August 2012. Deska Global’s offices in Fethiye
BLOG 81 Confrontation
OH is bewildered and asks “Why are we here?”
“To get the electricity turned back on.”
“But there’s a power cut – how can they fix it?”
“They will,” I say grimly as I march up the steps to the entrance of their glamorous office building (and he tries to keep up using his walking stick – since the op, he can’t stride along as he used to).
“Wait! “he cries, but I can’t wait – we must strike while the iron is hot.
“What are you going to do?” I can hear the alarm in his voice. At this point, I stop:
“Whatever I do or say, you mustn’t worry. Say nothing, or back me up – but please do not worry about me – or about anything!” Unfortunately this seems to make him more alarmed.
“But –“
By now we’re in reception but at the moment, unusually, there’s no one manning the desk so we go up the few steps to the main offices, the offices of K, S, the new general manager, E, the sales and admin staff – and the boardroom. I can hear the odd telephone ringing and the murmur of voices behind closed doors.
“I want to see K RIGHT NOW! We have a big problem with our villa!” This I say in the loudest voice, verging on a shout. Magically all the doors open at once and an array of startled faces look out. Some I recognize.
C, S and K’s secretary rushes out, her face flushed.
“Please! You can’t come now! S and K are in conference!”
“WE ARE NOT GOING!” I shout, “NOT UNTIL OUR ELECTRICITY IS TURNED BACK ON! AND WE WANT OUR TAPU!”
She is trying to usher us to a small side room, but we are staying put. OH appears as shocked as she is. He did not expect this behaviour from his normally fairly sedate wife.
“Please, please. . .” she whispers “we have important clients here”
“Are these people really going to buy villas from you?” I practically yell.
At this point, K himself comes striding out of the boardroom. He is clearly angry. C, the secretary beats a fast retreat back into her office, quickly closing her door.
K, red with anger: “You have not made an appointment. Please go! “
By now, I’ve allowed myself to get really het up. I’ve had enough – enough of their pretension, enough of their prevarication, enough of the problems and niggles with the lack of completion – the fact that we made a needless visit a few months ago, enough of their lies.
“You’ve cut off our electricity. My husband is elderly and ill – my family and grandchildren are here – we can’t live without electricity!”
“You pay bill, we turn on electricity” he says.
At this point I explode with what can only be described as a howl. We are beyond the point of argument.
He glances nervously toward the boardroom where the door is now again firmly shut. I envisage M with tea-tray in hand, with his back to the door, as nervous as the rest of them.
“I’ll tell them all about you-” I hiss.
“Get out. Now. “ His expression is quite ugly and there is menace behind his words.
I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I have to confess I turn on the tears as I sink onto the marble floor – calculated – probably, but I let those tears of frustration flow. Poor OH is trying to comfort me, unsuccessfully.
“You’ve ruined our holiday!” I sob (loudly) “I’ll go in there” (indicating the boardroom) “and tell them all about you and how you treat your clients”.
It’s quite a scene. There am I sitting in the middle of the floor in floods of tears, just outside the surrounding offices with OH bending over me and K towering above us both.
“I’m not leaving until you turn on the electricity in our villa – we’ll stay all night if we have to -.” I sob, now genuinely pretty out of control.
I can see K is desperately trying to decide what to do. He glances toward the board room. I open my mouth to yell again.
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. . . to be continued . . .usually posted on Thursday
