Crap, thought Mika. Yet another day where we are shorthanded managers. Why don't they just hire more or promote a couple of people who have the ability? This working every day 14 to 16 hours a day is getting on my nerves. Breathe...relax...vacation is coming up. Come hell or high water, it WILL happen!
"Mika! Can you give me a hand until Rick comes back from the bathroom?"
She looked up to see that the first break in sales was officially over as a bus walked into the restaurant.
"Get fries down! Karen, I want you to concentrate on doing the fryers and trying to get stuff stocked...and USE THE TIMERS! Make sure that no one eats nasty stuff!! I will do broiler steamer until Rick gets back, then when he does I will expedite the orders. John, just keep taking orders...Sam, can you take care of Drive-thru on your own until I get back up there? I can expedite for both of you then. Mickey, you make the sandwiches in order, when I get up there I will try to do the tenders and help with sandwiches as mush as possible with the tongs."
The crowd swelled to the doors as the orders were taken. Rick arrived back, washed and sanitized his hands, and took over the broiler steamer position.
"Where the hell did these people come from? I swear when I went to the bathroom there was no one!"
"Just after you walked out a bus showed up. It's ok...do what you can to help prepare the burgers for Mickey, that way he just has to put on the condiments. Just concentrate on getting the orders out quickly and right. Dear God we need to get these right, I do NOT need any more confusion added to this mess. You guys are the best, so I didn't even need to say that, did I?"
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Six hours later Mika finally got a break long enough to use the bathroom herself. As she sat down to pee she thought, this is the best feeling in the world. Sitting. AHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh to relax enough to sit.
"Sam, you work on stocking everything up here and for front counter, John, you concentrate on making the mess of a dining room looking good again. You guys did a great job with that monster of a mess. I am so glad it was you guys instead of the newer people. They would have panicked. Just so you know, we were complimented on how speedy we got everyone through. Keep it up! Rick, you are here for another hour and a half...I want you to concentrate on getting everything stocked and watch over boards while Mickey works on dishes. I am going to switch drawers so John can leave when he gets done; Let me know if anyone comes to the front if I don't see them right away, ok?"
"Sure thing boss! You have got to be tired. What time did you actually get here?"
"Same as usual, around 2, but I am going to be late tonight since the hood cleaners are coming at 4 am. I will get home in time to send my kids to school. This is getting easier as the months go by, you know. I send them to school, then pass out until it is time to come here."
"How is your Dad doing?"
"Well, he has come out of the coma, not sure if i told you. that much. He was hallucinating the other day. Was having Vietnam flashbacks. Mom cried for hours. She is doing better, since he is more aware. He even sang happy birthday to her. I am telling you, I can NOT wait until my vacation is coming up in a month. I am counting down the days...got my plane tickets the other day, and i almost cried because all I could think of was, I am going to be away from this place for more than 9 hours. How sad is that?"
John winked at her " Was it that or the fact that you will be with DW? You haven't been able to talk to him much since you are here so much. hehehe"
Mika blushed. "Well that too. When I talk to him it is like we are really together, but it is frustrating that he is in Canada while I am stuck here in Ohio."
"Where are you guys going again?"
"John, I told you earlier, we are going to North Dakota"
"Yeah, but where in North Dakota?"
"Well, I am flying into Fargo, he is picking me up there, then we are going to Grand Forks to stay."
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The snow fell silently, menacingly beautiful. Snow drifts up to 6 feet covered cars, swirled on the roofs, covered the sidewalks and yards with ease.
"Hey Tory. This is Mika, I am snowed in. I can't even see my car. I am going to try to get it out, but, I am not going to raise any hopes. Is there any way that someone else can make it in?"
"Mika, we have been dead, I am going to call and see if Shara can make it in here. I will give you a call back. If I have to sleep here, it won't be the first time."
"I know. Which is why I feel so badly about it. I have been shoveling off the roof and trying to get the sidewalk shoveled, but it feels like I am making no headway."
Mika hung up the phone, and relishing the time with her kids that she so rarely had, went outside to try to dig her car out of the snow so that she could try to make it to work. Not that she wanted to go to work, she was exhausted from being in that building, but she felt bad for Tory who had been there since 5 am. Who was she kidding? She was just plain exhausted. They finally had gotten another manager in to help, so she was getting one day a week off now, but it seemed like all she wanted to do was sleep.
"Mom, Tory is on the phone!"
"Hello?"
"Yeah, stay home. Ken called and said to close down early, so I will just close everything down for you. I should be gone in an hour. The crew was happy to hear that."
"I bet they were. So how did mister director of operations in another state finally come to the conclusion that we should close down?"
"The weather report and our sales. More snow coming and sales at being next to nothing, it wasn't worth the overhead. Even with half of the equipment turned off, we use a lot of gas for the broiler and the fryers and the hot water tank."
"Yeah. Thanks."
"No problem. Have you talked to your mom yet today?"
"Yeah. Dad is trying to walk now. He took 4 steps in physical therapy today. I am pretty sure he realizes how much time has passed since he went into the coma. He missed Christmas, New Year's, Mom's birthday, kind of, and Mara's birthday. I think he feels bad about it. They are finally going to take the tube out of his throat tomorrow, so he will be able to talk more then. He will be able to leave the rehab hospital when I go to North Dakota so I will get to see him then."
"Oh yeah, how much longer before your trip?"