5x365: Tansy

It was in applying for my first lifeguarding job that I met Tansy. Having very little work experience at the time and therefore very few people to use as references, I decided upon Steve, one of my lifeguarding instructors.

At the end of his NLS Pool class he had given out his phone number to everyone who had passed and told us all that we could use him as a reference. It was in that class where in a rush of adrenalin and without a partner I lifted a 170lb guy out of the pool and dragged him a distance of about six metres before I got any help. It surprised everyone, and impressed Steve because for the most part though my first aid is really good, my physical performance was just barely above the minimum acceptable standard.

I figured that he would be good for a reference so I decided to be polite and call him to let him know that I was going to give his number out. But instead of him, I got the voicemail for a woman named Tansy. I decided that perhaps I had the wrong number and decided to try again, but got the same voicemail message, with no mention of Steve.

I called the number several times over the next couple of days until my persistence paid off and Tansy answered the phone...

...at which point I figured all my persistence was a mistake.

From the moment she picked up I could feel the anger/envy/loathing/bitchiness radiating from the speaker. Eek! It took me a while to convince her that I was a student of his and all I wanted was a job reference, honest, before she finally gave me his new number.

I got the reference, and I got the job. I can only imagine what I accidentally stepped into.