The Reboot by Clodagh Murphy

Author:Clodagh Murphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781916265677
Publisher: Balally Books

17

‘Roly Punch?’

Jesus, keep your voice down. Roly cringed as a tall, angular woman with lank hair stepped out of her office and beckoned him inside. Thankfully no one paid any attention, and it was a relief to get away from the prying eyes of all the other deadbeats waiting around in the stale afternoon air of the social welfare office, waiting their turn with some bored civil servant behind a Plexiglas screen while a TV blinked silently in the corner.

It had turned out Ella was right, and he’d been summoned for a meeting with his case worker to discuss his employment prospects.

‘See, I told you!’ he’d said to Ella when he’d shown her the letter. ‘I’ve got a case worker, like some … young offender!’

‘You’re too old to be a young offender.’

‘Very funny.’

He’d already had to attend an information meeting about training courses and back-to-work schemes, and now he was going to have to explain himself to this woman who was ushering him into her office. Still, he supposed it was a small price to pay for getting his cash every week.

‘Hello, I’m Geraldine.’ She shook his hand, then waved him to a seat on the other side of her desk.

He reckoned Geraldine was around the same age as him. It was strange how much people’s lives diverged once you grew up, he thought. When you were kids, everyone did pretty much the same stuff – going to school, playing with your friends, doing homework. Then you became adults, and some people became pop stars and went on world tours while others ended up in places like this, sitting at a desk in a dingy government office under fizzing fluorescent strip lighting day in, day out. It was sad how some people’s lives turned out.

‘So, how are you getting on?’

‘Fine, thanks, Geraldine. How are you?’

She seemed taken aback by the pleasantry. Most of her customers mustn’t be as polite and friendly as he was.

‘I’m grand, thanks, Roly. But I meant the job search. How’s that going?’ She tapped a manila folder in front of her. He saw his name written on it in Sharpie.

‘Oh, the Jobseeker’s? That’s working out great!’ He gave her a reassuring smile. ‘I’ve been going to the post office every week and they hand over the cash, no problem. They’re really nice about it, in fact. I’ve had no trouble from them at all.’

‘Right.’ Geraldine looked confused. ‘Well, I’m glad you’re getting your payments. But I meant your actual job search. How are you getting on with that? Any interviews?’

‘Oh, um … no. No interviews as such.’ Shit! So she thought he was actually looking for work. He’d thought the ‘actively seeking employment’ thing was just a wink-wink box-ticking exercise. So he’d been right all along. He was a welfare cheat. Thanks a bunch, Ella.

‘No leads at all?’

‘Well … I was offered Celebrity Cell Block this year.’ He felt had to give her something.

‘And you didn’t take it?’

No, Geraldine, he thought. Because here I am before

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