10 April 2012
#Please feel free to comment, any feedback welcome.
Chapter One:
Sam took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Five hours he had been here. Five hours of his life that he could never get back.
Two weeks ago he had been made redundant from a job he loved. The owner of the business had come in and told everyone he was closing up for personal reasons. At first Sam was worried about what he was going to do, but had received a phone call telling him there was a position open where he used to work. Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but never the less, a job was a job. Sam had decided that he would rather pick up dog shit then sign on the dole, and surely working here was better then that? Wasn't it?
Low-cost. Or rather Low-cost Supermarket PLC to give it it's full title. Sam had left two years ago as he was fed up with the low wage, and the ton of shit that senior managers dump on people. Sam was the petrol station manager, but now was returning as a lowly bod. The warehouse would be his new domain. Pretty much bottom of the pile. But better then picking up dog shit...wasn't it?
He was sat in Low-cost's training room having his Low- cost induction. Basically them trying to brain wash him for eight hours so when it was over he would come out thinking this was the best place in the world to work. He was sat there with ten other future employees. Five spotty teenagers, two part time mothers, one old man who looked eighty and could barely stand let alone fill shelves, and two...well retards would be too kind. One had lost their locker key five minutes after getting it and
one who hadn't spoke yet, but had dribble coming out of his mouth constantly. They had been watching videos pretty much all day so far about what a great place this was to work, and how to clean a mop head. Sam had had enough and just wanted to goto lunch.
Surely this torture couldn't go on for much longer? He would prefer bamboo wedged under his finger nails more then this. Sadly it could. As in the same breath as saying it was time for lunch, the HR manager also said that afterwards they had phase tests to complete to make sure they had understood the videos, and there would be a question and answer time with the store manager. Great Sam thought. What joy! Now let me go outside for a dam smoke!
Sam walked to his car and picked up his tobacco and his coat. Putting on his coat he waked around the side of the building to where the one and only smoking area was. When he had worked here before it had been inside, with comfy chairs and you could take your coffee in there and read the paper. Now it was a bus shelter with an iron bar to sit on and it was cold.
There were a couple of people already there, one of whom Sam knew. James. James had been the one that rung him to tell him of the vacant position. "Alright mate?" James smiled. "Alright" Sam replied. "Enjoying the video's" James joked. "Fuck off!" Sam laughed. "I've seen them a million times! Hell, I used to have to show them to new members in the petrol station!"
"Never mind! After your tests later I get to show you round the place, and give you your hours" James couldn't contain his smile. "Bastard." was the reply. As Sam spoke a lorry turned the corner. "Well I better go let him in." James said nodding in the direction of the lorry. "See you later." "Yeah. Later bud." Sam watched James walk off as he stubbed his cigarette out. He had known James for twenty years. And now James would be his boss. He supposed he could have a worse boss. Sam started to walk back. Entering the store he made his way back to the training room. Everyone was waiting apart from dribbler, who followed Sam in. As they sat down the tests were handed out. Sam sighed. These tests were designed for idiots. If you failed them you had no place within the human race. Sam started. 'Question one. If you spill something on the floor what do you do? A) clean it up B) walk away C) inform manager D) none of the above' Dribblers hand shot straight up and Mary the HR manager went over to help. Sam sighed again.
Three more hours past. Sam was watching everyone else in the room finishing there tests. Sam had finished an hour ago, but wasn't allowed to leave. There was a knock at the door and three department managers walked in. One was James.
"OK" said Mary, "that should be more then enough time for you to have finished your tests. You now have an hour with your department managers who will show you around, and then back here for the question and answer session with the store manager." Sam got up and walked out with James.
As the door closed behind them James said "looked like you were having fun in there!" Sam smiled and replied "fuck off". They walked across the shop floor filled with customers going about their own business and in their own little world as most customers often are. Being seduced by weekly bargains. James and Sam entered the receiving area through two large doors. It was fairly small for a store of this size. Room for roughly thirty pallets, with racking around the outside filled with overheads. To the right was a slide door leading to the walk-in chiller and freezer and a door to the left leading off in to the main warehouse. Straight ahead was the large roller door which lead into the yard. The door was up, letting in the warm July sunshine. Sam was glad of the light after being couped up in a windowless office and let the sun hit his face, warming his cheeks. James walked outside and sat on a stack of pallets, Sam followed and sat beside him. James reached over to a pallet to soft drinks and took two cans of red bull, passing one to Sam.
"James, it's my first day back, don't you think it would be stupid of me to get caught grazing on it?" James laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." he put one can back and opened the other, taking a sip. "So anyway. This is the part where I'm supposed to show you round, run though you duties and tell you what a wonderful place Low-cost is to work." James spat on the floor. "But you know this place just as well as me, so no real point!" He smiled.
Sam smiled back. "So this is what your Saturday consists of? Sitting in the sun drinking red bull?" "Nope. Also I smoke." James said as he took his cigrettes from his pocket handing one to Sam.
"I didn't think we could smoke here?" Sam uttered as he took the smoke. James lit his cigarette and inhaled. "This is true. But Greg the smeg is practicing for his question and answer session with you newbies, the other managers are on the shop floor and the camera behind us," he motioned with his thumb over his head, "hasn't worked for a month now, so what no one sees does everyone else the world of good."
"So what are my hours next week then buddy?" James handed Sam the schedule. "just do the same hours as me, shadow me so i can train you up on a few things, plus we can have a laugh at the same time." James flicked his cigarette butt across the yard. "you know it's not all bad working here. Sure the pay is shite and the hours could be better, and the management are a bunch of pricks, but we have a laugh." "Yeah I know. Just didn't think I would ever be back here that's all." "Me too mate. Me too." As James finished his sentance, a short tubby guy walked though the door. Sam knew the guy. His name was Shaun. He was an ok kind of guy, but seemed to be up his own ass most of them time. "James the bailer has gone." Shaun said. "Thats nice Shaun. Maybe you could see your way round to emptying it then?" was the reply. "I just thought seeing as you weren't really doing anything you might want to do it." Shaun said with a smug smile of his face. Sam could tell James wouldn't mind wiping that grin off his stubby round face. "No that'd ok, I'm showing our inductee around thank you, so if you could that would be most helpful"
Shaun didn't really seem to hear what James had said, instead he decided to turn to Sam instead. "So you decided to come back to us then?" Sam shrugged and said "Guess so."
"Come on Sam mate, I guess it's time to get you back. Or do you know the way?" James interrupted with a smile. "Nah your alright bud, I think I can find my way back you know."
"Thats ok then. I guess I better help shaun with the bailer. See you Monday mate." "Guess so bud. See you Monday. See you shaun." Before shaun could answer Sam had walked back inside, across the receiving area and back onto the shopfloor. Just an hour to go he told himself. Just an hour to go and could go home. He stood in the middle of the fresh meat aisle, waiting for an old lady to move her shopping cart out the way which she had managed to spread across the entire aisle. Just an hour to go. Some one tapped him on the shoulder. As he turned around to see who it was, the person suddenly wrapped their arms around his neck and pulled him into a huge hug.
"So how is your first day back?" Alice asked. Sam had known Alice just as long ad James. They had all gone to school together, and had all gone to the same college also, and had started working here together at the same time. Admittedly they had all only started working here ad a part time thing though college, but some how had fallen into the Low-cost trap and never left.
If truth be known, Sam had always seemed to have had something for Alice. But had never let her know, he always thought she liked James more. This of course didn't matter now, James had a long term girlfriend, but Sam figured that it had been too long now, no point saying something and ruining their friendship.
"As well as could be expected I guess Alice. How goes things over in the bakery?" "Busy hun, busy! Just off for my break. You on yours?" she asked.
"Nah. Had mine. I am off back into the training room for my last hour." "Poor baby!" she smiled. "You out tonight?" "Dont know to be honest. Will just be glad to get out of here and home at the moment"
"Well if you come out give me a text, and we'll meet up." "
Every Little Helps • Opuss № I