Chapter Text
Karen stretched up onto her tip-toes, trying to reach the box of staple refills on the top shelf of the supply closet. “Any day now, Karen” an exasperated voice snapped. Ah, Guillermo. The latest in a long line of coworkers passing her over on their way into a management position at Lawrence Financial Services. Karen held in the snide remark poised behind her lips, and stretched further to try to reach the staples. She had come in here for a correction pen, but Guillermo had barged in moments later, demanding she get the staple refill for him.
“The meeting starts in 5 minutes Karen, and I have to get these reports ready and I need to staple them!” the pudgy manager huffed.
Should have refilled your fucking stapler yourself then, huh big guy? Karen fumed to herself.
“Jesus Christ, Karen, I don’t have time for this”, grumbled Guillermo. “Get out of the way!” Shoving Karen roughly aside, Guillermo reached up onto the shelf, knocking over boxes of paper clips and rubber bands onto the floor of the supply closet, ripped open the box of staples and grabbed a refill, and lobbed the box back on the top shelf. “And clean that crap up!” as he stormed towards his meeting, staples and reports clutched tight in his hands.
Karen sighed. “Old and in the way, that’s me” she muttered as she straightened up the mess, and went back to her desk.
That’s basically what her ex-husband Stuart had told her on his way out the door. “Neither of us are getting any younger, Karen. And Shaneecy said you’re in the way of my happiness and should just move aside. Don’t you want me to be happy?”
At that point, Karen had just wanted him gone, happy or not. Two years of dating and four years of marriage, and then one day Stuart had come home and announced he had met Shaneecy, (Shaneecy? Seriously? What the hell kind of name is Shaneecy?) at the bank, where the young teller had caught his eye. Caught a look at his bank statements, more likely Karen thought, uncharitably. Stuart was convinced he was in love with her, and now Karen was being pushed aside for Stuart and his scheming little interloper. In retrospect, Shaneecy had probably done her a favor by revealing Stuart as the cheating and weak-willed snake in the grass that he was. With the divorce finalized two weeks ago, and most of her things moved from their small but comfortable home she had shared with Stuart into the small, cramped apartment that was all she could afford on her single income, that knowledge was cold comfort at best.
She looked down at the Kansas University financial courses that she kept taking out of her desk drawer and looking at now and again. It seemed like a big step, and she didn’t want to take on any student loans just yet, but maybe she could start a CPA program, earn her degree and start to work for herself doing books for small businesses in the area. There were lots of scholarships for kids, maybe there were some for 30-somethings. As the clock moved towards 5pm, she put the brochure back into her desk and got ready to leave for the day. Taking her purse from under her desk, she moved towards the elevator, but just as she was about to step on, Todd came up behind her with a cart loaded with boxes.
“Ooh can I grab that elevator, Karen? I just need to get these up to the 4th floor before I leave tonight” he begged.
Karen sighed internally, but turned a smile towards Todd. “Sure thing, in you go.” Karen held the doors open for him as he wheeled the cart in. “Thanks hon…you’re the best!” Todd called back out through the doors as they slid closed.
As she made her way towards the stairs, Karen couldn’t help but think that her life was just a series of being asked to move aside for others. Move aside for your coworkers to move forward. Move aside for Stuart’s happiness. Move aside from her home to a miniscule apartment. Karen had always thought of herself as being a relatively patient person, but even her patience was wearing thin at this point.