“You must send the avionics, now!”
“Not until you pay your bill.”
“Our customers have demanded they receive the product before they pay, which means we can’t pay you.”
“Too bad. You are already past due, for a previous shipment. No money, no avionics.”
“But you are not being professional. We are a multi-billion-dollar company. You have just 20 employees. You need to send us the product.”
“Not until you pay what you owe.”
The five men on the conference call were furious. They thought Americans were pains in the ass, American women were even worse, and this particular American woman was the biggest PIA ever. They were important men; this was a critical project, and their jobs were at stake. What was wrong with this damn female?
The lead man tried cajoling. “Please, we will send you the money as soon as we receive the product. We promise. You can trust us. We treasure you and your company.”
“Nope. You are on Net 60 terms, which means you are now 30 days past due.”
These men had all served in the army. They had killed people - snuck into camps, and slit enemy throats. And this one skinny woman was daring to defy them. It was unacceptable!
The woman continued to listen on her cell phone. She was sitting in the back of a car with five friends. They were on vacation in Savannah, and she was drinking a margarita. Since they were currently stuck in traffic, she had nothing else to do. And besides, these men were 6000 miles away, so no throat-slitting was eminent.
Their companies had done business for three years. Aerospace is a cutthroat business, and the woman knew the men had to deal with the Brazilian Air Force. Everything in South America is mañana; we will call you tomorrow and pay you tomorrow. Bribes were a line item in the budget, and the fact this product went on fighter jets meant tons of annoying paperwork.
One of the men on the phone had previously told the woman his country was either at war or on vacation. She believed it based on their payment record. She preferred dealing with the US Government, which always paid on time once you had finally figured out their billing system.
The traffic jam finally clears, and the car moves forward. They pass beautiful parks with 100-year-old trees and historic statues. One friend points out a figure, which he claims is of one of his distant ancestors.
The silence on the other end of the line stops, and one of the men begins yelling again. She ignores him and starts taking photos with her phone. In the background, all she can hear is wah wah wah in a foreign accent.
She returns the phone to her ear when she’s finished taking pictures. She’s starting to feel hungry; breakfast was several hours ago, so she pulls out her travel guide to decide where to eat. She’s particularly fond of crab cakes and points out a promising seafood restaurant to her friends. They nod, and the driver programs the address into his phone.
Now that important matters have been settled; she returns to the phone conversation. One man is expounding on how world peace depends upon her sending them the product. She looks at her fingernails and notices one of them is jagged. She pulls out her Emory board and files until the nail feels sufficiently smooth. She examines the rest of her nails and decides they pass muster.
She notices the yelling has died down on the line, and the voices on the other end sound weary. The conversation has now gone on for 40 minutes. The woman looks at her friends and holds her hands so all ten fingers are up. She slowly lowers one finger at a time.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
The voice on the other end of the line sounds resigned. “All right, we will wire the money to you by close of business today.” Before she can thank him, there is a dial tone.
She smiles and returns the phone to her purse, thinking about the crab cakes awaiting her.
— opelikakat
“Not until you pay your bill.”
“Our customers have demanded they receive the product before they pay, which means we can’t pay you.”
“Too bad. You are already past due, for a previous shipment. No money, no avionics.”
“But you are not being professional. We are a multi-billion-dollar company. You have just 20 employees. You need to send us the product.”
“Not until you pay what you owe.”
The five men on the conference call were furious. They thought Americans were pains in the ass, American women were even worse, and this particular American woman was the biggest PIA ever. They were important men; this was a critical project, and their jobs were at stake. What was wrong with this damn female?
The lead man tried cajoling. “Please, we will send you the money as soon as we receive the product. We promise. You can trust us. We treasure you and your company.”
“Nope. You are on Net 60 terms, which means you are now 30 days past due.”
These men had all served in the army. They had killed people - snuck into camps, and slit enemy throats. And this one skinny woman was daring to defy them. It was unacceptable!
The woman continued to listen on her cell phone. She was sitting in the back of a car with five friends. They were on vacation in Savannah, and she was drinking a margarita. Since they were currently stuck in traffic, she had nothing else to do. And besides, these men were 6000 miles away, so no throat-slitting was eminent.
Their companies had done business for three years. Aerospace is a cutthroat business, and the woman knew the men had to deal with the Brazilian Air Force. Everything in South America is mañana; we will call you tomorrow and pay you tomorrow. Bribes were a line item in the budget, and the fact this product went on fighter jets meant tons of annoying paperwork.
One of the men on the phone had previously told the woman his country was either at war or on vacation. She believed it based on their payment record. She preferred dealing with the US Government, which always paid on time once you had finally figured out their billing system.
The traffic jam finally clears, and the car moves forward. They pass beautiful parks with 100-year-old trees and historic statues. One friend points out a figure, which he claims is of one of his distant ancestors.
The silence on the other end of the line stops, and one of the men begins yelling again. She ignores him and starts taking photos with her phone. In the background, all she can hear is wah wah wah in a foreign accent.
She returns the phone to her ear when she’s finished taking pictures. She’s starting to feel hungry; breakfast was several hours ago, so she pulls out her travel guide to decide where to eat. She’s particularly fond of crab cakes and points out a promising seafood restaurant to her friends. They nod, and the driver programs the address into his phone.
Now that important matters have been settled; she returns to the phone conversation. One man is expounding on how world peace depends upon her sending them the product. She looks at her fingernails and notices one of them is jagged. She pulls out her Emory board and files until the nail feels sufficiently smooth. She examines the rest of her nails and decides they pass muster.
She notices the yelling has died down on the line, and the voices on the other end sound weary. The conversation has now gone on for 40 minutes. The woman looks at her friends and holds her hands so all ten fingers are up. She slowly lowers one finger at a time.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
The voice on the other end of the line sounds resigned. “All right, we will wire the money to you by close of business today.” Before she can thank him, there is a dial tone.
She smiles and returns the phone to her purse, thinking about the crab cakes awaiting her.
— opelikakat
Here's to American Women! Enjoyed it.
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