Wednesday was a long, not very, but somewhat eventful day for me. Not this Wednesday, but a Wednesday two, three weeks ago. The Wednesday before school started.
I was very confused. I had been for the better part of the summer. After I turned eighteen, my parents told me that I was an adult and that I could handle getting my student loans all by myself. Those were two terrible months, before they finally realized I had no idea what I was doing, and decided to help me. My father was not pleased that he had to cosign my loan. Shock of all shocks that a part time minimum wage worker couldn't secure a loan by themselves
I was very confused. I had been for the better part of the summer. After I turned eighteen, my parents told me that I was an adult and that I could handle getting my student loans all by myself. Those were two terrible months, before they finally realized I had no idea what I was doing, and decided to help me. My father was not pleased that he had to cosign my loan. Shock of all shocks that a part time minimum wage worker couldn't secure a loan by themselves
| Either way we finally got it done, five days before my payment was due. So, definitely great timing. However, online it is showing that I still owe about $2,000. I got a lot of graduation gifts, but not that much. After I got my loan, I was supposed to owe, maybe $690. So, I wasn't prepared for this. |  |
Battered and wounded I drive down to my college. I talk to one of the financial assistance counselors, letting her know what is happening. She says to me “What can I help you with?” and I say to her “I'm just very confused.”
In maybe ten minutes we are done. One of my federal scholarships just hadn't gone through, because of a little paperwork. I fixed that. I go over to the business office to actually pay for it and they ask for my ID.
I don't have it. I drove all this way and I didn't bring my license. So, I try starting the car. I'd been bumping and grinding to Calvin Harris the whole way there. And, it won't start.
In maybe ten minutes we are done. One of my federal scholarships just hadn't gone through, because of a little paperwork. I fixed that. I go over to the business office to actually pay for it and they ask for my ID.
I don't have it. I drove all this way and I didn't bring my license. So, I try starting the car. I'd been bumping and grinding to Calvin Harris the whole way there. And, it won't start.
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This is not really that surprising. I've run my car battery down, ten times this year. Or at least that's what I've been saying. Now that I think about it, I believe it's closer to six, but whatever. And, that Sunday before I'd run the battery down twice in one day.
My father jump started my car the second time and he thought it was fine. What my father doesn't know is that I run the battery down all the time, and that I just don't tell him. We have lthis portable jump starter that you plug into a wall and you just walk away for a half hour and let it charge the battery. That way he never has to know.
My father jump started my car the second time and he thought it was fine. What my father doesn't know is that I run the battery down all the time, and that I just don't tell him. We have lthis portable jump starter that you plug into a wall and you just walk away for a half hour and let it charge the battery. That way he never has to know.
So, I am not surprised that the car will not start. I go back to the business office, I ask if I can borrow a phone. They tell me to go to campus security. They tell me to go to the computer lab, that's right along this shady ass corridor that scares the hell out of me. I get to the phone, and they fail to mention to me that you have to press 9 in order to make outside calls.
Earlier I told you that I have a flip phone. I don't carry this flip phone. I don't know its number. I use a home phone. Yes. That's right a home phone. Which we recently got caller ID on, so that's exciting. We are now keeping up with the Smith's from the 90's. First, I call the home phone. My mother does not pick up. She doesn't know how to check for caller ID, so I know she's not avoiding me. I then call my father's cellphone, and he doesn't pick up. RUDE. This is your child calling you in dire distress.
I then call my next door neighbor and tell her what happened. She tells me to stand by the phone, and once she's reached them, they will call me. I stand at the ready and after five minutes, my father calls me, and asks me where I am.
I tell him where I'm parked and I wait. I did however make considerable progress in The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. I've had to read for school for four weeks now and I've been putting it off by reading Jackie Collins instead. I was two pages from finishing when my father pulls up.
Earlier I told you that I have a flip phone. I don't carry this flip phone. I don't know its number. I use a home phone. Yes. That's right a home phone. Which we recently got caller ID on, so that's exciting. We are now keeping up with the Smith's from the 90's. First, I call the home phone. My mother does not pick up. She doesn't know how to check for caller ID, so I know she's not avoiding me. I then call my father's cellphone, and he doesn't pick up. RUDE. This is your child calling you in dire distress.
I then call my next door neighbor and tell her what happened. She tells me to stand by the phone, and once she's reached them, they will call me. I stand at the ready and after five minutes, my father calls me, and asks me where I am.
I tell him where I'm parked and I wait. I did however make considerable progress in The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. I've had to read for school for four weeks now and I've been putting it off by reading Jackie Collins instead. I was two pages from finishing when my father pulls up.
Of course I parked in the worst possible spot. I was cornered by this cement sidewalk and a red Impala. Every other car surrounding me had moved, but not the red Impala. What a bitch.
| I'm told to put the car in neutral, and back out, so my father can jumpstart it. Let me tell you. Without power steering, driving a car is a mother. It was the worst possible thirty seconds of my life. But, this very nice boy helped my father push it into the right spot. I wanted to anoint him “bae”. We jumpstart the car, determine what I already knew, that I needed a new battery. Padre drives me to work. Something, I most certainly could get used to, and I walk in with The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears and the latest Architectural Digest in hand. I set them on the break table in the back. Normally, I would have kept them in the car, because that's where I go on break, but I didn't have the car. So, it's 10:30. I am about to leave. We are just doing some cleaning up, making sure everything was organized. It had been a rough Wednesday night. |  |
It had been really slow all that week, so my manager sent two people home earlier then he had to. I agreed with his assessment, but we got surprisingly busy. Nothing we couldn't handle, but the store wasn't clean.
So, in walks my General Manger and I thought he was about to go off because of how dirty it is, but he doesn't. He walks to the back and does inventory. Or whatever it is he does back there. I think to myself, he must be in a pretty good mood.
It's a few minutes after this that I hear him scream, “What is all this shit?” and him swiping everything off the break table off onto the floor. He might have flipped the table, I don't know, I only heard it.
So, in walks my General Manger and I thought he was about to go off because of how dirty it is, but he doesn't. He walks to the back and does inventory. Or whatever it is he does back there. I think to myself, he must be in a pretty good mood.
It's a few minutes after this that I hear him scream, “What is all this shit?” and him swiping everything off the break table off onto the floor. He might have flipped the table, I don't know, I only heard it.
The break table was a mess, but I don't know where that really matters. I don't know where he would ever think that's an acceptable way for a man in his fifties to act that way over a dirty break table. I just don't understand where he thinks throwing one of his employees books onto the ground is a good idea. I am a minimum wage worker. I don't have twenty dollars to spend on buying new books.
Because, yes he threw my books onto the ground. We have tile in the back and they were mopping it. He never did pick them up for me. One of my co workers did and there's this layer of grime on both of them.
Because, yes he threw my books onto the ground. We have tile in the back and they were mopping it. He never did pick them up for me. One of my co workers did and there's this layer of grime on both of them.
They told me I handled myself very well, but I didn't go back there. If I had it would have gone down. He not only disrespected me, but the thoughts and ideas of Dinaw Mengestu. His book was deeply personal and no matter how I feel about a work of fiction, I am not about to degrade one of his books. Even, if his book wasn't personal. How dare you, that author put time and effort into this work, they put a part of themselves in it.
How dare you call a magazine and all it's writers “shit”. Margaret Russell as a respected Editor of a premiere American magazine, does not deserve that and neither do any of her writers. Who are you to treat their hard work like that sir.
He never did apologize to me or any of the staff for what he did. But, even if he had, I wouldn't have accepted it. That act of aggression was uncalled for. To apologize to me, he would have had to have written to Dinaw Mengestu and Margaret Russell and apologized to them
How dare you call a magazine and all it's writers “shit”. Margaret Russell as a respected Editor of a premiere American magazine, does not deserve that and neither do any of her writers. Who are you to treat their hard work like that sir.
He never did apologize to me or any of the staff for what he did. But, even if he had, I wouldn't have accepted it. That act of aggression was uncalled for. To apologize to me, he would have had to have written to Dinaw Mengestu and Margaret Russell and apologized to them
| When he finally did come up to the front and said some very cryptic words. “You have 5 minutes. GO.” You expect me to finish all my duties in five minutes. Rush them, so you can lower your labor costs. Sir, I don't have that kind of respect for you. I grabbed my books and I clocked out. And, after all of this I had to go back to my school on Thursday to deal with my payment. That woman behind the counter judged me so hard.  |  |
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