Faith Works 12-6-24

Faith Works 12-6-24
Jeff Gill

Getting off of the naughty list, part 1
___


"Get everything ready for Christmas!"

The scrawled red statement on the whiteboard was not meant to be festive, Rodney knew. The manager wrote it there to remind people to check the stock list for the seasonal items that might be missed in the regular routine.

ZipMart had a standard process on a laminated card taped to the cooler next to the whiteboard, but everyone knew to check what the manager wrote first. She'd been there virtually since the mini-market was built, and had a good sense of the rhythms of the business. Sunday night before deer gun season she'd have a note up about doubling the breakfast sandwiches in the heater before 3 am, and not because she was a hunter.

Rodney had been hunting once, twice maybe, and wasn't any good as a hunter. Or hadn't been around anyone wanting to teach him, more like it. He was not at ease around guns, which was funny because he'd had a couple of stick-ups in the years since he started taking night shifts at ZipMart, and had a letter somewhere in a bin from corporate congratulating him on how calmly he'd handled himself in a difficult situation.

Actually, he was pretty sure the second stick-up guy hadn't had a gun, but no way was he going to find out the hard way. He opened up the register like he'd been trained and stepped back.

That night, after the robber had left and Rodney called the police, he went over and wiped down the coffee counter and started a new pot, since he knew they'd be interested in a fresh, hot cup around the middle of their shift. In fact he'd ended up making two more while answering their questions before morning came and both he and the police went home.

Home for Rodney was an apartment over a garage, a little cold even with a small furnace dedicated to his unit in the corner downstairs; it was a three bay garage for a contractor he had worked for briefly until he'd hurt his leg. Disability didn't go through, even with a bad limp, but the owner felt bad for him and recommended him for the ZipMart job along with making him a deal for the apartment. Everyone said it was a good alternative to working with a crew, since he would "just stand in one place," which he now knew meant they'd never worked in a convenience store. Rodney figured he walked more a shift there than he had on an average day at a job site, but it was work, even some benefits.

The benefits were important, because he'd agreed to provide them for his kid. Rodney didn't see him often, but he wished he could more. Night shift made that tough. His ex had offered to stop by a few times, but it was just never good timing with a little kid, late at night or early in the morning.

Other times? He knew he didn't make good use of the time he had. It was something he felt bad about, like a lot of things. That's what he had ended up talking about tonight to the lady who came through about midnight. Rodney asked her what had her out at that hour, as she stirred up her hot chocolate at the coffee stand, and he remembered what she first said.

"I'm in the regret reduction business."

(end of part one of three)


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's been telling multi-part pieces of semi-fiction in December for some time. Tell him where the story seems to be going at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads or Bluesky.