Rich

Just a short story about a fiend.

[Sunday’s]

 

Ding, ding, ding, ding. A four number code of a bank account had been punched into the atm. A tall middle aged man with ball cap stood. His foot tapped. His legged jittered. Waiting for his money he anxiously scanned the room. I awaited him at the counter. He walked over.

“Hey Matty, no twinkle toes today?” Twinkle toes was in reference to my manager, who bounced with every step he took.

“Nah, nah. His a*s don’t get up this early on a Sunday mornins.”

He chuckled. “Ok Matty. What do we got here today? How about ah two twos and ahh, number 6.”

“Gotcha ya boss.” I bent down to tear the tickets off the roll.

“So, what’s new? Anything?”

“Ehh...”

“Same s**t different day, uh?”

“Yeah.” I chuckled.

I could tell he wanted to start conversation and he could tell I didn’t. He snatched his tickets walked away and took a seat at the bar. It was dead in the gas station. It always was on Sunday’s. Everyone was either at home sleeping or watching cartoons. I was one of the few lucky saps stuck working. Frankly I didn’t mind. I had no plans and it was money in my pocket, as miniscule as it was.

“So how’s school Matty?” as he squinted at his freshly scratched lottery ticket. It was habitual.

“It’s going well for the most part. Considering I haven’t started back up yet.”

“When ya go back?”

“Eh, 25^th”

“Monday?”

“Yeah.”

“So what are ya taking up again?”

“Well I’m a history major, minoring in political science.” I mundanely recited. That too was habitual.

Here it came. “So what? You gunna be a teacher?”

“Well I’m not sure yet uh, just getting a foundation now, history was always my strong suite. I enjoy politics, economics, and psychology too and English. All those fields kinda run into each other. I could always get a job for the government.” I cheerfully said and resentfully thought. A government job Christ help me.

He stopped listening as soon as I began to drone on about my interests. So I stopped.

“Yeah, my boy’s in the army, daughters going to school.” He never talked much about his personal life.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.” He was scratching off his final ticket, still squinting.

“Well how old are they?”

He had finished scratching his ticket and was now standing in front of the counter.

“Boy’s 23 and girl’s 17.”

“Oh, so she still in high school er college?”

“College, she going to Daemon, full ride.”

“S**t, you must be proud.”

“Yeah…uh, Number 6 Matty and number 23. This is it now Matty. C’mon.” He desperately exclaimed.

“Ok boss I got a good feeling on this one.”