Flash Fiction #57
This was something I started to write a couple of months ago, but forgot about it until now. Hope you enjoy this!
~~~
It’s the same thing day in and day out. Wake up, eat, work, and then sleep. People often ask me what I want for my future, but I like my job currently despite the mundane job duties. It’s safe and comfortable. Every time someone asks what I do, I would say “I’m just a dishwasher”, people simply roll their eyes with displeasure at the bottom of the barrel job. I would imagine they were thinking along the lines of “This guy is a wasted potential”.
I enter the restaurant from the back, and wash any dirty dishes that come back from the front throughout the night. I see co-workers come and go, looking for better things elsewhere in the meantime. That was when I met him. A one of a kind guy. He shook my hand with a smile. “I’m Alex, nice to meet you. Have you been working here long?”
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Jackie. To answer your question, five years if I recall correctly.”
“That’s a long time. Do you have any tips?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “There’s nothing special to know, but just be efficient.” Then I asked, “Why did you decide to take this job?” This was something I always ask new co-workers.
He gave a cheeky grin. “I have a huge vision that I want to accomplish, so this is the first stepping stone.”
I wasn’t expecting Alex to give that kind of answer, but there was something about him that exude such confidence and charisma. “That’s interesting. I wish you luck. If you become famous or important, I’ll be sure to remember you.”
"As will I." Alex bowed. “I’ll be under your care for the foreseeable future.”
He never stayed for a long time. It was about a couple of months, but it was much longer than the typical new co-worker. I never saw him again once he left, but on one particular day, I saw on a newspaper clipping on the community board in the town square that Alex was nominated for mayor. “I know that guy! I worked with him!” I yelled, putting my hand up to my mouth in excitement.
That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Alex just as he looked like in the photo on the newspaper. "Jackie! How have you been?!"
~~~
It’s the same thing day in and day out. Wake up, eat, work, and then sleep. People often ask me what I want for my future, but I like my job currently despite the mundane job duties. It’s safe and comfortable. Every time someone asks what I do, I would say “I’m just a dishwasher”, people simply roll their eyes with displeasure at the bottom of the barrel job. I would imagine they were thinking along the lines of “This guy is a wasted potential”.
I enter the restaurant from the back, and wash any dirty dishes that come back from the front throughout the night. I see co-workers come and go, looking for better things elsewhere in the meantime. That was when I met him. A one of a kind guy. He shook my hand with a smile. “I’m Alex, nice to meet you. Have you been working here long?”
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Jackie. To answer your question, five years if I recall correctly.”
“That’s a long time. Do you have any tips?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “There’s nothing special to know, but just be efficient.” Then I asked, “Why did you decide to take this job?” This was something I always ask new co-workers.
He gave a cheeky grin. “I have a huge vision that I want to accomplish, so this is the first stepping stone.”
I wasn’t expecting Alex to give that kind of answer, but there was something about him that exude such confidence and charisma. “That’s interesting. I wish you luck. If you become famous or important, I’ll be sure to remember you.”
"As will I." Alex bowed. “I’ll be under your care for the foreseeable future.”
He never stayed for a long time. It was about a couple of months, but it was much longer than the typical new co-worker. I never saw him again once he left, but on one particular day, I saw on a newspaper clipping on the community board in the town square that Alex was nominated for mayor. “I know that guy! I worked with him!” I yelled, putting my hand up to my mouth in excitement.
That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Alex just as he looked like in the photo on the newspaper. "Jackie! How have you been?!"
"You remember me, a mere dish washer." I sniffed, trying to hold back my emotions.
"Of course I do, you're the first person on my path towards my grand vision. Want to come along?"
I had no words to describe what I felt. His smile radiated beyond my wildest imagination like a bright light, completely absorbed by it.
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