6:40 p.m. Sunday, January 22nd of 2017. I open an email expecting information about my next work shift. I never expected to see your name mentioned, or the words "car crash" and "passed." The tears just poured down and I let them. The sobs are loud enough for anyone on this floor to hear. "It is not real," I tell myself. "This is such an awful joke." But it is not. It comes from one of our managers' emails. It is real.
Had I known it was going to be our last shift last week, I would have laughed even more than I did. I would have thanked you four times instead of two anytime you complimented my "sandwich making skills." I would have let you know how happy my shifts were whenever you worked them with me. Our "Deli" place was what it was thanks to you. A power duo.
I will never be thankful enough for you coming in earlier than you needed to when it was rush hour and I was by myself. You left your dinner half eaten and came in to help without even checking in your hours. I will never be thankful enough for you understanding that I want to be friendly I really do I am just too shy to make a first step. You would talk and ask me questions about myself, and then you would ask me whether I preferred to live off fruits or vegetables for the rest of my life (you also judged me for choosing fruits over vegetables). You made fun of me for starting to talk real loud and then lowering my voice when I turned around. You would check out boys for me and give your seal of approval while I did the same for girls you liked. How come that in a few months you had made such an impact in my life?
Enough to have me crying my guts out when I find out you will never work another shift with me, you will never make me laugh or help me deal with twenty orders in less than fifteen minutes ever again. We won't be able to gush again over Harry Potter and Disney movies. You're gone...
Physically. In my mind, you will always be there making me smile through rough shifts. It is hard to think I have to say goodbye so soon. I hate saying goodbyes and you knew that. Which is why I would always say "see you later..."
