In conclusion

I made it back to the employment office yesterday. I have to admit that it wasn't quite as dreary the second time around. Describing it as some kind of governmental purgatory wasn't really fair, but then I knew that when I wrote it. While it still took an hour to have a two-minute paperwork task completed, the hour seemed to pass by much more quickly, without as much silence and sadness weighing upon those in the waiting room. Maybe this had to do with the presence of children in the room yesterday.

Across from my seat against the wall there was a sweet little girl who leaned contentedly against the stomach of her obese mother, unaware of the grotesque contrast between her small, innocent body and that of her mother's. Being trapped in a room with no color, cheap, inspirational posters, and employees who looked as sad as the clients apparently didn't cause her particular distress. A little boy with two perfect white teeth visible beneath his upper lip was a bit more energetic, more interested in leaving than staying. He wriggled on his mother's lap, slipped off of it, and tried to run away before her arm reached out and grabbed his blue jacket. When she caught him, she sat him on the chair next to her and looked at him for a long time. He gave her a kiss on the cheek with a lovely, childish smacking sound. She pointed to her other cheek, and he obliged her with the same. She proceeded to point to her forehead, eyebrow, chin, and nose, and each time his two teeth would disappear as his smile formed into pursed lips.

Both I and the woman next to me were rather mesmerized by these displays of affection, although I disdain having children within the next seven to eight years. Our mutual sigh caused us to look at each other and laugh, "He is so cute." As I looked at this woman for the first time, although we had been sitting together for about twenty minutes, I was surprised to find her rather pretty. Unlike most of those in the waiting room, her face was unlined by stress, hopelessness, and cigarette smoke. Her blue eyes were complimented by clear skin, good bone structure, and a small, pert nose. We fell into conversation with one another, initially complaining about the length of the wait, and the seeming indifferent sluggishness of the employees. She told me that she needed to get her paperwork quickly so that she could pick up her son at school on time. I asked her how old he was, and she said, "He's four. I have two other little boys. Would you like to see a picture?" They were standing in a row, drowning in winter coats, hats, gloves, boots, and snowpants in front of a snow-covered Christmas tree. "Yeah, I have three, but I just got fixed." I immediately thought of cat who could no longer have kittens--surely that was not what she meant. As she looked earnestly at me for a response, I realized that was precisely what she meant, and I said, "Oh, ok." Wishing to further explain herself, she said, "I've been with their dad for seven years," indirectly telling me that yes, they were all from the same father. "We got together when we was fourteen." I did some quick arithmetic: "So you're 21 now?" She nodded. I immediately decided to tell her nothing about myself, as I am 21 and notoriously inexperienced in all areas of adult life. I thought having a pina colada over Christmas break was daring; she has had three children.
A few moments later, my number came up on the digital display labeled, "Now serving," as if this was the deli at the local Giant food store. I introduced myself in a polite, professional manner to the tired man completing my paperwork, realizing that such an effort was pointless...futile, even. When he was finished, I took the paper and nodded to the blue-eyed woman as I stepped swiftly towards the door. "It was nice to meet you." I realized the absurdity of this statement when I remembered that I didn't know her name. She smiled and said goodbye. And as I started up my car, I hoped that she would be able to pick up her son on time, that she would get a job, that her boyfriend wasn't abusive, that her children would be well-educated, that they wouldn't have to visit the unemployment office.