you are doing well.”
“I am content. I’m glad to hear he thinks I’m doing okay; maybe I just needed that encouragement.”
“Has he you given you any kind of schedule yet?”
“Schedule? No.”
“That’s odd. Because he told me then he was thinking of letting you have two hours off each Sunday, but only to go to church; and it has to be the church closest to home, regardless of the denomination, so you can be right back again.”
“What?…church…?” Jason had no interest in any church.
Genier burst into a friendly laugh.
“Are you saying it was a joke?…So he does have a sense of humor!”
“Oh, yes. A very dry and very wicked one.”
“He seems so serious all the time.”
“The seriousness is when he can be at his funniest. It takes him a while to feel comfortable with others; he is usually awkward with new people. Give it some time and give him some space. He has to adjust also.”
“I will. And thank you Mr. Genier. I really appreciate the comments and you calling me to see how things are going.”
“I will check in with you regularly. I talk to him nearly every day also. Feel free to call me if you need anything or if there are any problems or concerns. Our office is available to you.”
A weight lifted off Jason’s shoulders. His instincts about Genier had been right on. He was glad to have him as a resource. There was something calming and reassuring about him, in both his voice and his manner. Although, occasionally, Jason admitted, he still had some suspicions all was not as it seemed. He still kept expecting that “I knew it!” moment, when the façade would drop and the true situation would be revealed, their clandestine and nefarious plan finally exposed. Then he laughed at himself, at his imagination. He was still bothered by occasional dark thoughts that he tried to banish. It was just his nature to be suspicious at times. In his more paranoid moments, he considered the possibility that maybe the screening criteria had been specifically tailored to him; even the part about his brother’s occupation getting in the way and risking him getting disqualified. It could have been just a clever tactic—to make him think he had nearly missed out. But then, it was all quickly resolved. As if it had been planned that way all along. Wouldn’t he be relieved and grateful then he had somehow managed to get around that? Wouldn’t he then be flattered to be selected? To have somehow met all of those expectations? Wouldn’t he have been more willing then, to accept the position? What were the odds of all of it happening just as it had? Even meeting Augere… But then, he reminded himself, he had not accepted right away. He had resisted, even after getting the good news he had nearly called Genier several times even after he had accepted, to say he’d changed his mind. He really had deliberated a long time; he had definitely vacillated, just like they knew he would. He still felt an occasional chill about the whole thing. An instinctive pulling away from all of it, a vague need for self-preservation. But where had there been harm, really? And so he had decided finally. And it had felt like exactly like the right thing to do then. He was glad he was here now.
Jason shook off the paranoid thoughts. He liked Mr. Genier. And he liked Mr. Augere too. He wanted to get to know Augere even better; he wished for the two of them to feel comfortable with each other. He wanted this arrangement to work out, wanted to have a pleasant working agreement for both of them.
With so much free time on his hands, and little else to distract him, he turned his attention to further speculations about Augere. Damn. He had forgotten to ask Genier what Augere’s full name was. Maybe he could do more research online. “Or, I could just ask him.” He laughed.
There were records of modern day Augers—pronounced oh-zhay. But the spelling and pronunciation of “oh-zhair” with the extra “e” was rather
“I am content. I’m glad to hear he thinks I’m doing okay; maybe I just needed that encouragement.”
“Has he you given you any kind of schedule yet?”
“Schedule? No.”
“That’s odd. Because he told me then he was thinking of letting you have two hours off each Sunday, but only to go to church; and it has to be the church closest to home, regardless of the denomination, so you can be right back again.”
“What?…church…?” Jason had no interest in any church.
Genier burst into a friendly laugh.
“Are you saying it was a joke?…So he does have a sense of humor!”
“Oh, yes. A very dry and very wicked one.”
“He seems so serious all the time.”
“The seriousness is when he can be at his funniest. It takes him a while to feel comfortable with others; he is usually awkward with new people. Give it some time and give him some space. He has to adjust also.”
“I will. And thank you Mr. Genier. I really appreciate the comments and you calling me to see how things are going.”
“I will check in with you regularly. I talk to him nearly every day also. Feel free to call me if you need anything or if there are any problems or concerns. Our office is available to you.”
A weight lifted off Jason’s shoulders. His instincts about Genier had been right on. He was glad to have him as a resource. There was something calming and reassuring about him, in both his voice and his manner. Although, occasionally, Jason admitted, he still had some suspicions all was not as it seemed. He still kept expecting that “I knew it!” moment, when the façade would drop and the true situation would be revealed, their clandestine and nefarious plan finally exposed. Then he laughed at himself, at his imagination. He was still bothered by occasional dark thoughts that he tried to banish. It was just his nature to be suspicious at times. In his more paranoid moments, he considered the possibility that maybe the screening criteria had been specifically tailored to him; even the part about his brother’s occupation getting in the way and risking him getting disqualified. It could have been just a clever tactic—to make him think he had nearly missed out. But then, it was all quickly resolved. As if it had been planned that way all along. Wouldn’t he be relieved and grateful then he had somehow managed to get around that? Wouldn’t he then be flattered to be selected? To have somehow met all of those expectations? Wouldn’t he have been more willing then, to accept the position? What were the odds of all of it happening just as it had? Even meeting Augere… But then, he reminded himself, he had not accepted right away. He had resisted, even after getting the good news he had nearly called Genier several times even after he had accepted, to say he’d changed his mind. He really had deliberated a long time; he had definitely vacillated, just like they knew he would. He still felt an occasional chill about the whole thing. An instinctive pulling away from all of it, a vague need for self-preservation. But where had there been harm, really? And so he had decided finally. And it had felt like exactly like the right thing to do then. He was glad he was here now.
Jason shook off the paranoid thoughts. He liked Mr. Genier. And he liked Mr. Augere too. He wanted to get to know Augere even better; he wished for the two of them to feel comfortable with each other. He wanted this arrangement to work out, wanted to have a pleasant working agreement for both of them.
With so much free time on his hands, and little else to distract him, he turned his attention to further speculations about Augere. Damn. He had forgotten to ask Genier what Augere’s full name was. Maybe he could do more research online. “Or, I could just ask him.” He laughed.
There were records of modern day Augers—pronounced oh-zhay. But the spelling and pronunciation of “oh-zhair” with the extra “e” was rather
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