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It raised some interest when Gemma entered one of the biggest buildings in the center of N. and applied for a job. People were surprised mainly because she was too young to even start considering her career. It was one of those glass modern skyscrapers with transparent walls, black and white furniture, endless elevators, spacious terraces with a view over the panorama of N., personal offices, smaller and bigger conference rooms. The influx of people was so smooth that hardly anyone saw one other while coming in or out of the office and the corridors had been designed in such a way that most often you felt that you were completely alone there, without disruptions and disturbances. The culture of work required peace and quiet.
Gemma was dressed in her best clothes and made her hair in a bun. She looked different with her makeup fully done, with her nails polished and her clothes impeccable. She also felt different, as if her life in K. had been non-existent as if it all had been a fairy tale and she had never been there in the first place. Melquiades gave her quite clear directions on what kind of occupation she should apply for, but he didn't tell her what were his intentions. What he had given her was a general idea. She was to figure out how people were counted. Meanwhile, she doubted that she could figure out any system with the knowledge and experience she had.
When the man from the recruitment agency saw her for the first time, he smiled and was willing to give her the job straight away. The procedure, however, had to be carried out, questions asked and her ability to perform the job assessed. The interviewer was satisfied. Gemma answered calmly and professionally. She wasn't stressed and afraid. She really regarded this whole situation bizarre just like she generally thought about the life in N. She learned all N. nuances and codes, she accepted and started to imitate corporate behavior, she frequently logged on the system and even took part in events organized for establishing the bond and sense of unity among the residents of the block she was inhabiting. And for want of a better word, she thought it extremely fake, as if you couldn't just live and not pretend that you're living. She had a lot of acquaintances but not even one real friend. She met a lot of people but not even one on the everyday basis and there was not even one she could invite home.
She was pleased when she got the job, but, according to the norms, she should be overly excited. She was openly glad to receive her own office room with a glimpse of the view of the panorama of N. but, deep within, she was barely satisfied. Because she was so young, she was told that any developing career is yet for her closed, unavailable and long-time-ahead, if ever possible. And because she came from K. she should be glad to even obtain such a post. Some places put you in order. Some backgrounds couldn't be easily erased even with the means of the impeccable body.
Her start of vocational life meant that she was able to switch her flat for a bigger one. She, however, resigned from the privilege as her current lodgings were closer to K. and she didn't really want to move again. What would mean another room and another location if the only things that she valued in her flat were the crayons she used to play with as a young teen and now was spending all her free days drawing the pictures of K. memories to preserve the time spent there.
Her main job was to check the logistics of the transportation of beans to the countries located thousands of kilometers away. It was N.'s only import-export entrepreneurship and, also, extremely well-preserved. The profit was enormous and the business had been well established as, according to the data accessible to her, the exchange started decades ago. Gemma suddenly realized what was the reason for N.'s industrial success. Melquiades told her that K. was an entirely self-sufficient agricultural country. It didn't need any contacts with any other country and had been deprived of these contacts years before.
N., on the other hand, depended on K. on agricultural production. And, as opposed to K., kept all the money from one particular business. Beans. N. had been earning quite a substantial amount of money from selling tons of beans each year, and instead of investing in K., it had been investing in itself, its buildings, cars, buses and its technology. And seeing the numbers from the charts Gemma was supervising, it has been making an enormous profit.
You couldn't buy anything in K., at least anything of value, apart from food and men. But seeing these buildings in N., these offices, and vehicles, Gemma was sure that K. must have had a long-standing contact with some foreign countries. Beans was just one of the proofs. Gemma was sure that trips abroad must have been an inspiration for the design of building, cars, buses, and homes. Some parts of N. were almost an imitation of the greatest World capitals, some houses of great palaces, with Jacob's palace the greatest of them all.
But apart from technology, construction and all K. management, N. invested in something more than that. It invested in its beauty.
N., on the other hand, depended on K. on agricultural production. And, as opposed to K., kept all the money from one particular business. Beans. N. had been earning quite a substantial amount of money from selling tons of beans each year, and instead of investing in K., it had been investing in itself, its buildings, cars, buses and its technology. And seeing the numbers from the charts Gemma was supervising, it has been making an enormous profit.
You couldn't buy anything in K., at least anything of value, apart from food and men. But seeing these buildings in N., these offices, and vehicles, Gemma was sure that K. must have had a long-standing contact with some foreign countries. Beans was just one of the proofs. Gemma was sure that trips abroad must have been an inspiration for the design of building, cars, buses, and homes. Some parts of N. were almost an imitation of the greatest World capitals, some houses of great palaces, with Jacob's palace the greatest of them all.
But apart from technology, construction and all K. management, N. invested in something more than that. It invested in its beauty.
Oh the people of N. were beautiful. Gemma felt the looks cast on her when walking along the corridors, and she felt instantly accepted. She, in return, passed tall, thin and well-groomed men and tall and slim women. Before and after work people were exercising, going to spa resorts and putting lotions on their body to preserve the passing of time. Cosmetic surgery was common, any appearing wrinkles were erased, hanging chins - removed and people for years and years looked impeccable. Even in their old age they still looked better than all elderly men she had been seeing at Melquiades' meetings. Gemma also looked impeccable but she didn't feel impeccable. She still felt like a little girl running around the house without her clothes, covered with mud, with greasy hair and dirty feet. She liked eating with her hands and sleeping on the floor. And in this big transparent building, she was keeping all her emotions and instincts hidden.
A month after she was employed she met a girl in the cafeteria. It was a pretty petite brunette with a lovely smile and a pleasant sense of humor. Her name was Martha. They became friends and spent their lunch breaks together chit-chatting, laughing and talking abut their work. Martha was a great company. She was in her early thirties and hasn't been married yet.
'My parents insist. It's not that I don't want to do that at all, but they say that it's high time I got pregnant with my first child. They say that if it doesn't work out, I can always divorce, but would you want to start something that is not going to last? I look at the profiles every day. Some men are really attractive, but this whole sex thing makes me a little bit nervous.'
'It's not that scary... I mean, the pain at the beginning wasn't that pleasant but I had my toe broken and that was far worse...'
'Oh, you've done it? And tell me, what does it look like?'
Gemma didn't know how to describe it in the right way so she did as best she could.
'You spread your legs and he puts his penis inside. And then he moves in and out. Not a big deal.'
Martha was shocked. Gemma was sure that this kind of intimate contact was a little bit too harsh for her to digest.
'But of course there are all these nice things, kisses, hugs, and whispers...' Gemma didn't really remember Adam ever whispering to her but she did recall a rat, 'And gifts!'
'Oh, that sounds nice!' Martha was finally calmed down 'I must try this dating as soon as possible!'
Gemma thought to herself that she, on the other hand, must never start dating as lunches with Martha required on her part gentleness that she couldn't find in her at all. And from what she heard about these dates she wouldn't stand even one conversation.
At work, she felt so strained, forced to think and act as she wasn't used to that way of conduct, and as soon as she came back to her flat, she started to draw. When she had a really tiring day, she would draw on the walls. Her flat changed into a work of art that exhibited K.'s streets, haggard people, dilapidated buildings, and people's harsh and tired faces so different from the ones she was seeing in N. on the everyday basis. She covered white walls with pictures she knew by heart, and from the pictures came to her glimpses of scents, tastes, and feelings, and she would sit looking at the walls and realize how strongly one could be attached to a place, and that such a place could never be replaced with the most beautiful, transparent, glass walls.
At work, she felt so strained, forced to think and act as she wasn't used to that way of conduct, and as soon as she came back to her flat, she started to draw. When she had a really tiring day, she would draw on the walls. Her flat changed into a work of art that exhibited K.'s streets, haggard people, dilapidated buildings, and people's harsh and tired faces so different from the ones she was seeing in N. on the everyday basis. She covered white walls with pictures she knew by heart, and from the pictures came to her glimpses of scents, tastes, and feelings, and she would sit looking at the walls and realize how strongly one could be attached to a place, and that such a place could never be replaced with the most beautiful, transparent, glass walls.
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