He never expected this
Jeffrey from the United Kingdom had always looked down on the janitors who took care of the office he worked at. He felt like they were less important than him because they made less money. When a new janitor started working at the office building, he too became the target of Jeffrey’s pestering. But Jeffrey had no idea who the janitor actually was.
When he found out who the janitor really was, Jeffrey was in complete shock. He never expected to feel any repercussions for his actions.
Spoiled
Jeffrey’s life up until this point had been smooth sailing. His father was a doctor and Jeffrey grew up not lacking for anything. His family would take trips to other countries at least twice a year, while at home Jeffrey would always get the best grades in school. He graduated with flying colors and easily landed a job at one of the top law firms in the country.
A new world
Office life was different than what Jeffrey had come to expect. Here, people were judged on their actions instead of how rich their parents were. Jeffrey had to work hard to impress his boss and his colleagues. Unfortunately, some of his colleagues were just better at their job than Jeffrey was. This frustrated him immensely. So he took it out on other people.
Harassing
In order to feel better about himself, Jeffrey took to harassing and bullying people who he felt were “lower” than him. On the streets, he would make nasty remarks towards homeless people. At work, the janitors became his target. For example, he would purposefully make their job harder and then comment on how he’d hate to have their job. One day a new janitor started working at the office. Jeffrey had found his new target to take his frustration out on.
The new janitor
The new janitor was an elderly man of around 75 years of age. Where most people would’ve already retired at his age, this man had taken up a job as a janitor. There must be some reason why he would choose to work instead of just enjoying his twilight years in peace and quiet. The reason would reveal itself soon…
First day
At 8AM, just before everyone at the office would start their workday, this new janitor started his rounds around the building. He emptied the trash, cleaned the corporate kitchen and toilets and made sure everything was spotless. All the while he whistled along to a tune playing on his earphones. He had no idea what was about to happen…
The morning
Jeffrey’s morning had left him exceptionally frustrated. He had been woken up by a crew of construction workers at around 5AM, which had ruined his mood for the rest of the day. Those lowlifes, as he saw them, should know their place and respect his need for sleep and relaxation. So when he stepped in his car on his way to the office, he was ready to let it all out on the next person who dared to annoy him.
The office
To make things worse, his favorite parking spot had already been taken by the time Jeffrey arrived. He didn’t recognize the vehicle, but Jeffrey swore he’d make it his life mission to find out who had dared to take his spot. All in all, Jeffrey stepped through the doors in a rotten mood. That’s when he came across the elderly janitor…
Who is this?
Jeffrey walked straight past the elderly man on his way to his desk. He was just about to dish out a generic insult when he stopped in his tracks. He didn’t recognize this man. Who was this? Why would someone his age stoop down so low and take up a cleaning job? He must be too poor to support himself in his old age, Jeffrey thought. He decided to take his frustration out on the janitor.
The janitor’s morning
The elderly man had no idea what was in store for him. He was just doing the job he was hired to do. Throughout the morning, he had enjoyed a warm reception from the people working at the office. Some stopped for a chat, interested to know why an old man like him had decided to take up the job. One of the office workers even brought him a steaming mug filled with coffee. A great start to his first day. Until he met Jeffrey.
The harassing
Jeffrey grabbed a coffee from the nearest machine, then approached the elderly janitor. The old man looked thankful, as if thinking that Jeffrey was offering him the coffee. He reached out his hands with a smile, but then Jeffrey did something unimaginable.
Spilling
Jeffrey smiled cruelly as he poured out the coffee on the floor. The janitor stared at the growing puddle of coffee in confusion. “You forgot a spot there”, Jeffrey said. He took joy in seeing the expression on the elderly man’s face. He had finally released the frustration that had been building up all morning and he didn’t feel sorry for the old man at all.
The old man
The elderly janitor tried to oppose Jeffrey, but soon realized he was too frail to stand up against a young man like him. Unfortunately he had no choice but to undergo whatever treatment the frustrated office worker chose to dish out on him. The old man swallowed his pride and started to mop up the coffee stain. He didn’t realize that Jeffrey wasn’t done yet.
More harassment
Jeffrey had enjoyed that moment of power. He saw that the elderly man struggled with the fact that he was not able to stand up against him. Jeffrey decided to take things a step further. He grabbed the nearest trashcan and turned it upside down. “When you’re done with the coffee, you can clean this up”, he added. The old man looked at Jeffrey with a look of pure defeat. But luckily someone would come to his aid.
Other people had seen
The old man struggled to get down to his knees. But he had been hired to do a job and the trash that was now on the floor needed to be cleaned up. Luckily for him, another office worker had been close and rushed to his aid. He picked up the trash can and refilled it with its spilled contents. Jeffrey’s colleague decided to call Jeffrey out on his behavior.
Just a janitor
Jeffrey’s colleague got very mad at him. “How can you treat an elderly man like this!?”, he shouted. Jeffrey shrugged and put it down to him being “just a janitor”. Jeffrey’s colleague couldn’t believe his ears. “You don’t treat people like this, no matter their occupation! And besides… He’s not just a janitor.” Jeffrey was completely shocked when he found out who the janitor actually was.
Gather around
Just when Jeffrey’s colleague was about to reveal the janitor’s identity, their boss Chris stepped out onto the workfloor. “Guys, I have an announcement to make. Everybody please gather around, because this is very important to me”. Jeffrey had no idea what kind of announcement his boss was about to make. Everyone quickly gathered around for the announcement.
The announcement
Chris cleared his throat once everyone had gathered around. “Okay, so you all know that me and my family have been going through a rough time lately. My mother has unfortunately passed away and it has been very hard on us. Especially on my father, who now all of the sudden has to spend his retirement by himself.” Jeffrey’s face turned white when he realized what his boss was about to announce.
Father
“To make sure my father doesn’t have to deal with everything by himself, I would like to keep him close from now on. He also thinks it would be good for him to be among other people and to have something to do. That’s why he has decided to start working here a few hours every week. As our janitor.” Jeffrey’s heart dropped. He had been treating his boss’s father like garbage. What did this mean for him?
Apology
Jeffrey knew that he had to apologize very quickly if he wanted to keep his job. He had never even stopped to consider that the elderly man could have taken up the cleaning job to make sure he wouldn’t be alone with his thoughts and grief. Jeffrey felt an extreme feeling of guilt for the first time in his life. He walked up to the old man and apologized for his behavior.
Reflection
The old man just smiled at Jeffrey. “There is no need to apologize. I did not take your actions personally. Throughout my long life, I have learned a lot of things. One of these things is the following: how people treat other people is a direct reflection of how they feel about themselves. You need to start loving yourself more, Jeffrey, before you can love others. You are good enough. You are worthy. You will learn this truth in time.” Jeffrey didn't know what to say, but he did realize the old man was right and change was necessary. Behaviour like this won't get you anywhere in life.
Source: Fiction | Images: iStock, Pexels