Looking Around for Work… Again

Erasmo Calzadilla

A few months ago I quit my job and have been wandering around since. I was down spirited and dejected, watching my savings vanish one peso at a time and suffering for having lent money to friends who still haven’t paid me back. Later I transitioned into the phase of borrowing money and living off my family and friends.

I had to hit bottom in order to react. I’ve finally come out of my funk to face the questioning, investigations and rudeness.

To my surprise, and unlike the last time, wherever I’ve gone to workplaces there have been vacant positions, though not always to my liking.

I broke the ice with an intensive urban “organoponico” garden.

With the price of oil continuing to rise towards its zenith, I want to prepare myself for the serious consequences by learning how to work the land. Reality is great for shattering my illusions.

I showed up at one of those places ready to taste the earth toiling under the summer sun, but all they had available was a night guard position. Working from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every other night, I could earn 300 pesos a month by preventing hungry people and jerks from breaking in to steal at night.

I imagined myself facing interminable nights making rounds armed with a stick and I felt my chest tighten. They told me to come back in a week, during which time I decided to test my luck looking for other jobs.

Later a friend told me about a job related to computer science. I was already seeing myself using sophisticated equipment and developing applications in the tranquility of my house or in a comfortable office. But no – it was nothing like that.

In the interview I found out that my job would consist pretty much of filling out bills online. I would work in a warehouse far from my home for eight hours a week for a laughable wage.

At the most decisive point of this meeting with my future boss, this guy looked at me dead in the eyes and asked: “Have you had any kind of problem? Because if something turns up in your investigation, you won’t be able to work for this company.”

“No,” I responded. “I haven’t had any problems.” The fact is, though, my work record is blemished. Nonetheless I’m going to turn in the papers but without hopes of anything coming of it.”

Finally I went to a prestigious high-level center where the wages weren’t so bad and where I would have an interesting and creative job. At the initial interview it seemed that everything was going fine and the wind was at my back, but later in another more probing meeting I had to discuss my disastrous professional career.

I began explaining my firing from the university where I had worked as a professor, but then — I don’t know why — I felt compelled to talk about other adventures of mine. Finally I added that under no condition would I join a Rapid Response Brigade (Cuban Stormtroopers). The woman looked at me as if to say, “This kid is definitively missing a screw.”

I have to wait a while for the response, but I’m not holding onto a lot hope for that one either. We’ll see.

Meanwhile I wander around free and without commitments. So, if you have a yard that needs cutting, a house that needs cleaning or are looking for an honest worker for your business, then don’t hesitate to contact me through Havana Times. I’m still healthy and strong, though my mind… well, you already read about that.