I began working in the evening shift from 3.00 pm - 11.00 pm, five days a week. My supervisor, was Mr Dennis Lambert, a great gentleman. He began training me & I was cleaning the faculty-offices on the 1st, 2nd & third floor. Dennis had told me that as soon as I finished my 180 day, probation period, he could me an office-clerk position or maybe even get me in as a Security-Officer. I liked Dennis. He was a good man. I did a good jod & followed Dennis's instruction well. I was polite, courteous & respectful to all. During my 4th month at Memorial Medical Center, I accidentally made a careless mistake, that I would regret later. I was terminated, despite apologizing to Mr Ed Bow, the Housekeeping manager. It was a good job & I could transferred & made a career at Memorial Medical Center, in different departments.
One night, after I got off at 11.00 pm, I went home & drove down in my AMC Gremlin, to get a 6 pack of beer at the Northenders Beer-Mart on 9th Street / North Grand Avenue. Upon arriving at 'Northenders', I realized that I had a left my wallet, back at work at the hospital. I was buffing the 2nd -floor hallway, behind the Ob/Gyn offices. I had taken out my wallet, to check for some instructions, that I had jotted down on a piece of paper. I had placed my wallet, on the north window-ledge, facing the SIU School of Medicine, directly above the Emergency Entrance. I arrived at the Emergency entrance around midnight. I parked my car & walked inside. I was still wearing my hospital-uniform. As I walked inside, I noticed the front-staff were busy talking to some people. I wanted to approach them & let them know, that I was going to the 2nd floor, to get my wallet. As they were busy in a conversation, I just walked by & went to the staircase & went to 2nd floor & found my wallet exactly there. I was relieved & took my wallet and came down, exactly the same way. When I reached the main-floor lobby & was walking toward the Emergency-entrance, a security officer, asked me what I was doing. I told him, that I worked for House-keeping & explained him what had happened. He told me that, employees are not allowed in the hospital after their shift. I explained him, that I was really sorry that I forgot to check in with Emergency-staff. I told him, that I had just walked on the walkway & the staircase, all the way to the window-ledge, where I had left my wallet. I never went into any offices, as they were locked. I just used the hallway & stairway & back to the emergency-entrance. I ALSO, HAD NOTHING ON ME & WAS EMPTY-HANDED. I had just forgot to check-in. He checked my Drivers License, MMC ID Card & Springfield College ID. He jotted down the information, in his notebook & told me that he would be checking with Housekeeping staff. He then let me go. I apologized & thanked him and left.
Next day, when I went to work, Dennis Lambert asked me about the previous nights incident. I apologized to Dennis & explained him everything. Then I had a brief meeting with Ed Bow. Ed Bow, told me, that he did not care, if I was a heroin user, but he could not tolerate employee stealing or breaking housekeeping rules. I told him that I was really sorry, I was not a drug-user of any sort & definitely not a thief. I told Ed, that I just went to the hallway, to retrieve my personal wallet & did not enter any faculty-offices. I sincerely apologized to Ed Bow & promised him that it would never happen again. I told him being a foreign-student, if he would give me another chance. Ed Bow declined & said that I was being terminated, even though nothing was reported missing. He told me that I was lucky, that they were not pressing charges & getting me arrested. As I had broken Housekeeping rules, I was being terminated. I kept my head low & apologized again and left. I really felt terrible. I know, that I should have got permission from the Emergency-staff, but as I had introduced myself & talked to few Doctors & other hospital-employees before, I had thought that it was not necessary & illegall ! I never went into any secured or locked areas; just strayed on the public-pedestrian hallway, to my intended location & back. It was after visiting hours, though. I should have waited & talked to the Emergency-personel, before going in. I just forgot. At that moment in time, it all just happened that way ! I swear to God !