Depth of Field by Kirsty Iltners

Author:Kirsty Iltners
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UWA Publishing

Can opener.

Photo frames.

Candles.

Plants.

A jacket.

A driver’s licence.

A car.

Flowers or vegetable seeds.

A pet.

Beach toys.

A sense of direction.

Mobile data.

Lime cordial.

f/8.0

MONDAY MORNING CAN’T come quick enough, and even though I call as soon as the office opens it still takes ten minutes of proving my identity and nearly two hours of listening to the maddening hold music—again—for a three-minute conversation about why my payments have been cut off. It’s because of playgroup. I went. But I didn’t report back that I’d been.

‘It’s an obligation,’ the man’s voice on the line says. ‘And you need to show compliance.’

‘But I told you already: I went to playgroup.’

‘You say that, but you didn’t report your attendance on the app. Reporting attendance is part of the requirements.’

Apps require data. Data requires money.

‘I don’t have the app.’

‘Well, you can always log into your account on your computer.’

‘I don’t have a computer.’

‘Or you can come into our office, or you can call us, like you are doing now, and report over the phone.’

His voice is upbeat and tinny; it oozes a kind of fake nice. A perfect call-centre voice, lacking in human emotion.

‘So can I report it now, to you?’

‘You need to comply with your obligations,’ he repeats, sounding like a disappointed parent. ‘So we’ll need to check you went to the playgroup, as you say.’

I imagine him to have overly whitened teeth. A weak jawline he’s always been self-conscious about. He was bullied at school, I’m sure of it. This job gives him some of that power back and he wields it like a sword.

‘How long will that take?’ My eyes burn, and I struggle to keep my voice steady.

‘We’ll try to get in touch with the playgroup coordinator in the next few days.’

‘But.’ All the strength in my voice crumbles away, like a sandcastle being stepped on. You can build it as big and imposing as you want, but in the end it’s only temporary. ‘We don’t have any money for food.’

‘The expectations would have been laid out for you at the intake meeting. Once I’ve confirmed your attendance at playgroup, you’ll be paid, but next time I urge you to download the app and report your attendance straight away to avoid accruing demerit points.’

‘Demerit points? For not going to a playgroup?’

‘So, you didn’t attend?’

‘No, I did! But—’

‘I’m going to need you to calm down,’ he says firmly. ‘Abuse of staff is not tolerated.’

Down the line, I hear the smirk in his voice. He can tell the difference between abuse and distress, but he’s at the top of this particular hierarchy. And I am powerless.

I imagine all the girls in high school who rejected him for more popular boys. I wonder if when he talks to me, he imagines their faces, forlorn and desperate. Look at me now, bitches.

‘Is there anything else I can help you with today?’

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