The side job

First day at the Bacon Factory

Max cheerfully walked past the ordering posts to the counter of the Bacon Factory. The day after completing the application form, he had already received an email stating that he had been accepted, with some instructions for his first day at work. He had not had a job interview at all. He didn't complain about it. This went easy, which is nice sometimes. He reported to the tall, lanky boy who was running the cash register today. Joe, he knew. A while ago he had had a conversation with Joe about the lizards he kept as pets. Max himself had never had pets. A goldfish in a glass bowl that was way too small, but he didn't consider that a pet. With a smile Joe saw him approaching.
"Your first day at work," he said.
'I thought that was you. The boss knows you too."
Max felt honored. Could they really have been talking about him? He looked around curiously at the attendees eating their burgers and fries at the tables. Then to his new colleagues in the kitchen. Who's the boss then? He decided not to ask for fear of making a bad first impression.
"He's not here right now," Joe responded, apparently noticing that Max was looking for him.
'Come on, I'll give you the work clothes and you can start working straight away. It's already quite busy and it's going to get even busier. Saturdays are by far the busiest days.'
He opened a gate in the counter and walked past Max into the kitchen. He gestured with his arms for someone to take the cash register from him. In an office he pulled a shirt out of a closet.
'I saw it said Large on your form. Try this one. They run a bit small, but I don't see anything bigger anymore.'
While Max changed shirts, Joe continued searching in the closet. Not much later he placed a typical Bacon Factory hat on the desk. He couldn't have found a bigger shirt. The large shirt was a little too tight, but it covered his entire upper body and with the cap on his head Max followed the tall boy to the kitchen. After a short introduction explaining the most important rules, Max could start putting fries into a special cardboard box. Joe turned out to be not only a cashier, but also a team leader. That was a nice introduction, knowing that his team leader for the day was a nice guy. It didn't take long before he met Laura, the young woman who had received his application form a few days earlier. She explained how the fryer worked, so that he not only had to scoop fries, but could also fry them. This first day seemed quite relaxed. It wouldn't make him very tired and although he had his lunch break later than what he had been told due to the crowds, Max kept it up just fine.
With a triple hamburger, a banana milkshake and a double portion of fries, he sat at the same table where he had filled out his application form. The morning had gone well. He had received no complaints and Joe had been happy to see that he had quickly mastered the fries making process. According to Max, it was super easy. All equipment in the kitchen was already adjusted to the products they had to make, so with the push of a button the fries became golden brown. Most colleagues had brought bread to eat during the break. Max thought a hamburger was much better. It had been a pleasant surprise that he got a discount on his order. But then... He made the fries himself. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked into the friendly face of a man somewhere between 40 and 50 years old. He reached out his hand as he took a seat on the chair next to Max.
'You're Max, I believe. I'm Jacob, the owner.'
Max hurriedly swallowed the fries in his mouth and introduced himself. Jacob didn't look familiar to him. He hadn't seen him at the Burger Factory before. Of course he will often be in the office to place orders, Max thought. And you can't see the office from the dining area.
"Do you like it?" Jacob asked.
Max nodded. His mouth was already full with a big bite of the burger. He only had a fifteen minute break and then his food had to be finished. Jacob waited patiently until Max had finished his mouth. He didn't seem to mind that Max continued eating and listened with interest to Max's findings between swallowing large chunks of food. Max really enjoyed the work and Jacob was pleased to hear this. He said that not everyone appreciated this work. That there were people who thought the work was dirty and undervalued. He also said that he had no hesitation in hiring him after Joe reminded him what Max looked like. Jacob had seen him before at the Bacon Factory. Max thought more deeply, but couldn't remember Jacob. Max stood up, the break was over, but Jacob gently pulled him back onto the chair.
"That's the advantage of being an owner," Jacob laughed, after Max had made it clear to him that he had to stick to the break time.
"I now decide that you have an extra 5 minutes break."
Max laughed along with him. Of course, Jacob made the rules. Not Joe or Laura. And certainly not on his first day at work.
"I think you're a nice guy," Jacob said.
'Someone who stays here longer than one day. I don't have it with me right now, but I will give you a key to the building soon."
Max felt honored by this comment. So soon? And by the boss himself? Then he could open and close. Perhaps there was also a nice salary increase attached to it.
"Then you can eat here as much as you want after work or school," Jacob added.
'For free'.