by Jack Ivey

Created on: November 07, 2011   Last Updated: March 23, 2012

Joe moves slowly down the hallway with his mop bucket squeaking as it rolls along the floor. Dipping his mop in, he rings it out and  swipes it across the hallway. He has worked this job for 18 years, never missing a day and is still only paid minimum wage. But that is ok with him, he doesn’t need much, his wife had passed years ago and it was just him and his dog now. He checks his Timex watch, it is 10:15 and he is surprised to see the light still on in old man Geever’s office at the end of the hall. Jonathan Geever was an investment banker and the head of this firm. He was also the one of the meanest men Joe had ever met. He didn’t think twice about taking people’s hard earned money and squandering it, basically stealing their retirement for his own personal gain. Never once did he ever show any remorse for the things he had done. Joe thinks back on the time he asked for a raise. Geever told him he was a low life and didn’t need or deserve any more money and if he didn’t get out of his office right then, he’d be looking for a new job.

Still mopping he checks his Timex again, it was a gift from his wife and it always kept good time. It is now 10:45 as he approaches the lighted office. He knocks on the door; no answer. He slowly pushes it open. “Mr. Geever, are you?” he stops mid-sentence seeing the old man’s body lying on the floor. He checks for a pulse, there is none. “He must’ve had a heart attack.” Joe thinks as he picks up the phone to call the police.

They arrive after about 20 minutes, ask him a few questions and then they tell him he can go about his business.

Joe moves slowly down the hallway with his mop bucket squeaking as it rolls along the floor. Dipping his mop in, he rings it out and begins sloshing it across the hallway once again. “It’s hard to believe the old man is dead,” he thinks as he checks his Rolex. It is 11:55, time to pack it in for the night.

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