*
HAMBURGERS FOR FIVE
Jeff walked over to his job space that morning – like he had done Monday to Friday for the past 16 years. He took off his jacket. As he reached to pull out his chair, he spotted his boss signaling him.
“Uh oh!’”
He had a feeling he hadn’t had since he was in the second year of high school. That time he had to go to the principal’s office. He had been part of toilet paper wad fight in the boys’ room – and someone squealed on him as one of the culprits.
“Uh oh! I wonder what this is all about.”
Sometimes we know – we just know – when everything is about to change for us – when everything is about to unravel.
The boss still standing – one hand on Jeff’s shoulder – said, “Jeff, I’m sorry. I have to let you go – along with 25 other people – today. This isn’t going to easy for any of you. I was at a meeting yesterday with the big wigs! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I don’t know what else to say, Jeff.”
“Woo!”
And that’s all Jeff could say.
He didn’t see it coming. He saw the state of the economy. He knew millions across the country were losing their jobs – but he didn’t see this coming towards his desk.
He was the manager of the department. He was it – a key accountant for this medium size accountant firm – in this mid-size city. So he knew his job was secure.
It wasn’t. The whole department was being cut – and its various components would be absorbed by other departments – at this location and two other locations.
When the short meeting was over – the execution finished – the ax put back on the boss’ desk, Jeff walked back to his desk and sat. He had to sit. Head in hands, he began to sob.
Some knew what just happened, “Oh boy, Jeff too!” Some of them got their news by memo. Some knew it might be coming that morning for them as well.
Jeff – you’d expect him to call his wife Sarah – then and there. But he didn’t. He called her every time in their 15 year marriage at every up and down, every better and every worse. Not this time. Not yet. He had to go outside. He needed to take a walk. It was windy that first Monday morning of December. Most trees were empty; those with leaves had only dead leaves hanging on – trees waiting for spring – which was on the other side of a long winter ahead. Grey – slow moving – buffalo shaped – clouds signaled possible rain or maybe even snow. It was a bummer of a morning.
He walked and walked and talked and talked to himself.
He saw a church: Our Lady of Sorrows Church. He went in. He sat in the dark back of the church and inwardly cried to God for help. “God, we have 3 kids. God, this is going to wipe Sarah out. God, what am I going to do? God, Christmas is coming. I guess this is going to be our ‘no room in the Inn story.’ God, help me.”
The husbands of stay-at-home moms often say, “I” instead of “we” when there’s job trouble – when they are saying, “God, what am I going to do?” instead of “God, what are we going to do?”
Silence.
He sat there in the dark – for at least half an hour – all alone – except for the flickering red candles in the front of the church – silent prayers he thought for people out of work or out of sorts or filled with cancer.
On the walk back to the office, he saw a sign in a Wendy’s window: “Help Wanted.”
He said to himself with a smile, “Good! At least there are some jobs available. I can always do that.”
He went back to the office and started to sort out his stuff. What else do you do? By now others were talking with others – most in two’s and threes – most standing – but some people sat alone.
He picked up a newspaper – and checked out job listings. No luck.
He got on the computer and checked for any accountant openings. No luck.
He used his computer to come up with a resume. He sent it out to 9 accounting firms that he knew of in the area.
He made a dozen phone calls. No luck. He still didn’t call Sarah.
Others from time to time had lost their job and he would make a comment like, “Sympathy, hopes, best of luck”. It would be an automatic comment – the thing you say and the other really doesn’t hear – but they know you care – sort of like those words that come out of our mouth and heart at a funeral parlor when we go in there to pay sympathy and sorrow and respect and presence when a friend or neighbor has lost a family member.
“Uh oh!’”
He had a feeling he hadn’t had since he was in the second year of high school. That time he had to go to the principal’s office. He had been part of toilet paper wad fight in the boys’ room – and someone squealed on him as one of the culprits.
“Uh oh! I wonder what this is all about.”
Sometimes we know – we just know – when everything is about to change for us – when everything is about to unravel.
The boss still standing – one hand on Jeff’s shoulder – said, “Jeff, I’m sorry. I have to let you go – along with 25 other people – today. This isn’t going to easy for any of you. I was at a meeting yesterday with the big wigs! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I don’t know what else to say, Jeff.”
“Woo!”
And that’s all Jeff could say.
He didn’t see it coming. He saw the state of the economy. He knew millions across the country were losing their jobs – but he didn’t see this coming towards his desk.
He was the manager of the department. He was it – a key accountant for this medium size accountant firm – in this mid-size city. So he knew his job was secure.
It wasn’t. The whole department was being cut – and its various components would be absorbed by other departments – at this location and two other locations.
When the short meeting was over – the execution finished – the ax put back on the boss’ desk, Jeff walked back to his desk and sat. He had to sit. Head in hands, he began to sob.
Some knew what just happened, “Oh boy, Jeff too!” Some of them got their news by memo. Some knew it might be coming that morning for them as well.
Jeff – you’d expect him to call his wife Sarah – then and there. But he didn’t. He called her every time in their 15 year marriage at every up and down, every better and every worse. Not this time. Not yet. He had to go outside. He needed to take a walk. It was windy that first Monday morning of December. Most trees were empty; those with leaves had only dead leaves hanging on – trees waiting for spring – which was on the other side of a long winter ahead. Grey – slow moving – buffalo shaped – clouds signaled possible rain or maybe even snow. It was a bummer of a morning.
He walked and walked and talked and talked to himself.
He saw a church: Our Lady of Sorrows Church. He went in. He sat in the dark back of the church and inwardly cried to God for help. “God, we have 3 kids. God, this is going to wipe Sarah out. God, what am I going to do? God, Christmas is coming. I guess this is going to be our ‘no room in the Inn story.’ God, help me.”
The husbands of stay-at-home moms often say, “I” instead of “we” when there’s job trouble – when they are saying, “God, what am I going to do?” instead of “God, what are we going to do?”
Silence.
He sat there in the dark – for at least half an hour – all alone – except for the flickering red candles in the front of the church – silent prayers he thought for people out of work or out of sorts or filled with cancer.
On the walk back to the office, he saw a sign in a Wendy’s window: “Help Wanted.”
He said to himself with a smile, “Good! At least there are some jobs available. I can always do that.”
He went back to the office and started to sort out his stuff. What else do you do? By now others were talking with others – most in two’s and threes – most standing – but some people sat alone.
He picked up a newspaper – and checked out job listings. No luck.
He got on the computer and checked for any accountant openings. No luck.
He used his computer to come up with a resume. He sent it out to 9 accounting firms that he knew of in the area.
He made a dozen phone calls. No luck. He still didn’t call Sarah.
Others from time to time had lost their job and he would make a comment like, “Sympathy, hopes, best of luck”. It would be an automatic comment – the thing you say and the other really doesn’t hear – but they know you care – sort of like those words that come out of our mouth and heart at a funeral parlor when we go in there to pay sympathy and sorrow and respect and presence when a friend or neighbor has lost a family member.
*
It was now lunch time.
Jeff was direct. He grabbed his jacket – went to the men’s room – spruced up as best he could and headed for Wendy’s.
He entered – asked for the manager – told him that he was out of work – and needed a job. He got a job. He filled out the papers and said he would be there in the morning for his first training session.
He went home – but he couldn’t tell Sarah. He couldn’t tell the kids. He wasn’t good at poker – but he was good at faking this. Nobody suspected anything.
He simply said, “It was okay” to the “How was your day?” question.
Next day – suit and tie – Jeff headed for Wendy’s.
He liked it. Free food. New work. Different people – people he never really noticed or talked to whenever he went to a McDonald’s or a Burger King or a Wendy’s with the kids on the way to summer vacation or what have you.
Jeff was direct. He grabbed his jacket – went to the men’s room – spruced up as best he could and headed for Wendy’s.
He entered – asked for the manager – told him that he was out of work – and needed a job. He got a job. He filled out the papers and said he would be there in the morning for his first training session.
He went home – but he couldn’t tell Sarah. He couldn’t tell the kids. He wasn’t good at poker – but he was good at faking this. Nobody suspected anything.
He simply said, “It was okay” to the “How was your day?” question.
Next day – suit and tie – Jeff headed for Wendy’s.
He liked it. Free food. New work. Different people – people he never really noticed or talked to whenever he went to a McDonald’s or a Burger King or a Wendy’s with the kids on the way to summer vacation or what have you.
*
It was now December 17th. He was there two weeks. He had learned to flip hamburgers like a pro. He knew how to read the monitors. He knew how to stock. He knew how to run the drive-in-window. He knew how to take orders – push all those buttons. In two weeks he knew where everything was. He was a quick read.
It was December 17th and Sarah and Mikey, Miggy and Molly, his three kids, still didn’t know their dad worked at Wendy’s – even though Molly his youngest kept saying, “Daaad you smell like a hamburger.” And he would simply say with a smile, “Oh I went to Wendy’s for lunch.” Then he would wink to himself and think, “Well, I didn’t lie!”
It was December 17th and in walked Pete – his old boss – into Wendy’s. They said, “Hi!” to each other. Jeff didn’t blush. He was surprised he didn’t blush. Pete put in his order and seeing Jeff very busy waited for his tray and then went over and got a seat where he could see Jeff working away with a smile.
After lunch Pete went up to Jeff and gave him his card. “Give me a call Jeff. Give me a call!”
After the lunch rush, Jeff took the card out of his shirt pocket. He noticed it was the name of a different company. He called Pete.
“Is that you Pete?”
“Jeff, amazing. You working in Wendy’s. I always knew you were a go getter.”
“Pete, hellooooo!, Christmas is coming and I needed to get some income.”
“Jeff, listen, I lost my job the day after you. But I called my brother-in-law and he had room for me in his company. It’s called ‘NewJobSeach Inc.’ Praise God. Praise God. Listen. Good news. If you want, there’s a job here waiting for you.”
“Pete, you’re kidding?”
“No I’m not. We’re processing all kinds of people looking for jobs and you’d be great at this – and you know how many people are out of work.”
“Woo! Wow!”
“Jeff, what time do you finish there today?”
“4:30!”
“Okay, can you come here on your way home this evening?”
“I’ll be there.”
“My brother-in-law and I will be waiting.”
Jeff got the job.
Jeff went home that December 17th evening. After the kids were gone to bed, Jeff said to Sarah, “I have to talk to you about something.”
Silence. Pause. Quiet.
“Sarah, I’ve been lying to you.”
Sarah remained silent.
Jeff started to cry.
Sarah didn’t know what to do – whether to fold her arms and just sit there or open her arms and hold him.
“Sarah I lost my job – and I was scared to tell you. That’s the bad news. The good news is, ‘I have another job.’”
He didn’t mention Wendy’s – just about this new job at NewJobSearch Inc.
And both held each other all through the night.
It was December 17th and Sarah and Mikey, Miggy and Molly, his three kids, still didn’t know their dad worked at Wendy’s – even though Molly his youngest kept saying, “Daaad you smell like a hamburger.” And he would simply say with a smile, “Oh I went to Wendy’s for lunch.” Then he would wink to himself and think, “Well, I didn’t lie!”
It was December 17th and in walked Pete – his old boss – into Wendy’s. They said, “Hi!” to each other. Jeff didn’t blush. He was surprised he didn’t blush. Pete put in his order and seeing Jeff very busy waited for his tray and then went over and got a seat where he could see Jeff working away with a smile.
After lunch Pete went up to Jeff and gave him his card. “Give me a call Jeff. Give me a call!”
After the lunch rush, Jeff took the card out of his shirt pocket. He noticed it was the name of a different company. He called Pete.
“Is that you Pete?”
“Jeff, amazing. You working in Wendy’s. I always knew you were a go getter.”
“Pete, hellooooo!, Christmas is coming and I needed to get some income.”
“Jeff, listen, I lost my job the day after you. But I called my brother-in-law and he had room for me in his company. It’s called ‘NewJobSeach Inc.’ Praise God. Praise God. Listen. Good news. If you want, there’s a job here waiting for you.”
“Pete, you’re kidding?”
“No I’m not. We’re processing all kinds of people looking for jobs and you’d be great at this – and you know how many people are out of work.”
“Woo! Wow!”
“Jeff, what time do you finish there today?”
“4:30!”
“Okay, can you come here on your way home this evening?”
“I’ll be there.”
“My brother-in-law and I will be waiting.”
Jeff got the job.
Jeff went home that December 17th evening. After the kids were gone to bed, Jeff said to Sarah, “I have to talk to you about something.”
Silence. Pause. Quiet.
“Sarah, I’ve been lying to you.”
Sarah remained silent.
Jeff started to cry.
Sarah didn’t know what to do – whether to fold her arms and just sit there or open her arms and hold him.
“Sarah I lost my job – and I was scared to tell you. That’s the bad news. The good news is, ‘I have another job.’”
He didn’t mention Wendy’s – just about this new job at NewJobSearch Inc.
And both held each other all through the night.
*
It was December 24th morning – and Sarah, Jeff, Mikey, Miggy and Molly were ice skating on a pond on the other side of town. On the way back – Sarah said, “Look there’s a Wendy’s. Let’s get something to eat for lunch.” And before Jeff could point out the Burger King on the other side of the street, the kids started yelling, “Yeah! Wendy’s, Wendy’s, Wendy’s. They make the best hamburgers.”
In they went. Jeff said, “I’ll get us a table. And hon, I’ll take just a Baconator.” He didn’t want to go near the counter – lest he be recognized. He sat in the back facing the outside windows – with his back to the cooking and counter area.
Soon, Sarah, Mikey, Miggie, and Molly came back with a tray with hamburgers for 5 on it – along with the manager and all the employees and they all clapped for Jeff.
“Great that you got another job. We sure miss you, Jeff. You were the best. Merry Christmas. Great looking family.”
There were hugs and introductions and then the workers went back to work – and the customers stopped watching and wondering what was this story about, this clapping and the celebrating at one of the tables.
Then there was silence.
Then Jeff said it, “Sarah, you knew, didn’t you?”
And she just smiled and said, “Merry Christmas Jeffrey. Merry Christmas Jeffrey. Women always know. Women always find out.”
Puzzled.
Jeff’s face was all puzzle and question mark.
“Okay,” said Sarah, “Several of my friends saw you in here working a dozen times. I wasn’t going to say anything till you said something. But once more I realized I have the best husband in the world”. At that the kids toasted their dad with their milk shakes, adding, “and the best dad in the world too. Merry Christmas Daddy. Merry Christmas!”
In they went. Jeff said, “I’ll get us a table. And hon, I’ll take just a Baconator.” He didn’t want to go near the counter – lest he be recognized. He sat in the back facing the outside windows – with his back to the cooking and counter area.
Soon, Sarah, Mikey, Miggie, and Molly came back with a tray with hamburgers for 5 on it – along with the manager and all the employees and they all clapped for Jeff.
“Great that you got another job. We sure miss you, Jeff. You were the best. Merry Christmas. Great looking family.”
There were hugs and introductions and then the workers went back to work – and the customers stopped watching and wondering what was this story about, this clapping and the celebrating at one of the tables.
Then there was silence.
Then Jeff said it, “Sarah, you knew, didn’t you?”
And she just smiled and said, “Merry Christmas Jeffrey. Merry Christmas Jeffrey. Women always know. Women always find out.”
Puzzled.
Jeff’s face was all puzzle and question mark.
“Okay,” said Sarah, “Several of my friends saw you in here working a dozen times. I wasn’t going to say anything till you said something. But once more I realized I have the best husband in the world”. At that the kids toasted their dad with their milk shakes, adding, “and the best dad in the world too. Merry Christmas Daddy. Merry Christmas!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Merry Christmas!
[Picture is from the Tablet magazine - U.K.]
[Every Christmas since 1993, instead of a homily, I write a Christmas story in memory of Father John Duffy, CSSR, who died December 24, 1993]
[I hope I didn't "dis" anyone who works at McDonald's or Burger King, etc. and maybe Wendy's will make a $50,000 donation to our school for this promotion. Just kidding Wendy!]
