January 9, 2012

Just Wondering

I was in the ladies today, washing my hands, when I noticed the sprinkler head poking it’s nose out from the ceiling.  As this is my first day back at work after a two break and I’m feeling less than enamoured with being in the office my mind drifted into another realm ;
 
What would happen if I put flame to a scrunched up piece paper under it?
 
The image of water spraying out of it like a upside-down sprinkler: The sound of squeals from the office outside; as women in high heels, men in ties, scatter like roaches towards the fire escapes. 
 
I would casually stroll out of the ladies, ask. ‘what’s going on?’ Before joining the exodus down the stairs.
 
We’d gather in the mustering point in Hyde Park and wait. 
 
 Fire Wardens, ‘highly trained’ office workers acting out childhood fantasies rush around attempting to take roll call, but flat feet and bulging waistlines put a stop to that dream years ago. They became desk jockeys instead and try to exert their power now with a clipboard and pen.  The missing people have gone for coffee.
 
Fire engine, men in uniform, the ones that realised the dream of saving lives and property from the ravages of flame. Rush into the building.  Only our floor and the ones above and below have been evacuated as only the middle one has smoke.
 
My fellow workers speculate ‘what could be wrong?’  I sit on the wall and wait, playing my iPhone and absorbing some vitamin D from the dampled sunlight.
 
After the real deal has extinguished the flame in the bathroom caused by  ‘Paper Towel Inferno’, I can see the headline in The Telegraph (it wouldn’t even rate a sidebar in the SMH or Australian) we are free to return to work.  We’ve lost two hours of productivity and the use of the ladies bathroom on 11.
 
 
It’s amazing where the human mind can take you down a path of thinking that is completely out of character.  I would never set fire to anything, except a BBQn for food and logs for heating.  Maybe this just shows the degree of satisfaction I derive from my job. 

Maybe, I need help.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who uses clip boards and pens these days?

Anonymous said...

What's a "dampled"? I think you made that word up!

Fran Carleton said...

To answer your questions:
Fire wardens
Dappled was autocorrected, my apoligies