Author's Comment: Parts of this story has been roaming around my mind for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would put my thoughts down and make a story out of it. It's about a man's life after getting out of the service and trying to put his life on track. Hope you enjoy it.
I'm breaking it down into three short chapters. I hope you stay and read all three chapters. I'll submit another chapter when the previous one is published.
Hi! My name is Jack Balo. I live in Zanesville, Ohio about sixty miles east of Columbus off highway I-70. I own a tavern or I guess you can call it a bar and grill. I think our English cousins would call it a "Pub."
I would like to share with you about my start in this business as well where it took me. For more background, I will share a little about my past a little later in the story.
Well, one day, about the middle of the afternoon, I was behind the bar cleaning up some glasses and restocking fridges. I looked up and, neatly dressed and very good looking woman, walked up to the bar.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"Yes please, my name is Jill Bishop and I would like to speak to the manager or owner," she replied.
"Glad to meet you, Jill. I'm Jack Balo! I own this humble abode, I am both the manager and owner," I said with a slight smile. "What can I do for you Mrs. Bishop?"
"It's Ms. Bishop now as I'm recently divorced; and please call me Jill. I'm looking for work and since I have previous experience work working in a tavern, I would like to fill out an application. I was a bartender in Kentucky and can make most any drink. I'm also willing to work any shift and even part-time to start if you like."
I looked closely at her and she looked friendly. To be honest she was also really pretty, maybe in her mid-thirties. "Before you fill out an application, I would like to talk to you and get to know more about you. I know there are new rules about want an employer can ask and if I accidentally cross that line you don't have to answer it. Let me tell you about my bar; it might help you decide if you're interested in working here.
"As I said, I'm the sole owner. My brother Will works with me; he is here on the night shift starting at six 'til we close. He's also the assistant manager; and is responsible for that shift. I have two other men who work the bar and four women who are waitresses, but a couple of the women are able to work the bar if needed.
"My workers are all part-time, except Will, but some weeks they work quite a few hours. Oh, I also have an older fella who comes in at closing and cleans the place up. He's also full time. I run the day shift. I open at eleven and we do serve lunch. We work six days and are closed on Sundays since we all need a day of rest after a very busy week constantly on our feet.
"Speaking of food, I forgot to mention that I have a short order cook and she has a helper. We basically serve sandwiches and Mary, our cook, serves something up special each day. What I'm looking for is someone else to help more or less full time, on the day shift. They would start at ten and work till six. We are rather a busy place and sometimes rent the place out for parties and receptions. We pay good wages with benefits and the workers keep all their own tips. They must be reported for tax purposes.
"During your shift there is no drinking alcoholic beverages but you would be entitled to eat lunch here at no cost.
"Since we serve food, employees, if they smoke, they must smoke outside.
"No free drinks are allowed to be given out without my or Will's ok. If you have a guest here for dinner they can eat at half-price and the same goes if you want to eat but are not working. Now it's your turn, tell me a little more about yourself."
"I was born and raised in Kentucky at Olive Hill, just outside of Cincinnati Ohio, but on the other side of the River. My parents died a few years ago. I have a sister who lives here and a brother who still lives in Kentucky. I went to college and graduated with a degree in business management. I was married for ten years to my husband Joe. We owned a small bar that we inherited from his parents. I thought we had a good marriage until I caught him cheating. I tried to forgive him but then I caught him again with his friend's wife. He tried to get me to go to a swingers' party but I outright refused. We argued over and over and then I asked for a divorce. Luckily, we never had any kids since I unfortunately had to have a partial hysterectomy a year after we got married."
"He went to his lawyer and got the divorce papers. He told me if I signed the bar over to him and agreed to filling out the divorce papers under irreconcilable differences he would agree to the divorce.
"I filled out the papers and signed them. There wasn't any kind of financial settlement or alimony. We each had our own bank accounts. I left that night with my personal things and I moved down here.
"My younger sister's husband passed away two years ago of cancer and it was hard on her and her two teenage kids to make a go of it. I'm looking for a job to help her meet expenses. That is why I am out job hunting. Please may I apply for that job?"
I handed her an application and asked her if she would be able to start the day after tomorrow. I told her I would put her on as a 'temporary' for a couple of weeks and see how she worked out and if she liked the work environment.
