A New Age (Part B) (from "My Short Stories (Book One)") - by Anne Shier (a.k.a. "Annie")

Another story, similar to mine (in Part A of “A New Age”) happened to my girlfriend, Gloria.  She had been working for a large natural gas company, Centra Gas, for several years.  She had never thought that she ever leave her computer job there because she loved working for the company so much.  Nevertheless, the company closed its Toronto operations centre in about the mid-1990’s and transferred everything to Chatham, Ontario.  She then had a choice to make – move to Chatham in order to continue working, or leave the company.  If she left the company though, she would get no severance package, as, it would be her choice to leave, not the company’s choice.  She and her partner (of 10 years), Brad, and their 16 year old son, Daniel, decided to move to Chatham where Brad had some relatives.  Brad was working only part-time at the time and Daniel was still in high school; Gloria was the only one in the family working full-time.

Companies all over the Toronto area were in the process of moving their operations out of town due to the escalating cost of rents and leases in Toronto, and the higher wages that their workers needed to be paid in order to survive there.  After all, Toronto is one the most expensive cities in Canada in which to live or conduct business.  The cost of living (and doing business) is much less outside of Toronto, causing companies and workers alike to move out and start all over again out of town.  None of this was easy for Gloria and her family, needless to say. 

For one thing, she had to give up her long-time lease on the spacious 3-bedroom apartment she and her sisters had first begun living in just after they finished high school.  This apartment up till now had cost her a maximum of $600 per month. When her sisters moved out, she maintained her apartment rent by having various roommates live there too; it was really quite a nice, large place.  But now, she and Brad and Daniel had a chance to move out and rent a small house in Chatham, and she was thrilled about that at least, having lived only in her parents’ house up till then.

After she moved, I would go and visit her in Chatham occasionally; it was a chance for me to get out of town for a while.  It was always really nice seeing her; she was my best friend and we’d been fairly close since childhood.  We would find a karaoke bar to go to at night, as; she and I both loved to sing rock and roll songs from the 60’s, 70s’ and 80’s.  Either that or we would go to a nice family restaurant for dinner.  Usually, it was just Gloria and I, but once in a while, Daniel would join us too.  Then, on one of my visits with her, she whispered to me, in confidence, “Brad and I are going to be splitting up.  He says he’s fed up with me and, besides, I think he’s had a mistress for some time now.  I guess she still lives in Toronto.  To tell you the truth, I’m glad he’s leaving because he’s really a piece of work!”

I knew that they had gotten married in Toronto before the move to Chatham (I was at the wedding), but the marriage had lasted only about 3 years.  Now, the relationship was finally over.

I asked Gloria, “What are you planning on doing after the divorce?”

And, she told me, “I’ll stay in Chatham for now, but I want to start looking for a new job in Toronto again.  Even though I have a relatively secure job in Chatham, there’s very little to do here for a single woman in her late thirties or early forties.  In Toronto, however, there’s always something to do.  And, I want to keep myself busy.  Daniel has his own life with his own friends, even though he still lives with me.  Who even knows how long that will be the case?”

So, having come to a second crossroad in her life, she had some more very important decisions to make and even more major changes to face.  I’m sure it was very stressful for her; I know it was for me too whenever I was changing jobs.  Gloria eventually got a job back in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) in Brampton, Ontario, northwest of the city of Toronto.  In order to take this job, she had to move to Toronto on her own.  And, she did move, but she had to travel back and forth between Toronto and Brampton every day.  From her place in the eastern part of Toronto, a house that she shared with two other women, she had to commute two hours each way, daily!  It was a gruelling trek and she did not enjoy it in the least.  She did this until she could find a suitable apartment for herself and Daniel in Brampton.  Meanwhile, Daniel was now living with his Dad back in Chatham in the house. 

Finally, she found another apartment (no roommates this time!) in Brampton.  Minus one husband, she moved for the second time in six months!  I really don’t know how she could afford it!  But, it wasn’t the “ideal” apartment, by any means; certainly nothing compared to her first Toronto apartment.  In fact, it was very drafty and cold in the winter time. So, the following spring, she resolved to move once more, to her own house, if possible.  And, she did!  Somehow, she was able to obtain a mortgage and move into her very own 3-bedroom semi-detached house!

All of this change and moving around had been brought on by the respective companies we had each worked for.  Due to a need to be technologically efficient and remain competitive with other similar companies, they had thought nothing of uprooting their employees from their homes.  They had forced their employees to choose between working in a different city and being unemployed!  What a horrible choice that is to foist upon anyone! 

For myself, I had been fortunate enough not to have to move to another city in order to keep working, but Gloria had had to make 4 moves – 2 for her company and 2 for herself! That is an incredible stress that no one should have to bear during one’s lifetime.  To me, that is a choice that requires a lot of perseverance, determination and nerve!  

published by Authorhouse, copyright 2011, Anne Shier.  All rights reserved.