The Tribulations of Jacob Penn

Part 1

Every day began the same. He would wake up at 5am. Make himself a small breakfast, and eat while sitting on his lumpy orange sofa. Afterwards, he would shower and catch the 7am bus to work. Jacob worked at large accountancy firm, called Whitaker Global. They handled audits and offered corporate finance and legal services for large firms. Once he arrived, he pushed through set of glass revolving doors, which led to a large front lobby.  Jacob greeted a security guard sitting at the front his desk as he made his way to the elevator. Jacob rode the elevator  up to the sixth floor. It stopped ever so often to let people on. His floor was responsible for auditing and tax consulting. As he stepped from the elevator he glanced over the room. Bright fluorescent light illuminated the large white and sky blue painted room.  

Each worker had their own short gray four-wall cubical. They were aligned perpendicular forming large squares. Though he was early, his collared shirt and tie wearing co-workers were in the midst of activity. Since he was on the low end of the office hierarchy, he got stuck with most of the grunt work. His co-workers would pile obscene amounts of paperwork on his desk for him to file.

Jacob hated Mondays, since corporations never sleep; paper work get stock piled over the weekend.  Once he sat at his desk the file folders came without end. It seemed that once he was able to see his desk top it would spontaneously spawn more files. He would work tirelessly to trim those down as much as humanly possible before lunch. David Whitaker, his boss, was a short rotund man with glasses and a receding hairline. He had a habit of personally checking on Jacob’s progress. 

 David tip-toed his stubby body over Jacob’s short cubical wall. “You know you would get more work done if you didn’t socialize, Jackey boy.”  

Jacob peered through the stack of papers, “Yes sir, Mr. Whitaker. I’m on it.”

As his boss walked away, Jacob shook his head. “Socialize don’t he see all the shit on my desk?” he thought himself. “And stop calling me Jackey, dammit!” 

The day dragged on, his co-workers piled more files on his desk for him to languish through.  Late nights were regular for him but he didn’t mind, because afterwards he would head to Vanessa’s bar for drinks. After he filed the last of the papers, he took the elevator down to the first floor. He gave a nod to the late night security guard and exited the building.  Vanessa’s bar was within walking distance from his job. 

The night was cool, and the sky was clear. A brilliant full moon seemed to follow him as it sat poised against its starry backdrop. Al Lee’s End, resided in relatively safe part of town. The streets were quiet traffic was nil. The city had its share of crime, but nothing to major ever happened. As he rounded the corner, the bars red neon sign flashed: Open. As he entered the last of his fellow co-workers were leaving. A jukebox played Numb by Gary Clark Jr. Its bass filled rifts streams through the bar’s smoke filled atmosphere. Nearing the end of its 3am nightlife only a faithful few barflies remained.

Jacob sat at his designated bar-stool, “Hit me, Vanessa.” 

Vanessa glared at me, “Its Monday Jacob.”

Jacob loosened his tie, “Come on ‘Nessa not after the day, I had.”  

Vanessa reluctantly poured him a shot of whiskey, “You need to find another job. It’s not healthy, Jacob.”  

The jukebox flowed seamlessly into the next song Aquemi by Outkast.                              

Jacob pounded the shot. “I know,” he said while gesturing for another shot. “I’m just trying to save up enough cash, you know.”