The rings are getting louder and louder. My hand slips out
of the covers fishing over in search of the receiver which ends up knocking
everything else over but still no phone. The rings persist. It was too good to
be true that I took today and tomorrow off from work. For some reason, I knew
that call was for me. Finally, my hands meet the receiver – bringing it to me
under the covers much like how a threatening predator drags its prey back to
the lair. So blurry eyed, so tired. After a long yawn comes a weak, “Hello?”
“Emi! Oh
thank the world you’re up!” The high pitched voice makes me wince in pain
caused by the late night blur of events prior. I lift the covers and see that
it is still dark and only 6:19 in the morning.
“What do
you mean?” I ask reluctantly.
“We have
an emergency. Jackie went into labor. John and Christi are AWOL and we need
someone to come in and fill in for the registers. We are so understaffed today!”
This would be the assistant manager. She did me a solid once and now I am
forever branded as her...
“What
time do you want me to come in?” I ask as I roll to the other side of the bed,
still trying to come out of the veil of sleep.
“I need
you here as soon as you can, and I only trust you to close with me tonight too!
I know today was your day off and all. I’ll make it up to you. I’m so sorry. So
much for relying on others, right?” She tried to laugh at her own joke but I
could hear her cutting herself short seeing that she isn’t very good at bearing
bad news to people.
“Ok
fine,” Why did I do that? I’m just too nice.
Later that day I realized that I should’ve disconnected my
phone as I tried to break up a dispute from some customers fighting over the
bins with all the clothes being dumped in. Once that was settled, one of the
bathrooms clogged up. And as if the day weren’t exciting enough, there just
happened to be three attempts of shoplifting all from different people. We
usually have a security person on site but today they were just on call. I
can’t say I wasn’t warned when I made the transfer to the donation store all the way in South Philly by the 95. And then it happened…out of all the days I was here, it
had to be today,
“Emi,
can you deal with him again? He’s back.” An old man walked up to me partially
dressed for church but wreaked of old alcohol. I think birds live in his
pocket, not quite sure on that.
“How
much do you want for the blue car outside?” He asked me with no control of his
tone.
“Sir,
for the last time, those cars are not for sale. That is the store parking lot.”
“Dammit!
I want the blue one! I’ll pay whatever price you’re offering! Here, here…”
The
old man dug in his pockets leaving some pieces of papers, Frosted Mini Wheat
cereal, some screws and a book of matches on the checkout counter.
“Now
that’s my final offer! You tell those corporate slugs that I’m not getting
pushed around any longer and that I am a loyal customer and deserve only the
best. Now get on the phone!”
I humored him by picking up the phone. I tried to dial for
the on call security that was until I saw him already outside smashing open the
driver’s side window of the ‘blue car’ he wanted.
“Call security now!” Someone shouted as I ran out there.
“Yep, she’s a beaut!” He says as he
sits there with his flat hat and sunglasses still on.
“Hey!
That’s my car!” Shouted the owner coming out of the store.
By then, the police
came and forms and witness statements were being filled out. After all of that,
it was 8 in the evening. I was already tired. Jamie the assistant manager, now
owed me and let me go home for the rest of the night. And that was how I spent
my day off.
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