The Nine o'clock Traffic Jam

The Nine O'clock Traffic Jam

Larry was a lazy man who believed in doing everything at the last minute. Sometimes, he would barely get to work on time. Larry was considered the most irresponsible employee.

One day, Larry was late for work and got a lecture from his boss. He would lose his job if he came to work late again. The lecture worked for a month. He was at work on time, and there were no problems. Larry's boss was pleased.

The six-foot man was a large-framed man with short brown hair. His clean-shaven face made him look young. Sometimes, people mistook him as a teenager. It was easy to mistake Larry as a teenager since he was so lazy.

A month after being lectured about punctuality, Larry was up late watching a horror film and didn't fall asleep until one o'clock. He fell asleep in his recliner with the TV still on and had a bucket of popcorn on his lap.

When Larry woke up, his popcorn was on the floor, and the TV showed the morning news. The thought of a cup of coffee was inviting. Larry got out of the chair and walked into the kitchen. After setting up the Keurig machine and pushing the brewing button, he went to the bathroom.

After showering, shaving, and getting dressed, Larry went to the kitchen, grabbed his coffee, and walked to the living room. Without picking up the popcorn, Larry sat down to watch the news. He thought he had time to waste before he had to go to work.

A commercial came on before the news anchor appeared on the screen. When the commercials were over, and the news anchor appeared on the screen, she announced it was eight-thirty. Larry panicked and realized he had an hour to get to work. He jumped out of the chair, grabbed his coat, and ran out the door. Larry was in a hurry and didn't have time for breakfast. He also forgot his cell phone.

When Larry got to his car, he discovered that ice had formed on his windshield and would have to scrape it off before he could drive. He started the car and turned on the defroster. After the ice began to melt, he scraped off the ice. Scraping the ice took time, time that Larry didn't have.

After scraping off the ice and getting on the road, Larry looked at his watch and discovered he only had a half-hour to get to his job. He made a last-minute decision to get on the highway; it would be faster than taking the city streets.

Once Larry got on the highway, he learned that there was a car wreck. Three cars had slid onto black ice and collided with one another. There was no way to make it to work on time.

Soon, Larry heard sirens and helicopters, which intensified his anxiety. He thought about his options. After thinking about it, he could only see one option.

The only thing Larry could do was call his boss and tell him that he would be late. When Larry went to take his phone out of his pocket, he discovered that he had left it at home. He felt like screaming. Nothing was going right.

A half-hour passed since he had left home, and it was now nine o'clock. Larry wished he was at work where he was supposed to be. The thought of being fired tormented Larry's mind. He tried to find excuses for his infraction but couldn't find any good enough. He would have to face his boss.

While waiting for the traffic to move, Larry's stomach rumbled. When he realized he hadn't eaten breakfast, he tried to find a protein bar in the glove compartment, but there wasn't any. The lack of food made Larry more irritable.

Another hour passed by, but the traffic still hadn't moved. Larry listened to the news on the radio to see when traffic would start to move. He found out that medical vehicles were still at the scene. After listening to the news, Larry knew he would have to wait a while. The tow trucks would arrive after the emergency vehicles left. The only thing he could do was sit and wait.

Larry turned on some rock music to tune out his ruminating thoughts. He listened to some of the rock bands that he grew up with. The music took him to simpler days when Larry had no real responsibilities. His mom ensured he got to school on time, and since he didn't have to work, he could spend the afternoons and weekends the way he wanted to. Where did those days go?

Time moved like molasses, and the traffic hadn't moved. Larry turned the station to get the news. He found out that the ambulances had transported the victims of the car wreck, and tow trucks were on the scene.

Larry couldn't have been more overjoyed. He knew that traffic would be moving soon. The joyful feeling didn't last long. He realized that once the traffic began moving, he would have to drive to work and face his boss.

After debating about his situation, Larry saw a spark of hope. If he explained his situation, his boss would show empathy and give him a break. Larry decided to give it a try.

Traffic began moving but at a snail's pace. Once Larry got past the police, he was able to speed up. After getting off the highway, it only took Larry five minutes to get to work.

Larry took a deep breath as he got out of his car. When he got through the front doors, he went to the office. When Larry walked into the office, he saw the receptionist on the computer. She seemed oblivious to his presence. He cleared his throat to let her know he was there.

"Excuse me, but is Mr. Trite here,"

"No, Larry, Mr. Trite isn't here. He is home, sick."

When Larry got the news, he fainted.