we reopen, you will NOT be working here or anywhere within 20 feet of here. Do you understand me, you petulant child? Your grandfather should have beaten some god-damn respect into your empty head! Military school would have been too good for the likes of you! Come on Peg, we're leaving, we're going to Wolfie's, my treat." I flushed… embarrassed and angry at having to have my boss deal with a miscreant.
"Thank you sir. I appreciate your help with that situation. Every so often I wish I'd gone back to London after the war. I mean, what's the use in trying to make yourself heard when no one takes the time to try to understand? I appreciate your help very much. Thank you for shutting that horrid supervisor down."
"It was my pleasure Peg, I am glad you didn't return to London after the war ended. As for that young man? Normally, I'm not the 'punch your enemies in the teeth' sort. I'm usually fairly slow to anger and I only mouth off when it is absolutely necessary, but that kid was cruising for a bruising. There are certain things that really do drive me absolutely crazy. I don't tolerate them as a boss, and I wouldn't tolerate them as a parent. Disrespect when someone you've hired to do a job is one of those things… domestic violence is another. I'm not letting this go, either. I know the boy's grandfather. Jethro Jonah Jameson… the Newspaper executive. I'm going to contact him personally and tell him exactly what was said. I don't tolerate disrespect towards women, in any form, and the boy's grandfather doesn't either. Likewise, I happen to know what happened to the boy's mother. The same thing that happened to my mother."
"Oh, Howard, that's horrible"
"I know. The grandfather has indulged the boy too much, and what you saw this morning was the result of said overindulgence."
*3 hours later*
"Mr Stark? J. Jonah Jameson Senior is on the phone for you"
"I'll take it in my office"
"Howard, how are you?"
"In general I am well Jethro; however, there was an incident with your grandson this morning. I am far from happy about it, and I would like you to take him to task for the way he spoke to Agent Carter and myself. He was disrespectful, actually he was downright rude, and he was not willing to do his job properly. I didn't appreciate the way his employees spoke to Agent Carter, or the way they claimed they couldn't understand her because of her accent. That's racist, and you know it and so do I. I am going to buy the deli and hire someone I can trust to be a gracious employee and a helpful waiter or waitress. I know the boy has been through a lot but to be honest with you Jethro I think he's been indulged a little too much, and I told him that. I told him he's a mollycoddled spoiled brat."
"I know Howard, I know that's precisely what he is, but what else was I supposed to do?"
"Personally, I'd have sent him to boarding school as soon as you noticed he was the kind of person he is… in fact, it's not too late… Military school would straighten him out. There's a good one not far from here."
"As a small child, the boy was… fragile. We homeschooled him because of his health. He's smart enough, but he has weak lungs… We almost lost him a couple of times because of his asthma. I guess I probably should have been stricter with him, but he's my only grandson, although he's not my only grandchild he has 5 sisters and 4 cousins – all girls. 4 younger, 4 older and one who's the same age. That does not mean however that I can't be strict with him now. I am going to make him apologize. I will give him an ultimatum. Either he comes and apologizes to you properly or… he's going to military school and if he doesn't agree, then he's disowned."
"Thank you, Jethro."
Later that afternoon, Jethro, and his grandson, came to the office to see me. Obie and I were finishing a meeting with Peggy.
"Mr Stark, Jethro Jameson and his grandson are here to see you and Ms Carter."
"Thank you, Lorraine."
"I don't understand what the heck I did wrong, grandfather. Stark demanded to see me after Barbara and Martha could not understand his friend. He was short and rude with me, and I don't see why I should apologize, it isn't my fault his friend can't speak like a normal person."
"Young man I have been far too indulgent of you, you are rude and disrespectful to people in the deli all the time, Howard Stark is buying the deli from me. You're going to apologize to him and Agent Carter right now and then, you will work on your typing skills! You're grounded! After the summer, I'm shipping you off to Military School! I should have done that years ago!"
"But… but…"
"But nothing! You're apologizing and that's that! This is not up for discussion. You will apologize properly and meaningfully to Mr Stark and Ms Carter, and that's it. You and I will be taking a trip to the woodshed after dinner tonight. Furthermore, you will be eating alone in your room, and that will give you time to think about your actions. Moreover, you're grounded for a month and there will be no sweets, no baseball, no cinema and no seeing your friends during that time. You will do your studies. You will do your chores. Furthermore, you will do your music lessons, and then you will return to your room. If you breathe even so much as one word out of turn, I won't hesitate to drag you back to the woodshed. Do I make myself clear?"
"I'm going to get you for this, Stark… see if I don't"
"Young man, you just added another week onto your grounding."
As it turned out, Jethro senior's warnings fell upon deaf ears and Jethro Jonah Jameson III was much, much worse than his father had been, but that is another story for another day.
