Magdalena: The Good News
Sunday morning Magdalena fixed herself a spinach-feta omelette and brewed some of her last supply of single estate Assam tea. She dined in a leisurely fashion over her brightly patterned blue and white tablecloth while she read the Saturday newspaper, which was cheaper and less time consuming than the Sunday paper. Eventually, when she felt sufficiently collected, she picked up the phone.
“Hello?” came the voice at the other end.
“Hello, Mom! It’s Magdalena!”
“Why, good morning, sweetie! It’s so good to hear your voice!”
“It’s good to talk to you too, Mom! How are you?”
“Well, I’m just fine. Everything’s fine. Your father’s burning the trash outside. How are you today?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Actually, I have news!”
“What is it?” Her mom sounded a little nervous, as if afraid Magdalena was about to announce the unveiling of her stegosaurus.
“I got a job, Mom!”
“Oh! Oh, that’s wonderful news! Your father and I have been pulling for you. You have so many talents, and we’ve just hated to see you get turned down. I don’t know what the world’s coming to today. Everyone’s out for themselves. People work at the same company until they’re 55, and then they’re let go so they don’t get their pension. It used to be that people stayed at the same company until they died, and now there’s no loyalty to employees. Your father and I are so lucky. Many of our friends aren’t so lucky. You know, when I went to look for work, a long time ago now, I went to one place, showed them my diploma, and they hired me. They didn’t interview me or talk to anybody about me; they didn’t ask me anything; they just hired me. Now you go to all these interviews, and you’re so smart and so talented, and I feel so bad for you! That’s just wonderful that you’ve been hired. I’m so glad for you. Your father will be so happy. Oh, but I do go on. What is your job, dear?”
“Don’t worry, Mom, that’s okay. I’m the facilitator at the snack bar at the new ski area on Mittelmont. I think I’m sort of in charge. The pay’s a lot better than at the library, and it’s full time. I’m really excited.”
“Oh, honey, that’s great. I hope they know how lucky they are to have you. Your father and I would like to see you start saving for retirement. This is a step in the right direction. We know you can do so much more than this, but it’s a foot in the door. That’s all you need.”
“Aw, thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. You be careful driving to and from Mittelmont. I don’t want to stand in your way, but you know it’s dangerous there, and if you work late, be sure to stay awake and watch for deer; don’t drive too fast at night...”
After assuring her mother of her never-ending vigilance, hearing tales of every visitor to her parents’ house in the past week and news of every acquaintance of these visitors as well, and eventually giving her own news to her father and dutifully taking note of a few stock recommendations, Magdalena hung up the phone, turned to her herbs, and said, “Feed me.” Then she remembered she’d just eaten an enormous breakfast, so she fixed herself a bowl of raspberry sorbet with a couple sprigs of fresh mint, wishing that just this once she had purchased double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream instead. Magdalena loved her parents more than anything else in the world, but for some reason their conversations often made her hungry.
“Hello?” came the voice at the other end.
“Hello, Mom! It’s Magdalena!”
“Why, good morning, sweetie! It’s so good to hear your voice!”
“It’s good to talk to you too, Mom! How are you?”
“Well, I’m just fine. Everything’s fine. Your father’s burning the trash outside. How are you today?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Actually, I have news!”
“What is it?” Her mom sounded a little nervous, as if afraid Magdalena was about to announce the unveiling of her stegosaurus.
“I got a job, Mom!”
“Oh! Oh, that’s wonderful news! Your father and I have been pulling for you. You have so many talents, and we’ve just hated to see you get turned down. I don’t know what the world’s coming to today. Everyone’s out for themselves. People work at the same company until they’re 55, and then they’re let go so they don’t get their pension. It used to be that people stayed at the same company until they died, and now there’s no loyalty to employees. Your father and I are so lucky. Many of our friends aren’t so lucky. You know, when I went to look for work, a long time ago now, I went to one place, showed them my diploma, and they hired me. They didn’t interview me or talk to anybody about me; they didn’t ask me anything; they just hired me. Now you go to all these interviews, and you’re so smart and so talented, and I feel so bad for you! That’s just wonderful that you’ve been hired. I’m so glad for you. Your father will be so happy. Oh, but I do go on. What is your job, dear?”
“Don’t worry, Mom, that’s okay. I’m the facilitator at the snack bar at the new ski area on Mittelmont. I think I’m sort of in charge. The pay’s a lot better than at the library, and it’s full time. I’m really excited.”
“Oh, honey, that’s great. I hope they know how lucky they are to have you. Your father and I would like to see you start saving for retirement. This is a step in the right direction. We know you can do so much more than this, but it’s a foot in the door. That’s all you need.”
“Aw, thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. You be careful driving to and from Mittelmont. I don’t want to stand in your way, but you know it’s dangerous there, and if you work late, be sure to stay awake and watch for deer; don’t drive too fast at night...”
After assuring her mother of her never-ending vigilance, hearing tales of every visitor to her parents’ house in the past week and news of every acquaintance of these visitors as well, and eventually giving her own news to her father and dutifully taking note of a few stock recommendations, Magdalena hung up the phone, turned to her herbs, and said, “Feed me.” Then she remembered she’d just eaten an enormous breakfast, so she fixed herself a bowl of raspberry sorbet with a couple sprigs of fresh mint, wishing that just this once she had purchased double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream instead. Magdalena loved her parents more than anything else in the world, but for some reason their conversations often made her hungry.
Labels: Magdalena
posted by Margo at 4:18 PM
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