I was startled awake by the loud thud of a car door slamming shut. I opened my eyes to be greeted by a bright midmorning sun shining in through the windows of my car. I immediately leaned up, reclined my seat back to its upright position and looked at my watch. It was 7:30 AM! I was amidst a sea of cars filling this vast parking lot as the employees had arrived to spend another drudge filled day sitting in their little cubicles in front of glaring computer monitors toiling for this corporate behemoth.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
I had forgotten to set my alarm clock the night before and had overslept.
“Oh well,” I thought. “Everybody bowls a gutter ball sometimes.”
It was a wonderfully cool and comfortable night to sleep last night. My little portable weather station showed the temperature had fallen to a low of 69 degrees in the overnight hours. This allowed me to sleep with my windows rolled up creating a barrier between me and those pesky mosquitoes.
I cranked up my car and drove the short distance down the street to Fat Albert’s to imbibe in my morning cup of coffee. Carolyn was just finishing up counting her till and was eager to head home and get in the bed after a long night shift.
“Hey stranger!” She said as she greeted me enthusiastically as I walked in.
“Hey gal,” I replied as I walked pass the cash register to the back of the store to fix my coffee with extra cream and sugar.
Fat Albert’s was eerily quiet this morning as the great hordes of lottery addicts had yet to arrive and gamble their hard earned cash away. I am sure the store would be hopping by lunchtime as this is lottery central for the local area.
“Would you do me a favor?” Carolyn asked as I stepped back up to the counter. “I will pay you.”
“You don’t have to pay me whatever it is,” I replied. “We are the best of friends, remember?”
“Could you come by this morning and cut my grass?” She asked. “David (her son) is in Atlanta doing contract work all week and can’t cut it. It needs it bad. I am afraid it is going to get too overgrown.”
“I will be over within the hour,” I replied.
I drove on downtown to eat a quick breakfast of two egg McMuffins and an orange juice and then headed out to Carolyn’s house. She was already in the bed when I arrived and was fast asleep. She had left her garage door up so I could get to her riding mower.
I proceeded to try to crank it, but the battery was so weak it would barely turn the engine over. I put it in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. I then pulled my car near and got my jumper cables out and connected the two batteries of both vehicles and the riding mower roared to life with the first turn of the key. It only took me around an hour to cut her grass as I circled her yard in an ever decreasing square. I didn’t even bother to wake her when I finished. I just parked the mower back in the garage and shut the door and went about my business. I will see her tomorrow morning. She needs her sleep.
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