And in came to pass in the year 2020, in the month of FEBRUARY, that the court Rebecca worked at moved to a new location. Verily, the managers came around in the weeks preceding the move and said, "Here are your labels. Put them on your things and they shall be moved to the new building." And Rebecca did so and put her labels upon her belongings; lo, every belonging she put her name on. And the move came to pass in the month of MARCH.
No sooner had the court moved to the new building than lo a mighty plague fell upon the land, and its name was COVID-19, and the clerks were sent to work from home. And Rebecca worked from home all the remaining days of MARCH and also APRIL and MAY passed away as a dream, all work from home. No one could tell the night time from the day except by differing pairs of pajamas. And the people wailed and gnashed their teeth and said, "Oh, remember places, and when we could go to them?" and waited, and the days of work from home were fifty five.
And on the fifty sixth day it was declared, "Thou shalt return to work Monday, Wednesday, Friday with face-coverings and the rest of the week thou shalt stay at home." And when Rebecca returned with her face-covering to work in the new office that first Monday in JUNE, lo! Her scanner was not to be found at her desk. And Rebecca knew that she had labeled it, for she had labeled all of her belongings. She used the scanner often, yea, even every day, and she knew that it was labeled.
A scanner was at the desk, but it was not Rebecca's. And Rebecca saw that it was labeled "Crystal," and, being wise, went to the desk of Crystal to reason. "Is this not your scanner?" she asked. And Crystal looked, and saw that it was her scanner, and said, "Yea, and I have yours." And they looked and saw that the scanners had been switched, and thinking this had been done in error, went to take each their own.
Just as they were about to complete the bargain, however, a Manager was passing and hearkened and said, "Halt! The scanners have been switched and thou shalt not switch them back." Rebecca questioned, "why" and also questioned Crystal "why" but the Manager said, "Only know that they have been switched and the enjoyment of your scanning shall be manifold. Now return to your desks and let it be done as I have said."
But Rebecca doubted and thought, "Is that not my scanner? Has it not scanned for me these many months before the move? Why should it not scan for me again?" But being wary of the Manager's reproof she returned to her desk and set to work.
When the hour came that she should scan, Rebecca pushed the button and behold! Nothing happened. And she saw that the new scanner was not set up for her computer, lo, the computer could not speak to it. And IT was called and IT said, "That is not our department". And an IT guy from the other department came and he said, "The computer and the scanner speak not to each other, nay, nor is it within my power to make them." But he also spoke, "And yet I shall install this program which shall speak to both of them and perhaps they will hearken to each other."
And the IT man did as he had said. And Rebecca saw that the new way of scanning took forever and was not good. Where before it had taken only one click, now the clicks seemed too many as to be counted. The next day she saw that it was still the same. And the next was the same, and Rebecca despaired. The hours of her scanning were now seemingly as long as the day itself when before they had taken hardly a thought.
So she said in her heart "let me go to Crystal again and reason with her," knowing that the scanner had spoken to Crystal's computer as if brother to brother. So coming again to Crystal Rebecca said, "Please let me have my scanner back" and Crystal was afraid, seeing how the scanner and caused Rebecca to have much trouble scanning, and said "will my old scanner still work?" and Rebecca promised that she would not depart from Crystal until she was assured that Crystal's scanner would work as it had in the days before.
And so the accord was struck between them.
And on that very day Rebecca arrived with the old scanner of Crystal and she hooked it up and tested a document, yea, a sample document, and it scanned as quickly as it had before. And Crystal was satisfied and released Rebecca's scanner unto her and Rebecca rejoiced mightily. Yet her rejoicings were silent lest the Manager hear her and say "Hark, is that not the scanner which I have instructed you to keep?" And yet there was no reason that she should not have her old scanner, verily, the old scanner let her work be done in a twinkling, and Crystal the same.
And Rebecca's old scanner was transported back to her desk, and hooked up and set in a place of honor, where she could look upon it easily. And Rebecca did a sample scan and the scanner and the printer spoke to each other with one voice, as though they had never been separated. And Rebecca was glad and said, "Truly I will appreciate this scanner all the days of my life, now that it has been taken from me and is returned."
And later in the week the Manager passing by asked if each employee was happy with the new office and each in their turn said "yea." Crystal in her turn said "yea" and Rebecca also said "yea, I am pleased." Rebecca and Crystal cast their eyes upon each other and smiled, and knew that it was true.
And it came to pass that never again did the Manager mention the scanner after that first day, nor think of it at all, as the matters that concerned her were many; and though the scanner was to Rebecca as bread, to the Manager it was one of the sands of the sea. And Rebecca scanned quickly every day and was pleased.
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A tiny victory, but these days I'll take what victories I can get!
