Chapter Six – Thursday
The next day I wake up feeling a little sore for some reason, otherwise I feel pretty good about everything. I no longer feel anxious about being baptized. I definitely want to do it Sunday. After shaving and taking a shower, I get dressed and realize today is Thursday and I start my job at Chick-fil-A. I nearly forgot about working at Chick-fil-A after everything that happened during the week. What with school, church and my new friends, I wonder how I will find time for work.
I’ll just have to work harder to finish my homework and not get behind. This year will be a good practice for how life will be when I start college next year. When I go out to the kitchen to fix breakfast, my dad is already dressed and is drinking his coffee while reading the newspaper on his iPad.
“Good morning, dad,” I say. “It sure is a beautiful day.”
“Morning, son,” my dad mumbles. He has never been much of a morning person.
“Today I start my new job at Chick-fil-A,” I announce. “I’m pretty excited to get started.”
“Do you have your work schedule yet?” he asks.
“Keith, the manager, told me he’d start me off Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3 to 9, and then see how things work out,” I tell him.
“I guess you should have time to get your homework done with that kind of schedule,” he says, “remember school is the most important thing in your life right now. You will have to learn how to juggle work and school eventually so I guess this year is a good time to do it.”
“Do you ever wish you had gone to college instead of joining the Coast Guard after high school?” I ask.
“All the time,” he answers, “but I really didn’t have a choice like you do. My grades were barely good enough to graduate from high school. I never could have made it through college.”
“Why were your grades so bad in high school?” I ask.
“You know my dad was in the Coast Guard too, but back in those days we moved a lot more frequently than they do now. We moved five times during my school years, and every school was different. I could never catch up from year to year,” he explains.
“I guess that must have been pretty rough on you,” I say.
“It wasn’t just rough at school with the school work, but I never really fit in with the other kids and was kind of a loner growing up.”
“I’m glad we haven’t had to move as much as you did, but it was still pretty rough,” I say.
“My dad always used to say adversity builds character, and you know he was sure right about that,” he says.
“I guess I haven’t had too much adversity, not like some kids,” I say.
“Yeah, you’ve had it pretty easy,” he says. “I don’t think you have had to really suffer for anything before, except maybe moving to Boise like we did before your senior year.”
“Yeah, but at least I made that choice myself,” I say. “It’s not like I was forced to move with you, but I think I did the right thing.”
“I hope you feel the same way in the future,” he says.
“It’s really hard to know after less than a week whether I’ll like Boise, but so far it’s been alright,” I tell him. “Everything seems to be working out really well for me. I made some friends at school, I got a job, and I’m fitting in pretty well.”
“That’s all good, but sometimes when things are going well we have to expect some set backs,” he says, “Like when I thought everything was going fine and then I come home from being out at sea for a month to find your mom having an affair and wanting a divorce.”
“It was hard for me to believe, too,” I say, “and with Jerry McCoy’s father.”
“I didn’t know you knew the McCoy boy,” my father says.
“Well, I don’t really know him, but in middle school he was a little bully and he bullied me one day until I gave him a bloody nose.”
“I never knew that,” he says, “good for you. I bet the kid left you alone after that.”
“Yeah, most bullies, I think, like to pick on kids who won’t fight back,” I tell him. “When I fought back he found another victim to terrorize.”
“I hope you don’t have any problems with bullies here in Boise,” my dad says, “but you know bullies are everywhere, but I think you know how to handle them alright.”
“Well, I guess I better get going to school. I want to read ahead for English class since I have work tonight,” I say, as I stand up from the table and put my dishes in the dishwasher.
“What time do you think you will be home tonight?” he asks.
“My shift ends at 2100,” I tell him, using military time since he knows what that means. “It should only take about 15 minutes to walk home after that.”
“I may not be home when you get back then. I’m going to see if Carol wants to go out again tonight,” he tells me.
“Cool. I like Carol,” I say. “She and Karl are pretty decent people.”
“You’re right about that. I really am getting to like her too,” he tells me. “I’ll give you a call later and let you know what my plans are for tonight. Have a good day.”
“Have a good day, too,” I say as I go through the front door. I take the stairs and walk outside just as the sun is coming over the mountains. It looks like it will be a beautiful day with just a wisp of a cloud in the sky. With a cool breeze blowing I’m glad I brought my jacket, although going home I will probably put it in my book bag. About a block from school I see a couple of kids talking together on the street corner. At first it looks like just two boys talking, but the closer I get it looks like something different is going on. The one boy, the bigger one, has the smaller boy by the collar, and he’s in the kid’s face. I can hear the bigger boy tell the smaller one he wants the boy’s money or else he will need extensive dental work. I get a little closer and the bigger boy sees me eyeing him.
“What are you looking at queer!” the bigger boy says to me.
“Not a thing. If you don’t leave the kid alone you’ll have to deal with me,” I tell him standing a few steps away from him.
The bigger boy releases the smaller one, and the smaller boy runs off. The bigger boy stands in the middle of the sidewalk waiting for me to pass him by. I stop and confront him.
“Hi, my name is Bill,” I tell him. I size him up and see he is a little bigger than me, by about 10 pounds or so, but it looks like he's not in too good of shape. I think I can probably easily out run him.
“I don’t care what your name is,” he tells me as he gives me a quick look over trying to determine whether he wants to fight me or not. “You must be new here,” he says, noticing my Boston accent, “I’ll let you off easy this time with a warning.”
“Thanks!” I tell him, “But I think you’re the one who needs a warning.”
The kid doesn’t look too happy with this. He raises his fist and gets a really mean look on his face. I prepare to fight him by standing back and taking a defensive stance, but then I decide to let my guard down and turn the other cheek. I extend my right hand and say, “Hi, my name is Bill. Do you know Jesus?”
The kid drops his fist and extends his hand and we shake. He says, “My name is Danny Boyle. I would like to know Jesus. Can you tell me about him?”
Instead of spending time in the library reading To Kill a Mockingbird I sat with Danny on the corner telling him about Jesus. I told him stuff Karl told me and what I read in the Bible in the book of John; how Jesus loves him and wants to have a personal relationship with him. By the time I was finished talking with Danny he had tears in his eyes and was asking for forgiveness, saying he didn’t want to be a bully anymore. I looked at my watch and notice it was nearly time for the first bell to ring.
“We better get to school before we're late,” I say as I stand up and wipe the dirt from my bottom.
“I don’t go to school,” Danny tells me, “I dropped out this year and haven’t been able to find a job.”
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“How old are you?” I ask.
“I just turned 18 last month,” he tells me. “I was living with my mom but she kicked me out when I got in a fight with her drunken boyfriend,” he explains. “I usually sleep in the park and wander the streets during the day looking for a job.”
“Wow, that is rough,” I tell him. “Why don’t we go to school and see if Mr. Barton can help you?” I suggest.
“I know Mr. Barton, he’s a pretty decent guy,” he says. “He tried to talk me into staying in school but I wouldn’t listen.”
I walk with Danny to school and we get to Mr. Barton’s office as the first bell rings.
“Well, I’ll see you around. I have to get to class,” I tell Danny as he knocks on Mr. Barton’s door.
“Thanks for your help. Maybe I’ll see you sometime,” he says.
I hurry to English class and run into Kelly in the hall.
“Hi Kelly, how have you been?” I greet her.
“Oh hi Bill. I’ve been really busy lately. What with school, and church and everything else going on,” she tells me.
“Yeah, the same with me,” I agree. “School sure takes a lot of our time. How are you coming along with To Kill a Mockingbird?” I ask.
“I finished the assignment,” she says.
“I really like reading the book the writing is so intriguing,” I tell her.
“I don’t have time to read the book,” she confesses, “I just read Wikipedia and know all about it. I really don’t think the teacher expects us to read the whole book do you?”
“I think they actually do,” I tell her, “Why do you think they would go to the trouble to furnish a book for every kid in the class, when they could easily just assign us to read Wikipedia,” I say sarcastically.
“Yeah, you are probably right,” she admits, “but still I don’t have time to read a silly book.”
Realizing I’m not going to convince her differently I try to change the subject, “I’m going to be baptized Sunday,” I tell her.
“I’ve been baptized hundreds of times,” she says. “In my church we are baptized for the dead so they can have the opportunity of going to heaven.”
“How does that work?” I ask.
“We are baptized by proxy,” she explains, “a member of the priesthood does the baptism and says the name of the dead person we are being baptized for. The person can then receive the gift of eternal life and go to heaven.”
“That’s just weird,” I say. “I never read anything about that in the Bible.”
“It’s in 1 Corinthians I think,” she says. “If you really want to know more I can ask at seminary and let you know.”
“Thanks,” I tell her. “I downloaded the Bible on my iPhone, I can read it from there.”
“If you want to know more why don’t you come to seminary class sometime after school,” she offers.
“I don’t think I really have time, I start work at Chick-fil-A today,” I tell her.
“Well, if you ever have any questions about anything just ask me then,” she offers as we walk into class and take our seats.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
The first bell and then the second bell rings a minute later and Karl’s seat remains empty. Mrs. Baker takes attendance and then starts talking about the assignment from yesterday, all about the book To Kill a Mockingbird. She talks and talks, and my thoughts drift off to the events from the night before, the car accident, and how Karl and I both felt fine after it. I hope something isn’t wrong with Karl. The class ends and I go to the next one still thinking about Karl. Mr. Bixby lectures during the hour and gives the class a reading assignment, warning us about the possibility of a quiz Friday. In Driver’s Training Karl is waiting as I enter the classroom.
“You missed English,” I say, “What happened?”
“I over slept,” he explains, “Did I miss anything?” he asks.
“Not really, we just have the next five chapters to read and another synopsis due Friday,” I explain.
“I guess I didn’t miss anything then,” he says.
“I told Kelly I was going to be baptized Sunday and she told me all about the times she's been baptized for dead people.”
“Yeah, that’s another thing the Mormons do that isn't from the Bible,” he tells me.
“She told me it was in 1 Corinthians,” I tell him.
“I’ll have to look that up,” he says, “Scripture can be taken out of context and misinterpreted.”
“Are you feeling okay after the accident last night?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I’m doing okay. I was just a little stiff when I first got up this morning, but I feel fine now,” he answers.
“You get to drive today too, are you nervous about that?” I ask.
“Not really, I’ll just be extra cautious,” he says.
The first bell rings and the kids who get to drive go out to the parking lot and the rest of the class stays for the lecture. Mrs. Jones tells us all about the traffic laws and how important it is to remember and obey them all the time. She goes into minute detail, all about the point system, and after getting so many points different things happen, like suspended license and fines and eventually even jail. The way she talks makes me realize how serious driving is and how I need to act responsibly when I drive.
I raise my hand and tell her about the accident we were in the evening before, and how the driver of the car that hit us failed the sobriety test and was taken to jail in handcuffs. She got a really concerned look on her face and almost looked like she was going to cry. She regained her composure and told us all about a student a few years ago who was killed by a drunk driver while riding her bike to school. She told us about another student she had a few years ago who is in prison for drunk driving. Luckily, she says, the guy didn’t kill anyone, but he continued to drive drunk even after his license was suspended. I started to regret telling her about the accident since she started talking about the evils of alcohol and how just after one drink a person’s judgment is impaired and can influence the way they drive. She then started talking about the evils of cell phones and people texting while driving and how one little distraction like that can end up in people getting killed. By the time the class was over I felt like I was putting my life at risk every time I even walk out on the street.
After class Karl and I got back together and decided we would walk to my place and do our homework and then go to Chick-fil-A a little early and get something to eat before our shift starts. I told Karl about Danny Boyle and how I helped him out.
“You helped Danny,” he exclaimed, “he’s probably the meanest kid in school. He’s the kid who was bullying me yesterday.”
“He actually isn’t going to school any more. He dropped out and his mom kicked him out of the house so he’s homeless,” I tell him.
“It serves him right,” Karl says, “he never treated anyone with any decency.”
“He looked like he was about to fight me,” I tell him, “but then something over came me and I asked him if he knew Jesus. After that he just seemed to crumple and he asked me to tell him about Jesus.”
“I know the power of Jesus is awesome, but I never thought of using it to defeat a bully,” Karl exclaims.
“To tell you the truth I never thought of it either but all of a sudden I just asked him if he knew Jesus. It was as if somebody else put the words in my mouth,” I explain.
“That’s the power of God in action,” Karl says. “God is so amazing!”
We go to Chick-fil-A after getting our homework done and order lunch. The place is pretty empty since the lunch crowd has dissipated. While we are eating Kelly comes into the restaurant. At first she doesn’t see Karl and me sitting off at a table in the corner, but after she puts in her order she sees us and comes over.
“Hi guys,” she says.
“Oh, hi Kelly,” Karl and I say at about the same time.
“Wh
at are you guys up to?” she asks.
“We are just having something to eat before we start our shift,” Karl answers between bites of his chicken sandwich.
“Oh yeah, I forgot you guys work here,” she says.
“I’ve never seen you here before Kelly,” Karl says, “do you come in here often?”
“Not very often, but I really love the waffle fries, and the chicken sandwiches are the best,” she says. “I’m on my way to the church to plan for our dance Saturday night.”
“Cool,” I say.
“You guys can come too if you want, there will be a lot of single girls there,” she offers.
“Thanks, but I’m working Saturday night,” Karl says.
“How about you Bill, are you working that night too?” she asks me.
“I’m not sure, I haven’t seen my schedule yet. I just start today,” I explain.
“You should really come if you aren’t working. I’ll give you my number and you can give me a call if you want. I can even give you a ride,” she offers.
“That would be nice,” I say. Kelly gives me her phone number and I put it in my iPhone contacts. Her order is ready and one of the workers hands it to her in a bag.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at school,” she says, “have a nice time working.”
Karl and I both tell her bye, and we watch as she walks out the restaurant and get into her car.
“That sure was nice of her to invite us to her church dance,” I say.
“Don’t you get it?” Karl asks.
“Get what?” I ask.
“She's trying to get you into her church,” he tells me, “I’ve seen it done so many times. They have missionaries there to tell you all about how great their church is, and before you know it they'll have you converted.”
“So what’s wrong with that?” I ask.
“Don’t you understand what's going on?” he questions, while putting down his sandwich and taking a sip of his Coke.
“I guess I don’t,” I confess.
“It’s the struggle I told you about the other day. The constant battle between Satan and God for your soul,” he explains.
“Okay, I get that, but what does Kelly’s church have to do with it?” I ask.
“Last night at my church you heard what the preacher was talking about, didn’t you?” he asks.
“I kind of forgot what he talked about,” I confess.
“He talked about Jesus being the Son of God,” he explained. “Kelly’s church talks about Jesus and everything like they are just another Christian church, but the Jesus they talk about isn’t the same Jesus as the Jesus in the Bible.”
“Wow, I’m starting to get confused now,” I say, “I thought Jesus was the Son of God, and He died on the cross to forgive us of our sins.”
“He is,” Karl says, “but not to the Mormons. The Mormons think Jesus and Satan are brothers and that Jesus worked his way up to godhood, and humans can do the same thing.”
“Something about that just doesn't seem right,” I say.
“That’s not the only thing,” Karl explains, “they also believe before we were born we lived in heaven with God as God’s spirit children. Jesus and Satan were also God’s spirit children. One day God called all his spirit children together and told them they would all have to live on the Earth for a time of testing, and only those who lived a righteous life would be able to return and live with God for eternity.”
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“Yeah, and there's more,” he continues. “God told all his spirit children He was going to provide them with a savior who would live a sinless life and would pay for the sins of the world. This is called the atonement, and God would give people the opportunity to accept or reject the atonement. God asked all of his spirit children to volunteer and Jesus and Satan volunteered to be the savior. The thing was, Satan wanted everyone to be forced to live righteously, and accept the atonement. Jesus wanted everyone to have a choice in the matter. People could choose to live righteously and take advantage of the atonement, and return to be with God for eternity or live in sin and be separated from God for eternity. When God rejected Satan’s plan Satan rebelled and declared war on God and took with him a third of the spirit children. Satan’s rebellion failed and God cast Satan and his followers out of heaven. Satan and his followers are now without bodies on the Earth and continue to wage war on God by tempting people to do evil and reject God.”
“Okay, so what is the big deal,” I ask. “It sounds just like what most Christians believe.”
“The big deal is Jesus,” Karl says, “Jesus is not just another spirit child of God, He is the one and only Son of God. We have no way of attaining the same position as Jesus through our good works or righteous living. This is one of the things the Mormon’s believe, that mainstream Christianity does not. This is why most Christians don’t think the Mormon Church is Christian.”
“I think I’m starting to understand the difference now. If you hadn’t explained it to me like you did I would have thought Mormons were just like any other religion,” I exclaim. Karl and I finish eating and wait for our shift to start.
“Another thing the Mormons believe is that their church is the one true church and all other religions are lost. That is why Kelly and all the other Mormons want to convert you and everyone else to their church,” Karl tells me.
“I wonder what makes them think that?” I ask.
“It's what their book of Mormon tells them,” he says.
“How did you get to know so much about all this?” I ask.
“My mom told me a lot of this while I was growing up. She grew up Mormon and when she got pregnant with me and married my dad, who wasn’t a Mormon, she got kicked out of the church,” he explains. “We don’t have contact with any of my mom’s other family.”
“That’s too bad,” I say.
“It really is a blessing in disguise,” he comments. “Otherwise I would probably be a Mormon and heading down the wrong track.”
"Do you think Mormons are lost and aren't going to heaven?" I ask.
"No one really knows for sure how God will judge each of us, but after accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, the Bible says we are saved by His grace," Karl answers.
"I'm a little confused," I confess. "If we are saved just by accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, then wouldn't the Mormons be saved too, since they accept Jesus too?"
"I'm not so sure about that." Karl answers. "What I've been told is the Mormon Jesus and the Christian Jesus are not the same. It would be like if someone offered you an apple and gave you an orange and said it was an apple."
"You are confusing me more than I was before," I exclaim. "This whole religion stuff is too complicated for me."
"Just read your Bible and God will reveal His truth to you," Karl tells me as he looks at his watch. "It's about time for our shift to start."
The manager, Keith, shows me to the back of the restaurant and asks me what size pants and shirt I wear. All the Chick-fil-A workers are issued uniforms, he explains. I tell him my size, and he looks through a couple of boxes and pulls out a pair of pants and a shirt. He asks me what size shoes I wear and I tell him, and he hands me a shoebox. He tells me I can change in the locker room. He directs me downstairs to the basement where I find Karl changing into his uniform.
“Do you get issued a locker too?” I ask, as I scan the room and see a row of lockers lining both walls.
“No, we only get to use a locker during our shift,” he explains, “We have to take our uniform home after each shift and have it cleaned before the next shift.”
“How are you able to do that?” I ask. “Do you have time to do laundry every day?”
“Not every day,” he says. “We get issued three sets of uniforms so we have a clean one every shift.”
“There's a lot more to working than I originally thought,” I remark.
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“Just wait until you actually start,” he explains, “you have to learn a whole different way of talking to people.”
After I get my uniform on I go back upstairs and Keith takes me into a small office and gives me a bunch of papers to fill out. Forms for withholding tax from my pay, forms for who to notify in case of an emergency, forms for verifying I’m legally able to work in the United States. This all takes about a half hour or so. After this Keith shows me around the back of the restaurant where all the chicken sandwiches are made, and everything else is prepared. He tells me eventually I’ll get to learn all the stations in the food preparation area, but today he wants me to shadow one of the cashiers to learn how to take the customer’s orders and how to speak to the customers the Chick-fil-A way. Keith takes me back out to the front of the restaurant and introduces me to Mindy and tells her I’ll be shadowing her.
The restaurant isn’t too busy yet so Mindy tells me some of the stuff I need to know. Things like how to greet the customer when they first come in the door, what to say to them when they order, how to answer their questions, and all the different menu combinations. There is so much to learn and to know.
She tells me, “Don’t be too concerned about getting all this on your first day, it has taken me months to learn everything here.”
“That's reassuring,” I say.
Between customers Mindy tells me she's going to BSU, and wants to teach elementary school when she finishes college. She's in her second year and lives in the dorms. She asks about me and I tell her how I just moved to Boise and am going to Boise High. After I watch her help a few customers she asks me if I feel comfortable helping the next one on my own. I tell her sure. When the next customer comes in, I holler, “Welcome to Chick-fil-A, I can take your order here when you're ready.”
A guy approaches the register and says, “I’ll have the number one combo.”
“Will you be dining in with us?” I ask.
“Yes,” he replies.
“What beverage would you like with your order?” I ask.
“I think I’ll have a Diet Coke,” he answers.
“Can I get a name for your order?” I ask.
“Heather,” he says.
I give the guy a questioning look, and repeat, “Heather?”
“It’s for my girl friend,” the guy explains.
“Okay,” I say, “Will you like any sauces with your order?” I ask.
“No, thank you,” he says.
“Your total comes to $6.45,” I say.
The guy fumbles through his wallet and hands me a five dollar bill, a one dollar bill and two quarters. I hand him a nickel in change.
“Your order will be brought to you in a few minutes,” I say.
“Thank you,” the guy says.
“My pleasure,” I say. That's what everyone is taught to say when customers say thank you.
After the guy steps away Mindy gives me some feedback on how I handled the guy’s order. She tells me I should ask if there’s anything else, like a side salad or a desert. She says this is called a suggestive sale and gets the customer to think about ordering more than they initially planned. This is one way the restaurants make a little extra by suggesting other things the customer can order. She tells me I did really well with my first customer and that each customer will be a little different but I was getting the hang of it. The rest of the evening I do most of the work and Mindy stands behind me and observes and helps with getting the customer’s beverage. It’s always a beverage, not a drink. When the customer wants a refill we are to ask if they would like their beverage refreshed, and are to ask them to hold their lid while you refresh their beverage.
The evening rush goes by pretty quickly and I get in the habit of using the proper terminology for everything and am really having a good time when it's time for our break. After three hours we get a fifteen minute break so I go and sit at one of the tables with Mindy and we talk a little bit.
“Boy, that was kind of fun,” I exclaim.
“Yeah, it can be fun if everything is running smoothly,” she says.
“I bet there are days when it's constantly busy,” I say.
“Mostly during lunch and on weekends, but Thursday evenings are not too busy,” she tells me. “Have you been given your schedule yet?” she asks.
“No, I forgot to ask Keith about that earlier,” I tell her.
“Saturdays are usually really busy from about 11 until about 2, but the mornings and evenings are pretty slow,” she explains, “I usually work from when the restaurant opens to just before lunch starts. Saturday’s are my short days.”
“I wonder if I can find Keith and see if he has my schedule?” I ask.
“He may be in the back,” she suggests.
I get up from the table and walk in the back and find Keith talking to another guy about making shakes. After he's finished he turns to me and I say, “I forgot to ask you about my schedule.”
“Right, I forgot to give it to you. Let me find it and I’ll bring it out to you,” he says.
I go back out and sit down with Mindy. I tell her what Keith told me.
“He gets a little too busy and forgets things sometimes,” she says.
“Yeah, I bet. There's so much going on around here, and so many people,” I comment.
I sit and watch several people cleaning tables, while a few others are going around asking customers if they want their drinks refreshed, while a few others are carrying trays with food looking for the customer. All this time there's a constant buzz of conversation and the sound of music playing over the intercom system with the occasional scream of a baby. Keith comes out from the back and hands me a piece of paper with my schedule on it. I look at it and see I’m scheduled for Friday from 3 to 6, and Saturday from 6 to 12, and again the following week on Thursday from 3 to 6.
“It looks like I’ll be working Saturday morning with you,” I tell Mindy.
“Saturday mornings are a good time to learn how things operate around here,” she says.
The time for our break is over and Mindy and I return to the cash register and begin taking customer’s orders. Between customers Mindy shows me how to clean the counter and around the beverage machines, and how to restock the cups and lids. Before I realize it’s nine o’clock and time to go home. I go down to the basement to the locker room and find Karl changing.
“How did things go your first day?” Karl asks.
“Great,” I tell him. “I worked with Mindy and she showed me a lot.”
I hurry to get changed, and we leave and walk out the restaurant. Karl and I walk across the street before we go our separate ways.
“See you tomorrow at school,” I say.
“See you tomorrow,” he says as he walks down the street in the opposite direction I’m going.
I hurry home and find the apartment dark and empty, and figure my dad is out with Carol.