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The ride was longer than I expected. Ibby must really have wanted the job to have traveled forty-five minutes one way, to get here. When we arrived at his home, he was sitting outside on his porch with his wife.
I shut off the car and said, “I didn’t expect his home to be in need of so much repair.”
“He was working long hours at the factory. That doesn’t leave much time to work at home,” she said. “I know this from personal experience. My mother and I picked up a lot of the slack in our house. Maybe that is why I’m now so handy and can fix many things myself. Because I’ve had too many times.”
“How come he didn’t fix things on the weekend when he wasn’t working?” I asked.
She shook his head. “Because then when would he have had time for me and my mother? When would we have had fun all together?”
I had never understood the power of fun. I wasn’t raised having it as it wasn't part of my household. And work was about making money, it wasn’t supposed to be fun. But after spending the last couple of weekends with Ovi, my eyes were opened to recognize how invaluable it was. Monday mornings weren't as difficult when you knew you had something to look forward to at the end of the week. Hell, being with Ovi made me wish we could manage with a four-day work week instead of five.
“Do you think Ibby wants to stay home?” I asked.
“I can’t answer that. Only he can. But it’s not like he can do his job any longer. So, what choice does he have?”
“Let’s go and find out,” I said as we got out of the car.
When we approached his porch, Ibby stood up and said, “Thank you for coming to see me. I could’ve come to the office. I know how busy you are.”
“That’s okay. I wanted to meet with you here instead.”
“Sit,” his wife said. “I will go and get us all some cold mint tea.”
I hated all forms of tea so I declined. “I’m all set, thank you.” But I took a seat next to Ibby. “How is the hand?”
He held it up. It was still covered in white bandages. “It’s healing. The doctor said I should be able to remove this in another week or two.”
“Have you thought about what you want to do afterwards?” I asked. He shook his head. “Would you consider coming back to work?”
I saw Ovi’s head spin in my direction, but she said nothing. Ibby looked equally surprised.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to perform my duties any longer. It takes two hands to guide the wood through the blades.”
“I am not talking about the same job. Almi is doing everything he can but could use help with quality control. Another person on the floor to answer questions or look for defects would help expedite the process. You would be his assistant and report directly to him. Are you interested? It will come with a wage increase as well,” I said.
His wife sucked in her breath and placed a hand on her chest. I knew what this meant for his family. Without an income, they would have no way of feeding or housing themselves.
“Think about it and let me know by the end of the week,” I stated.
He shook his head. “I do not need to think about it. Yes. I will take the job. I will not let you down,” Ibby replied. “I can’t thank you enough for this. You don’t know what this means to me.”
Yes, I do.
“No need to thank me. We need your help, and you know the product. I don’t want you to return to work until the doctor has cleared you fit to do so. So here is your pay for the last few weeks. And I will pay you until you’re fit for duty,” I said, pulling an envelope of cash out of my coat pocket and handing it to him.
Ibby reached out and took the envelope. His wife started to cry, and Ibby got up and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t cry. It’s okay. Everything is okay.”
She nodded, wiped her cheeks, then turned to me. “Thank you, Mr. Rio. Thank you for not forgetting about my husband.”
“You’re welcome.” I got up and said, “Keep in touch.” Ibby nodded and Ovi and I headed back to my car.
Once we were back on the road again, Ovi said, “Niko, I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Why? He might not be able to do his job, but he still deserves the chance to work.” I hope he was up to the task as I believed he was. But the look on his face when I offered him the job said he was going to do everything to make sure he didn’t lose it.
“I’m glad you asked me to come.”
“Since we are out, did you want me to come with you to your doctor's appointment?”
