The loving conversation he'd had at breakfast was overmatched by the hive of chaos he encountered when he arrived at the metal fabrication plant. A tumbled stack of 20-foot-long, quarter-inch angle iron lay haphazardly across the welding platform, having slipped from the forks of an overturned forklift. Nearby, a huge and growing puddle of water expanded beneath a delivery truck that was partially crushed beneath a pile of sheet metal.
"Is everyone OK?" Juan cried, rushing forward to help lift the corrugated metal off the hood. He regretted his lack of gloves. This steel could slice him in an instant, but there was no time to lose. He'd just have to be careful.
“He’d better be dead!” Richard Thompson, Juan’s boss, shouted back with a curse. He was also helping clear debris. His presence indicated the severity of the situation. Richard never came out of the office. “Because if he’s not, I’m going to kill him myself!”
It took hours to restack the steel, repair the broken water pipe, and rush the hapless employee to the emergency room. The kid was going to be all right. He’d suffered a mild concussion after backing the delivery truck into a support column. It was a rookie mistake, one that would cost plenty.
Back in the office, Richard offered Juan a cup of coffee.
“Sure,” Juan accepted eagerly. He’d missed his morning cup.
Richard poured himself a cup, then, from a drawer, produced a small metal flask. He dosed his coffee liberally and swirled it briefly before taking a sip.
“What happened?” The crisis had temporarily abated Juan’s anger over the PhoenixData job. But now that it was past, Juan needed some straight answers.
“New kid,” was all that Richard offered by way of explanation.
“What happened to Felipe?” Juan demanded, “Where’s our regular delivery crew? I didn’t see any of those guys.”
“They’re out on the PhoenixData Nexus job,” Richard took another swig from his coffee cup. “With all the new contracts, we’re short-handed.”
“That reminds me,” Juan hesitated just a bit too long. “Um, there’s something I need to ask you about.”
Richard glowered at him from beneath bushy gray eyebrows, “What?”
“I’m trying to get some overtime next month,” Juan did his best to sound nonchalant.
Richard took another swig of coffee, “Why?”
Juan swallowed, “My daughter has an opportunity at school.”
“Sofia?" Richard's eyes lit up. "What kind of opportunity?”
"She wants to attend a weekend conference called Local to Global Justice," Juan replied.
"I've heard of that," Richard snorted derisively and leaned back in his seat. "Aren't they some sort of hippy outfit dedicated to brainwashing students about all that diversity and justice nonsense?"
Juan struggled not to slam down his coffee cup. "I'm proud of the things she's learning there." He'd known Richard would object, but Sofia's learning was none of his business, and he wouldn't let Richard make him feel guilty about it. "I'm not asking for your opinion, Richard. I just want to know if I can get some overtime!"
Richard was taken aback by Juan's outburst, "Hold on, take it easy!" Juan was normally so calm and friendly that any trace of anger was startling. "We both know I can be rude sometimes. I'm just surprised. I thought those workshops were free?"
Richard's confession mollified Juan, "You're always rude." He grinned sheepishly, "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, the workshop is free. Sofia wants me to make a big donation, and I'm a little short."
"Whatever," Richard rolled his eyes. “Don’t you know that with the price of steel dropping, we’re going to make a lot more profit on all our existing contracts? I'll give you all the overtime you want.”