She Went There

Nurse Ratched put on a show yesterday and brought ME into her act.

I did try not to participate in the play, but she found a way to give me a role yet and still.

In the office yesterday, working with the new Assistant Manager who came on a few months ago, I was signing recertification paperwork.

I don’t know if all senior apartment building have to go through this process. I’ve lived in three, but only the last two have gone “income restricted” required recertification paperwork to verify eligibility. I’m over the income limit, but was fortunate enough to be grandfathered in prior to the conversion in both instances; in which case, I don’t understand why I have to go through the process yet and still, but so be it.

At any rate, the new female Big Boss from Corporate was over in the corner doing something, I was seated at the desk, across from the Assistant Manager, when along comes Nurse Ratched.

In an attempt to demonstrate to the Big Boss what a wonderful friendly person she is, Nurse Ratched paused by my side and greeted me … “Hello, how are you?”

I pretended to be so engrossed in the paperwork that I did not hear her, so she stood there for a second, then moved on.

Unfortunately, Nurse Ratched walked by again, just as paperwork was finishing up, stopped directly in front of me and said, “I haven’t seen you around for a while. Where have you been?”

Those are the most words she’s said to me in the entire four years I’ve lived here.

Year 1, when her management company took over, I’d wave, she’d look down her nose and ignore me.

The remainder of Year 1, I no longer waved. She ignored me, I ignored her.

Year 2 through Year 3, she ignored me, I ignored her.

It’s just been this year, after her protector – the former male Big Boss was let go, that she began making an effort to prove to Corporate she’s much nicer than residents make her out to be that she began passing me, looking me in the eye, and sometimes saying hello.

No lie … the first time she acknowledged my existence scared me.

Right away, I started thinking “Oh, oh. What’s going on? What’s she up to?”

So there I was yesterday, with the Assistant Manager and Big Boss in the room trapped into playing a role in Nurse Ratched’s performance … “I haven’t seen you around for a while. Where have you been?”

I froze.

Couldn’t even think.

Which is probably a good thing because, had I time to think, I might have called her out on pretending to be friendly because her boss was looking on.

I can be blunt like that, and usually am ... having once told a woman, "I don't want to play this game with you."

This time, when I unfroze, what came out was, “I’ve been round”.

I can’t tell you what was said or done after that because I went blank.

It’s been bothering me since that I allowed her to use me.