I’m writing about a man who wants to write that he is writing a character.

A character not like himself

but a character who he wants to be. Not that he can’t achieve that in his life, but he wants to live in a
paper that he is that character.

So one day he ventures to write to be that guy. He goes to work every day. He has day job. He is an
office, talking to clients to write their own book. His clients are celebrities, big stars who wants their
name to be recalled by public as good and reputable even though in reality they are really not. They just
want to make themselves good in the eyes of the public.

His alarm rings and by the fifth or sixth ring, he gets up from his bed. He checks the clock even though he
knows what time of the it is, it may be because of the habit. But the clock says it’s 6AM in the morning.
On the dot, he always wakes up like that. He wants to do things in a routine. It helps him set-up his
mind. Routine helps him write. So he gets up from his bed and went to the sink to wash his face. After
he prepares coffee, while waiting for the water boil, he smokes a couple of cigarettes. After the second
cigarette, he feels the rush, and with a sip of coffee, he feels he can get through the day.

He can do his work at the comfort of his room, but his doesn’t want to do that, so he has to go through
work everyday. They have graphic designers for the book, coordinators who talks to clients, accounting
who keeps the money in check, and other menial jobs in the office.

In the office, there’s this one guy who is very efficient on what he is doing. He doesn’t really talk much to
everybody. Other than his name, Joseph, he doesn’t a single thing about this office. Sometimes, they go
lunch together if he catches in the store where they buy food, or when they pass each other in the
hallway with occasional smiles and civil greetings. Joseph clocks in at exactly 9 o’ clock in the morning
and exits the room at exactly 6 o’clock in the evening no more no less.

Joseph’s job doesn’t really talking to lots of people. He just have to interview the subject of the book
that he is writing on, say about one hour, and then he proceeds to his cubicle to write the entire
lifestory of that man or woman. Sometimes, he needs call them via cellphone to clarify a thing or two
like if they really went to this school or live in this community.

But this morning, it is different. He expects that by the time he clocks in to his cubicle he we’ll see
Joseph, busy typing the task that he needs to do. Instead, he found an empty cubicle without the guy
wearing black shirt. The office suddenly feels different as if the water dispenser has gone, or the aircon
has been switched off. The thing they used in the same place and the same time everyday suddenly has
gone.

He is about the ask Steff, the chubby woman in the accounting department, who does not give budget
to his workmates even though they are just doing their job and they need money to buy new laptop or
new book references. No, she needs to ensure that the money of the company is intact and balanced.
He looks at her from his cubicle. Sensing that he wants to know why Joseph has gone, she answer him
that maybe he will be late for the day. He thinks of something, but just nods in response instead.
But that day went by without Joseph entering the door. For others the day seem to be normal. They
went to their usual lunch, they went to their usual routine, taking the usual cigarette break, making
office gossip at around 4pm, taking their coffee break, and left the office by 6PM.

He is about the call it a day, when receives a text message from an unknown number. It was Joseph.
How did Jospeph got his phone number? He doesn’t know. Maybe in the office records, maybe in his
social media profile. Doesn’t really matter anyway. The text message says he wants to see him in the
nearby coffee shop. At first, it took a few minutes to process the message. Is it really Joseph who sent
the message? Or maybe it is someone else. A crazy client of the perhaps, who want to blackmail him.

But he doesn’t have anything in his schedule now, so decides to go the nearby coffee to check out. It
take him sometime to recognize Joseph. He sitting at the far end corner of the counter wearing his usual
black polo shirt, maong pants, and black shoes. He doesn’t have a laptop infront of him but just plain
coffee cup and cigarette in hand. He is with someone, a woman in her early thirties wearing long sleeve
blue dress and loose pants. Her legs are crossed and palm is resting on her knees with a thin cigarette
between her index and pointing finger.

Without a word, he sits in front of two and orders a coffee.

“I know you’re wondering why I called you here today. I’m sorry for distrupting your problem. Can I have
something for you?”

“No thanks. Just want to hear what you want to say.”

Joseph lets out a long sigh and takes a glance at the woman sitting beside him as if asking if this is the
right time to say it.

“I’m living the office tomorrow,” he said my name at the last sentence. It was my first time hearing that
from his voice. “No, don’t say anything yet.” He held up his pointing finger. “I will not give you the
details yet why I’m leaving. But I need someone to takeover what I am doing right. But it is not
everybody. It has to be someone I trust like you.” He said my name once again. He gestures to the
women beside, and without a word the women got something from her shoulder bag. She laid items on
the table.

“These are some of my personal items. You can use them if you find them useful.” He gets a stick of
cigarette, lit it with his plastic lighter and let out a cloud of smoke.

“I will just be out for a while.”

“But what is it that you exactly what me to do?” I ask

“Just become me.”

What does it mean in all sense of its word. I really don’t know. I was about to ask If I will be getting
something for becoming him when he slide a thick white letter envelop on the table. From the looks it, it
has pretty big amount inside.
“That’s all I have for now. But as soon as I settle down in the place where I will be leaving I will give you
additional cash.”

Without concluding what I have to do, he stands up from his together with the woman beside her. He
offered his hand to me which I eagerly shook. He left the coffee shop without bothering to clear
anything the questions inside my head.

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Back in the office the next day, I was informed that I was promoted as a project supervisor. The boss
didn’t say any details about it. He just handed forms that I signed and waited for instruction what I will
be doing next.

I feels weird to be siting in Joseph’s cubicle. I slowly feel that I am slowly becoming him. During lunch, I
found myself using the words that he often to my officemates. I used the ballpens that used to write
reports, I used the computer that he used to type words with.

In the next two weeks, the boss found a replacement for me, for my previous position before I got
Joseph’s position. It is woman in her early 20’s. I fresh graduate from one of the top universities in town.
But despite of her age, it seems she already know what she wants to do. She can command with a swift
of her hand.

On top of that, she really knows what to do with her position. I don’t have any idea she is doing it but it
seems she good on doing my previous position. She can take phone calls in a row without bothering
what to say to the client. Yet here I am wondering what Joseph would do in this situation.

Inside my cubicle, I heard how she is doing projects on her own without bothering to ask what are the
right things to do in the situation. I mean she is just a new hire, so she may not the way how things are
being done here in the office. But it is not. It seems like she is employed here for the past five years and
is really versed what we are doing.