Don’t Go Falling Now: A Short Story by - Danniella Dunst

Chapter 1.

Was it a ‘busier- than –usual’ day...?

Was it even possible in Cape Town, previously a sleepy coastal city that had, over the years, mushroomed into a mini metropolis with a few larger Businesses moving Head Office to this breathtakingly beautiful City.

Nevertheless, not too much had changed. It maintained sleepiness, somewhat. There were nothing that was too urgent. Nothing that could not wait until tomorrow.

Yes, there were discussions about what to expect with the clock rolling into the year 2000, but if it caused major concern amongst the Let’s see what tomorrow brings mindsets, It went unnoticed.

So the busyness were in my mind.

I lived in Cape Town for many years, and it left its mark, not that I minded! Growing up in a big city, I found Cape Town to be a breath of fresh air.

I also did not mind, over the years, becoming not quite as concerned about too much else - other than eking out a living, in the beautiful but not particularly lucrative, as far as salaries went, City.

The Hospitality Industry gobbled up so much of it!

Peace of mind came with a price I reasoned. Living in The Mother City was well worth sacrifice, of sorts.

Back to the busyness of the day. I finally decided, (Typical! As it had been a New Year’s Resolution and now, well into the year) I had to find a permanent position. I loved Temping. Before one tires of faces, or they of yours, the Assignment would be completed and I moved on to the next assignment.

New People, New challenges, possibly better salary.

But I knew that, that was all about to change and that I had to become more responsible.

My son, Jethro, who’d been away for a while, returned. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on a field trip or something quite as simple.

I married and divorced his dad, then remarried him. Ten points for trying.

I awarded myself that.

Brendon and I had a heady Relationship, he just completed his Army conscription and being eager to get back into the civilian life, met and wooed me.

I found him to be a little ‘crazy’, and vulnerable. He believed that one ‘walked on the wild side… or not at all.’

I became pregnant some months after that, and he did the ‘honorable’ thing.

As much as I admired him, being the only daughter with a bunch of brawny Celtic lads, five of them- to be exact, as brothers… made Honor top of Brendon’s priority list!

There were no blame game, no brawling… much to the brothers’ collective disappointment.

It was a little late-in-coming to be asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage, my father told Brendon, flatly.

He had, however, been planning to celebrate my 21st birthday and handed me a Silver key, despite the fact that I left home years before.

Brendon saved him lots of money, he joked. So despite the timing, he was thrilled at the news.

Brendon and I knew each other for close on six months and tried our hand at marriage, but we parted before an anniversary could be celebrated.

I left the option open for another attempt, should Brendon ‘grow up’ and thought it would be worth pursuing.

Jethro was left with the ‘tougher’ of the two parents and he’s the ‘Apple of my eye’.

A couple of years later, we tried again. The abuse of drugs, which, at that point I decided, was the first sign of not wanting to grow up, crept into the second marriage.

Not at first of course, but soon after that, there would be a relapse.

Worst of all, I followed suite and found myself lost, again.

I loved Brendon Jonas and defended him as viciously as a Vixen mother, when he was accused of getting me into all sorts of trouble.

Brendon did not hold a gun to my head, was my defense, and the truth.

I just needed to ‘get inside his head’ and find out what made him tick.

I never ever found out.

I came to a place where it was no longer worth any more ‘trying’. Even though it was a huge decision to make, I made it.

It cost me enough already. Our son, was no longer with us, Thanks to the ‘ever- helpful’ Social Services.

We were about to divorce, for the second time, when Brendon disappeared, Into the Mist...!

To hide the disappointment, at the time, I joked about it because, sooner or later… From Out of the Mist he would re-appear, wanting to ‘start again’, right where we, or rather – he, left off.

Sometimes it was a week, a month. Sometimes, a 24 hour Absence.

The last disappearing act stretched into years. But that was all a thing of the past now! I reminded myself.

Jethro returned, I had more than one person to take care-off.

It was a nagging reminder that my previous care-free days needed a serious adjustment.

My decision to start ‘Perm’ job- hunting stemmed from that.

My mind was wandering, it was a busier than usual day! If only in my mind!!!

I passed the address of the Company, where the Interview took place and had to back track, arriving five minutes before the agreed time.

Looking back, there I was, ready to be a responsible adult. Way overdue. I was 36 at the time.

The Interview went well. Admittedly, at that stage, I had been to so many job- related meetings and Interviews, I took it in my stride. I had more than enough experience - Greta, Head of Finance, found in me the ‘Perfect Candidate’. I had to report to her. I knew that things were about to change. At that point, I truly

weren’t aware of just how much!!!

Chapter 2.

The open plan offices at R&R Admin seemed uncomfortably smaller that morning. Although I chose to sit in the Pool, the continuous drone of a voice, made me wish I was miles away.

I was actually ‘introduced’ to Steven, before I met him. As with almost every other company, there was the ‘Office Chatterbox.’ Cheryl Carstens. Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of R&RMUZIK, Jeff Smythe. She re- introduced, by word of mouth, of course, The Management at R&RMUZIK.

Jeff’s the Managing Director she re-informed me.

..And I’m his PA.

I remembered thinking that I met her a few minutes before then, but already humored her. It was (I reasoned), the ‘first few days’.

Cheryl seemed awfully chatty that morning and I guessed, me- being

‘The new kid on the block’ (hardly!), was someone who’d still be prepared to pay attention to her. She continued, taking a huge breathe…

Then there was Steven.. She smiled broadly.

….He only recently ‘settled down’, over the last six or seven years; Having spent many, maybe fifteen years ‘on the road’ with their Band - Gig to Gig , City to City. No particular ambition other than to have fun. He was a Bass Guitarist…

She paused for breath, or effect!

He’s a widower. He lost his wife just over two years ago. A son, Storm, lived with him.

Cheryl seemed to have gasped for another breathe,

He ….

I recall how I tried to block it out!!! I tried to turn off my antennae and simply refused to listen!!

Laughing now, but I thought, almost desperately, of HOW I was going to get her to Stop!

It was unending!!! … I didn’t want to know about… Steven and I didn’t want to know about his tragedies!

There was an echo in the background …

…. He’s also the Managing Director of YZ Distributors, the ‘Sister Company’, they had ties with R&RMUZIK. AND The Juiciest bit, Cheryl, at that stage, was left breathless, as she reported that he, was… ‘Coming out of mourning’.

Was that the term she used?

Apparently, quite a few young, and not- so- young ‘hopefuls’ were sure they’d catch his eye, she advised me.

It sounded Medieval to me. Surely that happened quite naturally, I remembered thinking. Or didn’t it?

The rest of that day was probably spent in a bit of a blur. As with each new Assignment, there was the usual perusal of documents, manuals, - how things were done at R&RMUZIK.

There were a quick tour, a ‘meet n greet’ that was offered by Greta soon after I arrived at R&RMUZIK.

I met the Office Staff and went to Retail downstairs. The Main Distribution company were in another section, part of the Complex-, but Admin seldom dealt directly with them, so Greta skipped that detour.

It was a usual rushed first day.

There were other Updates… Dead Lines, Bi - Annual Stock Takes, Sundries. It was an average day in the Life of …….. .

Chapter 3.

Five o’ clock could not come soon enough that day. I rushed home, ready to take a hot, relaxing bath.

I loved showering. It was quick, invigorating and ‘done in two ticks.’

The Commune where we stayed , there were many in Cape Town, had ample Bathing Facilities, but guaranteed, there would come a day when someone would be standing directly opposite the bathroom door, as you exit, with that :

‘Did you have to take that long’ look on their faces’.

That evening, after an extremely long day, I remembered thinking that nobody’s facial expression was going to matter, I was taking a long, relaxing bath.

Unfamiliar with relaxing; the long, relaxing bath lasted all of five minutes!

A very happy Jethro greeted me, as I walked into our Pad.

What tickled you? I asked, rubbing my wet hair with a towel.

He grinned, Nothing really, it’s just great to see you happy again

Happy? How? It was a nerve wrecking couple of days!

Smiling? he volunteered.

Was I smiling??

Tell, you what, Jeth … If I’m smiling, it’s because I can’t believe I’ve made it this far in the day! I said.

That Bad, hmm? he frowned.

Worse. But hey, what’s a day without a challenge? I asked, rubbing his mop of blond curls.

..How was your day at College?

Totally Awesome!!!

He looked as if he was about to tear up but rubbed an eye ..

Mom, he started, Hugging me... Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

I knew he was referring to my insistence on reinstating my guardianship over him.

I’m his mother. I’m drug free. I insisted so strongly on a drug test at the time, that the ‘Powers that be’ thought it a waste of time, and funds, to even bother with a test. My insistence, and appearance, had, according to them, proven my innocence already.

Thank You!! … I said, hugging him closely,

Thank you very, very much Jethro, You’re an Angel.

I didn’t know what Jethro’s reaction would be, once he heard that I’ve been successful with the reinstatement.

I wondered whether it would’ve been a case of… Too little, Too late?

But it wasn’t!!!

When Jethro left the Establishment, I waited outside with a colleague friend, who offered to give me a lift.

I remembered how Jethro walked up to me, without a tear in his eye and simply said: I’m so glad you’re here. For me

And we left, he moved into my ‘Pad’ at the Commune, and we took it from there.

So you like College, then? I asked, eager to talk about anything other than another accounting procedure.

Mom, I Love College!!! I Love the freedom!!! he beamed.

I frowned, slightly …

No oo Mom – Don’t get me wrong!!! I would never abuse that. It’s just wonderful, freedom of choice- with the subjects,

He grinned, Pretty girls, too.. Thanks!

Stop Thanking me and produce good grades I retorted, playfully.

Jethro always brought home good grades, only then – he’d be bringing them home with a smile on his face.

Happiness is….

I mumbled about my exhaustion, feeling drained!

I’m off to bed. ‘Going to lie down before I fall down... I joked, and retired, yawning.

Chapter 4.

I blinked in the dimly lit silence. Outside the birds began to welcome a new day in The Mother City.

It was way too early to get up and I scrambled around to check for the time. 4.30 AM …. What on earth? I wondered, finding myself going through the last few days’ events.

This was not unusual. My days of temping allowed me varied, exciting, ‘scary’- as in a ‘Big- Bad- Wolf’ Boss, Huffing & Puffin’ Assignments.

There was always something to mull over and smile.

R&RMUZIK seemed like an ideal permanent position. The name, R&RMUZIK, was derived from the original sole Shareholders, brothers ‘Royce and Royce’, but the Logo depicted a guitar player and leaned, cleverly, to the Rock ‘n’ Roll idea.

I noticed that it was more of a younger crowd, but the ‘Senior Positions’ was filled by … ‘More Senior’ staff members, so I fitted the mold well.

Unavoidably,