Velma Jackson
7:30 am Velma Jackson takes the long elevator ride up to the 52nd-floor Manhattan office and plops into her chair. She has been running late all morning and is relieved that she has made it to work on time. She removes her tennis shoes and puts on the high heels that she keeps under her desk. Her boss hasn’t come in yet, so she has a moment to relax. Her mind wanders to the late 1970s. Fresh out of college, she had joined this firm, thinking that it was as good a place as any. 7:40 am The phone rings, and Velma snaps back to the present day. She is 56 now. “Velma,” her boss says, “please bring me the Pensky file …” “Will do.” “… and please join us for the meeting.” As Velma enters the conference room, she looks different than the rest of the team. Everyone notices—and not for the first time. Her hair is spiked at the top like a mohawk and shaved on both sides. She has stretched-out earlobes with big holes in them. Her eyebrows are plucked thin and shaped with a dark pencil. Her lipstick is dark brown, which emphasizes her full lips. She stands out. |
8 am The meeting is over, and everyone heads back to their desks. As Velma passes the breakroom, she overhears an ongoing conversation. “Did you see Velma’s latest hairdo? What does she think she is—a punk rocker?” “Yeah, I know. She has no place at this company. We have a reputation and an image to uphold. Don’t we?” “She’s too fat to dress like that. It’s so unbecoming. Doesn’t she have any dignity?” 8:15 am Velma is quite upset after hearing this nasty, trivial gossip. Back at her desk, her mind rages: “What about all my hard work? What about my dedication to this company? I thought these people were my friends.” She puts on her tennis shoes and heads for the subway, talking to no one and making no eye contact. 8:46 am Someone in the office hears a crash. 9:03 am Velma Jackson sits on her living room couch and stares at the television. Her glazed eyes watch the second tower fall. From Carpet Creatures: Tales from the Deep Pile To join the Carpet Creatures project, please visit our TAE Gallery website. |
