Wednesday, 13 July 2016

The Soldier - 4 of #Seven Ages


Then a soldier 
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, 
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, 
Seeking the bubble reputation 
Even in the cannon's mouth

Source: Pinterest

"You'll get yourself killed, or worse, expelled!" she exclaimed, giggling. He gave her a disgusted look, "This isn't Hogwarts!" he said, "And unlike you, I'm serious."
"Please tell me you are not." came a voice from behind him. He swivelled his rolling chair to face the rest of his colleagues. "Why?" he said coldly, his tensed cheekbones with jet black beard scaring the hell out of them.

"Listen dude." began a guy among the lot, "She's right. You'll only get fired, what good will that do to anybody? Don't be stupid...you..hey...chill will yeh!" he could see that he'd gone too far. The bearded pard had leapt from his seat in anger, sending the chair flying backwards.
"Stupid?!" he roared, "You let them treat you like slaves, and I'm the one who's stupid?!" Heads turned from the whole of the office room. He felt pleased with the attention he received.

"Why don't you get it?" his tone was now pleading, "We can't continue to work extra hours this way, not unless they give us a raise! Don't you see how they're exploiting us? Join me in the boycott, let's fight till they agree to negotiate!"
The onlookers had broken into murmurs. It continued till one of them mustered the courage to speak, "Things don't work that way here mate...besides, it might get better in the coming months after all."

He shook his head sadly. They were too afraid. But he wasn't. And he wasn't the kind to back off either. He was about to speak again when there was a tap on his shoulder. "Boss wants to see you." announced the assistant.

The crowd watched in silence as he made his way to their boss's cubicle. They knew only too well how their boss was always well informed of whatever happened in there, although they never could figure out how.

Back in the cubicle, the boss calmly eyed the young man before him. "I hear you have problems working here?" he quipped. The employee looked him in the eye and replied, "All that you heard is true." The boss didn't seem surprised. He continued calmly, "Then we shall no  more need your service."

The man nodded as if he'd expected this. He was going to be jobless and broke, but he knew his colleagues would admire him for his fearless sacrifice. Taking off his ID card, he placed it on the desk. And then, without another word, he swaggered his way out with dignity.

With wrath he'd fight his way
 
In the end he'd have his say. 
His age was fourth today 
Three more not far away.


This post is the fourth of a seven part series on the Seven Ages of Man (from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It')

Read all Seven Posts -


1. The Infant

2. The School Boy
3. The Lover
4. The Soldier
5. The Justice
6. The Pantaloon
7. The Second Childhood

Linking with Write Tribe's Festival of Words for a Seven Day Blogging Challenge.





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