Five Days

Five days to retirement

Eugene sat at the table like he always did during his break. Some of his younger coworkers liked to spend their breaks across the street at that new juice bar. Eugene didn’t think much of juice. He preferred coffee - and these days, a shot of rum to ease his back pain.

“What’s up Euge?” asked someone from behind. Eugene’s hearing wasn’t as good as it had once been but he would recognize Vanessa’s shrill voice from across an ocean, he reckoned.

“I told you, my name is Eugene,” he said.

“Awe, don’t be such a grumpy old man,” she replied, throwing her bag on a chair at the back of the room.

“You know, you should respect your elders,” Eugene said, reaching into his own backpack to get his lunch.

Vanessa pointed at it and laughed, “What is that, a school bag?”

Eugene grunted in acknowledgment before opening his lunchbox. The sweet smell of a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich elicited old memories.

Vanessa shook her head. She turned her chair around and sat on it backwards.

“What’s it like today?” she asked.

Eugene swallowed his first bite.

“They’re all angry. The discount didn’t go through into the computer,” he said, sighing.

Vanessa grimaced, “Shit,” she said, “And we get to deal with it. Typical.”

Eugene shrugged, “Just another day.”

“Oh that’s right!” Vanessa smiled, “How long is it now?”

“Five days.”

“Five days to freedom!” she whooped.

Eugene grunted.

“Aren’t you looking forward to it?” she asked.

Eugene took another bite and didn’t answer. Eventually, he said, “How is that degree coming along?”

“Oh you know, uh…” she scratched her head, “… slowly.”

“What’s the hold-up?”

“Oh nothing, just taking my time.”

Eugene chuckled, “Kids these days. Back when I was your age, we still valued our time.”

Vanessa scowled, “It’s important to also value your fun,” she said.

“And what’s fun to you?” he asked with a full mouth.

“Oh, um… I guess partying. Dancing. What about you?”

He chuckled again, “My fun days are over.”

Vanessa’s smile faltered, “Eugene, it’s never too late for fun.”

Eugene swallowed his last bite and finally looked up at his young coworker.

“When you’ve lived as long as I have-” he was interrupted by a beeping noise coming from his wrist.

“Well looks like it’s back to work. See you out there,” he said.

Four days to retirement

“I demand a refund you old fart!” a man yelled at Eugene. Just before he was about to answer him, his watch beeped.

“Sorry, pal. I’m on break,” he said and made his way to the staff room. The old door creaked open and Vanessa greeted him with a smile.

“Howdy, pardner,” she said. A large cowboy hat adorned her head.

“You’re early,” Eugene said, closing the door behind him.

She checked her phone for the time, “No, I’m not. You’re late.”

Eugene checked his old Casio calculator watch as he sat on his chair.

“Says here it’s noon,” he said.

“How long since you set the time on that antique?”

“Forty years?” he said, guessing.

“Well, looks like it drifted.”

“Don’t we all?” he said as he fished his lunchbox out of his bag. He pretended not to notice Vanessa’s questioning look. They sat in silence for a while, Eugene eating his sandwich and Vanessa browsing her phone.

Suddenly, she said, “I took your advice, by the way.”

“I don’t recall giving any.”

“You said not to waste time,” she said before holding her phone out to him, “Look.”

Eugene squinted at the screen but couldn’t make out any of the tiny letters.

“I can’t read any of that,” he said, returning his attention to his sandwich.

If Vanessa had been taken aback, she did not show it.

“I booked three more classes for the semester,” she said.

“Good on you, kid,” Eugene said.

Another minute or two of silence went by. Vanessa, clearly desperate to break it, asked the question.

“Why do you carry a school bag? Why not a… fanny pack or something. Something for old people?”

Eugene sighed and glanced at the bag.

“It was my granddaughter’s,” he said finally.

“How old is she now?” Vanessa asked.

Eugene didn’t answer, instead taking the last bite of today’s sandwich, hoping to be relieved by the beeping. As he swallowed, his wish came true.

“Back to the grind,” he said, “See you out there.”

Three days to retirement

Eugene’s break had been delayed. Now, he sat in the staff room, alone. He enjoyed the silence and ate his sandwich. While chewing, he noticed something in the corner of the room. Vanessa’s bag sat there, a party hat fixed to one of the zippers. He wondered what the occasion was. The door slammed open to his left.

“Eugene!” Vanessa said, “Good, you’re still here.”

He glanced at his watch, “Five more minutes.”

She hurried over to her bag and angled something out of one of the side pockets.

“I got something for you,” she said.

“For me?” he said, surprised.

She skipped to the table and sat down next to him.

“Yeah, here,” she said, holding out what looked like a flash drive.

He reluctantly took the device into his hand.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Music,” she said, “My playlist. I took your advice, you should take mine. Have some fun. There’s something to dance to.”

“I don’t have a computer,” he said.

Vanessa’s excitement did not abate.

“That’s alright,” she said, “I thought so. This is an MP3 player. You can use it to play the music through…” she held out her other hand, “… these headphones.”

Eugene grabbed the headphones and looked at his hands, dumbfounded.

“Uh…” he said, “… thank you.”

Vanessa jumped up from the chair.

“Gotta get back out there!” she said and hurried out of the door, just in time with Eugene’s beeping watch.

Two days to retirement

Eugene rubbed his back. It was a bad pain day. He looked around the staff room like a teenager about to light a joint. When he was sure nobody was watching, he pulled his bottle of rum out of his bag and poured a few more shots into his coffee.

“That should help,” he said to himself.

He quickly hid the bottle back in the bag when the door opened. Vanessa trotted in, clearly not her chipper self.

“Hello Vanessa,” he said.

“Oh, hey Eugene,” she replied, slumping down in her chair.

“What’s going on?” he asked, surprised by his own interest in her wellbeing.

“Oh it’s… it’s nothing. Relationship drama.”

Eugene raised an eyebrow, but looked down at his sandwich when she didn’t continue. A minute of silence passed. He noticed Vanessa fighting her tears. Despite himself, he got up from his chair and walked over to her, ignoring the striking pain in his back. He sat down next to her.

“You wanna tell me about it?” he asked.

Big teary eyes looked up at him. With a quivering lip, she nodded.

“My boyfriend dumped me,” she said, close to crying.

“There there,” he said, gently patting her back.

“He just sent me a snap saying it’s over,” she continued. Eugene wondered what a snap was but he figured it was some sort of message.

“He didn’t even have the decency to say it to my face!” she cried. Part of her anguish had transformed into anger. Eugene grabbed her hand with his free one.

“Listen here, kid,” he said, “That scumbag doesn’t deserve you.”

A smile flashed on her tear-streaked face.

“Millions of fish in the sea and this idiot throws away the only Blue Marlin.”

She looked confused but he smiled.

“It’s a mighty fine fish, that Blue Marlin,” he said.

Her smile returned. Eugene searched his pocket for a pack of tissues and eventually found it. He put it on the table in front of Vanessa.

“You’ll be alright, kid. Get yourself cleaned up. Take your time, I’ll cover for you out there,” he said as his watch beeped.

“Thank you,” she said.He stopped as he reached the door and turned to her.

“By the way,” he said, “what was the occasion yesterday?”

“Huh?” she said, wiping her tears with a tissue.

“I saw the party hat,” he explained.

“Oh, um…” she said, sniffling, “It was my birthday.”

Eugene nodded, “Happy birthday, kiddo,” he said before leaving the staff room.

One day to retirement

Eugene sighed as he stepped through the door. He looked at the staff room with some reverence. It would be the last time he saw this place. He decided to relish it for what it was. Vanessa waved at him from his left.

“Hi there,” she said.

“Hello, Vanessa,” he replied.

They sat at the table, an unusual silence between them. Vanessa’s stare was fixed on his bag. Finally, he spoke.

“16,” he said.

Vanessa looked up, confused.

“She would have been 16 now,” he said.

“Would have?” Vanessa said, her eyes betraying sorrow.

“She…” Eugene said, “They all…”

He tried swallowing but his mouth was dry with old grief.

“She died. Ten years ago. They were hit by a drunk driver. My daughter, son-in-law, my wife, and my granddaughter.”

Vanessa was shocked, clearly searching for words.

“It’s alright, kid. Long time ago.”

“I am so sorry, Eugene. I shouldn’t have laughed, I-”

“Really, it’s alright,” he said, forcing a smile on his lips.

“Oh Eugene,” Vanessa said, “I had no idea.”

“You couldn’t have known. I don’t exactly advertise it.”

They were silent for a while before Eugene remembered something. He reached into the bag and pulled out a gift-wrapped box.

“Here,” he said.

“For me?” Vanessa said, a mild smile on her face.

“For your birthday.”

Vanessa took the small box and carefully unwrapped it. When she opened the cardboard box inside, she was greeted by a necklace. She slowly lifted it from the box and admired its elaborate pendant.

“Wow, this is-” she began. Eventually she said, “This is beautiful.”

“It used to be my wife’s. She would have liked you.”

She put on the necklace and inspected it through her phone’s selfie camera.

“Thank you, Eugene,” she said, “What was her name?”

“Beatrice. We called her Bea.”

“Bea,” she repeated, “I don’t think I’ll ever take this off.”

Eugene chuckled and smiled.

“I thought it would be in good hands with you.”

They sat in silence while she played with the pendant.

“So, retirement tomorrow, huh?” she said.

Eugene grunted.

“Still not looking forward to it?”

He shook his head, “All that’s waiting for me is an empty house.”

Vanessa looked at him, her eyes wide with compassion.

“Do you know what Dungeons and Dragons is?” she asked.

Eugene nodded, “My daughter used to play it with her friends.”

“My group and I meet every Friday after work. And we happen to be looking for a wise old druid to join,” she said, smiling.

Eugene looked up, surprised at the invitation.

“You’re not alone, Eugene. Join us.”

Eugene felt his heart beat faster at the prospect. A feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“I’d be happy to,” he said as his watch beeped. Despite himself, he did not get up.

“I listened to your music,” he said.

“Did you like it?”

“It’s not my usual taste but there are some nice ones in there.”

She smiled, “Did you dance?”

Eugene gave her a mischievous smile before he got up. He plugged one of the earbuds into his ear and held the other one out to her.

“Let’s see if these old bones still have it in them.”

Laughing, Vanessa grabbed the earbud. The clock struck 12:30 PM as they boogied out of the door of the staff room, back to work.