The Fresh Arrival

Your duties also include cleaning the office, the receptionist says, leaning back in her swivel chair. And what, youre an accountant? If you dont like it, hand back your contract and be gone. Youre new here, so youll have to bite the bullet. Thank you for giving us someone with no experience for this role and that salary!

The receptionist eyes the newcomer with a triumphant smile. She wont last long.

How often do I have to clean? Emily asks quietly.

Ill explain everything, the receptionist replies, flashing a grin. Come on, Ill show you your desk and introduce you to the team.

Emily follows the tall woman hesitantly. The woman pushes through to the next room and opens the door. A huge open-plan floor is divided into tiny cubicles, each occupied by someone.

Ladies, this is Emily, our new recruit. New girl, meet the team! the receptionist announces.

Ten pairs of eyes flick to Emily. A heavy silence hangs in the air, and Emily forces a smile so she doesnt look too frightened, then greets the group. The women whisper among themselves.

How wonderful it is to have a fresh face, one says. We havent had anyone tidy up in ages.

Thats great, another adds, except shell sit right next to me. Ill have to listen to her keyboard clacking, her humming, maybe even her sobbing.

Fine then, a third chimes in, youve finally stepped out of your comfort zone.

And we used to hear only your whines, a fourth remarks, now youll be on our side of the desk.

Everyone, lower your voices, okay? the receptionist smiles. Heres your workstation, Emily, tucked in the corner. On the computer youll find a folder called Guidelines and Tasks. Read, learn, memorise. Barbara, the redhaired firecracker, will help you. If you have questions, go straight to her. Got it?

Emily nods. The receptionist leaves. The women slide back to their screens. Barbara eyes Emily over the rim of her monitor.

You look like my younger sister, newcomer, Barbara says smugly. Thatll give you a good start in my eyes. Dont make any stupid or rude mistakes, and well get along Alright, Emily, start work. Ill drop by at lunch to answer any questions. Until then, dont get distracted, agreed?

Emily settles into her chair and surveys the desk. A small table holds paper trays, a cup of pens and highlighters, a monitor, a mouse pad, and a mouse. On the floor sits a waste bin and a pot with a huge, ancient, wilted aloe plant. It reminds Emily of her grandmothers kitchen, where she used to grow aloeveras and suck the juice from their fleshy leaves.

An aloe pharmacy, Emily whispers, but why does nobody look after it? Itll die for sure.

She adjusts her seat, looks around again. Everyone is engrossed in their own work; none of them have time for Emily. Fingers tap keyboards, calculators click, pens scribble on notepads, and occasional soft sighs escape when numbers dont add up.

Emily isnt thrilled. She just finished university and has no experience, yet this firm offers a solid stepping stone for a budding accountant. The company provides accounting services to a range of clients, so shell gain valuable exposure quickly, and the pay£28,000 a yearis generous for a fresh graduate.

She cant wait for the break. Barbara swings by and spends the next forty minutes answering Emilys questions.

Everythings okay? My brains about to explode. Lets have a breather, Barbara finally says, slumping back in her chair. By the way, that palm over there

Its an aloe, Emily corrects.

Yes, aloe. I know it! Barbara rolls her eyes. Its a relic from our great patron of numbers, spreadsheets, and balance sheetsVera Palmer. She was topnotch, handled big clients, and left a legacy that still haunts the tax department. When her name appeared on reports, accountants wept. Too bad she retired; we could still learn a lot from her.

Are you taking her place? Emily asks softly.

No, Im not. Shes older than me and has more experience than my years, Barbara replies. Shes gone now, so we held a little office party and gave her a gift. She left us this wonderful plant. Girls, look after the aloe, she said. Water it, love it. And then nothing. Who needed it? No one watches it. Its just a ugly palm that Vera didnt want to take home, so she left it here. Now you decidetrash it or keep it on your desk. Thats all, newcomer, get back to work!

Emily looks at the twisted stalk, a plant thats probably a decade old, maybe more. How long does a centuryold aloe live anyway?

Shes been at the job for almost a month now, often arriving an hour early twice a week to tidy the officemopping the floor in the shared area, cleaning the reception, and even scrubbing the directors office. It consumes time and energy, leaving her exhausted before the day even begins. Yet the high salary makes the extra cleaning seem part of the deal.

Emily pushes herself hard, hoping that if she proves herself a valuable accountant and reliable employee, the extra cleaning duties will disappear. She stays late, trying to master the intricacies of her role, but as a recent graduate with a bright red diploma, she lacks realworld client practice, so progress is slow. Still, she stays optimistic, believing shell manage.

Then a autumn cold snaps her out of rhythm. Her head throbs, her throat burns. She cant dash to the pharmacy before her shift because she must clean the office first. The lunch break feels far away, and red error lights flash on her screen, making work impossible.

She glances at the drooping aloe, hoping it might help, but her hands cant reach it.

My grandmother used that stuff for everything. Maybe itll help me, she says, snapping off a fleshy leaf and popping it into her mouth.

Chewing the tough pulp slowly eases the pain, and after half an hour she feels better.

Seriously? You did all that? Barbara eyes the documents skeptically. No mistakes, everythings correct. Well done, newcomer!

Barbara hands Emily a fresh batch of tasks and returns to her desk. Emily barely notices shes taken on extra work. Impressed by her productivity, she calls Barbara over for a check.

I dont get it, how did you crunch those tables so fast, Emily?

Look, if we compare these figures, Emily begins, describing a trick shes learned online.

Barbara watches, halfamazed, halfjealous. Did you hire a tutor? she asks.

Got it, youre brilliant, Barbara says, pursing her lips. Ill give you a tough assignment Ive been wrestling with all morning. Maybe you can crack it.

Barbara is sure Emily will stumble.

Emily pores over the task. Her throat still aches, so she bites another aloe leaf.

Barbara, Im done. Check it, she says, smiling toward the end of the day.

The other women rise from their seats, shocked that the newcomer might have outpaced Barbara. Barbara snatches the mouse from Emilys hand and scans the spreadsheet.

How did you do that?

Im a good accountant, even if Im young. I just thought it through and applied the method, Emily replies.

Hold on! Im a good accountant. Were all good accountants. Youre just the young one. Explain what you did, Barbara snaps, redfaced.

At that moment the receptionist bursts in.

Ladies, Vera Palmer will be in tomorrow. She has a meeting with the director and promised to swing by. If you need advice or help, get your questions ready.

Prepare your questions, Barbara hisses, glancing at Emily.

Emily has no idea what to ask. She feels she knows everything, yet her mind floods with possible topics. She looks around; the women fidget with papers, whisper, and argue, each hoping Vera will spend more time with them. Theyll need something interesting to catch her attention.

The next morning is equally hectic. Barbara leads the team in prepping for Veras visit, while the urgent tasks pile onto Emilys desk. She finishes them, then moves on to the next ones, chewing aloe leaf after leaf. Shes so absorbed that she doesnt notice the longawaited guest entering.

Is this the new girl? a voice asks behind her.

Good afternoon, Emily replies softly, popping another aloe segment into her mouth.

Vera Palmer, a tall, wiry woman with a neat bun and spectacles perched on the tip of her long nose, adjusts her glasses and surveys Emilys monitor and the wilted plant.

Sorry, I didnt prepare any questions. Ive been swamped, she says.

Fine. Im not here to hand out advice. Im retired. No masterclass today, girls. Dont bother me with your queries. Lets just chat.

During the break, Emily finally heads to the staff kitchen for a proper lunch. As shes about to sit down, Vera calls her over.

Sit with me, lets have a chat. Hows the work treating you? I saw what you did todaypretty good. Youre sharp. Lots of experience?

No Ive only been here a month. I love accounting, and Im getting better each day, Emily mutters.

And youve been looking after my aloe, right? Chewing it? Tasty? Vera laughs.

My throat was sore. I tried it, and it helped, Emily admits.

Then your work must have taken off, huh? That aloes magical, isnt it?

Magical? Emily frowns.

She did feel a sudden lift after the aloe juice, though she cant be sure it was anything more than a placebo.

Performanceenhancing, right? Im glad my gift helped you. If the girls were quicker, theyd have a wonderful remedy on their hands, Vera says.

I dont get what youre talking about, Emily says, puzzled.

You havent heard the legend of the Century Plant? A powerful wizarddoctor once wandered a desert, dying of thirst. He found a massive tree with thick, fleshy leaves and drank its sap. After nine leaves, he was restored, feeling young again. The tree gave him its healing power, but its leaves twisted as a price. The wizard planted a few shoots back in his village, extending the plants magic.

So its about healing, not accounting, Emily notes.

I know, but the principle works the same. Instead of a wizard, we have an accountant; instead of a desert, we have retirement. When I started out, a stern woman trained me, her eyes burning me out. She left for a sanatorium, and I, by chance, chewed the aloe on my windowsill. Thats how I became a topnotch specialist. She passed the plant to me when she retired, and Ive taken it through several firms. Now its yours. Its probably a hundredyearold plant. Amazing, isnt it?

Why didnt you answer the girls questions earlier? Emily asks.

Im just a regular employee, nothing remarkable, Vera replies.

Isnt that unfair?

Who cares about fairness? It doesnt hurt the clients, does it? Not you, either.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Vera leaves and Emily returns to her desk, diving back into work. Day by day she takes on new, tougher assignments.

A month later Emily no longer scrubs the floors. She handles the most demanding clients, solving complex problems with a click of the mouse.

It feels like Im just drawing lines all day, no growth, she sighs. Whats the point?

After several more months, Emily submits her resignation.

Why are you leaving? You have top clients. Youre at the peak! Barbara exclaims, secretly happy that Emilys departure will free up the spotlight again.

Im moving to another borough. The commute is easier, Emily lies, packing her things.

Youre crazy, newcomer! Leaving everything behind? Youll have to start from scratch, prove youre a superspecialist again, Barbara jokes.

Itll be fine. Youre not sick, are you? Emily asks, noticing Barbaras sniffles.

A bit of a cold, Barbara admits.

Need some aloe? Chew a leaf, itll help.

Youre not serious? You leave this ugly palm for us and suggest we use it as medicine!

Try it, youll love it, Emily says, winking, and bites off a succulent leaf.