Silversmith to the Stars

Silversmith to the Stars

 

The door swung open and Gloria Silvero stood there, flames shooting from her eyes.  “Maria!  Get in here right now!” she screamed.

 

Maria looked forlornly at Pablo.  Again?  How many times in the course of a day could she be called in for “special attention”.  She stood up at her desk.

 

Gloria glared at Pablo.  “What are you looking at?  Get back to work.”

 

Pablo swallowed.  He wanted to argue.  He wanted to stand up and say that he and Maria and everyone else were quitting, but they all needed the work.  There weren’t many jobs in Plantsville anymore.  Not since the factory closed down two years ago.  Pablo’s oldest daughter was on the honour roll.  She wanted to go to university and become a registered nurse.  Palbo didn’t want to be the reason that Nerissa had to stay in Plantsville and work at Walmart until she retired.

 

Maria walked into Gloria’s office and stood inin the small space just inside the door.  She didn’t say anything.  She just waited. 

 

Gloria held up a fork from the Galaxy collection.  “Our silversmiths worked for seventeen months on this new design, Maria.”  She said Maria’s name as if she was describing a hideous slimy creature that you found when you lifted up a rock in the muddy part of the garden.

 

Maria nodded.  “The design is beautiful.  Clean lines.  Modern.  Should do really well.”

 

Gloria smirked.  “So what’s this copy telling me?  That you don’t need a new set of forks?  That your old forks will do just as well?  How does that sell forks?  Well?”

 

Maria shook her head.  “The copy says that the Galaxy design is classic.  It suggests that this is the design you want when you’re serving your guests.”

 

Gloria grabbed one of the Galaxy forks and held it in Maria’s face.  “Are you arguing with me?  Who’s the boss, here?  Who has worked in silver for over thirty years?”

 

Maria nodded again, hopelessly.  She had been through this so many times.  She felt so tired.  “You have, ma’am,” but before she could finish the word “ma’am”, the door behind her swung open and pushed her forward.  She lurched towards Gloria, taking one unfortunate step and pushing into the Galaxy fork before she could stop herself. 

 

Blood from Maria’s left eye spurted out and splattered all over Gloria’s carefully made-up face.  She took her hand away but the fork stayed behind, imbedded in Maria’s no longer blue eye.  Maria remained upright for several seconds and then fell, like a tall broken tree, forward onto the floor.

 

Gloria staggered back and she and Pablo, who had opened the door, stared at each other across the office floor.  “You,” Gloria said, “you . . . killed her.”

 

In shock, Pablo looked down at Maria’s body, which trembled slightly before it became still.  “I did?”

 

“Yes,” Gloria said slowly.  “We were talking and you threw open the door, without even knocking.  How many times have I told you to knock before you come into my office?”

 

Kneeling down to take Maria’s pulse, Pablo looked up at Gloria.  “It wasn’t me, Ma’am.  It was you.  You killed her.”  He looked at the fork.  “How did the fork get into her eye?  How did it get so close?”

 

Gloria laughed as she wiped the blood from her face with her monogrammed silk handkerchief.  “No one will ask that question, after I’ve explained about the door.  Who will the authorities believe, Pablo?  A poor immigrant who works in the advertising department of a small silver company, or the famous Gloria Silvero, the silversmith to the stars?”  She picked up the phone and dialled 911 as Pablo removed the fork from his coworker’s sightless eye.