First things first, the job. Yeah, I had a job. "Had" being the key word here.
The Interview:
I walk in, smile and nod. I say hello, did you get a chance to look at my resume? Oh you didn't, I give a look of desperate dejection, he seems solemn. I think I'm in. He brings me to the back office. It is very cluttered and unorganized, I know he doesn't have his shit together, he's new to this just as I'm new to this. He tells me to sit down as he sits in his $20 dollar office chair that strains to hold it's own weight. I look around confused, there are no other chairs in sight, I flip over a sturdy looking box and sit on that. I can feel my knees strain as I try to put more weight on them than the box. He quickly looks over my resume, enough to look like he's reading it, but not enough to make it believable. I know I'm pretty much hired already, they're a new store, he's a new boss, and I'm the optimistic kid who walked into his store on opening day and asked if they were hiring. I followed up, I was friendly, it's perfect.
He clicks his mouse, I glance over at his computer. It's a script. This is good, this is officially practice for both of us, he doesn't know what he's doing and neither do I. He asks a few questions, I stumble through, I make something up about having to help customers at Canadian Tire. I don't mention the fact I have never worked a cash register in my life or that I never dealt with customers. He talks about shifts with me, I tell him that I'll be going to school so I will probably be working evening shifts (i.e 7 to 12). He seems cool with that. Okay, I think this is going good. He tells me about other people he's had, talks about him shelling out money for training and then them just ditching him. At first I think why would those people do that, that's a dick move; I'll realize later its the right move. He continues on. He mentions unpaid training. I nod my head, I could do that for a bit, I need to train anyway, I've never done this. I however know that unpaid training is most definitely wrong. Either way I need the job so whatever. I'm hired, he says to come Friday night at 6pm.
The First Night:
I walk in, take the headphones out of my ears and walk up to him. He asks me where I've been, he knows he told me to come at 4pm. He seems mad. Well fuck you, I'm here on time, tell me what to do. He brings me to the back. I sit down at the computer as he sets up the training, it's just like Canadian Tire. Do some computer learning stuff and then go do your job. I take my time, I legitimately don't know any of this stuff, and these final tests require basically 100%. He comes in 10 minutes later: are you done yet? ...No? Okay okay, but go faster.
I stifle anger. I anger quickly I notice. I continue, moving faster, skimming more, retaining less. I fail the final test a few times and then finally get it. I'm visibly frustrated already, the voices in my head are yelling at me because I couldn't answer the simple questions and that I'm not moving fast enough. I blow through the next one, it's WHMIS, I've done it a million times by now. 60% try again. I clench and unclench my fists. He comes in again: Done yet? I check the clock, it's been 5 minutes since the last visit. No, I'm still on this one.
He sits down next to me, he brings out his new laptop and begins to surf the web. Clearly he wants me out so I don't notice his random bullshit. He talks to me about inane shit, I try my best to carry a conversation and keep in good humor. Sadly he doesn't understand sarcasm so I think I've made him sort of angry. Great. I try to read the training sessions and go faster. He keeps talking, I can't think, the voices in my head get louder.
There is a knock at the door. It's his brother, they get to talking, my boss mentions I'm going to be a doctor; I just happened to mention that during the interview. They ask me about that, I feel obligated to explain and respond, I'm multitasking that with the learning, I fail another test. A nervous tick appears, I spin my wrist to try and crack it because the mouse is ever so slightly too high. I focus on the pain, the voices boom in my head.
Finally they leave, he says to hurry and he'll be back to check in soon. Everything goes quiet. Peace. I read the training, I do the exams, 100%. I breathe. He comes back, asks how I'm doing I say I'm done. He asks what took so long. I don't answer and follow him to the cash, his sister will be training me. He leaves. I shut my eyes and breathe a bit. I already want to go home. His sister treats me well, allows me to learn the machine first, I quickly understand the keys and how to handle everything. A few pieces here and there that rarely come up I still have trouble with but I manage. She has been taking care of the Customer Service area, she chats up the customer while I handle cash. I enjoy this.
She asks a customer "Is this your first time?". It's a male customer, I look at him, he looks at me, we both look back to his friend who is waiting for him. We all share an understanding, subtle smiles all around. He responds in a normal way and they leave snickering. The store is empty, I remember the awkward moments of stifled laughter with Calvin and burst into laughter. She asks me whats wrong, I try to explain how her innocent comment could be and was taken in a dirty sense. She looks disgusted with herself, their grasp of English seems limited, maybe that's why the sarcasm bounces off.
The store is dead, most of my training shift is taken up with talking to her. She's nice, shy, smart. She's into the liberal arts, wants to be a teacher. I discuss school and friendships with her. The clock hits 11pm and I walk home.
The Second Night:
I start walking, the shift was fun, I could see doing this more. I walk into the store, she's there again. I smile, we work for a bit, store's still dead and we get to talking most of the time again. A man walks in, I saw him before, he's supposed to be working here as well. He asks about his training shift and I say he can take mine cause fuck it I know what I'm doing. I walk home after 2 hours of work, happy to be out of there.
The Day Shifts:They tell me to come in the morning, to see how I handle a busy shift. Okay I guess, I told them I could only work the evening shifts but it's training what do I care. I stay for an hour with the boss. I ask for some clarifications on some of the transactions. He flips out and asks why I don't know how to do a specific thing. I stifle the urge. I make up an excuse to leave, say my dad needs me in Napanee and that he's at my apartment. I leave.
I walk the next day for another morning shift, I give my excuse early this time. My mom is meeting me for something we planned and I completely forgot about it, I can only stay for a little bit. He seems a little pissed but not furious. I stay for a little bit, a black guy with dirty dreads and fucked up teeth shows up. He mumbles something at me, something about being here for a thing. I look at the boss. I have no idea what he's talking about. The boss tells me to handle it, I ask the dude what he needs, he points at a blue folder on the table. I give it to him, double check with the boss to make sure. "He's not gonna bite man", I know that, I'm not racist. It's your business, handle the business why don't you. Do you trust the training guy who's been here about 3 days to handle something I assume is important.
The black guy leaves with the folder. 5 seconds later the boss yells at me. WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO I FORGOT THE BLUE SLIPS! I run outside and catch up with the guy, he comes back and the boss gives him the stuff. I nod at the black guy and he nods at me as he leaves. The boss belittles me a little more and I take this as my moment to leave. He tells me I should come back later that evening to train some more. I say sure because his sister will be working that shift, at least she's fucking peaceful. The walk home ends up with me homeless ranting, yelling in the street, I take the back alleys to avoid being seen or heard.
The Evening Shift:
I come back. I talk to the sister about the boss, she seems to empathize with me she mentions that the boss is going to be giving me mostly nights shifts during the week. I freak out, I remember clearly telling him I can't do that, I have school soon and that he can't expect me to work that. I make it through the shift, learning more about the pleasantries of customer service. I fume a bit inside my heads, the voices steadily growing into a rumble of noise. I make it to the end, the night shift guy comes in. He seems very...inbred. I say hi, he mumbles a bit. Okay whatever, he's night shift, why do I care. I walk home yelling and screaming to system to whole way.
The Next Morning
I receive a call from the boss. He asks if I'm stealing from him. "What?". Next he tells me to come in that night, okay fine. I'm fuming, why the fuck would I steal. I come in that night. I stand behind the cash, I'm very clearly visibly angry. I don't like being accused of something I didn't do. He calls me into his office while his sister takes the cash. He asks me whats wrong, I tell him that this whole unpaid training thing is getting to me, I know that the franchise is supposed to be paying our training wages, I know that you can't even have unpaid training, I know that he's making an ass load of money. I know all of these things, I just want to be paid for the hours I'm working. Not only that but I'm not enjoying being treated like I don't know shit and being accused of stealing shit. I tell him all of this. He responds, "Fine, I'll pay you the training hours, but you're not working here anymore". Fine, fuck this, fuck you, you treat your employees like shit anyway. You were bitching to me about how the night shift guy wants overtime, you bragged about how your workers will still work the holidays even if you don't give them holiday pay, you accused me of stealing from you. SO GO FUCK YOURSELF WITH THE BIGGEST PINEAPPLE YOU CAN FIND.
We discuss the hours I worked, I embellish my hours by a bit. He can't touch me, he knows he's in the wrong, I'm essentially blackmailing him. I end up with a little over 150 bucks (he took off some money for pants he bought me as part of the uniform). It's not a lot, but it should be enough to save us this month. For right now, that's all that counts. It's all I care about.
-Dismiss Authority, Know You're Right, Acquire Cash.
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