Chapter 7 – At the Gate

Bob’s boss, Evan Schmitt, sounded unhappy.  When Bob told him two weeks earlier that he would be running for mayor, his boss’ reaction was mixed.

“You want to be mayor!  Wow!  I think that is amazing,” Evan grinned.  “I think you would do a great job.  You have some great people skills.  I have watched you act with integrity and you have really grown into a prominent leader.”

Bob looked down feeling embarrassed.  He rubbed his hands, palms downward, against his thighs.  Suddenly, being seated seemed uncomfortable to him.

Evan pointed at a picture sitting atop the credenza to his right.

“That was the best company event we have ever had.  Three months ago, we celebrated having broken every record, well, at least the good ones.  This plant achieved record sales and record productivity.  I believe that we also had our best moral among the workforce that this plant has ever seen and you, Bob, were a primary reason for that!”

“Thanks, Evan,” Bob spoke softly.  “You had my back and gave me the authority to do what I saw needed to be done.”

Evan cut him off, “But you had the vision to see solutions and the creativity to come up with a plan.”

Suddenly, Evan stopped.  He hung his head.

With a sense of defeat sounding in his voice, Evan looked up, “So Bob, this means you will be leaving us.”

Bob pursed his lips.  He looked down at his shoes, then back at Evan.

.

“Maybe we should take this a day at a time.  After all, no one has voted for me, yet,” Bob smiled weakly.

Evan leaned forward, “No, not yet, but they will.  You can bet that every resident of Hilliard who works in this plant will vote for you.”

“Well, not everyone,” Bob smiled.

Evan cocked his head.  His eyes rolled up and to the right as he was thinking.

“Marcie Evans.  Nope, I don’t believe she would vote for you,” Evan was nodding his head.  

He smiled as he returned his gaze to Bob.

Bob paused as he replayed in his mind suspending Marcie.  He had caught her on security camera breaking into a series of employee vehicles in the company parking lot and removing personal property.  On another camera, she was filmed breaking into lockers in a common area and taking food and money from her fellow employees.

When Bob confronted her, she initially denied that it was her.  When Bob was unwilling to consider that argument, Marcie quickly gave in.

“I guess you’re going to fire me.  Well, I hope you realize that you will be throwing a single mother of three out into the street.”

Though Bob was disappointed that she was using this flawed guilt tactic, he knew her well enough to have anticipated it.

“Here’s the deal, Marcie.  I know who you took things from, since it is all on camera.  If you are willing to return everything that you took, I would be willing to let you keep your job.  You are a good worker, but I cannot allow your behavior to continue.  Would you be willing to do that?”

Marcie squinted her eyes as she jerked her head forward, appearing to protest.

“But some of what I took was food.  You know that I can’t return that,” she started to object then paused.

“I guess I can figure out a way to make that work.  Are you really going to let me keep my job?”

Bob nodded, “There is one more condition.”

Marcie rolled her eyes then suddenly stiffened her back and gave her full attention, including her gaze, to Bob.  It seemed to him that she might want to keep her job bad enough to comply.

“I want you to get some counseling,” Bob said as he leaned forward.

Crinkling her nose, Marcie responded, “Why would I do that?  What do I need counseling for?”

Bob let out a short breath and tilted his head to the right.  In his heart, he wanted to do something more than just allow Marcie to keep her job.  He wanted to inspire her to change.

“I don’t know for sure why you would steal from your friends and co-workers, but I believe that you are basically a very good person, Marcie.  The way you talk about your kids, I can tell that you love them very much and try your best to take care of them.

“But something is causing you to make the bad choices you have made her.  Now, it isn’t my place to get into your personal business, but I do want to see you get help.  You are a great worker, the very best assembler that we have, and I don’t want to lose you.

“I promise you two things.  First, I will stand by you as long as I know that you are trying to do the right thing.  Second, I am going to insist that you get help because without that, I do not have confidence that you won’t start stealing again.”

“But, I can’t afford counseling,” Marcie shook her head, “You know that I am a single mother, the only income in my household.”

“I have already thought of that, Marcie,” Bob said with empathy, “The company’s employee assistance program normally pays for up to five counseling sessions.  The counseling can be family counseling, behavioral issues, or, even financial skills.”

Marcie appeared to be thinking over what Bob just shared.  She had slumped back in her chair and crossed her arms.  Her face seemed to portray consideration, but her body language implied defiance.

“There is one more thing, Marcie.”

She snapped her head back towards Bob as she tightened the grip her own arms held across her chest.

“As I just said, the program, which is completely anonymous, provides five free sessions.  I have already taken steps to see that you will receive up to ten sessions for free, no cost to you.  If that’s not enough, then we should talk and I will see what more I can do.”

Marcie’s arms dropped to her side.  Her mouth remained slightly open and her entire face appeared relaxed.  Slowly, she sat up and leaned toward Bob.

“Why would you do this for me?”

That conversation was a week ago.  Two days later, Marcie was caught, once again, stealing from the lockers.  This time, though, she was caught by a co-worker.  Bob now had limited options.  He could fire her, but instead, he chose to suspend her under the guise that he was investigating her actions since no one else knew about that he had already confronted her about this same behavior.

It was Thursday that he chose to suspend her and carried it out.  He wanted to see how she would react.  He hoped that she would show him some indication of remorse and that she would take him up on his previous offer.  It was clear to him that she needed help, but he needed to see that it was clear to her, too.

“I wonder if there is any hope with her?” Bob wondered.

“So, how do you think we should move forward with you?”

Evan’s voice brought Bob back to the present conversation.

“Should we begin preparing now for you to, well, no, that already sounds like a bad idea to me,” Evan sounded out his thoughts.

Bob grinned.

“I’m glad that you think you are going to get rid of me so easily.”

Evan returned the grin.

“Yeah, let the people of Hilliard have to deal with you.  After all, it was my decision to give you a job here.  It is only appropriate that they decide to give you a job there,” Evan nodded.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Evan pointed upward with his right forefinger.  “Your performance review is scheduled for sixty days from now.  Between you and me, I have heard that your boss likes you and wants to give you a raise,” Evan chuckled.  “How about we move that review up to this coming Monday?  I am putting it on my calendar right now for ten o’clock.”

“Why would you do that?” Bob asked through a smile.

“Here’s how I see it,” Evan leaned in. “If I push it up, we can give you that raise sooner.  If you get elected mayor, you can still make a few extra bucks here until you quit.  If you don’t get elected, then you still have a higher salary which can help soften the blow of being rejected by the good citizens of Hilliard.”

Bob nodded, “I think I like that idea.  I like it very much.”

“Then we will meet at ten o’clock on Monday,” Evan wrote it down on his calendar.

Bob was now sharing, on Monday morning, that he would not be into work and would need to reschedule the review.

“I don’t know why the President of the City Council is setting a meeting with me at this exact time.  I’m really sorry, Evan,” Bob said. “I just got off the phone with him and I really feel that I should keep this meeting with him.”

“Well, Bob, I really don’t like getting stood up.  I guess we can reschedule when you come into work,” Evan sounded resigned.

“Guess I might be losing you sooner than we both thought.”

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