I'll Follow You To...

The Good Life

Life was good.

Slow.

Easy.

Predictable.

Sylvie had been working at the restaurant for three years at this point. The late 70's McDonand's was pleasant enough. The co-workers were enjoyable to be around for the most part. The work was easy (if not very exciting) and the customers were friendly and not overly demanding.

She hung her knit sweater on a hook in the back of the restaurant and glanced over a notepad she kept tucked in the pocket.

Carol - two dogs, obsessed with the band KISS, almost out of high school

Vince - allergic to seafood, don't sneak up on him by mistake

Alice - just got engaged, lives down the street, likes disco

There were about three or four pages of notes now, containing information about the people around her. Personal details were something she used to purposefully avoid, being more focused on the task of survival. Part of that was keeping an emotional distance from the doomed people around her.

What had started as a reminder to reorient her social skills had become a reassurance that she would see these people again and she could allow herself to care about them.

She tucked the note pad back in her sweater and started her shift for the day. Sylvie washed her hands and took up position at one of the tills. She looked out at the long line that had gathered for lunch in the bright yellow dining room.

This was the busiest time of the day, and they were all set to move everyone through as efficiently as possible. The next customer in line was familiar to her, however, and it was going to throw a monkey wrench in that plan.

She winced and prepared herself.

She had a line of hungry people to deal with and needed to get this over with quickly.

"Hello, Sally, how's your day been? Did you have any damage from that storm that went through last week?"

The sweet elderly woman, Ethyl, always called her Sally. Sylvie had corrected her a couple times before giving up. "Just fine, got lucky there." Sylvie answered cheerfully.

Ethyl came in every other day, ordered a coffee and apple pie, then spent an excruciatingly long time counting out pennies to pay for her meal. "I almost lost my Petey, that's my poodle, he was terrified."

Sylvie smiled and nodded as the woman went on with her story, then winced as she watched her pull out her heavy change purse. Normally, she would enjoy the woman's conversation while she waited for her to finish counting out change, even when she lost count and had to start over several times. 

Today she tried to gently hurry her along.

"Thanks, that looks perfect", Sylvie exclaimed as she scooped up the coins.

"Are you sure? I don't want to short change you." Ethyl worried. "Positive", said Sylvie, handing over her meal and giving an apologetic look to the line of customers starting to shift with impatience.

As far as problems went it was really nothing in comparison to what she was used to, and it actually made Sylvie appreciate the new pace of her life even more.