Temping can be stressful, working in University Halls of Residence in reception.
The other day this kid comes up, I say kid, as he must be only 17/18 (I must be getting old). Apparently he lost his room key before Christmas. He got a new one but is scared that people are using the old one to get into his room. In fact, he was convinced that there were people in his room right then. This was at eight o clock in the morning, he was petrified of being beaten up. But I was on my own, and I’m a wimp. The question has to be asked…is £8.60 an hour enough to risk a punch in the face?
But the kid was going mental, he wanted me to call the police said he’d sue the college (always a sign of rich kids that) and I’m there stuck on my own in a badly knotted tie trying to calm him down and thinking that wasn’t I temping to avoid stress? What happened to the stuffing envelopes jobs?
When the handyman turned up we went up there, I stood as far back as I could, but there was no one in there, and there definitely had been no one in there. But it was obvious he was scared, we changed the locks for him.
I’m worried, he’s in a state, I don’t know what to do though, I haven’t been trained, are there counselors here? I don’t know. I tell the cold hearted boss when she gets in. “Oh yes, they get like that†she advised that I should go and check up on him.
Me, an untrained temp receptionist deal with a potentially suicidal student? Great.
So I go up to his room, knock on the door, no answer, but I can hear him in there, he must think I’m them. I should shout, but my mouth has gone dry. I walk back to reception.
As soon as I sit down I feel enormous guilt, what if he’s tying the noose now, is this manslaughter. I’ve ever earned £8/60 before tax as much as I id on this day.
I went back up, said who it was, he was on the phone, but stopped talking.
I got the handyman to let himself in. This kid was scared that I was them.
It gets worse, the yesterday one of his neighbours came down to say he was worried about him. Last night the men in white coats took him away to a mental hospital.
£8.60
Also, I got a phone call from part of the Uni, they were worried about a student who hadn’t turned up for exams, apparently he was a getting snowed under wit the pressure. I told the boss, she sent me and someone else up to check his room “We get a lot of suicidesâ€
I felt sick, on my first day I’d taken a call form the same woman that was worried about him, I’d just put a note in his pigeon hole…it was still there.
I’ve never been more scared than when the key went in the lock, “it might stink a bitâ€
I’m a fucking temp.
Turns out he was there, had sent an email saying he didn’t want to do the exams, I nearly punched him.