But first....a semi autobiographical clip
Back to the story. I was once faced with a life or death situation, and unknowingly the decision I made was the right one (right in the sense of staying alive so that I could go on to marry a wonderful woman, have a beautiful daughter, see my oldest daughter blossom into a successful young lady, move to a wonderful neighborhood, etc etc etc, kind of right).
First a little background. The names I'll use will all be fictitious...I'm still in peripheral contact with a few of the people involved and I'm not so sure they'd appreciate being called out. I will refer to myself as Pete (no explanation needed there, is there?) and I might be obtuse about some of other points, but everything you are about to read is the God's honest truth. Now sit back and enjoy the story.
Year was early 90's (Maybe even 90 or 91...believe it or not this is one of those things I said I would be "obtuse" about...either way THE DATE IS NOT IMPORTANT PEOPLE, so give it a rest). Pete was a Produce manager for a local supermarket chain (for most of you, you'll know which one...for the rest of you, take a guess) and was working in a store that has since relocated, but is still in the same town...alright, it was Westbrook. The store used to be just off of the old exit 8. This is an important point and will be mentioned later in this story.
So, part of my "development" was to "learn how to run the store", and the way I was to "learn how to run the store" was to occasionally work as the Closing Manager. The Closing Manager's job is just what the title implies, to be in charge of the store during the closing hours after the store manager has left for the day. So after a little training, I was deemed ready to act as the Closing Manager on a rotating basis. Looking back on it, I don't recall the Deli...or Bakery...or Seafood...or Meat Managers being part of this closing "rotation"...twenty plus years later I think I've finally come to the conclusion that it wasn't because I was smarter than all of them. I now realize it was that they were (by far) smarter than me. Such is life.
...and I think this took place sometime around this time of the year, not that it really matters, but I just thought of it.
On with the story...
So, it's 11:00 PM. There are associates out in the back room of the store unloading the Grocery truck. I'm in the Service desk. The service desk was a decent walk to the front doors at the old Westbrook store...most of the way across the front end. Just beyond the service desk is a door leading to a flight of stairs going up to the managers offices, the break room, associate lockers, etc. There's a cashier just handing in her till for the night (I'll call her Mickey). There's another person working in the cash office which is directly in from the cash office, separated only by a counter top and a partial glass wall. This person I'll call Tori. The last poor soul was a the lone bagger working until 11:00, I'll call him Bill (believe it or not, I've completely forgotten who this bagger was, although he played a key role in the evening's events...he actually could be named Bill, though I doubt it, either way, I'm going with Bill).
I send Bill across the front end to lock the front doors. We're closed
"Bill, can you go lock the doors?", I say in my most professional "Closing Managers" tone of voice.
"Sure thing Pete" Bill says to me (remember , I'm Pete). We're obviously on a first name basis.
I take the till of money from Mickey, turn around, take two steps (behind those service desks are both long and narrow) put the till on the back counter and hand the till to Tory, who begins to tally the money before locking all the cash away in the safe for the evening.
"Thanks, Pete" "You're welcome Tori" We really were that polite...seeing as how it was quitting time, we were all tired, so why not be nice to the people you've been slugging it out with all night (for any of you that have ever worked retail, you'll understand that slugging it out comment).
I turn around again so I'm facing out towards the store now and I've noticed that Mickey has quickly zipped up the stairs to the offices, break room, etc. I didn't think much of it, but in less than a minute I would know why.
So, I'm standing in the service desk, Tory is in the cash office, and Bill comes walking up to the service desk after being dispatched to lock the front doors.
But, Bill's not alone.
Bill has someone with him.
This someone is wearing black gloves (not so odd, because like I said, I think this was in October), and a black jacket (once again not odd, but the black on black look wasn't really doing it for him, although, looking back on it, I guess what they say about black being "slimming" is true, he did look fairly slim), but what was odd was the black mask that Bill's "friend" had on. Actually it wasn't really a mask. it was a black hat, the kind that has two holes cut out for the eyes and mouth, and maybe the nose - the nose part isn't really a key element to this story.
I think you get the picture...and if you don't...
Now do you?
Back to the story.
Bill says to me, "Pete, this guy needs to tell you something" Again, note the politeness.
So, none of this making any sense to me...kind of (kind of?) surreal...I understand what's happening, or is this really happening? Is someone playing a joke on me? Is it a bad (very bad) early Halloween prank being played on me? Is what I think is happening, really happening? But mostly, what the f*@# is happening?
Then the genius in the black mask speaks up...I'll refer to him as the genius, which in case we're not clear here, I'm being facetious calling him genius. What I really think of him is somewhat less than genius, somewhat less than normal, somewhat less than human.
Genius says, from just across the service desk counter, "You need to give me all the money you have in the store." Which was not in the polite fashion that we had thus far been conducting ourselves in. Not polite at all.
Pete says, "Excuse me?" (note the politeness still)
Genius says, "You need to give me ALL THE MONEY IN THE STORE"...the caps are meant to convey the sense of urgency that he was trying to impart to me (oh, and one other thing here, which is a pretty relevant point. Genius then takes out a gun. Now I'm not a gun guy, but it do know it was one of those guns that if someone shoots you with it, you die kind of guns).
He points this gun directly at me. Keep in mind he's standing about six inches from the edge of the service desk...the counter of the service desk is about 18 inches wide...probably a six inch divide.. then there's 18 inches of counter on the inside, my side, of the service desk...genius' arm is what, three feet long...gun is probably six inches long...a little quick math here...end result is, the gun is about six inches from the tip of my nose.
This what I say and do, literally.
I hold up my arm, extend my index finger, and I say, "Just a sec." Really ...gun six inches from my face and my response is, "Just a sec"?
Pete turns his back on the genius with the gun (maybe not the best idea) and says to Tori, "Tori, you need to give me all the money you have back there".
Tori, oblivious to what is happening six feet from her, not questioning my request, not even looking up from whatever it was that had her so absorbed, replies, "I just locked the safe and I don't have the combination".
That sentence I remember explicitly...."I just locked the safe and I don't have the combination"..so nonchalant, so casual, so not knowing that those words might be some of the last that Pete ever hears.
...and that's when it gets interesting.
...and that's all for now.
I've had enough. Probably you have as well.
More next time.
...and that's the truth.
