What Really Drives An Office To Work

I have suffered a few setbacks lately and I need to work a few jobs to get by. One of them is as a night cleaner in a downtown office. I usually finish my cleaning duties around 4 AM and I sit in the lobby waiting for my bus to my next job. The bus comes by around 6 AM so I have time to do some schoolwork in the lobby during that time.

The office I clean must be going through some crunch time for a project or something, as I notice some of them start coming in at 5 AM, coffee in hand, ready to start a long day. This goes on for a few weeks until one of them approaches me.

Office Manager: “Hi, my name is [Name], and I’m the office manager. You’re [My Name], the cleaner, right?”

Me: “That’s right.”

Office Manager: “I see your signatures on the cleaning sheets every day but this is the first time we’ve met!”

Me: “Yeah… hi.”

Office Manager: “A few of us have noticed since we started coming in early, you’re always here working in the lobby. Why is that?”

Me: “Oh, yeah, well the bus stop is right outside the building, but the first bus isn’t until 6 AM. I finish at 4 AM, so I just wait here doing my schoolwork.”

Office Manager: “I see. You don’t have a car?”

Me: “Can’t afford one.”

Office Manager: “I see, yes that was a stupid question. Well, I won’t take up any more of your time! Thanks for always keeping the office so spotless!”

Me: “No problem; it’s my job!”

I think nothing more of it and go back to my schoolwork. The next week the office manager comes up to me again as I work in the lobby.

Office Manager: “Hi, there [My Name]! Still working hard, I see.”

Me: “Yeah, we have a test coming up!”

Office Manager: “How much easier would your routine be if you could drive yourself?”

Me: “It would be a lot easier, but I’ve managed for a while with the buses now so it’s not too bad.”

Office Manager: “Would you like a car?”

Me: “Would I… what?”

Office Manager: “My oldest just started at college and left their car in my driveway. They don’t need it and I don’t want it. Would you like it?”

Me: “I… I can’t just take a car!”

Office Manager: “Why not?”

Me: “Because… it’s a car!”

Office Manager: “Ha! Don’t worry, it’s not a Ferrari. But it’s in good spec, and it’s recently been serviced. I’ll be in my office tomorrow extra early and you can come see me when you finish your shift and we can do the paperwork.”

Me: “But… but I…”

Office Manager: “See you, [My Name]!”

I was left so shocked I couldn’t revise my schoolwork at all. True to his word, the next day he was in his office at 4 AM as I was finishing up. He explained the paperwork to me and took me down to the parking lot to show me my car. It was an older model, but clean and ran like a dream.

I worked that cleaning job for one more year until I was able to get an office assistant job. I eventually graduated and it is twenty years later and I run my own office myself!

Annoyingly, our office cleaning staff already have cars, but I am going to include them in the yearly bonus scheme because we couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t have a clean office to do it in.

Several services and an engine replacement later, my teenage son now drives that old car to college.