FICTION | BLACK EXPERIENCE | OFFICE SPACE
Work Swallowed Her Whole, All Her Days
The Black History Month interview takes a turn as the woman speaks her truth.
“Your question transports me to that moment, Drew,” she says.
Windy Solutions Inc.’s company newsletter is interviewing her for the Black History Month feature.
Drew Sung asked Codah Reed about her first day of work. That morning, her pulse quickened, a rapid thud echoing in her ears as she ascended the stairs with cautious steps. Each heartbeat seemed to reverberate against the walls of her temples.
“I felt joy-filled. Joy was bursting out of me. I was proud of my accomplishments at North Carolina A&T University. Cum Laude, internships — my work and the HBCU positioned me to be recruited by many companies. I could sense this company recognizing not just an employee but a potential force.”
Her eyes were wide, sparkling with anticipation as she leaned forward, hands gesticulating. Every word spilled from her lips with an infectious energy, her voice rising and falling with each twist and turn of the tale. It was as if she couldn’t contain the excitement bubbling within her, her whole being alive with the story she was telling.
“Drew, I was someone with the technical prowess to navigate complex challenges. And in time, I developed the strategic acumen to plot successful courses for our firm. My work propelled the company toward its mission. From that first day, it was as if they saw me as a key player, a multifaceted asset. I was young and rearing to go! I believed that I was going to go far in Windy Solutions.”
“Your whole being still seems to reflect that joy, Codah. It’s not usual that a job brings out such positive emotions. Tell me, will you share another moment that stands out?”
“Just one? Drew, if you ask anyone, you’d know I’m full of stories.”
The audience laughs, making Codah’s head whip to her right. She had ventured so deep down memory lane that it seemed she was only now aware of the people in the auditorium.
Then, her eyes lock with the baby blue irises of John Morningside. Her neck, with its dark brown skin, hid an intense blush.
“Well, Drew,” she said, her voice quieter and icy, “Like life, work has good and bad days.”
Several people followed the trajectory of her stare.
John was perfectly still in his seat. His red neck was on full display, giving away the evidence that Codah’s look had impaled him.
Then, Codah blinked out of her trance and refocused on the eager young professional on the stage beside her.
“I remember an incident that left me ready to move on. It so incensed me.”
“Oh my goodness, tell us more.”
“Remember the ‘big move’ project? They hand-picked me, I gave two years of infectious positivity, endless creativity, many late nights, tireless effort, and actual tears… then they promoted someone else. ‘Limited positions,’ they said. Limited vision, more like.”
Three beats of silence, laden with astonishment, passed over everyone. All eyes were on Codah.
“Instead, I got money — a big fat raise, an oversized bonus, but no change in title and no official change in management scope.”
“Ouch, how did you process this?”
“Well, I loved the work and my people. So, I told myself that the recognition of my increased take-home pay was enough. And I told myself it was enough when I dined on the limp, excessively greasy pizza we could barely stomach as I celebrated each new year of service.”
Drew fidgeted with his notecards, a subtle tremor running through his hand. He swallowed hard, the silence in the auditorium amplifying the rustle of paper. An involuntary chuckle tickled his throat.
She looked at him with kind eyes, smiled, and said, “It’s been nine years since that first time. And there have been many more similar experiences. But, Drew, I am satisfied. Accepting money instead of power was my choice.”
Drew looked at her with a stunned expression. As a facilitator, he was in a professional nightmare. Codah’s responses surprised him. He was expecting a Black woman professional fairy tale. They selected her with the idea that she would and could deliver that believable fallacy to the other minorities in Windy Solutions. John assured Drew that Codah was a faithful lieutenant.
What did they say in the prep session? “Codah swallowed the company motto whole; she’s someone other Black employees want to be.”
But now, Codah grinned and scanned the hushed audience with a devilish look. The years of lateral moves, exceeds-exceeds on performance reports with no associated progression, being omitted from the succession plans, culminated in this moment.
At this juncture, her words and presence commanded the entire room's attention, leaving no doubt that she was the center of attention.
Her eyes landed again on John. He was one in a line of Johns and Janes she trained and watched ascend to ever-increasing spans of control.
She whispered into the mic, “Yes, my kids have all graduated with no college bills. I have paid off my home and my stock options — ”
Raising her voice, she said, “ — honey, this job has made me rich af.”
Whoops and cheers erupted from the auditorium.
In the end, Codah delivered. The Black employees caught dollar bills in their imagination. No one focused on John or the leader Codah could have been.
˗ˏˋ 📚 ☕︎ 🎧 ⚯ 💻 ˎˊ˗
Epilogue
John. Jane.
He was more financially well-endowed than Codah would ever be. She had the power to promote Codah but did not.
They now had the motivation and authority to spit out Codah Reed.
© Scarlet Ibis James, 2024: All Rights Reserved.
Thanks for reading the stand-alone scene above— part two of a trilogy examining the seductive yet dangerous consequences of losing oneself in relationships. This one is Worker. Read the others here: