Endless Sound

Endless Sound Drip. Drip. Drip. That fucking drip. Multimillion dollar company & we still can’t seem to get a plumber in here.             I walk over to the bathroom connected to my office & kneel, gazing up into the dark abyss that is the faucet. It seems to have stopped dripping & yet the sound is so embedded in my mind that I can still hear it. I begin fiddling with the knob to no avail when Shirley, my secretary, enters my office. Drip. Drip. Drip. “How’re you doing today, Charlie?”             I surrender & remove myself from this hopeless fix. “Hey, Shirley. Doing good. Any messages for me?” “Your sister called but I didn’t want to wake you. She’s flying in today & said she’d drop by tomorrow around lunchtime.”             I take a seat at my desk & begin shuffling through my papers, embarrassed that Shirley caught me sleeping in the office again. I don’t even remember the last time I was home. “Ah yes, well…I’ll have to check my schedule but I think I’m free.” Drip. Drip. Drip.             Shirley nods with a slight smile. I’m sure it’s because she knows what a workaholic I am. It’s rare that I take time for myself, especially for lunch plans. “Alright, Charlie. I’ll let you know if she calls again.”             She turns to leave, clipboard in hand. Shirley’s been a great asset to my company. She once told me she has a Master’s in Social Work. I think that’s why she’s so efficient at anticipating my needs. “Uh, Shirley. One last thing.”             She stops & turns. “I think it’s best that you refer to me as Mr. Scott. Nothing against you but I am your boss so we should keep it professional.” “Right, I’d forgotten. No problem, Mr. Scott.”             She smiles again & leaves. Now time to get to work. Pen in hand, I begin going through the financial reports on my desk. A complex array of signs & numbers only I seem to be able to understand. The reason I’ve been so successful is because I believe in a hands-on approach. I’m the only one that can ensure this company remains on top. It means everything to me. Drip. Drip. Drip.             After two hours I begin to feel my stomach rumble. I check my watch & it’s nine o’clock. Breakfast is being served in the Office cafeteria. I pull myself away from my work & head over, ready for a meal. As I grab my tray, I see the gang waving me over.             There’s Marc, a successful Hedge Fund Manager in the office next to mine. We’ve crossed paths quite a few times through the years, different Offices. He has a great sense of humor for a finance guy. “Charlie,” he shouted. “Over here!”             Beside Marc is Linda, office down the hall. Owner of a very successful startup company in the tech world. She’s working on inventing a way to protect the mind from external occupation. It’s not my area of expertise so I’m not sure how she’ll do it but I do know it’s important work. “Come on,” she said. “We’re playing Uno!” & then there’s Randy. A young guy I don’t know much about. His office is across from mine. I think his work probably has something to do with the arts, he’s so moody. “I don’t even like Uno,” he said. “Hey,” I said, taking a seat at the table. “Deal me in.”             We play Uno. Drip. Drip. Drip. “My sister’s coming tomorrow,” I said. “That’s great,” Marc replied. “She moved out of state, right?” “Yeah,” I said. “Right after the wedding.”             The wedding I missed because I was stuck in the office. Sarah understood. She knows how important my work is to me. I kind of wish I was there, though. I play the rest of the game in silence, contemplating all of the things I’ve missed out on lately. I want to go back in time & be there for Sarah’s wedding. She’s the only family I’ve got left. How could I miss that? I probably won’t even meet my nephew when he’s born. I’ll probably be stuck at the office for that too. Drip. Drip. Drip. A sadness begins to grow inside of me. Suddenly I miss my apartment. I miss my bed. I miss my family. I want to go home. When’s the last time I was home? I don’t want to be here anymore. & I can’t take that fucking drip. “We need to get a plumber in here,” I said. “I can’t take much more of this.” Drip. Drip. Drip. “The drip again?” asked Marc. “Yeah,” I replied. Drip. Drip. Drip. “My invention will help with that,” said Linda. “I’ve almost finished the final draft.” Drip. Drip. Drip. “I don’t hear anything,” said Randy. Drip. Drip. Drip. “I can’t take it anymore…” I stand & start frantically looking for Shirley. I need to tell her to call a plumber. She needs to call a plumber. I can’t take it anymore. That drip is driving me insane. Where’s Shirley? “Shirley? Where’s Shirley?” Drip. Drip. Drip. “SHIRLEY! HAS ANYONE SEEN SHIRLEY?” Drip. Drip. Drip. “SHIRLEY!!!!” “Charlie, I’m here. I’m here. Relax, sit down. Deep breaths like we talked about. In. Out. In. Out.” “Shirley, I can’t take it anymore. Can you please call a plumber? I can’t take the drip anymore.” Drip. Drip. Drip. “Charlie, it’s okay. I know. Pull yourself away from it. It’s just noise in the background. Deep breaths.” Drip.             I feel myself coming back down as the drip grows quieter. My heart begins to slow & return to its normal speed. Shirley hands me a napkin & I wipe away the sweat that has accumulated on my forehead. “You okay, Charlie?” “Yeah,” I said. “I think I’d just better get back to work.” “Okay,” she replied with a smile.             I stand & prepare to head back to my office when the Office Manager enters, a large metal cart in tow. “Good morning, everyone. Line up, time for meds.”