Life at Halfway Junction
Life At Halfway Junction
Short Stories From A Roadside Café On The Way To Las Vegas
CHRISTMAS AND THE GANG
It’s Christmas Eve I’ve just turned off the cafés outside lights. one by one my crew coming the door, all slicked up. The tree is in corner the corner next to the jukebox, all covered with tinsel and lights. I close the place once a year, beginning at 10 PM Christmas Eve, and open for another year-December 26 at 6 AM. Folks that are used to us being open 24-7, are out of luck this night. As granddad used to say, “If you got to use Christmas to make a buck, time to give it up.” Although not a church going guy, he told me that Christmas was His birthday and should be so honored.” So, I’m here to carry on that tradition. Hello, here come the ladies, Opal, Jewel, Ruby, and Pearl, waitress crew each look quite pretty all gussied up. They live in the cabins next to the café. Each one of these ladies was hired by my grandfather about 10 years ago, just after the war, and although he passed away a couple years ago, there still here doing their thing as if Pops (what I call my granddad), was still here. How they arrived at the junction is another story. As I turned off the outside lights, the crew was coming through the side door there’s this banging on one of the front doors. As I headed for the door to tell the person we were closed, Opal, ever curious, joined me. The man banging was hollering, “let me in I need to see your boss, it’s important.” Just as I was about to tell the fellow, “sorry were closed”, Opal nudges me, “Let him in.” I asked, “Why?” She says, “Just let him in, smile on her face, it’s okay.” Once inside, this fellow, a little taller than me, well dressed, fairly good looking, reddish hair, (I like to catalog people by looks and manner, helps you to remember them, customers like that.) Introduced himself as Carl. Opal, still by my side, seemed a little giddy. “It’s important I see your Boss, I need to speak to him.” I tell Carl, “I’m the boss”, he disagrees. “Not you,” he says, “I mean the older gentleman that owns the place, I need to talk to him.” “I think you’re referring to my granddad,” I explained, he passed a couple years ago, what’s so important? Carl turned a little pale, almost teary, he began, “I had so much to tell your grandfather, I am sorry, I waited too long to see him again. He saved my life.” “Really” I say, only half interested, (you get used to this type of story, people always wanting a favor or something.) Carl, Seven years ago to this day, Christmas Eve, In the middle of the afternoon I stumbled in here, half drunk, without a dime to my name, looking for a handout, just something to eat, trying to get sober enough to hitch another ride to LA. A trucker had just dumped me out of his cab I guess, I’d been babbling how lousy the world was treating me and I know I must’ve stunk of booze and sweat. Your granddad behind the counter, eyes me, puts a cup of hot coffee in front of me, then in a couple of minutes, a plate of scrambled eggs and pancakes. I threw down the plate of food and two more coffees before your granddad asked, could I use a couple of bucks? He needed a dishwasher, could I fill the job? Still a little foggy 1 sure 1 said what else could I say to someone who had just fed me.
Then through the kitchen, out the door, down the stairs in to a tent with a cot. He handed me an arm full of sheets, towels, and a uniform. I hit the cot just the way I was. I guess it had been several hours later when I woke up. Sitting on the side of the cot, feet on the floor, still a little shaky, I kind of remember the fellow saying, you start the day after tomorrow at two in the afternoon. I must’ve gotten it wrong, he probably meant tomorrow, I’m sure not in any shape to work today. Outside of the tent it was dark, there was a light above a flight of stairs, I got to the top and see a restroom sign ahead, I went in. Now I was feeling better, even washed my face. As I came by the men’s room I had seen a screen door with a light coming through, I try it, unlocked. I was in the kitchen, no one there. What’s going on? That’s when I heard some music and voices on the other side of the pass-through window, open the swinging doors. I was behind the counter, in the corner of the café in front of a bunch of people standing, sitting, drinking beers, laughing, joking, talking, was a jukebox and a Christmas tree all decorated. I’d been standing there for a couple of minutes when your granddad spots me.” “Get a cup of coffee from the urn and come on over,” he half shouts. “Grab a chair in the back and sit by me.” Folks scoot their chairs to make room. “I sit down holding the coffee between two hands that are still shaking a little. He is in the process of giving out presents. A lot of thanks and Merry Christmas is going around. Then your granddad turns to me, Merry Christmas he says, as he hands me a carton of Camel cigarettes wrapped with a bow on top holding a card and a five dollar bill. Not knowing quite what to say, I Merry Christmas back. I sat there for a couple of hours drinking coffee, the crew asking me about myself, being friendly and kind to this drunk. I went back to my bunk, got up the next morning, sober, had breakfast, turkey dinner, back to sleep. Up the next day, breakfast, 2 PM started washing dishes for the next couple of months then on to LA. I’ve never had another drink.
My world has been great ever since. I just wanted to see your granddad and thank him for this perfect life he has given me. God bless him. “With Merry Christmas he was out the door and gone. I turn to Opal,” nice guy was and he? She looked at me inquiring, “don’t you know who that was?” It seems that Carl was this famous movie star, TV series award winner, that had just spent the last half hour baring his soul to the two of us.
Pops Christmas get together, Christmas Eve and Christmas day where so full of warmth and affection that those who had attended in previous years looked forward all year to this night. The way pops felt, His birthday was a day to be shared with others, a real celebration. So, the reason for this little party. Besides the Junction was a long way from anywhere Vegas is a 100 miles. Grant is a lot closer at 70, but who would want to go to grant anyway? The party started with beers all around and a couple of simple gifts for everyone. Granddad was the only one to give gifts, so no one could be embarrassed by the giving or receiving. The gifts were the same for everyone, a five dollar bill and a carton of cigarettes. Not much, you say. Five bucks was a day’s pay, same for everyone except the cooks, they got eight, plus Christmas off with pay for everyone. Again, except for the cooks they got double pay for cooking on Christmas. Pops pay scale was more than fair. He paid twice that of the Army’s wages, demanded half the hours
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