Interview/Visit with Grandparents/Family History
I had (emphasis on had) an interview aligned for today with the same company I'd interviewed with before. So, yesterday my Mom bought me two really nice shirts, a pair of trouser socks, and a real bra (I usually wear sports bras because I find them more comfy). I felt sooooooooo (insert a billion more o's) guilty. I mean it came up to over seventy dollars. That just lets me know that if I ever win the lottery or my books sell big (I can hope, wish, and dream right?) I will always be aware of the price and will still have mini-heart attacks when buying something expensive.
Anyway back to the interview. Grandpa picked me up and I arrived a respectable five minutes beforehand to make sure I was on time. I get there and am asked to wait in the break room. Five minutes or so pass and this woman comes in to conduct the interview. I'm feeling poised, polished and confident (which is rare for me) and I'm ready to bring out the big guns and land the job. I realize that she and I had met at my cousin Angela's baby shower so I mention it and she does one of those blinking recognition things and then she said, "Oh yes, Now I remember! Amanda, Right?" I had to correct her "Close, it's Amber." Then she asked "Are you related to Angela?" and I said "Yes, she and I are cousins." After I said that I was informed that they don't hire family members. Then she called me Amanda again (I didn't correct her the second time) and that was it.
I was so crushed and dejected. I mean it isn't very often when I'm able to feel confident and ready to face the world. I guess it just wasn't meant to be and I'll just have to keep looking. I went home with Grandpa and spent the afternoon visiting with Grandma while Grandpa worked on digging a hole for the pond they're going to set up. Grandma and I had a good time chatting with each other. We talked about her mom (Grandma Jones) and about how when Grandma was growing up she didn't have much. She told of how Grandma Jones sister and her family would always come over to eat because her sister didn't like to cook. She spoke of how her cousins' parents would give her cousins money to buy candy and how she and her siblings would hang around hoping they would share only to occasionally be given really tiny pieces of candy. She told of how my Great-Grandma started doing the laundry for this family to help them out and how they never offered to pay her. I was told how this same family moved and gave my Great-Grandma a living room set and then later wanted her to pay for it (IMO they should have given to her since she did all that back breaking work for them and never complained or asked for a dime). Grandma Jones couldn't afford it so she sent it back. Pretty soon my Grandma and her siblings (I can't remember which) were old enough to get jobs so they got Grandma Jones a living room set and started to pay it off. Grandma Jones eventually had to take over the payments for it because Grandma and her brother (or whomever) couldn't afford the payments after awhile, but at least they made the effort to do something nice.
I was also told of how my Grandma was sick all the time and how when she was younger she had a bad case of the flu. She'd been too weak to walk and her Uncle had to carry her to the doctor where she was given a shot. She mentioned that back then shots were basically 'it'll cure you or kill you'.
Grandma also mention her first cousin (Grandma Jones' niece and my third cousin) Roewena. She told of how Roewena had all these problems, but she never complained and always had a smile on her face. Roewena would always tell Grandma Jones how lucky she was to have family. Roewena's family had all died and she'd never had kids. I was told a story of how one day she'd been expecting somebody to fix the hand pump to her well. The guy was a friend of somebody she knew, but she'd never seen his face. So when this guy comes to the door she assumes it's him and thinks nothing of getting him a glass of water. She turns her back and he steps inside and so does this woman (who'd been hiding around the corner). The woman had carpet samples and while the woman was making a sales pitch the guy found Roewena's purse and snatched it. My Grandma and Grandpa would go and visit her. I imagine she had to be rather lonely. One day Grandma saw this tiny outfit (Roewena was a tiny person; even more so after she fell ill) and bought it because it would be perfect for Roewena. Grandma drops it off and only stays for a little bit because the cleaning lady was there and Grandma didn't want to get in the way. She told me she remembered saying she'd stop by and visit in a few days. She never got the chance because two days later Roewena was dead. Grandma said she felt bad that she died alone, but that Roewena must have known she was going to die because after years of keeping all doors and windows locked tight she unlocked the front door on the day she died and laid herself on her couch. It was as if she wanted to make sure that somebody found her body. Somehow she knew that that day would be her last on earth and she wanted to give people an easy way into the house. We're never alone when we die, so perhaps she was instructed by whomever came to get her to leave the door unlocked.
I also had a brunch of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, and asparagus with Grandpa and Grandma. It was one of the best pork chop meals I have ever had. Yum.
Anyway back to the interview. Grandpa picked me up and I arrived a respectable five minutes beforehand to make sure I was on time. I get there and am asked to wait in the break room. Five minutes or so pass and this woman comes in to conduct the interview. I'm feeling poised, polished and confident (which is rare for me) and I'm ready to bring out the big guns and land the job. I realize that she and I had met at my cousin Angela's baby shower so I mention it and she does one of those blinking recognition things and then she said, "Oh yes, Now I remember! Amanda, Right?" I had to correct her "Close, it's Amber." Then she asked "Are you related to Angela?" and I said "Yes, she and I are cousins." After I said that I was informed that they don't hire family members. Then she called me Amanda again (I didn't correct her the second time) and that was it.
I was so crushed and dejected. I mean it isn't very often when I'm able to feel confident and ready to face the world. I guess it just wasn't meant to be and I'll just have to keep looking. I went home with Grandpa and spent the afternoon visiting with Grandma while Grandpa worked on digging a hole for the pond they're going to set up. Grandma and I had a good time chatting with each other. We talked about her mom (Grandma Jones) and about how when Grandma was growing up she didn't have much. She told of how Grandma Jones sister and her family would always come over to eat because her sister didn't like to cook. She spoke of how her cousins' parents would give her cousins money to buy candy and how she and her siblings would hang around hoping they would share only to occasionally be given really tiny pieces of candy. She told of how my Great-Grandma started doing the laundry for this family to help them out and how they never offered to pay her. I was told how this same family moved and gave my Great-Grandma a living room set and then later wanted her to pay for it (IMO they should have given to her since she did all that back breaking work for them and never complained or asked for a dime). Grandma Jones couldn't afford it so she sent it back. Pretty soon my Grandma and her siblings (I can't remember which) were old enough to get jobs so they got Grandma Jones a living room set and started to pay it off. Grandma Jones eventually had to take over the payments for it because Grandma and her brother (or whomever) couldn't afford the payments after awhile, but at least they made the effort to do something nice.
I was also told of how my Grandma was sick all the time and how when she was younger she had a bad case of the flu. She'd been too weak to walk and her Uncle had to carry her to the doctor where she was given a shot. She mentioned that back then shots were basically 'it'll cure you or kill you'.
Grandma also mention her first cousin (Grandma Jones' niece and my third cousin) Roewena. She told of how Roewena had all these problems, but she never complained and always had a smile on her face. Roewena would always tell Grandma Jones how lucky she was to have family. Roewena's family had all died and she'd never had kids. I was told a story of how one day she'd been expecting somebody to fix the hand pump to her well. The guy was a friend of somebody she knew, but she'd never seen his face. So when this guy comes to the door she assumes it's him and thinks nothing of getting him a glass of water. She turns her back and he steps inside and so does this woman (who'd been hiding around the corner). The woman had carpet samples and while the woman was making a sales pitch the guy found Roewena's purse and snatched it. My Grandma and Grandpa would go and visit her. I imagine she had to be rather lonely. One day Grandma saw this tiny outfit (Roewena was a tiny person; even more so after she fell ill) and bought it because it would be perfect for Roewena. Grandma drops it off and only stays for a little bit because the cleaning lady was there and Grandma didn't want to get in the way. She told me she remembered saying she'd stop by and visit in a few days. She never got the chance because two days later Roewena was dead. Grandma said she felt bad that she died alone, but that Roewena must have known she was going to die because after years of keeping all doors and windows locked tight she unlocked the front door on the day she died and laid herself on her couch. It was as if she wanted to make sure that somebody found her body. Somehow she knew that that day would be her last on earth and she wanted to give people an easy way into the house. We're never alone when we die, so perhaps she was instructed by whomever came to get her to leave the door unlocked.
I also had a brunch of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, and asparagus with Grandpa and Grandma. It was one of the best pork chop meals I have ever had. Yum.