bing a fixture (standard:other, 1383 words)
Author: deorah	Added: Sep 16 2002	Views/Reads: 3285/2202	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
a guy who seen as "no big loss" as he slowly slips into his own world where he "isn't a piece of furniture"

being dropped in the middle of things and expected to pick up the pieces
and make everything al-right was nothing new to Sam. People were always 
doing it to him. His boss, fellow employee, neighbors, family members. 
They'd take the credit if it turned out right or he'd take the fall if 
it didn't. Sam was actually getting real tired of doing it but every 
time he'd stand up and say no, someone somewhere would remind him of an 
embarrassing moment and he would lose his confidence and give in. Well, 
no more he thought, today is the day that this all changes as again 
another crises is dropped in his lap. Something really big as he was 
handed the huge envelope and was told that should he fail, it will cost 
him everything. You're right, he thought as he was plotting to himself  
as to how to go about ending this torture as he threw the folder in 
with the pile of others that supposibly needed fixing. Maybe I'll do it 
before you need it or maybe not. 

It was a few more days before Sam even got up the energy to even look at
the work on his desk. that pile was almost reaching to the antique desk 
lamp that his great uncle Walter had given him. Sam stared at it 
blankly, He couldn't even remember what he looked like any more. Uncle 
Walter was his favorite relative. Some how he always under stood just 
what he was going thru and had a comforting thought for him. Even when 
he died, Sam could still picture him and the way he would talk to him 
as if he hadn't gone away. Now that seemed gone. Had he abandoned him 
too. Trying to shake off the cobwebs, Sam stared at the pile of work 
again and sighed. No one even bothered to ask if anything might be 
wrong. Just here, plop. Even his assistant and secretary moved about 
him as if  he was part of the furniture, aware and not aware of his 
existence. Again they walk in and just drop the folders there. This 
went on five more times. Not even a hello or even a glance his way. 
Well, I'm not even going to bother today as he packed up to head home. 
Not that things were any better there. 

Sam took the long way home just to daydream of how his life might have
been different if he hadn't made some of the choices he had. Maybe if 
he hadn't married so soon or maybe not to Claudette. Oh she was a great 
wife and best friend thru-out the twenty-five years of married but 
maybe they had just become to use to each other. Or maybe he should 
have taken the promotion that was offered to him or even taken that job 
that he always wanted. I don't know, he thought, maybe it was 
everything or nothing. He just needed to find a way out. To change it 
some how. But where and how??  Finally, Sam pulled up in front of his 
how and Claudette was standing on the front lawn with the look of 
concern on her face. Unbeknownst to him, she had been noticing the 
changes in her husband but didn't say anything because she didn't know 
what to day. Or how to even approach him on it.  She ran up to him and 
gave him a great big hug which took Sam by surprises. “I called the 
office and was put on hold for fifteen minutes while they were 
supposible looking for you. I even hear some comment that they didn't 
even know if you came in or not much less that you left. Even someone  
stated oh well and not a loss if you couldn't be found. What kind of 
people do you work with?� “The kind that treat you like 
furniture� he commented as he walked away. A little taken back by 
that remark she hesitated on telling him why he was trying to reach 
him. Maybe later. This was one fire that he didn't really need to put 
out. 

Sam settled in his favorite chair in the darken den. he wasn't in the
mood to watch tv or read or anything. just stare. he stared into the 
dark emptiness of the room until sleep overtook him. And even the sleep 
was a restless on, taking too long to takehold. From the doorway, 
Claudette was watching him with great concern  This, what ever was 
going on was starting to get out of  hand. She remembered when Sam 
couldn't wait to get home from work and all the fun they use to have, 
going out and even staying home. It didn't matter how much work he had 
or that he brought a lot of it home, he managed to get away from it if 
no more than for a little while and relax. Even when the families would 
dump their problems on him, he still managed to ride it like the big 
hawaiian surfing waves that he use to love to do. There were a lot of 
things that he love to do. Sometimes just being outdoors was just 
enough. Now he would rather be in dark rooms to himself. Something was 
definitely wrong. 

Sam finally woke up after sleeping for what seemed like weeks. Actually,
it was more like three days. He was shocked that Claudette let him 
sleep for so long. And what about his job. He knew that that would go 


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