Power Games

Getting into work early so I can do some more training, I sit in the workroom and read the procedures manual yet again so that I can get my head around things and prove that I give a shit about the job.

My phone rings and I see Adam’s number light up on my phone “Hey Adam, everything ok?” asking him as he seems a bit panicked in his breathing. “Where are you right now, have you left for work?” he says panicked. “Yeah, I’ve been here for about 20 minutes, working on my training books to get up to date” responding as I work through the safety books.

“What’s the matter because you seemed panicked about something, is there something going wrong at the house?” worried about Adam’s panic at the moment about me. “It’s nothing don’t worry, I was just wondering where you were that’s all,” he says clearly searching for an explanation on why he’s so panicked about it.

“Look, Adam, you wouldn’t be calling me for nothing because I told you and Danny that I was headed to work and clearly something is wrong,” I say getting frank with him “Whatever it is you can just tell me what it is and I can deal with it alright?”.

Adam sighs “It’s nothing alright, I was just overreacting I guess just this bad feeling you know, the sort when something doesn’t sit right with you in your gut” I nod understanding where he is coming from. “Absolutely I get it and whatever it is, I’ll be careful alright” I promise Adam as my boss walks in.

“Keppel, I need to see you now in the office,” he says walking straight in and straight out of the breakroom as I pick up my books and wander into his office and sit down “What’s the problem boss?”.

He sits down arms folded at the table “I don’t know if things are working out for you here at the moment”. I sit there looking confused “What do you mean? I know that there is some animosity between the others in the group and myself but I’m trying to ignore them and do my work and get my qualifications done so that I can get prove myself a lot more than I can right now”.

My boss sits there as he listens to me nodding “I understand Keppel, but at the same time I’ve heard from multiple sources that you are shutting people out and telling everyone that you don’t need their help and that you’re a safety risk doing things that put the whole of the crew at risk”.

Feeling confused and dejected, I sit there trying to come up with an answer “Well honestly, I don’t know what I have done that has put anyone at risk because I’ve only been doing the most basic of tasks and the ones that I’ve been assigned to do” I say feeling dejected because I’ve been trying so hard to prove myself to everyone.

My boss looks down at his paperwork and sees that I’ve been doing the online assessments that I need to get each ticket and complete all my training. “I can see you’re trying Keppel and appreciate that you have been trying but I don’t know whether it will work out, just not from your perspective but the other guys just don’t feel comfortable with you and I fear there will be an incident”.

I slump to the table, “I can’t have been fired surely because I barely got a chance to prove myself at anything and really it’s only been a week that I’ve been here and I’m already ahead of the online quizzes”. I stand up getting annoyed “Actually Isaac, I’m not firing you but we are going to transfer you to the office because we think that it might suit you better and lets you prove yourself and get away from the animosity”.

I sit there surprised “But why are you moving me?” I ask sitting there “I’ve been keeping watch and I just think that you are better suited to a role in our office,” he says sitting there “I can’t say that I don’t agree with them about being unsure about your presence here but I understand second chances well and I think everyone deserves one”.

Looking surprised, “Do I need to do anything right now?” I ask the boss “Nope, you just need to go home and be back here for your shift at 11 am Monday and meet with your new supervisor” I nod before picking up my stuff “What is the supervisor like?” I ask not sure who it is.

“Tough but fair and you’ll meet him tomorrow morning,” he says as we both walk out the door before he adds “Isaac, don’t waste this opportunity, ok?” I nod and leave for the exit as others in the team walk in.

“Been fired already pretty boy” they laugh as a whole guess that we don’t need to put this bottle of vodka in your locker then. I shrug and just leave them as one of them drops the bottle of Vodka and it smashes getting the attention of the supervisor.

“What was that?” he says as I wander down the hall, “Not sure, we were just having a chat with Isaac inviting him to come to play a round of Poker with us before the shift, and then suddenly the bottle of Vodka fell out of his Jacket and smashed on the ground”.

The night manager looks at me “My office Keppel…. NOW” he says as he glares at the group who walk off smiling and joking around with each other thinking that I’m definitely getting fired now.

“What the hell was that bottle of Vodka doing in your jacket? You should have known by now that any sort of alcohol in the mine is instant dismissal without explanation” he says as he reads the riot act to me. “You are only new here and I know about your back story and I’m not fucking impressed that you think you can be here for two seconds and break the rules,” he says raising his voice at me not letting me speak.

“You have zero respect for what these people put their lives through, we’ve lost men here and you walk in straight away and just think that you can get away with anything that you want bringing that vodka in, having a slosh of it, and then going down to the mine putting everyone and thing around you in danger,” he says still raising his voice.

“Can I get a fucking word in please Ian?” I say raising my voice at him as he rolls his eyes “Let me guess, you’re going to tell me that it was an accident that you didn’t know that it was going to fall out or that it was even in your jacket and those highly respected Men dropped it” he says sarcastically as he looks across at me with disdain.

“Talk to Michael, I was just in his office with him and I had my jacket when I was just with him and my jacket was sitting folded up on his desk and I’d only just left. Ian looking frustrated leaves his office and heads out, he’s gone for about 10-15 minutes and comes back “I went and spoke to the guys going up the hall and they’ve been here long enough to trust them and they said it fell straight out of your jacket and I believe them over you” I go to plead my case, “You’re fired Keppel and that’s that it’s over, take your stuff and leave”.

I sit there for a moment, “Did you even speak to Michael?” I say looking at Ian who rolls his eyes “Michael is only the shift team leader, I’m the one who makes decisions on getting the shit like you off the base our shoes is something that I take great delight in” he says smirking at me.

I pick up my procedures book and open it to the section of termination “Under 13.4.8 of the Practices and Procedure guidelines, any employee has the right to call upon any witness, support person, or other relevant parties to speak on their behalf prior to their employment being suspended or terminated” reading it out, Ian slaps his hand on the table and grits his teeth as I continue to read before he puts his hand out to stop me.

“You think those sorts of technicalities play in your favour Keppel, you don’t belong here or in this town, you should think about going back to where you came from you righteous piece of shit,” he says yelling at me getting in my face as I sit there calmly as he continues his tirade at me and then goes to take a swing at me.

Just as he takes a swing at me, the office door opens and Michael stands there looking over at me “I heard there was a problem going on with Isaac and I wanted to see what was going on for myself” he says as my heart sinks, now thinking that he was involved in this as well. “Nothing was going on, I was just not taking the attitude of this piece of shit,” Ian says as he looks at me and wants to take a swing.

Michael walks over to Ian “Now, what was this about Isaac and a bottle of Vodka?” Ian runs through the story adding in details that he hadn’t mentioned before about me being spotted drinking it and it falling out of my pocket.

Michael goes along with everything Ian says and my heart sinks now certain that he was in on the plan to get me fired tonight; I stand up “You know what” Michael gestures to me to sit down and be quiet for a moment as I look confused but go with it.

“So I assume you gave Isaac an alcohol test to confirm he had been drinking it and that you had seen it in his pocket breaking and not anybody else dropping it” Ian suddenly becomes rendered speechless “I have enough witnesses that saw it and that is all that we need for it” he rambles.

“The thing is Ian; I was with Isaac for the past twenty minutes and he had his jacket sitting on my desk and it was quite clear that there was no Vodka in his jacket and I knew that he wasn’t drinking because he was in the breakroom studying,” Michael says defending me from Ian as he goes and gets the breathalyser and tests me showing that it’s a negative reading.

“So Ian, what am I supposed to do now?” I say rather smugly towards him which makes Michael annoyed and he glares at me. Ian grits his teeth “Nothing for now, but be warned that I will come down on you so hard if I catch you doing anything remotely sinister” he leans back in his seat as I sit there “So I assume that whoever brought that bottle of Vodka into the mine would be fired right given that you quoted to me what countered as gross negligence” I say smirking walking out.

Michael and I walk out of the office before he shoves me against the wall “Was that the fucking smart thing to do taunting Ian like that?” he says getting really annoyed at me “The point is you need to get your head down and work hard because people like him are going to try and get you at every opportunity and I’m definitely not going to be your ally if you taunt them into taking further action” I nod as he lets me go “And being totally honest I don’t trust you or like you either so remember that”.

I wander back to my car and ring Adam who answers it a bit nervously “Everything ok Isaac?” he says as I talk to him on the phone “You knew about what was going to happen at the mine didn’t you?” I say bluntly, now struggling to know who I can trust and now sit there questioning Danny’s friendliness to me as well.

“I overheard a plan when I was in the Supermarket and I was worried that a group of guys were going to try and get you fired or in trouble and I was just concerned about you that’s all,” he says to me as I sit there “Ah ok, everything is fine other than I got transferred to a job in the afternoon shift that’s apparently more down my alley”.

Adam sighs relievedly “That’s good news, I was really worried about you and I’m glad that it’s ok”. I hang up the phone relieved that things might be working out here at the mine and I drive back home, looking forward to the weekend and the Barbecue on Saturday afternoon where hopefully things can work out for the best.