by Christal Collette

Created on: January 08, 2009

I walked off of the bus into the blistering winter cold. Outside of the doors sat an old man with one arm. He was furiously ringing a little red bell. I pulled out twenty cents from my pocket and put it into the red canister. I stepped through the double doors into a sea of people. Above me there was a giant wreath with huge bells and fake Christmas balls that were probably decorated by youngsters in China.

I walked past the chain retail stores and finally made it to the domain I call the food court. The lights from each neon sign blinded me. The smell started to slowly flow towards me. It was a smell of coffee, egg rolls and crisp French fries that have just come out of the oil. I round the corner and make my way to my stationTaco Bell.

I proceed to push my way into the food court and two men, probably in their late teens, bump into me. "Excuse you!" I exclaimed. They gave me a cruel look and kept walking.

I make my way closer to the restaurant and I get a visual of one of my co-workers. Her name is Sue. Sue is slow on the uptake mentally and some would say she exemplifies the social group of trash that is white. Her teeth are jagged and her eyes are wide like a pool of wonderment of things she does not know. Her under bite takes up half of the bottom of her face and her glasses are think ovals. Sue grew up in rural Vermont. Somehow she managed to meet a man who is also a bit slow mentally. Together they have two loving sons. Each son is graduated from high school and also working menial jobs to pay their bills. Sue's hat is covered in Taco Bell pins. She's proud of her accomplishments as she's been working there for eight years. On her right lapel she has a nametag that reads "register manager" everyone but her knows it's a made up title. When management didn't promote her in the past she would tell other employees that she was going to commit suicide.

I walk into the quarter door carrying my purse and wool coat. Sue looks at me out of the corner of her eye to see if I'll greet her first.

"Hi Sue, how are you today?" I say to her

"Oh! I'm alrightjust getting by. We had a big problem on our way to work today! Our van started smoking on the interstate and my husband pulled over. We had to call them tow truck guys and everyfring'I thought we were going to catch on fire!" Sue exclaims.

"Oh no Suewell I'm glad you're alright."

"Yup we'll be okay." She replies.

"Good." I say with a gentle smile.

I proceed to walk out back to see who is working and hang up my coat and purse.

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