Page 58 of Confessions of a Carpool Captive
We pull next to the car accident and come to a complete stop. Four people are standing next to two cars. There’s barely a dent in the bumper.
Kel’s door flies open and he jumps out.
“Oh hell!” Emerson shouts.
“Really?” he screams to the people on the road. “You held us up in traffic for a damn scratch on your bumper? What’s wrong with you people?”
His hands fly in the air as he speaks. The people on the road appear frightened.
“Which one of you caused this? I’m going to be late for work because of this!”
Finn rushes to unbuckle his seat belt as Ernesto slides out of the car. We watch in horror and surprise as he slides an arm around Kel’s shoulder. Kel turns defensively and stops when he sees Ernesto smiling at him. He does a double take and Ernesto pulls him gently back to the car, never saying a word.
Kel slides in next to Emerson, and Ernesto takes his place by the window.
Kel’s face is ashen and he bends down to cover his eyes with his hands.
Finn rebuckles his seat belt and waves apologetically to the people as we pass them.
No one speaks for what seems like an eternity and then suddenly, Kel opens his mouth. “Road rage. I lost my license because of road rage.”
“You?” Emerson asks. “Say it isn’t so? You’re so soft spoken and cuddly, like a little kitty.”
My eyes widen in fear as I turn to see Kel’s fury. He glances over to Emerson, who has her paws in the air and his furrowed brows lift. A slow smile spreads over his face and he laughs. “It’s obviously a mistake.”
He fidgets in his seat. “I’ve been doing these online seminars. I thought they were working until today. I’m sorry I lost it. I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I’m just stressed. This management stuff has me in knots. I want it and all, but I don’t know how to manage myself, much less anyone else.”
“You just take one step at a time,” Emerson responds, pawing his arm like a cat. “You’re going to have to get a grip. You’ll get fired if you lose it like that at work. Management requires an even temper.”
“Oh yeah? And how would you know? You drive a golf cart. Whoop-dee-do.”
“For your information, someone put in a good word for me and my supervisor gave me more responsibility. I’ve been doing the scheduling for the last week. I have four other drivers under me, thank you. It’s not as easy as it sounds. So shut it, Kel. You don’t know everything.”
“Good for you, Em,” Finn adds with a smile. “That’s fantastic news.”
“Yeah, my boss even wants to send me to some weekend management training Seamore is holding after the first of the year,” Emerson adds proudly.
“Not the one in Lake Tahoe?” Kel asks.
“Yeah, why?”
“Shit. They’re sending me too.”
Emerson smiles, surprisingly.
“That’s great you guys! I guess I’ll see you there,” Finn adds with a grin.
Turning to face him, I feel slightly jealous.
“Wait, you’re getting management training too?” Kel asks, leaning forward in his seat.
Finn laughs. “No, I’m doing a training session on marketing practices.”
“Oh. Yeah right. Of course you are,” Kel says knowingly, sliding back. “You don’t seem like management material.”
I shake my head and glance over at Finn. He smiles and nods his head in agreement. Kel doesn’t have a clue about Finn. He’s already practically managing the whole department, from what I hear.
The three of them in training for a whole weekend does something to my stomach. I have an odd sense of sadness and longing. Whatever’s going on with me, I don’t like it one bit.
