Aaron's Summer of '77

Chapter Fifteen -- The Chicken or the Egg

The first month or two of living together has brought with it a series of challenges wherein compromise, patience, humor and understanding for both Adam and I have been tested at times to the limit. Adam has been used to being on his own for more than five years and I know there have been times when I have frustrated him with my own habits and quirks. He has tried so hard not to distract me with my schoolwork and I have to admit, I'm happy when he comes over to the school to meet my classmates and check on what I'm doing.

"Jeez' baby... what's Gordon got you working on there now?"

"Hi Adam! I'm just testing out some line weights on these mechanical pens you got me for Christmas. They're really a beautiful set of drafting tools. He wants us to do an axonometric drawing in ink of our student workspaces from last term. I think it's looking not too bad. What do you think?"

"Well honey, I think it looks like it could jump right off the page at ya'. I'm thinking the thicker lines on the outside edges make it look like you can reach down and put your hands around it and pick it up."

"That's the idea, Adam. They give it dimension and that's what Gordon taught us in his last class."

"So what else have they gotcha' workin' on right now, baby?"

"Well... Alan gave us kind of a fun assignment, actually. I have to team up with Eleanor to come up with something that Alan says is more like Industrial Design... a team project to stretch our creative limits and make us think outside the box. We are to design a package or protective cage to hold an egg that has to withstand a drop from a second floor window without breaking the egg. Isn't that insane?"

"What the fuck does that have to do with Interior Design, Aaron?"

"Nothing really, sasq. It's just something to make us learn how to work together to think analytically and come up with a workable solution to a problem. If the egg survives the fall, we pass. If it doesn't, we fail. I think the whole idea is kind of neat!"

"OK... I get it," Adam laughs and then asks, "So whatcha' got in mind for that one?"

"Not sure just yet... Eleanor said she had some ideas. But I haven't talked with her yet about them."

"Are you gonna' be done here soon, cookie? I thought I'd walk with you back home for dinner soon. I made some spicy chili up for us in a crock pot and picked up some French bread at the IGA. Thought we could have some of that and then head out onto the Canal again to skate down to Dow's Lake to see the ice sculptures. The fresh air will be good for you. Whatdaya' say?"

"Give me five minutes to pack up and we can head out then..."

"Gimmee your hand and let me spin you around, Adam!"

"Just don't dump me into a crack in the ice, honey!"

"Ohhh... you mean like the last time you did that to me?" I laugh and then start to skate away.

"Ottawa is beautiful this time of year when it isn't a hundred degrees below zero, isn't it Aaron?"

"Sure is, Adam. These ice sculptures are incredible. The only time I ever saw anything even close to this before was in Kingston at Queen's University. But the ones there are nothing compared to these! The colored lights on them and the work and skill carving the ice is just amazing. And we can just skate right up to them and around them. That one there with the Star Wars theme... there's one thing missing though on that big wookiee sculpture! They should have used 'you' for a model."

"An eight inch icicle hangin' down from it's crotch woulda' freaked people out, cookie. Besides, that's reserved just for you, baby. Speaking of which, my nuts are startin' to shrivel up with the wind blowing across the lake. Whatdaya' say we head on home and you can blow some hot air on them and see if we can thaw them out before the spring thaw? Sound like a plan to you, honey?"

"The eight inch icicle would be either poking out or sticking straight up if it was modeled on yours, Adam! And yes... heading home where it's warm is a damned good plan there, you handsome, hairy sasquatch!"

"I meant to tell you earlier, Aaron, I got a call this morning from the Department of Health and Welfare from that contact Mrs. Fullerton knows. They want me to come in next week for an interview for a job they have coming up at the end of March. Apparently, that's the start of what they call the government fiscal new year when they get their operating budgets. The job they are thinking of for me deals with procurement of prescription drugs for senior citizens and they would want me to study French to become bilingual if I qualify for the job. I'm kinda' nervous about that, baby."

"Gee, you could do me in both official languages. Your French kissing already gets me off, Adam!"

"Very funny, Aaron... but, do ya' think I could actually learn a second language? I haven't been in school in years and I hafta' admit the idea scares me a little."

"Adam... you're already losing some of that Brockville accent and I'll bet you didn't even notice it. You adapt well and are not afraid of change. You're smart. You're determined. And you're just too sexy for words! You'll do just fine, I have no doubt of that at all. Just don't get too sophisticated for me because I love you just the way you are now."

"I love you too, honey. Now come closer to finish warming up my furry pube bush 'cause it needs your hot lips and tongue down there... like right now!"

After the initial phase of adjustment and getting used to the concept of sharing space and living together, I must admit it really didn't take that long to learn and accept each other's unique habits and foibles. He has his eccentricities, like having to fold towels a certain way and being right-handed, putting dishes away exactly the opposite to the way I would have. Little things like that can make living in a small apartment very challenging. The fact that we are together and approach life with a sense of humor and patience most of the time make habits like that seem very minor in the overall scheme of things.

I think some of my favorite times with Adam now are when I head down to the LE to meet him after my classes, only to find him sitting there in Pick's Place, looking so masculine wearing his tweed sport coat and reading the Ottawa Citizen while waiting patiently for me. Early in the evenings, he gets the chance to say hi to John and André and sometimes his friend Ronnie from Merrickville pops in to catch up with him before Ronnie's shift starts over at Sacs.

"You look so good Adam. Do you remember telling me once to relax and just be myself and everything would turn out OK?"

"Yeah... honey, I do. And thanks. Hafta' admit... I'm nervous. But, I'll do my best and we'll see what happens."

The day of Adam's interview with a Mrs. Andrea Gauthier from the Department of Health and Welfare starts with me heading off to class for 9:00

am

and him heading down Elgin Street to meet her at her office on the Sparks Street Mall. His interview is for 10:00

am

.

"Do come in, Mr. Blanchard. Very nice to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you already from Mrs. Fullerton. Did you know that I used to work for her husband years ago before I married and was still living back in Brockville?"

"No. Mrs. Fullerton never told me that, Mrs. Gauthier."

"He gave me my first job out of high school and I'll always be grateful to both he and Mrs. Fullerton for the start they gave me back then. Now, I want you to relax and my co-worker and I have just a few questions for you, which shouldn't be too difficult for you to answer. There is one question in particular however that will comprise most of the grading we are obligated to do for this position, given that it is a supervisory management role with staff reporting to you and you in turn, reporting to senior management. But we'll get down to the questions in a few minutes. Tell me, how are you enjoying Ottawa now that you have moved up here permanently?"

"Well ma'am, to tell you the truth, I haven't had much chance yet to get out to really see the city. I've been up here often before when I was back in Brockville. But, outside of skating on the Canal and getting myself settled into an apartment on Argyle Avenue, it's been busy for me. I'm looking forward to getting to really know the city though. It's beautiful and I'm excited to be given the opportunity to grow and experience all it has to offer."

"Very good. May I call you Adam?"

"Yes, please do."

"OK, Adam. We have four questions for you and have already gone over your resume and the letter of recommendation Mrs. Fullerton wrote on your behalf. Just relax and take your time to answer these questions to the best of your ability. The first question is really more of a formality and needed for the official record. Are you willing to undergo Federal Government training at the government's expense in order to become officially bilingual in order to meet the requirements of the position we would be offering to you?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

Mrs. Gauthier's co-worker poses the next question. "This is an important question, Mr. Blanchard. It involves a scenario wherein you are about the enter a boardroom to discuss important finance issues with another government department. Your hand is on the door knob leading into a boardroom where you are to meet with them and where they are sitting waiting for you, along with one of the employees who report to you. This employee was responsible to provide you with critical information for this meeting and as you are about the step into the room, they confess to you that they haven't done the required work and as such, you are now in the position of having to explain this to those waiting inside the room. What do you do?"

Adam shifts a bit in his seat and starts to think about how he is going to answer this question.

"That is a great question. I think this comes down to responsibility and accountability. First off, I'd be completely honest with the people I'm to meet. I'd apologise and tell them that unfortunately, we don't have all the information necessary to conduct the meeting. I'd then suggest a follow-up time and place to meet again as soon as possible, at their office with the assurance I'd have all required facts and information at that time. I'd take full responsibility myself as a supervisor for not being prepared and ask for their patience and understanding and hopefully then adjourn the meeting."

Is there more you would like to add to that...?"

Adam hesitates for a moment and then adds, "Ummm... yes there is. If I were a supervisor in this position, I'd have to ask myself how I let this happen. Did I not meet enough with this employee beforehand to gain an oversight into the progress they were making with their work? I'd sit down with this employee and ask them if I could have helped them more. Did they feel my request was too difficult for them? Did they need assistance or more time to do what I asked them to do? Were they afraid to come to me to ask for help or tell me they didn't understand what I was asking them to do? In other words, what could I have done to prevent this from happening? I'd want to hear anything they have to say to me so I could help them in their job... and in mine too, for that matter to avoid anything like this from happening again."

Anything more...?"

"Yes... I'd make sure I have everything down in writing on the chance my boss might get a call about this and let them know right away what had happened. I wouldn't want them to be blindsided if someone from the other government department complained about the waste of time and effort."

"That's fine Mr. Blanchard. Would you like to add any more to that or are you satisfied with that answer?"

"Maybe just one more thing. After I'd done all the above, maybe I'd meet informally with anther supervisor over coffee to ask them how they would have dealt with a situation like this and were there any suggestions they could make to me that would help me to make sure something like this didn't happen again."

"Thank you Mr. Blanchard."

The focus shifts back to Mrs. Gauthier who is openly smiling at Adam as she asks, "Adam, are you willing to undergo a security screening process at government expense in order to meet the requirements of this position?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

And then the final question, "The position will be available on a permanent full-time basis starting after March 31

st

which is the new Federal Government fiscal year. Would you be ready to start as of that date, should you be the successful candidate for the position?"

"Yes, I would be ready."

"Excellent! Well that concludes the interview Mr. Blanchard. We have a number of applicants still to interview. However, we will get back to you within the next month as to our decision. Thank you so much for your time. Do you have any questions for us regarding the position?"

"Maybe a couple... yes. How many people would I be responsible for as a supervisor with this job?"

"At the moment, there are 3 employees reporting to this supervisor position, although the number may increase to 5 if our budget is approved in the new year."

"Uh... how big a budget would I be responsible for? And would I be working with the public or only with inside government staff?"

"A supervisor in this role would only be responsible for the staffing budget for their employees and any extra people like special consultants on an as-need basis. And yes, there may be times when this supervisor may have to meet with the public along with senior management, although that would depend upon the circumstances. So, do you have any more questions, Adam?"

"No ma'am. Thank you for this opportunity."

"We won't take long to get back to you, Adam," says Mrs. Gauthier, as she gets up to walk with Adam to the elevator.

Once Adam has left the office, Mrs. Gauthier and her co-worker sit down to discuss and review the interview questions. "Well, I have to admit, that was the best answer we've received so far regarding that scenario challenge. He seemed to think of it from all aspects and checked off every box on what we were looking for with his answer."

"Oh come on, Hilary! He's perfect for the job and wouldn't it be nice to see that smiling face, those hazel eyes and that cute butt in the office every day?"

"Don't think I didn't notice, Andrea! But that stays just between you and me and these four walls, OK?"

Both woman leave the boardroom chuckling to head off for mid-morning coffee together.

Later that afternoon, I cut one of my classes short to meet Adam at the LE for a beer and then out for dinner at the Ponderosa.

"Hey Aaron... you're here early. Did you skip a class for me, babe?"

"Uhhhh... yeah I did, sorta'. I kept thinking about you all day and my class this afternoon was with Camilla and it was only for a crit' so I left early. She didn't mind."

"OK... but dontcha' be making a habit of that, cookie. My interview went just fine. They asked me one question I really had to think about. The rest of them were not even questions... more like, would I take language training and would I be ready to start work at the end of March and stuff like that. That one question really made me think though. And I kinda' owe you a thanks for helping me with it too. Do ya' remember when you had to do that assignment for 'Lynda Birdbrain' and you did the assignment for architecture based on following the hands of a clock?"

"Ummm... yeah I do, Adam."

"Well that sorta' helped me to answer the question. I remembered that damn clock when they asked me what I would do and I worked it out step by step and think I covered a full circle of what I would do and who I would speak to. I started with one and ended up at twelve with me in the middle of the clock and I think I did pretty good with my answer. They're gonna' let me know in a few weeks time. Until then, I guess we wait."

"Well, I wished you good luck this morning. Can't hurt to say it again."

"Thanks honey. I appreciate that. Now let's finish our beer and then we can head over to have somethin' to eat and head on home after that. Are you OK with that, babe?"

"Home... you really feel at home with me, Adam?"

"Sure do, Aaron," Adam replies with a grin, as he reaches under the table to squeeze my thigh.

"Hi Dad. I'm glad you called. How are Mom and Blackjack doing?"

"Hello Aaron. We're all fine here. We know you've been busy and didn't want to interfere with your studies. But, it's been a few weeks and I wanted to touch base with you to find out how you and Adam are managing and how you are making out with your assignments. Are you keeping up-to-date with everything and how is Adam making out with the job search?"

"Well, Dad... actually he had his interview with the Department of Health and Welfare just today as a matter of fact. He told me he thinks he did pretty well too. He'll know in a few weeks and I'll let you know once he hears back from them."

"And your not getting behind with any of your classwork, I hope."

"No Dad. Adam is making sure I stay up-to-date. It's all good."

"Good. Glad to hear that, son. Ummm... I did have another reason to call you other than to say hello. I promised you I would let you know about that Alan Abelson you were in school with last year. His Father and Mother finally brought him into Elmgrove last week for rehab. I made it my business to meet with them personally when they came to the hospital to have him admitted. His Mother is very worried about him. Apparently, he somehow managed to involve her in some illegal drug-related smuggling business overseas and she was beside herself when she discovered what he was doing. He is one spoiled and self-centred young man, Aaron. His father is angry with him for damaging his reputation within External affairs and for using his Mother and their diplomatic channels to have drugs brought into the country. It's one big mess for them all to sort out and I understand that the RCMP and the Department of External Affairs are doing a full internal investigative review of it all now. I'm so relieved you didn't get yourself mixed up in any of that, son."

"I never really felt comfortable around him, Dad. There was just something not quite right about the way he behaved and tried to make other people feel like they were beneath him. I guess now that I think about it, he was trying to cover up his own insecurities and fears. Ummm... you do know he's gay, don't you Dad?"

"Yes Aaron, I do. As well, his Mother mentioned to me that they are trying to sub-let his apartment up there. Alan told her I was your Father and she told me to say thank you for being a friend to him in school and letting me know they were putting him into Elmgrove. She is shaken up badly over this whole episode and I fear she may need some counselling herself in order to get through this with her son. She asked me if you and Adam would consider taking over Alan's apartment."

"Wow, Dad! I don't know what to say to you about that. I have to stay here until at least the end of the semester to finish the lease on this place. And I'd have to talk to Adam about it too."

"I explained to her about the lease on your apartment there and she said that she would cover the cost of the outstanding rent on it until your lease expires, if you would take over and pay the rent on the place they rented for Alan."

"How much is the rent, Dad?"

"She said it was $385.00 a month and that they wouldn't be wanting back any of the light fixtures and carpets and such they put in there to fix the place up for him. Also, if you wanted any of the artwork or dishes or anything like that, you could have them. They only want to keep the antique furniture and will probably auction all of it off up there."

"I'd really have to talk to Adam about this. When does she need to hear back about it?"