R11: Water
Week One
I HATE MY LIFE THIS SUCKS
Funny, my coworkers are morons, the person right above me is a total swine, the plumbing on my floor’s gone dead, I got a hemorrhoid and a stomach ulcer, and my boyfriend turned out to be gay.
Oh. That sorta sucks. Sorry to hear that, I guess. I’m gonna get evicted if I don’t pay my rent in a week, and the bills are just piling up. I’m trying to hang on to more jobs than I can manage. My friends tell me to get off my habit, but what do they know? I’m trying to just keep afloat but stuff just keeps falling on me.
You guess. See what I mean? When someone says sorry, they never are. It’s just a polite thing to say. I bet you don’t even care. Well, I guess I’ll say I’m sorry to hear that. For me, stress is piling up big time. One thing after another, and it’s my neck on the line about it. The doctor put me on blood pressure meds. Plus the whole thing about the crackdown. One thing after another! Can’t the world just give me a goddamn break?
ARGGG TODAY WAS THE WORST EVER. I don’t believe it. Can’t get food, can’t get electricity. Can’t even find my dealer. I asked my pals for money but they say I need to pay them back the first time. GEEZ I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE MY LIFE!!!!!!!
Sorry, I guess.
Week Two
THIS SUCKS I GOT EVICTED NOW WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO? THIS SUCKS THIS SUCKS.
Doctor’s report came back. I need to go back for more tests. How many tests do those people want? I haven’t eaten anything in 72 hours. I need coffee. I think I’m going to faint. I’ve been pissing all day. And I still have work to do. Why doesn’t anyone see that I’m going to explode? Why doesn’t anyone seem to think I might just feel overwhelmed?
Hey, you can just live in the barracks.
That sucks. Jesus. Well, you can’t smoke Glit in the barracks. Besides, all my friends live outside the barracks. What would you do if all your friends lived outside?
For good reason. Look, get therapy or something. Get off the habit. Do you know it’s killing you? Haven’t you watched all those presentations on Don’t Do Drugs? I wonder how low you were, to get involved with Glit in the first place. You’re sitting and complaining about everything and money, but you’re not even going to try save yourself. You just keep flowing and floating downstream and complain about everything, but you don’t even try to swim.
I don’t really know anyone. It’s work and everything. I never get to talk to anyone.
Look, that’s what they all say. But I can’t get off of Glit. Can’t stop buying it. The dealer must have a fortune by now.
Hey, look who’s talking. You were just saying how much no one seems to even interact with you, but now you say it’s because you never talk to anyone!
At least I’m not a lowbum druggie.
At least I have a life! I bet no one would care if you keeled over dead from your hemorrhoid or whatever.
Hello?
HEY!
HEY!!!
Week Three
Where are you?
You’re not mad, are you? Look, sorry, I was just angry! I didn’t mean to write that. I’m sorry!
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m getting off Glit! I’m in a therapy group now, and I’m slowly doing the cutting down on Glit program! I’m going to be off Glit eventually! Swear! I’m sorry I said you didn’t have any friends!
Look, I lied. I’d care if you died from a hemorrhoid. Really, writing on this bathroom wall was… Well… I don’t know. It means a lot to me, really! I really do care. When you said, that first time, that no one really cares about anyone? That’s not true! Please write back!
I’m sorry!
Week Four
HELLO?
Sorry, I was doing constant urine tests so I never got to use this bathroom last week.
Well, that was quite a confession! Oh God I’m getting all teary-eyed now. Thank you. Thank you really, a lot. I don’t know what to say. I really don’t. Looks like you’re finally swimming!
Oh… Well, that was kind of embarrassing. I thought you were mad at me. Therapy’s going well. We went through the group and like said how we got on Glit and why we want to stop. I want to get my life back under my control. I’m gonna do it. This is why I originally joined this team- to get money for Glit, you know. But even when I’m off Glit, I’m staying.
I know you are, and I’m really glad. I’ll be cheering you on. Today I went and talked to some people. It turns out that we all were fans of Il Tornado when they were still playing! I didn’t know anyone else listened to that band.
I joined because it was the only thing I knew how to do. I couldn’t even speak English at first, but I learned. I’m here now, and I won’t ever look back.
Week Five
Hah, you find out a lot about other people when you talk to them.
Really? I can’t tell by your writing. Your English is really good. Where did you come from?
Madrid. The poor part of town. I came here on a refugee visa. A friend of a friend had connections here, and that’s how I got here.
Ouch! I’m from around here, you know. I mean, in this country. I’ve never been outside.
That’s what I like about the Team. You don’t need to leave the country to see people from every part of the world.
Yeah, you’re right. I never really noticed that. Now that you mention it, that’s why the signs come in different languages! It’s real cool. But yeah, it’s kinda tricky, because there are so many cultural differences to remember.
Tell me about it. I have to work with all of them. But it’s nice, really. This is why so many people join the Team. This is the only place that I really feel culturally accepted. Out there, in the whole wide world, there are so many people who think different is a disease.
Yeah. I guess. I’ve never really had to notice, you know.
You wouldn’t have to, I suppose. This is ‘your’ country, isn’t it? Well done, then. Hmm, but on the topic of difficulties, all my coworkers are pretty damn cultural. I’m directly dealing with a Sicilian, a Frenchman, a Japanese, and God-Knows-What. And they’re all so… You know. God, I don’t know what to do sometimes. And I can’t afford to piss any of them off by doing something they think is bad.
Week Six
Today I got Shovel Duty again. My hands hurt so bad…
Ouch! I’m lucky. I can piss off any of my coworkers. Hey, who’s the unknown person you were talking about?
…Do you know The Bitch?
HER? You have to work with her? OH MY FUCKING GOD I’m sorry. That sucks! I’ve only seen her a few times. Is she as bad as she seems?
Worse! Okay, I can rattle off so many anecdotes. But that won’t be half enough to explain just how bad she is. Let’s put it this way: compared to her, Satan has nothing on the souls of sinners!
Uh! I thought that my leader was bad. Gee, it must suck, working under the BBB.
The Big Bad Bitch, that’s right. Ugh. Thinking of her gives me constipation.
Week Seven
Hah!! I’ve seen her waddling around. You know, it sucks sometimes, when you’re stuck under a bad leader when there’s so many more decent people around. All my friends seem to get the good ones. I’m stuck with The Groper and The Grim.
Yeah. And the BBB technically isn’t even in charge of me! She’s not supposed to be able to order me around, but she can. And I can’t do anything about it. She’s horrible but she doesn’t do anything bad enough to get herself into trouble. Arg. If I could just nail her on one little thing… Those names you said sound nasty!
They’re probably saints compared to BBB. Ouch, that sucks. You know, I’m glad we use this bathroom. It’s a lot easier to talk about the upper people privately. The woman Executive, Executive Delgado, doesn’t use this crappy low-rank bathroom.
What do you mean I don’t use this bathroom? I’ve been writing to you all these weeks!
.
I HATE MY LIFE THIS SUCKS
Funny, my coworkers are morons, the person right above me is a total swine, the plumbing on my floor’s gone dead, I got a hemorrhoid and a stomach ulcer, and my boyfriend turned out to be gay.
Oh. That sorta sucks. Sorry to hear that, I guess. I’m gonna get evicted if I don’t pay my rent in a week, and the bills are just piling up. I’m trying to hang on to more jobs than I can manage. My friends tell me to get off my habit, but what do they know? I’m trying to just keep afloat but stuff just keeps falling on me.
You guess. See what I mean? When someone says sorry, they never are. It’s just a polite thing to say. I bet you don’t even care. Well, I guess I’ll say I’m sorry to hear that. For me, stress is piling up big time. One thing after another, and it’s my neck on the line about it. The doctor put me on blood pressure meds. Plus the whole thing about the crackdown. One thing after another! Can’t the world just give me a goddamn break?
ARGGG TODAY WAS THE WORST EVER. I don’t believe it. Can’t get food, can’t get electricity. Can’t even find my dealer. I asked my pals for money but they say I need to pay them back the first time. GEEZ I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE MY LIFE!!!!!!!
Sorry, I guess.
Week Two
THIS SUCKS I GOT EVICTED NOW WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO? THIS SUCKS THIS SUCKS.
Doctor’s report came back. I need to go back for more tests. How many tests do those people want? I haven’t eaten anything in 72 hours. I need coffee. I think I’m going to faint. I’ve been pissing all day. And I still have work to do. Why doesn’t anyone see that I’m going to explode? Why doesn’t anyone seem to think I might just feel overwhelmed?
Hey, you can just live in the barracks.
That sucks. Jesus. Well, you can’t smoke Glit in the barracks. Besides, all my friends live outside the barracks. What would you do if all your friends lived outside?
For good reason. Look, get therapy or something. Get off the habit. Do you know it’s killing you? Haven’t you watched all those presentations on Don’t Do Drugs? I wonder how low you were, to get involved with Glit in the first place. You’re sitting and complaining about everything and money, but you’re not even going to try save yourself. You just keep flowing and floating downstream and complain about everything, but you don’t even try to swim.
I don’t really know anyone. It’s work and everything. I never get to talk to anyone.
Look, that’s what they all say. But I can’t get off of Glit. Can’t stop buying it. The dealer must have a fortune by now.
Hey, look who’s talking. You were just saying how much no one seems to even interact with you, but now you say it’s because you never talk to anyone!
At least I’m not a lowbum druggie.
At least I have a life! I bet no one would care if you keeled over dead from your hemorrhoid or whatever.
Hello?
HEY!
HEY!!!
Week Three
Where are you?
You’re not mad, are you? Look, sorry, I was just angry! I didn’t mean to write that. I’m sorry!
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m getting off Glit! I’m in a therapy group now, and I’m slowly doing the cutting down on Glit program! I’m going to be off Glit eventually! Swear! I’m sorry I said you didn’t have any friends!
Look, I lied. I’d care if you died from a hemorrhoid. Really, writing on this bathroom wall was… Well… I don’t know. It means a lot to me, really! I really do care. When you said, that first time, that no one really cares about anyone? That’s not true! Please write back!
I’m sorry!
Week Four
HELLO?
Sorry, I was doing constant urine tests so I never got to use this bathroom last week.
Well, that was quite a confession! Oh God I’m getting all teary-eyed now. Thank you. Thank you really, a lot. I don’t know what to say. I really don’t. Looks like you’re finally swimming!
Oh… Well, that was kind of embarrassing. I thought you were mad at me. Therapy’s going well. We went through the group and like said how we got on Glit and why we want to stop. I want to get my life back under my control. I’m gonna do it. This is why I originally joined this team- to get money for Glit, you know. But even when I’m off Glit, I’m staying.
I know you are, and I’m really glad. I’ll be cheering you on. Today I went and talked to some people. It turns out that we all were fans of Il Tornado when they were still playing! I didn’t know anyone else listened to that band.
I joined because it was the only thing I knew how to do. I couldn’t even speak English at first, but I learned. I’m here now, and I won’t ever look back.
Week Five
Hah, you find out a lot about other people when you talk to them.
Really? I can’t tell by your writing. Your English is really good. Where did you come from?
Madrid. The poor part of town. I came here on a refugee visa. A friend of a friend had connections here, and that’s how I got here.
Ouch! I’m from around here, you know. I mean, in this country. I’ve never been outside.
That’s what I like about the Team. You don’t need to leave the country to see people from every part of the world.
Yeah, you’re right. I never really noticed that. Now that you mention it, that’s why the signs come in different languages! It’s real cool. But yeah, it’s kinda tricky, because there are so many cultural differences to remember.
Tell me about it. I have to work with all of them. But it’s nice, really. This is why so many people join the Team. This is the only place that I really feel culturally accepted. Out there, in the whole wide world, there are so many people who think different is a disease.
Yeah. I guess. I’ve never really had to notice, you know.
You wouldn’t have to, I suppose. This is ‘your’ country, isn’t it? Well done, then. Hmm, but on the topic of difficulties, all my coworkers are pretty damn cultural. I’m directly dealing with a Sicilian, a Frenchman, a Japanese, and God-Knows-What. And they’re all so… You know. God, I don’t know what to do sometimes. And I can’t afford to piss any of them off by doing something they think is bad.
Week Six
Today I got Shovel Duty again. My hands hurt so bad…
Ouch! I’m lucky. I can piss off any of my coworkers. Hey, who’s the unknown person you were talking about?
…Do you know The Bitch?
HER? You have to work with her? OH MY FUCKING GOD I’m sorry. That sucks! I’ve only seen her a few times. Is she as bad as she seems?
Worse! Okay, I can rattle off so many anecdotes. But that won’t be half enough to explain just how bad she is. Let’s put it this way: compared to her, Satan has nothing on the souls of sinners!
Uh! I thought that my leader was bad. Gee, it must suck, working under the BBB.
The Big Bad Bitch, that’s right. Ugh. Thinking of her gives me constipation.
Week Seven
Hah!! I’ve seen her waddling around. You know, it sucks sometimes, when you’re stuck under a bad leader when there’s so many more decent people around. All my friends seem to get the good ones. I’m stuck with The Groper and The Grim.
Yeah. And the BBB technically isn’t even in charge of me! She’s not supposed to be able to order me around, but she can. And I can’t do anything about it. She’s horrible but she doesn’t do anything bad enough to get herself into trouble. Arg. If I could just nail her on one little thing… Those names you said sound nasty!
They’re probably saints compared to BBB. Ouch, that sucks. You know, I’m glad we use this bathroom. It’s a lot easier to talk about the upper people privately. The woman Executive, Executive Delgado, doesn’t use this crappy low-rank bathroom.
What do you mean I don’t use this bathroom? I’ve been writing to you all these weeks!
.