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Author's Chapter Notes:
Michael Scott presents his plan to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., but he doesn't get the response he expects.

Friday, January 18, 2008

 

Michael Scott came into the office Friday morning with an enormous smile on his face. He'd had a brilliant idea driving into work, and he could hardly wait to share it with his employees, one in particular. He hung up his coat, said good morning to Pam, and made his way to Stanley Hudson's desk.

 

"Stanley, just the man I wanted to see! I'm going to make you the happiest black man since Lincoln freed the slaves!" said Michael gleefully. Stanley stared at him with disdain and disbelief. He knew it couldn't be good if Michael was bringing up race.

 

"Michael, I need to be on the phone," said Stanley. "Maybe you can make some other black man happy. Try Nate in Security."

 

"Always hilarious, Stanley. That's what I like about you people, you're just natural entertainers," Michael paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that he may have stepped over a line.

 

"Us people?" asked Stanley.

 

"Um, salespeople?" said Michael with a feeling of relief. He felt sorry for people who weren't quick-witted like he was. "To continue, Monday is Martin Luther King Day, and I had a dream, well really, just an idea, because I wasn't asleep, that Monday should be ‘Pancake Day' in honor of the King. Because Elvis loved to eat." The rest of the office was paying attention now, and Michael realized his Elvis joke had fallen flat. "Just kidding. Different king. Also from the South, though. Probably loved his pancakes."

 

Jim spoke up. "How does ‘Pancake Day' honor Martin Luther King, Jr.?"

 

"I'm glad you asked that, Jimboree, but when I tell you, you're going to feel stupid for missing it. We're going to have King-sized pancakes! And there'll be Aunt Jemima syrup to remind Stanley of his mammy, which is what black folks call their moms."

 

"No, we don't."

 

Acting as if he hadn't heard Stanley, Michael said, "And I will bring in my revered childhood copy of Little Black Sambo to read aloud."

 

Jim's jaw dropped, Stanley rolled his eyes, and Phyllis sighed "Oh, dear" quietly.

 

Michael looked around at the reactions, confused about why no one was excited. "You people need to get on the bus! Not at the back, though! It's Black History Month, and we're going to pig out on pancakes to honor Mr. King. Reverend King. His Kingliness." Michael smiled.

 

Toby had come out of the break room to hear Michael's last few statements. "Black History Month is actually in February, Michael, and this doesn't seem like the kind of thing..."

 

"Well, Toby, I don't think they would have put Martin Luther King Day in January if it wasn't Black History Month," Michael dismissed the objection with a wave.

 

"Michael, it's in January because it was his birthday," said Pam.

 

"Right, Pam! And his birthday just happens to be on a Monday every year?" He looked at Pam with an indulgent smile and a head shake at her foolishness.

 

Toby said quietly, "Michael, you're supposed to get this kind of thing okayed now, and I don't think Ryan is going to approve."

 

"Well, nobody asked you, Toby. And nobody cares, you're not even black. Except in your heart. I'm doing this for my main man Stan, here," said Michael, placing a hand on Stanley's shoulder. "He da man."

 

"I'm not your man, and I don't need your pancakes," said Stanley.

 

Talking Head - Stanley Hudson


I do like pancakes, but I'll just stop at Perkins. Breakfast all day, and no Michael.

 

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Ryan was tired of dealing with the Scranton branch. It was 3:30 on a Friday afternoon -- his original plans for the day had included a few more hours of work, meeting some new friends for too-expensive drinks, and hitting on women. He had made reservations for two at the latest trendy restaurant, and he always tried to target a woman who might accompany him to dinner (and hopefully home afterwards) after his ‘date cancelled on him.' That was the part of his new life that he loved -- the enormity of New York City allowed him to burn his bridges and be almost anonymous again -- new bars, new women to (try to) conquer, and new trendy restaurants to book.

 

Instead, Ryan was walking into the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin after a two and a half hour drive, and he wouldn't be seeing New York City again for at least 3 or 4 hours. He'd probably miss the dinner reservation and need to rely on his own charm to pick up someone. He had a lot less luck that way, plus he'd probably hit crap traffic all the way back.

 

But Stanley had called, complaining about how Michael's plans for Martin Luther King Day were insulting, and had nothing to do with honoring the man. Ryan had told Stanley he'd phone Michael to straighten things out, but that had only incensed Stanley more, so here he was, back in Scranton, wondering why he'd ever taken Jan's job.

 

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An hour later, Ryan walked out of Michael's office, desperately wanting to just punch something. He had thought that temping for Michael and subsequently working for Michael were frustrating, but they were nothing compared to having Michael as an employee. It had taken a full hour to get across to Michael that he couldn't have Pancake Day, and it shouldn't even be mentioned again, especially in Stanley's presence. Crisis averted -- at least until the next crisis. Ryan knew there would be one, and it probably wouldn't take long to come about.

 

He spotted Pam and Jim talking at reception. He had seen them through the windows of Michael's office for the past twenty minutes, chatting, laughing, and stealing glances toward Ryan as he was trying to talk sense into Michael.

 

"Hey, Jim, can I see you in the conference room for a minute?" Ryan said.

 

"Sure, man." Jim straightened up from leaning on the counter, threw a smile and a nod at Pam, and preceded Ryan into the conference room. Ryan shut the door as Jim settled into a chair, and then he took a seat across from Jim. For a few moments they just sat, Ryan shaking his head in frustration at Michael's inanity.

 

Jim shook his head too, smiling, "I know, he was totally over the top today. I feel for you, having to talk him down like that."

 

"The thing is, Jim, I don't think I should have had to do that. You shouldn't have let things get to this point here."

 

"Me?" Jim widened his eyes in disbelief. "Hey, Michael's been coming up with stuff like this forever. It's not my job to handle him. It used to be Jan's job, and now it's yours. I didn't take that job, remember?"

 

"Yeah, Jim, I know. Everyone knows you turned down the job, and that's the reason I have it. But that's exactly the thing," he leaned in closer to Jim in his best ‘I'm in charge' manner. "You turned down the job, and now I'm your boss. So let me make this perfectly clear. Your job is to rein in Michael. You need to make sales, and substitute for Michael when he's gone. But your most important job here is to handle Michael. That's it. When he has a stupid idea, get him to change it so we don't get sued for making a hostile work environment for people of color, or people of weight, or women, or whatever."

 

"People of weight?" Jim mocked.

 

"What. Ever. Just handle him," said Ryan. "Do you understand your job here? Have I been clear?"

 

"Absolutely, you have," Jim said with a smirk.

 

"Smirk all you want, but you're the front line here, and you need to do this. Scranton survived one branch closing, but if there's more, and Michael's still running things this way..." Ryan looked Jim in the eye "Well, you know, it wouldn't be good. So when he's heading in the wrong direction, like with this Pancake Day thing, get him back on track. I mean, I've seen you handle him and everyone else in this office just for fun, so the fact that it's now your job should make it even easier."

 

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"So he actually admitted that the job would have been yours?" Pam asked.

 

"Yep. Not that I would have wanted it. I mean, once you started wooing me with yogurt lids, I wasn't about to pass up a chance at you." Jim took up his prior stance of leaning over reception, suddenly remembering the time Kevin had called him on that in front of Karen. Thinking about his unhappiness back then just reemphasized to him that he had made the right choice last May.

 

"Well you could have had both, right?" said Pam.

 

"Well, um...what?"

 

"You could have taken the job and still dated me," Pam explained, looking surprised that it hadn't occurred to him. "It would have been more difficult, but we could have done it. You could've come on weekends and stayed with your folks until, you know, we started, um..."

 

"Sinning on a regular basis?" interrupted Jim quietly, with a little sideways nod toward Angela working primly at her desk.

 

"Nice," Pam said, making a face. "But seriously, we could have taken turns driving to each other's houses for the weekend. If you really wanted the job, I mean. It was more money, and a way better title, if you wanted all that."

 

Jim considered it for a few moments before grimacing and shaking his head no. "You know, that sounds like way too much work. Driving, and packing and unpacking all the time, and dealing with a crazy new job?" Jim shuddered for effect. "See, here in Scranton, I can date you without all that, and all I have to do is babysit Michael. Aaand watch for falling lawsuits."

 

Pam laughed. "Okay. But, just so you know, I'd date you even if you were a corporate weasel."

 

"Good to know," said Jim.

 

"Oh! And since you didn't go the weasel route, I can help you babysit Michael. Maybe I should make a chart, you know, feeding, sleeping, developmental milestones..."

 

"Yeah, I think he's already missed some milestones," said Jim with a smile. "Seriously, though, I actually have to get back to work. I have a dream that I can keep Michael out of Stanley's hair on Monday, so I need to get on that."

 

"Okay. But no more ‘I have a dream' jokes, okay?" said Pam, grinning. "Reusing Michael's jokes is not a good thing."

 

Jim smiled, drummed on Pam's desk, and headed for his own. For the next fifteen minutes, he was busy typing furiously and making phone calls.

 

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Michael sat at his desk, trying to figure out how he could still pull something good out of Pancake Day. Sure, Ryan had forbidden him to do it, but it was such great idea! Even if he had to shelve it, he wanted to pay tribute to the day somehow. It would show everyone that Dunder Mifflin Scranton was a Rainbow kind of place.

 

There was a knock on the partially open door; Michael looked up as Jim entered, and suddenly another great idea popped into his head.

 

"Jim, I've got it! For Monday, how about an ice cream bar with rainbow sprinkles for one of the toppings, you know, like ‘we're all colors here'?" said Michael.

 

"Wow. That's another really good idea, Michael, but, um... ice cream is sort of melty," said Jim, nodding wisely. Michael's face fell. "And actually," said Jim, "I was coming in here to tell you about a way you can make a big difference on Martin Luther King day, and I know everybody would be really impressed."

 

Michael perked up a bit. "Oho! Something better than Pancake Day?"

 

"Yep. And I already talked with Ryan -- he approved it and said he'd make sure it gets in the newsletter."

 

"Pre-approved by the Ryinater and free publicity! Sounds good! So what is it?"

 

"Well, it's definitely better than Pancake Day, because that was just breakfast. But my thing is an all-day celebration of what King was about." Jim handed Michael a slip of paper.

 

Michael glanced at the slip of paper, and then up at Jim. "All day? And Ryan approved it?"

 

"Yep. And Stanley will love it, too. So you just go to that address there," he pointed to the slip, "at nine o'clock on Monday morning, and they'll set you right up."

 

"Okay, so what is this place on...Spruce Street?"

 

"All you need to know is that anybody who's anybody in Scranton, and wants to celebrate Dr. King, is going to show up there. Just go, and they'll tell you what to do. Also, they'll feed you lunch."

 

Michael's eyes lit up. "A free lunch, and hobnobbing with my fellow King lovers. Rainbow party! I am there! How about you? Are you in? Are you in?"

 

"I'd like to, but I should probably watch over everybody here while you're gone. You know, keep things going," said Jim.

 

"Right! Excellent! So who else is coming?" asked Michael, thinking about who would make for the best day. "Stanley, of course. It's too bad Martin left, because he would have loved this. And Pam? Is Pam coming?"

 

Jim smiled and said, "You know what? I'm gonna let you be surprised, but I think it'll be a very good Martin Luther King Day, especially for Stanley."

 

"I can't wait, Jim! I will be there! Thank you very much, sir."

 

"No problem, Michael. Have a good weekend, enjoy yourself Monday, and I'll see you Tuesday, okay?"

 

"Okay, Jimbo! Happy King Day!" Michael waved as Jim backed out of his office, closing the door. He could hardly wait for Monday.

Chapter End Notes:

Thanks to my betas Swedge and Azlin, and the lovely macolly, who helps me with all things Scranton.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


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