Old Bert Looks for a Job

Old Bert was a sociable avatar. He felt he needed to get out, make some friends and find a job. He couldn’t stay in his apartment all the time and despite the unpleasantness he had encountered in the nearby pub, he hadn’t completely lost heart. A good night’s sleep revived him and he set off to see what the grid had to offer.
After a bit of wandering he discovered the 1920s Berlin Project sim. This was not a glamorous place; many of the buildings looked a bit shabby, and some of the inhabitants were down at heels. Nevertheless the sim appeared to have some life to it and Old Bert had a good look around. He discovered a square surrounded by shops, a cinema and a hotel. He was pleased to find that there was a barbershop. He went in and had a hair cut, coming out feeling quite spiffy. In the center of the square was a lady organ grinder. The music she was playing added an air of liveliness and cheered Old Bert up. He went over to her and they had a little chat. Old Bert asked her if she knew of any jobs available in the sim and she pointed him towards the Nussbaum Hotel, saying that they were looking for a caretaker. Old Bert was very pleased by this news so he set off after first tossing a few lindens into the wishing fountain in the center of the square.
The hotel was not a big one, nor was it very fancy, in keeping with the rest of the buildings in the sim. On the ground floor was the reception desk. A few tables in the lobby made up the restaurant and in the back was the kitchen. Upstairs were a few modest rooms. Old Bert was hired by the management and set to work right away, scrubbing the floors and washing the windows. In return for his meals he also helped out in the kitchen. While this may not have been quite the kind of work Old Bert had hoped for he was still very happy to have found a job. He struck up a friendship with the lady organ grinder and got to know some of the other residents of the sim so that he began to feel as if he had found his niche.
Old Bert was something of a student of human nature. He enjoyed meeting new people and was keenly interested in their conversations and experiences. He was an avid profile reader and culled landmarks from the picks he read, saving them for his days off when he tp’d around the grid. One day he found a landmark for a place called Café Trivia and on his next free day he decided to pay it a visit. Old Bert was thrilled by this discovery. He loved to play trivia and the avatars at Café Trivia were a very friendly bunch who welcomed Old Bert and made him feel right at home. The game itself took some getting used to, the questions were displayed at an alarming speed and the other avatars were very adept, but soon Old Bert got the hang of it, answering questions, chatting with the regulars, laughing at typos, and even making a bit of money in the camping chairs. Old Bert was happier than he had been in a long time. Neither his home nor his job was grand, but he had a roof over his head, such as it was, lindens, food and now a place to go on his days off. Things were certainly looking up for Old Bert.

Old Bert will be off next week. He will return in two weeks.

My thanks to Boye Jervil for pictures of Old Bert at work

Hibiscus Hastings