After arriving in my impromptu office, which still had its original charm, I could not help but sigh. Life offers countless possibilities and I got the broom closet ending. Certainly not something I had in mind when pondering about the afterlife.
The concept of karmic ties and my new found job were still something I struggled to fathom. Understanding and coming to terms with such earthshattering revelations required a bit more time, then the 5 minutes between my interview and all of this.
After a slightly forceful clap on my back, even the goat excused itself and I was finally on my own. Instead of having the time to gather all of my thoughts I heard a faint knocking sound upon my door.
I opened the door with great reluctance to receive my first case. The person standing in front of the door was a handsome man in his thirties. His gaze seemed confident and his blue seemed to ooze of curiosity.
Short blonde hair and a nose that was slightly too big formed a good addition to his healthy-looking skin. If I had to guess I would say that he was of European descent. All in all, he was quite a looker.
Though the quality of ones looks certainly did not matter in the afterlife, at least no in this evaluation. It was more about the quality of the inside that was of importance here. I gave him my hand and introduced myself. Displaying good manners does not stop with the end of one's life.
" Hello, I am Adam Bleak. "
" Rory Gonzales"
He extended his hand to give my hand a firm shake. His voice was pleasant to the ears and seemed in no way disrespectful towards me. My first impression of him would describe him as a courteous human, but that could change in a heartbeat.
" Mr Gonzales, I am responsible for your evaluation. I do hope, that our cooperation will lead to a result we both can agree on. But where are my manners, please sit down."
I refused to comment on the shabby state of the interior as I placed all of my hope, on the fact that he would not ask about the disastrous state of the make-shift office I was in. I felt like crying, being burdened with such an important task, all while the room itself screamed internship.
To my delight, I saw Mr Gonzales sitting down without seeming to mind the camping chair. His gaze seemed a bit too relaxed giving the fact that he was dead, but this might only be an act to keep his cool
" Mr Gonzales, before we begin, I would like to confirm a few things, are you willing to answer some questions of mine?"
With no idea in mind how such evaluation should proceed, I was forced to just make something up. For the time being, that means gathering information by small talk. By any means, it was not a good strategy, but it was considerably better than staring into the air and waiting for something to happen.
Mr Gonzales nodded enthusiastically and told me to " Go ahead"
" Could you repeat your name for me??"
" Rory Gonzales" He did not seem to mind being asked the same question twice.
" Sir, what has been your occupation during your lifetime?"
" In my rather short life, I never truly found a job to my liking. I have been bouncing from place to place, trying to find something. Well, in the end, I am sitting right here, so I would not call it a success." His expression seemed downcast and there was a bit of regret in his voice.
" Could you elaborate on the reason, why your search has proven so difficult?"
" My early years have been less than kind to me. I told myself, to avoid the mistakes my parents did and decided to not let others dictate my fate. I wanted to find my own purpose in life, though in hindsight, that is easier said than done. Regardless of what I tried, the voice in the back of my head never went silent."
He was clearly mocking and speaking sarcastically as he mentioned his childhood. There was clearly a lot to unpack if I wanted to understand him. Especially since everyone copes in a different fashion.
" It is truly regrettable. I have always told myself, that even if today might suck, I would still have many tomorrows to find my purpose in life. Yet, when tomorrow became today, I kept on repeating the mantra clearly without learning my lesson. Alas, this is certainly a common tale to you. A human being unhappy with the choices they have made."
I did not want to mention, that this was the first time I had heard such a thing. Since he was my very first case, I did not want to make a wrong impression and draw his ire.
" Mr Gonzales, I do not judge humans based on a whim, whether their story is entertaining or something I have heard a million times is of no importance to me. My criteria differ from person to person, as no judgement can be made without knowing the story behind the human."
A genuine smile appeared in my life after being reassured by my words.
" Should I put my trust in someone with such luxurious chairs?" A deep smile appeared on his face as he managed to land a critical hit.
" Mr Gonzales, I am glad that you brought attention to this shocking detail. But I can reassure you, these are the best camping chairs, that we have to offer."
Despite this confident reply, I wanted to quietly disappear in the ground. Although I was already in the afterlife, I was yearning to die yet again. Sadly, this was only the beginning of my very first case.