Sometimes, the beginning of the next big journey in your life comes earlier than you expect it.
Mrs. Magdalena Milano Thornton, widow, and secretary to the commissioner of the embattled police department in Big Loft, VA, had been near-missed in an accident that had destroyed her car.
This had been just how she had become a widow – she had been in the car with her husband and child, but had forgotten something in the house and had needed to go back.
The sickening crunch near her was exactly the same.
In both cases, she had gotten off with no more than a scratch.
This second time, she recognized: the car was empty, and she had lost nothing, notwithstanding the terrible flashbacks and the need to go back to therapy for a little while.
Or at least, so she thought.
Her job had been under fire at work – not because of her own stellar performance, but because of who had brought her in: the infamously corrupt Commissioner Orton Thomas felt he was so important that he needed three non-officer secretaries. All those positions had to be closed out by the end of 2020 – before the end, actually, as the department was trying to get prepared to settle a crush of lawsuits.
Mrs. Thornton thought she was going out by the first Monday in December 2019. But then honest Commissioner Scott had given her two days off owing to her accident – and Human Resources, seeing that Officer Gordon Brandt had stepped in and was doing a competent job on the last Friday in October, pounced …
On the evening of the first Monday in November, Mrs. Thornton got the call from a very sad Commissioner Scott.
“Mrs. Thornton, I am so sorry … Officer Brandt stepped up and and HR acted swiftly. What has happened is that the pace for settling these lawsuits has quickened and the department needs to show it has made basic reforms in November – so, your position has been closed out, effective today. You will be paid for the next two weeks as severance for your layoff, but because your position is not covered by the police union, there was nothing more I could do as chief or commissioner.”
“What?”
All the thoughts went through Mrs. Thornton's mind – this wasn't fair, she was prepared for one thing but not the other – this was retaliation both against the commissioner and her for their honest stand in the midst of getting through the corruption – the department could expect another lawsuit … .
But then, peace, like the soft melody of a distant flute, stole through all the confusion in Mrs. Thornton's mind, and quieted it. This was not how she had expected certain prayers to be answered, but...
“Thank you for calling to tell me, Commissioner. I'll be in to clean out my desk in the morning.”
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Great chapter to your ever expanding masterpiece @deeanndmathews, and nice turn with the flute, the prompts have a life of their own sometimes, making the story go through turns and twists, keep up your great work, it's awesome.
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