Marcus the Merman

My name is Marcus. I am actually a librarian, but I work as a merman at the Waterfront Amusement Park. I really love being with children and working at an amusement park. Who wouldn’t like this! 

What I like most about my job is that I don’t have to get up early, dress up in ugly suits and do a desk job all day long. I don’t have to deal with nerve-racking adults with unrealistic demands and money, and I don’t have to write reports and sign papers. I find usual jobs monotonous because of all these things. 

My work is never boring. After I get to the park at about 10 o’clock every day, I put on my merman costume and start walking among smiling children. Most of them seem happy and entertained, and I cannot blame them. They see mermaids everywhere, but they are not used to seeing a merman. It’s something new to them. 

Yes, I love my job. But I have problems, too. I get to work at 10 o’clock, every day, EVERY DAY, and work until midnight! Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the busiest and the most hectic days of the week, so I cannot take a weekend off. 

They let me have a day off on one of the weekdays – other than Friday – but then they pay me less. The pay is not so well anyway. 

Also, at the end of each day, my back and feet hurt so much that I cannot go to sleep without a painkiller. I am afraid of having more serious health problems soon. My job is very tiring.

Another problem is my children. I have two daughters who are 12 and 8. When people ask them about my job, they feel embarrassed. They want to say things like “My father is a manager at a bank” or “My father is a doctor”, but that’s not me! I want them to be proud of me, not embarrassed.

I don’t know what to do!