Paradigm Shift - 1. Chapter 1

Two problems; one, I hate time limits, and two, anywhere else in the world this advertising campaign might be an easy accomplishment for an eager novice like myself, however, in Africa things are a little different. The majority of the people live in rural areas without television or radio sets. I would have to come up with the impossible, a bit like painting the message in the sky, and I had little more than 48 hours in which to do it. As much as I wanted Roland to stay, as much as I craved his body and wanted to make 48 hour love to him, I couldn’t allow it this weekend. Distraction.

To make things worse, he was my boss. Well, that should make it all that much easier. He knows things. He has the experience. The imagination. The will to make things happen. I know. But there’s more to me than panic, or blurting out abrupt directives and hating time limits and loving my boss; I do things my way. Call it selfish, even foolish, but that’s the way I am.

‘Eric, I’m counting two days without you!’

Two days seemed an eternity without his unexpected laughter, his rough hands holding me, his piercing blue eyes and gelled spiky hair. But it had to be done.

‘You want us to get this account, right?’

‘The business depends on it. If you fail, we both fail and we’ll look like idiots.’

‘I won’t fail, Roland. You’ve seen some of the presentation and only had good words to say about it, but I have to deal with every aspect of the presentation and I don’t want you hanging around. I’ll see you Monday morning, eight sharp.’

‘What is it with you? Why don’t you want my help? We can work on this together?’

‘This is my account. My responsibility. All I want is to do this on my own.’

‘Well, I think you’re foolish and totally unreasonable. But okay, have it your way. If you need me I’m just a phone call away.’

He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. “Just be calm, confident and gutsy. Perhaps then we’ll have a chance of getting the account. If we succeed, we’re going on a long trip to...it’s a surprise, so don’t ask,’ he taunted.

XXX

Monday morning arrived quickly. I dressed in a light grey suit with a pastel yellow tie and leather belt. I shaved thin; applied a compelling spray of Hugo Boss and combed my long black hair into a ponytail. Just as I reached for my wallet and keys on the table in the front entrance, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and stopped dead.

The child stared at me through eyes swollen from crying; runny nose and grubby feet, toes curled into a grip on the step. Not much older than three. Barely out of crawling.

‘Hello, little one…what on earth brings you here? Where are your mom and dad?’

I looked around for an adult, but there wasn’t one in the vicinity of the house.

Strings of silver tears stained her dirty-brown cheeks. A thumb plugged her mouth. I could leave the child and dash to the car; another person with more time might make a logical decision. That would be a heartless thing to do.

I crouched beside her and softly said, in stilted Zulu, ‘Mena Eric, wena?’

The child smiled, ‘Rose.’ Sad eyes flashing.

“Rose, What am I going to do with you? This is the most important day of my life and I have no idea where or who your parents are. I could call the police, but that will mean my job because they take so long to respond.’

I did the next best thing; I took her hand, buckled her into the passenger’s seat of the Land Rover, and dialled Roland’s number on the car-phone.

‘I have an emergency on my hands, and I don’t know what to do.’

‘Please, don’t tell me you’re going to be late. Three of them are here drinking coffee. Where the hell are you?’

‘Don’t get ratty. I found a little lost girl on my doorstep this morning and I’m stumped here.’

‘You what? How did that happen?’

‘I haven’t got a clue.'

'Where are her parents?'

'Nowhere to be seen. I suppose I have to phone the police about this but what if they tell me to stay put? Roland, I don’t know what to do. I’ll have to bring her to work…’

‘You can’t bring her here, Eric! Who will look after her? I don’t want a screaming kid running amuck. Listen, you get rid of this kid and get here by eight. Get rid of the kid Eric, or …’

‘Or what, Roland?’

A deep whisper, ‘Consider this your last day.’

Roland’s absurd priorities didn’t include the child, obvious when he told me to get rid of her. His attitude proved that heartless human beings did exist. Laws protect children and "Get rid of her", sounded like a death knell.

Someone had rigged my morning.

Faced with a risky solution, a lost girl and a life-changing business presentation, I had to do what was best for both of us.

XXX

The boardroom doors were rosewood heavy. Rose held onto me and I put her into my chair.

Roland walked in, noticed the child in my chair and immediately called me to one side.

His face screwed up into something unrecognisable, ‘What is this, a kindergarten? Are you a nanny? How can you bring her in here? I told you to get rid of her.’

‘It’s easy for you to say, but I had to shuffle problematic priorities.’

‘We’ll talk about this later. Let’s get started.’

Destruction, annihilation, anger and hate came to mind as the presentation drawled on, convincing these heathens with every word, that our campaign was the best, it could easily have gone the other way. And then something happened. Call it a miracle. Call it fate or destiny or fatwa or something. I looked at the child and she smiled at me. That smile broke my heart. Instead of painting messages in the sky, I realised that the best way to convey our client’s message was to use children. I received a standing ovation.

XXX

The police waited patiently in the foyer with the child’s mother. She planted thick red lips on my cheek, thanking me for finding her little lost Rose.

A few moments later, Roland stormed in waving his arms in excitement.

‘You were marvellous. They loved every second of it. You’re the best!’ He reached for me, and I stepped back.

‘I’m happy you’re happy, Roland.’

I collected my briefcase and car keys from the table.

‘Where are you going?’

‘You’ve lost the right to ask me that question.’

‘Lost the right? What are you talking about?’

‘What I want in life doesn’t include people who abuse their moral worth. It doesn’t mean much to you, but that child has a soul and a heart. This was a crisis in her life, yours, and mine, and you failed. I loved you so much, Roland. I hoped we could have built on that and then today happened. You’re not the man I met, and you certainly aren’t the kind of boss I would like to work for, knowing that you could get rid of me at any time for any reason,like you told me to get rid of Rosa. I don’t know who you are.’

‘I’m your lover remember. We want to get married, remember.’

‘Not anymore.’

I picked up my keys and briefcase, headed for the door, and didn’t bother to look back. His face went from triumph to remorse and he called me back several times. At the elevator doors he stopped me and gripped my face, 'Please, Alex, don't do this to us. Please...I beg you.'

The lift doors opened and I stepped in, 'Perhaps in the next life.'

The doors closed and sweat washed my face. Tears washed the sweat. Roland had been my life for two good years. He had given me a roof over my head and had broUght food to the table.

Was it possible that he could be so heartless? That I could be so hard headed? I could turn back, approach him with my tail between my legs and say sorry. Lose face. Would it be worth the effort, only to find a couple of years down the line that he really was an asshole? Somewhere between the office and the house I stopped the car, climbed out and wailed like a baby.

It was one of those moments when the future seemed to be a romance movie gone wrong and I was the star. After a few moments I calmed down, knowing that this was the only way. No more hidden secrets of a dysfunctional personality. I really wanted out. The first thing to do would be to book into a hotel. That way he would never find me. I didn’t want to be found. The hope that had once been so strong, now dissipated and left me bereft of all feeling. He’d never hear from me again…

...Something in the back of my mind said, do you really want this?