diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'telemarketer.river')
-rw-r--r-- | telemarketer.river | 691 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 691 deletions
diff --git a/telemarketer.river b/telemarketer.river deleted file mode 100644 index bd3b6a5..0000000 --- a/telemarketer.river +++ /dev/null | |||
@@ -1,691 +0,0 @@ | |||
1 | it | ||
2 | was | ||
3 | one | ||
4 | of | ||
5 | those | ||
6 | nameless | ||
7 | gray | ||
8 | buildings | ||
9 | that | ||
10 | could | ||
11 | be | ||
12 | seen | ||
13 | from | ||
14 | the | ||
15 | street | ||
16 | only | ||
17 | if | ||
18 | larry | ||
19 | craned | ||
20 | his | ||
21 | neck | ||
22 | to | ||
23 | almost | ||
24 | vertical | ||
25 | he | ||
26 | never | ||
27 | had | ||
28 | of | ||
29 | course | ||
30 | having | ||
31 | heard | ||
32 | when | ||
33 | he | ||
34 | first | ||
35 | arrived | ||
36 | in | ||
37 | the | ||
38 | city | ||
39 | that | ||
40 | only | ||
41 | tourists | ||
42 | unaccustomed | ||
43 | to | ||
44 | tall | ||
45 | buildings | ||
46 | did | ||
47 | so | ||
48 | he'd | ||
49 | never | ||
50 | thought | ||
51 | about | ||
52 | it | ||
53 | until | ||
54 | he'd | ||
55 | heard | ||
56 | the | ||
57 | social | ||
58 | injunction | ||
59 | against | ||
60 | such | ||
61 | a | ||
62 | thing | ||
63 | it | ||
64 | was | ||
65 | now | ||
66 | one | ||
67 | of | ||
68 | the | ||
69 | things | ||
70 | he | ||
71 | thought | ||
72 | about | ||
73 | almost | ||
74 | every | ||
75 | day | ||
76 | as | ||
77 | he | ||
78 | rode | ||
79 | to | ||
80 | and | ||
81 | from | ||
82 | work | ||
83 | in | ||
84 | gritty | ||
85 | blue | ||
86 | buses | ||
87 | inside | ||
88 | the | ||
89 | building | ||
90 | the | ||
91 | constant | ||
92 | sound | ||
93 | of | ||
94 | recirculating | ||
95 | dry | ||
96 | air | ||
97 | made | ||
98 | larry | ||
99 | feel | ||
100 | as | ||
101 | though | ||
102 | he | ||
103 | were | ||
104 | at | ||
105 | some | ||
106 | beach | ||
107 | in | ||
108 | hell | ||
109 | listening | ||
110 | to | ||
111 | the | ||
112 | ocean | ||
113 | or | ||
114 | more | ||
115 | accurately | ||
116 | at | ||
117 | a | ||
118 | gift | ||
119 | shop | ||
120 | in | ||
121 | a | ||
122 | landlocked | ||
123 | state | ||
124 | in | ||
125 | hell | ||
126 | listening | ||
127 | to | ||
128 | the | ||
129 | ocean | ||
130 | as | ||
131 | represented | ||
132 | by | ||
133 | the | ||
134 | sound | ||
135 | a | ||
136 | conch | ||
137 | shell | ||
138 | makes | ||
139 | when | ||
140 | he | ||
141 | holds | ||
142 | it | ||
143 | up | ||
144 | to | ||
145 | his | ||
146 | ear | ||
147 | the | ||
148 | buzz | ||
149 | of | ||
150 | the | ||
151 | fluorescent | ||
152 | bulbs | ||
153 | overhead | ||
154 | sounded | ||
155 | like | ||
156 | the | ||
157 | hot | ||
158 | sun | ||
159 | bearing | ||
160 | down | ||
161 | all | ||
162 | day | ||
163 | in | ||
164 | this | ||
165 | metaphor | ||
166 | a | ||
167 | favorite | ||
168 | of | ||
169 | larry's | ||
170 | his | ||
171 | cubicle | ||
172 | was | ||
173 | made | ||
174 | of | ||
175 | that | ||
176 | cheap | ||
177 | grayish-blue | ||
178 | plywood | ||
179 | that | ||
180 | cubicles | ||
181 | are | ||
182 | made | ||
183 | of | ||
184 | inside | ||
185 | it | ||
186 | his | ||
187 | computer | ||
188 | sat | ||
189 | on | ||
190 | his | ||
191 | desk | ||
192 | as | ||
193 | larry | ||
194 | liked | ||
195 | to | ||
196 | think | ||
197 | an | ||
198 | eagle | ||
199 | perched | ||
200 | on | ||
201 | a | ||
202 | mountainous | ||
203 | crag | ||
204 | much | ||
205 | like | ||
206 | the | ||
207 | crag | ||
208 | that | ||
209 | was | ||
210 | his | ||
211 | desktop | ||
212 | wallpaper | ||
213 | the | ||
214 | walls | ||
215 | were | ||
216 | unadorned | ||
217 | except | ||
218 | for | ||
219 | a | ||
220 | few | ||
221 | tacked-up | ||
222 | papers | ||
223 | in | ||
224 | report | ||
225 | covers | ||
226 | explaining | ||
227 | his | ||
228 | script | ||
229 | when | ||
230 | larry | ||
231 | made | ||
232 | a | ||
233 | call | ||
234 | to | ||
235 | a | ||
236 | potential | ||
237 | customer | ||
238 | it | ||
239 | always | ||
240 | went | ||
241 | the | ||
242 | same | ||
243 | way | ||
244 | hi | ||
245 | mr/mrs | ||
246 | customer's | ||
247 | name | ||
248 | my | ||
249 | name | ||
250 | is | ||
251 | larry | ||
252 | and | ||
253 | i'm | ||
254 | with | ||
255 | client's | ||
256 | name | ||
257 | and | ||
258 | was | ||
259 | just | ||
260 | wondering | ||
261 | if | ||
262 | i | ||
263 | could | ||
264 | have | ||
265 | a | ||
266 | minute | ||
267 | of | ||
268 | your | ||
269 | time | ||
270 | oh | ||
271 | no | ||
272 | sir | ||
273 | i | ||
274 | do | ||
275 | not | ||
276 | want | ||
277 | whatever | ||
278 | it | ||
279 | is | ||
280 | you're | ||
281 | selling | ||
282 | customer | ||
283 | terminates | ||
284 | call | ||
285 | larry | ||
286 | had | ||
287 | only | ||
288 | ever | ||
289 | read | ||
290 | the | ||
291 | first | ||
292 | line | ||
293 | of | ||
294 | the | ||
295 | script | ||
296 | on | ||
297 | the | ||
298 | wall | ||
299 | sometimes | ||
300 | he | ||
301 | had | ||
302 | an | ||
303 | urge | ||
304 | to | ||
305 | read | ||
306 | more | ||
307 | of | ||
308 | it | ||
309 | to | ||
310 | be | ||
311 | ready | ||
312 | when | ||
313 | a | ||
314 | customer | ||
315 | expressed | ||
316 | interest | ||
317 | in | ||
318 | whatever | ||
319 | it | ||
320 | was | ||
321 | larry | ||
322 | was | ||
323 | selling | ||
324 | but | ||
325 | something | ||
326 | in | ||
327 | him | ||
328 | he | ||
329 | liked | ||
330 | to | ||
331 | think | ||
332 | it | ||
333 | was | ||
334 | an | ||
335 | actor's | ||
336 | intuition | ||
337 | that | ||
338 | told | ||
339 | him | ||
340 | it | ||
341 | was | ||
342 | best | ||
343 | to | ||
344 | improvise | ||
345 | though | ||
346 | he | ||
347 | worried | ||
348 | it | ||
349 | was | ||
350 | the | ||
351 | futility | ||
352 | of | ||
353 | it | ||
354 | kept | ||
355 | him | ||
356 | from | ||
357 | reading | ||
358 | further | ||
359 | into | ||
360 | the | ||
361 | script | ||
362 | so | ||
363 | when | ||
364 | jane | ||
365 | said | ||
366 | sure | ||
367 | i | ||
368 | have | ||
369 | nothing | ||
370 | better | ||
371 | to | ||
372 | do | ||
373 | he | ||
374 | was | ||
375 | thrown | ||
376 | completely | ||
377 | off | ||
378 | guard | ||
379 | um | ||
380 | alright | ||
381 | mrs | ||
382 | mrs | ||
383 | loring | ||
384 | i | ||
385 | was | ||
386 | wondering | ||
387 | it | ||
388 | is | ||
389 | ms | ||
390 | not | ||
391 | mrs | ||
392 | em | ||
393 | ess | ||
394 | miz | ||
395 | no | ||
396 | r | ||
397 | larry | ||
398 | she | ||
399 | sounded | ||
400 | patient | ||
401 | as | ||
402 | if | ||
403 | she | ||
404 | were | ||
405 | used | ||
406 | to | ||
407 | correcting | ||
408 | people | ||
409 | about | ||
410 | the | ||
411 | particulars | ||
412 | of | ||
413 | her | ||
414 | title | ||
415 | but | ||
416 | how | ||
417 | often | ||
418 | can | ||
419 | that | ||
420 | happen | ||
421 | larry | ||
422 | thought | ||
423 | and | ||
424 | he | ||
425 | was | ||
426 | suddenly | ||
427 | deeply | ||
428 | confused | ||
429 | oh | ||
430 | sorry | ||
431 | ma'am | ||
432 | uh | ||
433 | miz | ||
434 | loring | ||
435 | but | ||
436 | i | ||
437 | wanted | ||
438 | to | ||
439 | know | ||
440 | whether | ||
441 | you'd | ||
442 | like | ||
443 | to | ||
444 | ah | ||
445 | buy | ||
446 | some | ||
447 | larry | ||
448 | put | ||
449 | his | ||
450 | head | ||
451 | in | ||
452 | his | ||
453 | hand | ||
454 | and | ||
455 | started | ||
456 | twirling | ||
457 | his | ||
458 | hair | ||
459 | in | ||
460 | his | ||
461 | finger | ||
462 | a | ||
463 | nervous | ||
464 | habit | ||
465 | he'd | ||
466 | had | ||
467 | since | ||
468 | childhood | ||
469 | and | ||
470 | closed | ||
471 | his | ||
472 | eyes | ||
473 | tightly | ||
474 | why | ||
475 | do | ||
476 | not | ||
477 | you | ||
478 | have | ||
479 | anything | ||
480 | better | ||
481 | to | ||
482 | do | ||
483 | immediately | ||
484 | he | ||
485 | knew | ||
486 | it | ||
487 | was | ||
488 | the | ||
489 | wrong | ||
490 | question | ||
491 | even | ||
492 | before | ||
493 | the | ||
494 | silence | ||
495 | on | ||
496 | the | ||
497 | other | ||
498 | end | ||
499 | moved | ||
500 | past | ||
501 | impatience | ||
502 | and | ||
503 | into | ||
504 | stunned | ||
505 | larry | ||
506 | had | ||
507 | a | ||
508 | mini-drama | ||
509 | written | ||
510 | and | ||
511 | staged | ||
512 | within | ||
513 | his | ||
514 | mind | ||
515 | she | ||
516 | would | ||
517 | call | ||
518 | customer | ||
519 | service | ||
520 | and | ||
521 | complain | ||
522 | loudly | ||
523 | into | ||
524 | the | ||
525 | representative's | ||
526 | ear | ||
527 | the | ||
528 | rep | ||
529 | would | ||
530 | send | ||
531 | a | ||
532 | memo | ||
533 | to | ||
534 | the | ||
535 | head | ||
536 | of | ||
537 | telemarketing | ||
538 | requesting | ||
539 | disciplinary | ||
540 | action | ||
541 | and | ||
542 | the | ||
543 | head | ||
544 | would | ||
545 | delegate | ||
546 | the | ||
547 | action | ||
548 | to | ||
549 | larry's | ||
550 | immediate | ||
551 | supervisor | ||
552 | david | ||
553 | david | ||
554 | would | ||
555 | saunter | ||
556 | over | ||
557 | to | ||
558 | larry's | ||
559 | cubicle | ||
560 | sometime | ||
561 | within | ||
562 | the | ||
563 | next | ||
564 | week | ||
565 | depending | ||
566 | on | ||
567 | when | ||
568 | he | ||
569 | got | ||
570 | the | ||
571 | memo | ||
572 | and | ||
573 | when | ||
574 | he | ||
575 | felt | ||
576 | like | ||
577 | crossing | ||
578 | fifty | ||
579 | feet | ||
580 | of | ||
581 | office | ||
582 | space | ||
583 | and | ||
584 | have | ||
585 | one | ||
586 | of | ||
587 | what | ||
588 | david | ||
589 | liked | ||
590 | to | ||
591 | call | ||
592 | chats | ||
593 | but | ||
594 | what | ||
595 | larry | ||
596 | knew | ||
597 | were | ||
598 | lectures | ||
599 | after | ||
600 | about | ||
601 | half | ||
602 | an | ||
603 | hour | ||
604 | of | ||
605 | chatting | ||
606 | david | ||
607 | would | ||
608 | give | ||
609 | larry | ||
610 | a | ||
611 | warning | ||
612 | and | ||
613 | ask | ||
614 | him | ||
615 | to | ||
616 | come | ||
617 | in | ||
618 | for | ||
619 | overtime | ||
620 | to | ||
621 | make | ||
622 | up | ||
623 | for | ||
624 | the | ||
625 | discretion | ||
626 | and | ||
627 | walk | ||
628 | back | ||
629 | slowly | ||
630 | to | ||
631 | his | ||
632 | office | ||
633 | making | ||
634 | small | ||
635 | talk | ||
636 | with | ||
637 | the | ||
638 | cubicled | ||
639 | workers | ||
640 | on | ||
641 | the | ||
642 | way | ||
643 | the | ||
644 | world | ||
645 | suddenly | ||
646 | felt | ||
647 | too | ||
648 | small | ||
649 | for | ||
650 | larry | ||
651 | or | ||
652 | he | ||
653 | too | ||
654 | big | ||
655 | for | ||
656 | it | ||
657 | quietly | ||
658 | with | ||
659 | the | ||
660 | same | ||
661 | patience | ||
662 | but | ||
663 | with | ||
664 | a | ||
665 | bigger | ||
666 | pain | ||
667 | jane | ||
668 | said | ||
669 | my | ||
670 | husband | ||
671 | just | ||
672 | left | ||
673 | me | ||
674 | and | ||
675 | i | ||
676 | thought | ||
677 | you | ||
678 | could | ||
679 | take | ||
680 | my | ||
681 | mind | ||
682 | off | ||
683 | of | ||
684 | him | ||
685 | for | ||
686 | just | ||
687 | a | ||
688 | minute | ||
689 | and | ||
690 | hung | ||
691 | up | ||