The Interview

Anne McNeil

Looking in the bedroom mirror I smoothed my black straight skirt for around the tenth time in the last half hour. D-Day had at last arrived I had an interview at our Regional office in East Kilbride for the position of Regional Training Manager. Scotland and the North East of England would be the area to cover with the new job position; most of the places with shops to visit would be names I had only seen on a map. The excitement of being successful and getting to meet new people and travel a bit of the country had the old heart rate pounding. Come on girl give your self a shake I whispered silently give it your best shot.

My wee Red Fiesta negotiated the many round abounds from Paisley to East Kilbride with my hands sweating on the steering wheel. The silence during the drive was weird, I had never driven to many places without either my son and daughter or my mother in the car with me and everyone was a back seat driver. Turn here, stop, There's the shop Mum find a car park!! Today I would have paid the kids to be shouting from the back seat to me it would help to take my mind of the task ahead.

Parking ticket stored safely in the side pocket of my handbag I glanced one more time at my reflection in one of the full-length mirrors in the Mall. Looking good kid I winked to my self. New suit shoes and tights I had treated myself to from Marks And Spencer made me feel a million dollars. Time for a coffee and a wee sit down to go over my thoughts on the questions I may be asked at the interview.

Suddenly the chap sitting at the table in front of me fell from his chair onto the floor shaking and thrashing his arms violently in the air O my God screamed his wife somebody help me please do something for him. She grabbed me by the arm, as I was the closest person to her tears streaming down her face help him. I knelt down beside the man and tried to bring him into the recovery position he was a big lad around six feet tall but with the help of a security guard from the mall we got him onto his side and held his arms tightly so he could cause himself no damage. Does your husband take any medication or prone to fits I asked his wife? He only got out of hospital a few days ago he had been involved in a car accident and had sustained head injuries.

In the distance I could hear the siren of an ambulance. Warm wet liquid was seeping over my tights and skirt anybody got a cover I asked the gazing crowd here's he's coat his wee daughter passed it over and we discreetly wrapped it round his legs. Where am I the chap asked O my God I've wet masel don't worry I whispered no one's any the wiser your coats covering you. Right son what's happened to you let me help. I stood out of the way to let the ambulance crew get on with their work.

The interview the interview in the entire melee I had forgotten all about the reason I was at East Kilbride. Running as fast as I could I went to the pharmacy the interview was being held in, I had ten minuets to spare. Ladies toilet, first washed my hands and tried to dry of the tights and skirt with the hand dryer from there wee shower o urine. I felt sure everyone would be wondering what the new fragrance was I was wearing.

Three fifteen appointment the lady announced just as I entered the office that's me and in I went to face the questions.

Back in the car I laughed and laughed to myself when in a very posh English accent the Human Resources Manager interviewing me asked do you think you could cope well in a crisis. I never let on what had happened to me before the interview but three weeks later I was informed I had got the job.