Lisa Smiled

Lisa Smiled

Lisa could see the traffic outside getting heavy. She’d wanted to leave but, at the rate they were going, she’d be stuck in rush hour, again. As she listened to Anne drone on, she seriously thought about quitting.

“And then Frank said…” Lisa didn’t know who Frank was, nor did she even want to. Anne talked incessantly, if she could just talk and work at the same time! They had a certain amount to do each day before they could leave. Anne had taught Lisa the job, being already there when Lisa started, but then Anne had appointed herself unofficial lead, and Lisa was too polite to do anything about it.

Originally sitting at a table, Lisa realized that it was faster to stand since you were always getting up anyway and they immediately started doing more with less effort. Then realizing some of the things they had to repeat were better done all at once, more efficiency. But, even though Lisa had made everything smoother and more efficient, Anne still took lead position, so Lisa had to wait for Anne’s pieces, and Anne just couldn’t work efficiently and talk at the same time.

Finally, they were finishing their last box, needing three during their shift. The boxes so large there were makeshift steps to the top. The women took turns climbing up to place the pieces in. As Anne chatted her way up, then chatted still, as she reached in with her armfuls, she suddenly tumbled in head first!

Lisa flew up the stairs, but it was obvious Anne was already dead, a broken neck. She called security who called 911. Sitting down, her heart pounding, she waited for the police to arrive. Suddenly, however, she realized how quiet it was, and feeling genuinely terrible about it, Lisa smiled.