Hard Work Gets A “Nice” Reward

(I am rushing through a busy day at a popular fast food place. I answer the drive through, take their order, and meet them at the window for payment.)

Me: “That’ll be $11.62, please.”

Customer: *looks at me, peers around, sees the enormous crowd inside, and then turns to her grade-school son* “See her?”

Son: “Yeah.”

(My stomach twists.)

Customer: “See how hard she’s working? And see how nice she’s being to us?”

Son: “Uh-huh.”

Customer: “It doesn’t matter what kind of job you get, or what you want to do when you grow up; as long as you’re like this nice lady, you can be whatever you want, okay?”

Son: “Okay!”

Me: *flabbergasted*

Customer: “I bet you get a lot of people belittling you because you work here, huh?”

Me: “You have no idea, actually.”

Customer: “Trust me, I do. I used to work for [rival Fast Food Place] while paying off tuition. The only consolation to that was watching their faces go red when I told them this. I’m guessing this isn’t your permanent job?”

Me: “No, actually. I’m an intern on weekends at the radio station.”

Customer: “And there you go. You’re not in the best place yet, but you will be.”

(She handed me the money, and I had a hard time ringing her up through the tears in my eyes. After she pulled to the other window, I snuck a few packs of cookies into their bag. Wherever you are, nice lady, thank you a hundred times over!)