She stepped out the door and glanced at the crystal-clear blue sky unfolding over her while the glorious sun shone upon every creation of God. Sunbeams stroked Lina’s face, and pleased, she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh morning air, slightly moistened with a green flourish scent. Breathing out, she took deeper breaths, and an energetic feeling traveled through every cell of her body.

Gleefully, she shook with joy; it promised to be a fantastic day today.

Full of verve and a good splash of hope, she hit the road to work. It was her second day in her new position as a supervisor in the marketing department, and unwillingly, her mind slipped back to yesterday morning, to the moment when unpleasant reactions played out. Her colleagues, with whom she had worked for almost three years in cheerful harmony, suddenly faced her coldly. Of course, she immediately sensed why and tried to break the ice, attempting to convince them that nothing would change in their team spirit and relationship, but she failed.

Sunken, deep in these thoughts, a shudder spread over her shoulders. Surprised, Lina looked up to see that a massive cloud had hovered before the shining sun and wondered how this disturber had popped up without warning from the clear blue sky. She shook her head, let go of that random thought, returned to her main problem, and determined to promise herself not to let anyone ruin her joyful mood, as she had worked hard to get this long-awaited promotion.

Meanwhile, the massive cloud moved on, allowing the sun to shine again. So did Lina, and followed her path, accompanied by the bare, shining sun. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how her workmates behaved towards her; it hurt like a stab, and she wanted to find a solution to change their attitude at all costs. However, it seemed to her a mysterious and awkward thing, since they had initially supported her in applying for the supervisor position in their department. But as soon as she got the job, she sensed a shift in the atmosphere, and their true face was revealed yesterday on her first day.

A new wave of cold shook her body; again, she glanced up at the sky and saw that more clouds had formed, darkening the sun. This caused a deep stir inside her, making her worry about her future in her new position. What if she failed to convince her mates that nothing would change between them? Being a supervisor makes no difference; she would still be the same person she was on the first day they started working together. Her thoughts darkened increasingly with every step, and above her, more black clouds gathered, foreshadowing a stormy rain.

Lina immediately rummaged through her big bag and remembered that she had taken out her umbrella. As soon as she saw the glorious sun shining from the sky, she estimated it would be impossible to rain that day.

Lina sped up her pace when the first drops softly started to fall, and they fell harder and harder with every step. Chased by the rain, she looked for shelter along her way and while running she tried to avoid other pedestrians who were also looking for a dry place.

Finally, she found a good shelter under a shop’s big canopy and considered waiting until the rain stopped. Time passed, and she had already waited for fifteen minutes, which meant she would be late for work. However, she gave it a second thought as it looked like the rain wouldn’t stop. Lina imagined a new shower of accusations from her colleagues. For example, she’s using her new status to her advantage for her benefit. At the same time, fiery guilt and pride arouse inside her, making her shiver from top to toe. Her inner voice told her: „I won’t do them this favor. I won’t show them my weakness but my cleverness, and I’m worth getting this position.”

Resolute, she stepped into the rotten rainfall, facing the possibility of getting wet, and headed confidently to work. By the time she reached the company’s threshold, it had stopped raining, and the sun had come out like a bright, shining pearl raised in the hand of God. Lina smiled; now she knew for sure this would be a good day.

©2024, Vasiliki Papadopoulou, all rights reserved.