On a cloudless day I swept into the crisp, cool reception area of the Cairns Plaza Hotel for my much anticipated interview. I'd not managed to find the place for a good ten minutes as one unfamiliar street turned into the next. Much to my distress, no one seemed to know where the Cairns Plaza Hotel was.
Flustered as I was, I'd made it and I was greeted by a well spoken man of perhaps 60 and waited nervously in the foyer. It was a blessed wait on the comfortable couch with the cool air conditioner fanning my reddened face. I was praying I would return to my normal colour and the sweat beads would evaporate before I was scrutinised by my potential employer. I gazed around the area hungrily, taking everything in. This could be my break. This could be what we need - a steady job with a steady income, walking distance to town and a cool, quiet and personal environment. A wall of brochures showed a never ending amount of activities which I would have to familiarise myself with. Posters hung showing obvious attractions of Cairns and people answered phones with a sense of responsibility.
Hell, we live in a tent, I thought to myself. We've been in Cairns nearly a month and still we dwell in canvas next to drunken backpackers and retirees. No one will give us a house unless we had a steady income and no one would give us a job unless we had a permanent residence. Slowly and surely, we'd got sick of packing our life awake every time needed to go somewhere. No longer did we want to receive cheeky grins after we'd made love. No longer did we want to wake in the pouring rain and worry about our wet mattress. No longer did we want to line up to cook our two-minute noodles - no longer did what want to eat two minute noodles…
…with the success of this next 15 minutes, in my perfect image, all of these things would be fixed.
Abruptly, my thoughts were shattered when a tall slim woman with bad-hair stormed through the back office door and walked from behind the front desk into the foyer. With such authority displayed in her forthcoming open hand, I looked up into her stern eyes and returned polite greetings. Her hands were slender, pale and soft with perfect fingernails; her grip was firm but not intimidating.
You must be Carly? I'm Lynda!
Her voice was surprisingly childish and her manner almost too bubbly. I was surprised to a noticeable nose piercing and bold black pendant hanging from her neck on a coarse back cord.
Needless to say the interview must have went well because later than day while sitting on a wooden bench drinking coffee, my phone rang. Lynda's voice came down the line excitedly as she offered me the. I phones Steve straight away, his please voice made me glow inside. Indeed the hours were terrible and the pay even worse but it was a full-time job and maybe, just maybe someone will let us sign a lease!
*****
Four months have passed since that day and i sit on the opposite side of that front office desk. I peer around at my surrounding - I've got plenty of time - and wonder what is worse, not having a job or hating going to work. Someone did sign us up for a place, we've been in out little unit three and a half months now and have developed a normal domestic lifestyle with some exciting adventures thrown in. Unfortunately, Steve has to work away, back in Darwin coincidently and I have spent a lot of time alone.
Today I entered the same reception area but its drab and dark atmosphere is contrary to the hope it held for us.As I lazily gaze outside from my dreary reception desk, the same desk that seemed so fresh and interesting on that first day, my eyes are shining with the brightness of the day. Once again, it's beautiful - clear sky have blessed the morning and the beckoning boats slice the glistening ocean. Longingly my heart aches to be away - away from the dingy room and atmosphere that I call my workplace. I peer beyond the freshly cleaned glass and envy the lovers strolling by - enjoying this morning adorned with virtue. I envy the flowers bobbing in the slight breeze, enjoying the last relief of the early morning. An elderly couple walk hand in hand up the uneven footpath, returning from their morning exercise. The automatic doors open abruptly for them and warm air meets my face as they re-enter the artificial cold.
"Good morning!" they say enthusiastically, their pink faces beaming with good health.
Reminding me I'm inside, the doors slide shut with a clunk, leaving me with a brief scent of a fresh morning.
What is it I should be doing? What is my place? What exciting, fulfilling and satisfying activities are there that I should be doing?
Unexpectedly, my thoughts are interrupted by the harsh ring of the phone.
"Good Morning Cairns Plaza Hotel, this is Carly."
I just wanted to comment because you said comments please:)
ReplyDeleteThirst for adventure is so draining sometimes!