A day in the life of a Casino Manager, working on a cruise ship in 2011. Introducing Not Eligible for Rehire, a short story with a twist set on-board a cruise ship.Brought to you by award winning author Glenn McGoldrick, creator of the Dark Teesside series.
“I’d been casino manager on several different cruise ships for almost three years, and I could still be slightly amazed at the amount of paperwork I contended with on a daily basis.”
Between bemoaning the daily amount of paperwork and the number of emails he receives, I instantly liked the main character, Jack. This short story is based on a true incident that occured on an Alaskan cruise and centers on a personnel issue that is not as straight forward as it seems. Of course when are personnel issues straight forward?
True events oftentimes do not wrap themselves up as neatly as fiction and that is true here. However McGoldrick has still written an entertaining story that gives us, an albeit brief, behind the scenes look of life aboard a cruise ship. My only wish is that it had been longer!
Not Eligible for Rehire by Glenn McGoldrick is a very short read to be read over a very small cup of (instant) coffee. At only 19 pages, the reading should be finished before the instant coffee crystals dissolve. McGoldrick’s specialty is writing short stories that describe life’s daily struggles in a very comfortable and familiar way. A reader can walk away and say, ”Yeah, I would have done that.,” or a variation on the answer that might include a 180 degree opposite reaction. In all the McGoldrick short stories I have read, whether stand-alone or as part of a collection, this has been the case. Readers identify easily with the characters and their situations. This story was sent to me and others by an email alert that assured me it was a free offer. The story was offered at USD 0.00 (purchase, not KU) by Amazon. If you haven’t read anything by McGoldrick, this is a good introduction. After reading this, I am sure readers will read several more of his five Amazon star short stories.
Not Eligible for Rehire takes place aboard a cruise ship. Jack is a casino manager aboard the ship when one of his subordinates, Diane, a person eligible to receive further training for management, comes to him with a problem. Initially there to follow up on a transfer request, she also wants to report that a fellow employee, Terry, has exhibited all the signs of recent cannabis consumption. If true, Terry faced dismissal from the ship. A twist to the story is that Dianne is married to Terry. Jack calls trusted associates and a search for the truth begins. The search widens as more people with higher authority become involved. Eventually, a small amount of drugs is found in Terry’s cabin. But medical (blood) tests confirm that Terry had not taken drugs.
In an excess of caution, the cruise ship captain fires Terry. Diane stayed on and a few months later was awaiting reassignment to another cruise ship and a recommendation so she could advance up her career path. Meanwhile, Jack has consulted with higher officials as well as colleagues. No one faulted her actions officially; she had done everything right. A zero -tolerance policy had doomed Terry. But there was uneasiness among colleague sand crew about the propriety of a woman turning in her husband.
Will Diane get a transfer? Will she proceed with her training? Will any of these morally challenged creatures get a good night’s sleep? And the all-important two questions for the readers, ”Would you have acted the same way toward Diane?” What do you think the motive was for Diane’s actions?
McGoldrick’s stories are the shy guys at the party. Get to know them and you will be pleasantly surprised about what they have to offer. Overlook them and it is a missed opportunity.
Read these. Drink Coffee. Have Fun.