The Office Worker

Everyone is out practicing for Undoukai again.

A picture of the office for reference

     I hear a few voices from the office lady, the librarian, and another teacher, as they discuss matters in the room behind me. Only one of the two overhead fans is blowing, beneath which there is nary a soul. Atop my own desk sits a fan from the 100 yen shop that Mitsuko bought me some months ago; it hums as I type. To my left are windows which allow for a few faint rays of the already dimming sunshine into the staff room. Occasionally I hear the shuffling of shoes on carpet, heading to and fro, but I never turn to see who they belong to.
     My glasses rest atop my head leaving the rest of the room as a pastiche of color, shape, and silence. Strewn about my workspace are a phone with no messages, a bottle with no water, and a bag with its contents poured out. Among those items are two notebooks; one is filled with lessons, the other, notes on a book I'm reading. The one with book notes is open and yet I feel no desire to write anything presently.
     The printer whines as it spits out a single sheet of paper that no one retrieves. My head lifts slightly and I catch the sight of my Snoopy wood block calendar; it inaccurately shows that the day is Thursday the 11th. There are four blocks - two for digits and two with images along with abbreviated days. Snoopy wears a look of consternation, or at least he did for the 11th.
     Out of nowhere teachers return and like a parade that suddenly turns a corner into an unsuspecting street the staffroom becomes lively around me - my gaze remaining fixed on the screen. It is only at this point that I notice the lights were off the entire time.  They thank one another for their hard work and I pray in silence that no one passes along similar sentiments to me. I was not a part of anything that would deserve praise.
     And like that - they're gone.

-J