ENIGMA

What I'll do Tomorrow

I was at work tonight, and got a message from my boss. Not my Trivia boss, though I do have to message him while I host trivia, just to give head counts and stuff. But, from my boss at my new job, my job as a film editor.

I landed this gig on a whim, I’d been working on a video based on a statement from MIRI, when I got an email from a guy (Karl) I’d had a job interview with years ago. My mind has always kinda wandered back to that interview, the person I was at the time; and why, after what I thought was a good interview, I didn’t get the job.

Because of all the editing I was doing, I’d actually been mulling this interview the day before I got the email. In his message, Karl mentioned he too, often thought about that interview; and that he’d like me to come in for another, at a larger company this time. Or, as he called it ‘come in for a chat’, because I think in his mind, he had basically already hired me.

We sat down for coffee. Karl, who I thought had lost all of his hair at a young age, now had a full head of hair. It had not occurred to me all those years ago, that his baldness was a choice. He wore a black sweater, with neon green faces sewn in a pattern all over it. And he finally answered the question that had lingered in my mind, all these years. “It was basically a coin toss, between you and another girl. But really, you dodged a bullet. [Company name] started getting fewer and fewer clients after we hired her, and we had to shut down six months later.”

It was nice to know, to have that closure. By the end of the coffee, I had a new job.

I’ve been enjoying my hours at this job. Editing films for 8 hours straight, working in a place that feels very San Francisco, free food and all (no Soylent though). It’s the type of job that you go to when you’re called, not a consistent thing. This is perfect for me, and it’s why Karl messaged me tonight, he has a job for me tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a big day, because after I’ve done the edit, I need to be at the Museum by 5pm.

I will wake up at 7am, and shower, I’ll wash my hair in a specific way that I hope will make it stay kinda poufy and fuzzy all day, because I’ll be seeing someone I have a crush on at the Museum, and I constantly want to impress them. I’ll be out of the house by 8:30, and park at the opposite side of the city from my job, this way I won’t have to pay for parking. But, I’ll only have a very tight amount of time to get to work. This wouldn’t be a problem for a normal person, but I have to pee, often.

I’ll have to make my way to the tram, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have enough time to stop at a gas station and collect some energy drinks. Once I’m on the tram, I’ll read for a few minutes, then get off at the university. I’ve got a card that’ll let me in, but if I walk in confidently enough, they’ll ask no questions anyway. At the university, I’ll pee, then run back out, to catch the next tram. I’ll arrive at work around 9:30. This whole thing will also count as my morning workout, since my backpack is loaded with weights.

At work, I’ll pee, then head to my editing studio, and get briefed on the day’s task. I’ll probably work on it till around 1:30, when my body will force me to take a break. I’ll have grocery store sushi for lunch, go back to work, finish at 4:15-ish, then start walking to the museum. I’ll have packed deodorant just in case I get sweaty.

At the museum, I’ll pee, then I’ll be given new clothes by my third boss, who will be stressed, because it will be show day, and the audience will be there in an hour, and ‘OH MY GOD keltan THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! HERE IS A WALKIE TALKIE, RADIO ME IF SOMEONE DIES!’ I may at this time, glance at my crush. But they will be busy too, and I won’t want to distract them, and they still won’t have a crush on me, and it just wouldn’t work, so why would I even think about this, and then the audience will arrive.

They will be delighted by independent artworks, created by young performers and artists. And I will stand near the bar, and make sure no one dies, or drinks a beer when they are 17. At 9:30 the show will end, and depending on how long it takes to pack down, maybe I’ll get invited out for drinks, but I doubt it. Maybe I see my crush, and talk to them for 1 minute, before we have to get back to packing down.

I guess I’ll head home around 11, and get home 30 minutes later. The car ride will be kinda sad for me. The day will be over, and so too my fun, and my work. I won’t have really gotten to talk to my crush, and I’ll overthink whatever I say to them. I will probably be too selfish in our conversation, and talk too much about myself. I will ruminate on the editing I did, and consider the fact that I am terrible, and the worst film editor in the world, and tricking Karl into thinking I’m good.

I will get home, and I will collapse into the arms of Isabella. And of all the wonders, and highs, and Dexamphetamine induced peaks and troughs of the day, the feeling of holding her, will likely be the most intense sensation I will experience tomorrow.

I look forward to it.