Episode 25: Planning a Two-Week Holiday — 5,000 Core English Words

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Chapter twenty-five. Asking for time off.

Two years have passed since the weekend at Pine Hill. Since then there has been a wedding, a house, a studio, a dog, and a great deal of work. Lately, both Ryan and Emma are tired in a way that sleep does not fix. One evening, Emma looks in the mirror and decides that something has to change.

Listen to how they talk about needing a rest, and how Ryan asks his manager, politely and clearly, for two weeks of vacation.

Emma: Ryan, when did we last go away? Really away?

Ryan: Pine Hill. The blue room.

Emma: That was two years ago. Two years! Since then you've been coughing through every winter, and I shout at children for being careless with scissors.

Ryan: You don't shout loudly.

Emma: I'm bossy, and you know it. It's noticeable. I heard myself today, and I didn't like it. I've lost my patience.

Ryan: I'm no better. I was rude to the secretary this morning. She only asked me to print a form. I owe her an apology.

Emma: So we agree. We need a holiday. Not a weekend. Two weeks.

Ryan: Two weeks is a lot. I'd have to ask David, and the timing is bad. There's a new product, and I'm responsible for the engineers.

Emma: The timing is always bad. That's the absolute truth about work. If you wait for a good time, you'll wait until you retire.

Ryan: You're right. Generally, I hesitate too much.

Emma: What's the worst thing he can say?

Ryan: No.

Emma: And is that a failure? You ask again in a month. Is your vacation time even separated from your sick days?

Ryan: It is. I have twenty-three days that I haven't used. They're necessary by law, more or less. The personnel office sent me a reminder.

Emma: Then use them. It's not a favor. It's yours.

Ryan: David, do you have a minute?

Manager: Sure, Ryan. Come in and shut the door. What's on your mind?

Ryan: I'd like to request some time off. Two weeks, at the beginning of next month.

Manager: Two weeks. Okay. That's the middle of the testing, isn't it?

Ryan: It is, and I've thought about that. I haven't taken a real vacation in two years. I suffer for it a little, and so does my work. I want to come back with some strength.

Manager: I've noticed. I'm not going to argue. You've made excellent progress this year. What's your plan for the team while you're gone?

Ryan: I've written an outline. Simon can take over the daily meetings. He has the expertise, and the engineers trust him. I'll ensure that every task has a name next to it before I leave.

Manager: And if there's an emergency?

Ryan: Simon can assess it. If it's truly serious, he can call me. But I'd prefer not to be the first person on the list.

Manager: That's acceptable. I'd rather you really rested. What about the client meeting on the ninth?

Ryan: I can move it to the week before. I've already asked them, and they're flexible.

Manager: You've done your homework. All right. It's approved. Fill in the application online, and I'll sign it today.

Ryan: Thank you, David. I really appreciate it.

Manager: Don't thank me. Just come back. And Ryan, do me a favor. Turn your phone off.

Ryan: Guess what?

Emma: He said yes.

Ryan: He said yes. Two weeks. He told me to turn my phone off.

Emma: I like David. What did you say? Tell me everything.

Ryan: I didn't boast, and I didn't crawl. I just defined the problem, and tried to provide a plan. It took five minutes.

Emma: You see? You have the skill. You just needed the opportunity.

Ryan: And you? Did you speak to the school?

Emma: I don't have to. It's the fall break, and then I have a few days owed to me. I asked a friend to volunteer for my Saturday class. She's promising. The kids like her.

Ryan: And Feather?

Emma: Rosa. She offered before I asked. She said it was her mission.

Ryan: So there's nothing to stop us.

Emma: Nothing. Not one thing.

Ryan: Now the hard part. Where do we go?

Emma: Let's not decide tonight. Let's just talk about the purpose of it. What do you want to achieve in two weeks?

Ryan: Quiet. No screens. No pile of bills on the table, not one envelope. I want to forget what day it is.

Emma: I want air. And to walk until my legs hurt. And one or two nice dinners, in casual clothes.

Ryan: Nothing industrial. No cities. I see enough development from my office window.

Emma: Then the sea, or the mountains. A coastal town, or somewhere high up.

Ryan: My brother's wife is a lawyer, and she swears by a small place in the hills. She says it's unbeatable. Her sister, the pilot, goes every year.

Emma: The one who was in the navy?

Ryan: That's her. And their landlord told them about it first. He used to be a miner there, or his father was.

Emma: That's a comprehensive set of opinions.

Ryan: I'm an expert at asking other people. It's my only tool.

Emma: I read something by a journalist who seeks out quiet places. She says the trend is to stay close to home and travel slowly. Good for you, and for the environment. The environmental cost of flying is high, and so is the biological cost of no sleep.

Ryan: I've heard that. A full-time job and a short night. Even my dentist says so. My dental bills prove it.

Emma: Then we go by car, and we go slowly. I'll assure you of one thing. I won't swallow one more week like the last one.

Ryan: Me neither. Suddenly I feel better. It's bearable now. I can see the curve going upwards.

Emma: Let me distract you from work once more. An accountant from school gave me a tip. She trades houses with people. No hotel. You stamp nothing, and you sign nothing.

Ryan: With strangers? Is that safe? What about dishonesty? A criminal could walk off with the fabric of our sofa.

Emma: She appoints an operator who checks everybody. There's a licence, and a set-up fee. It's a real division of a travel company. They advertise it in fashion magazines.

Ryan: Hmm. Maybe next time. For our first engagement with the idea of rest, I'd like a hotel, and a supply of towels that somebody else washes.

Emma: Fair. We'll proceed with a hotel. I don't mean to be racist against hotels.

Ryan: That's not what that word means.

Emma: I know. I'm tired. It's a complaint, not a sentence. Let's go to bed.

That is the end of chapter twenty-five. Ryan asked for two weeks, David said yes, and for the first time in two years there is nothing in the way.

Keep these with you: "Do you have a minute?" "I'd like to request some time off." "I haven't taken a vacation in two years." "Simon can take over." "It's approved."

In the next chapter, they open a map and try to answer a simple question. Where shall we go?

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