It’s Unusual To Find A Place With A “Usual”

From the time I was about ten until I was about nineteen, I’d walk to the chippy (fish and chip shop) every week and bring home dinner for my family of four. I was given a £20 note every time for the £14.20 order. Over the years, I’ve become a regular to the point that when I enter, they ask if I want my usual.

Today, my aunts are visiting and the oldest has come with me to choose what she wants.

Me: “You have to look at this list first because if you want any of those you need to order them now and not when we get to the front of the queue, but other than that, it’s like normal.”

Aunt: “Okay.”

She looks at the menu until we get to the front of the queue. I’m chatting a little with [Employee #2] who’s cooking as per usual.

Employee #1: “Usual?”

Me: “Yes, please, and also [what Younger Aunt wanted], please, and also… Aunty [Aunt], have you decided yet?”

Aunt: *Still looking at the menu* “Yeah… I’ll have… [item from order early menu].”

Employee #1: “That’s gonna be about a twelve-minute wait for [item]. Is that okay?”

Aunt: “Yeah, yeah, that’s fine.”

She stops getting the rest of the order ready, because it would have gone cold. I’m a little uneasy because the queue is longer than normal today so we’re already going to be late, but my aunt is an adult and I’m still just a teenager so I don’t say anything. After the wait, the food is ready.

Employee #1: “All right, that’s [lists everything], yeah?”

Me: “Uh-huh.”

Employee #1: “Okay, so that’ll be £22.40.”

I look at the £20 note I have taken out of my pocket and am about to give to the employee, which is very much less than £22.40. I’ve never had this situation before and have no clue what I’m supposed to do now. I completely freeze up for a few seconds.

Throughout the following conversation, I’m stuttering, my aunt doesn’t butt in, and [Employee #1] is giving [Employee #2] looks that I don’t know how to interpret.

Employee #2: “That twenty all you have, love?”

Me: “Sorry. I didn’t—”

Employee #2: “Hey, don’t worry about it. Just pay it next week.”

Me: “But I don’t have—”

Employee #2: “No need to panic, love. I’ll explain to you what we’re gonna do, ‘kay?”

Me: “Okay.”

Employee #2: “You’ll give us that twenty and we’ll give you this food, ‘kay?”

Me: “But—”

Employee #2: “Then, you’re gonna go on home and enjoy your dinner, yeah.”

Me: “Yeah…”

Employee #2: “Then, next week, you’ll come here, and you’ll pay that two-forty along with what you get, ‘kay?”

Me: “Okay…”

I come home to a lecture about how late we are and how I should have told my dad I’d need him to give me more money. I vaguely hear my aunt having a conversation with her sister about why she didn’t chip in.

Next week, I take £2.40 in coins along with the £20 note and hand them over first.

Employee #3: “What’s this?”

Me: “Um, they’re for last week.”

Employee #3: “Last week?”

Me: “It’s the two-forty, um, that I owe for last week.”

Employee #3: “I don’t…” *Turns to face the back* “[Employee #2]!”

[Employee #2] comes out of the mysterious room behind the counter.

Employee #2: “Yeah? Oh, hey, love. How you doing?”

He’s too far away for me to pass him the coins, so I very awkwardly wave with them.

Me: “I have the, um, the two-forty.”

Employee #2: “Yeah! I knew you were good for it.” *To the back* “I told you she was good for it!” *To me* “Usual?”

Me: “Please.”

It wasn’t until I discovered this site that I realised how rare this was.