Me: Hello T, Hi S, how are you doing?
S: Great! Enjoying the nice weather! How
are you?
Me: good man, busy weekend for me.
T: "The bottom of my feet is hurting,
like the pinching, pulling hurt."
Me: "Oh, I get that some times too."
Sorry I missed to introduce.
S and T are the Caucasian couple who
lives next door to me (in their mid 30s). Nice happy couple. S told
me earlier that they have been dating for few years now and know each
other from high school. T is divorced and has three kids. Youngest
one is 4. Kids live with their dad. She works at an Italian
restaurant not too far from my house.
T: “I am tired of this job. It is
frustrating some times. You know I walked 17 miles on valentines day,
just by walking inside the restaurant.”
Me: “Wow! That is more than a half
marathon!”
T: “I am not kidding” ( reaching
out for her mobile phone app to show me that she is not lying), “My
legs were hurting so much, I couldn't work the next day.”
Me: “Why do you work so much?”
T: “If it is one of the busy days of
the year like Valentines day, I will be constantly running back and
forth.
A group of teenage kids will come over,
and will keep asking for refills, one after the other. I made 215
dollars that day. “
Me: “Why don't you consider going
back to college?”
T: “It is not possible. I may have to
start with high school prep courses and it is not cheep.”
“It is the Indo-Pak people I hate the
most!” (Out of nowhere)
“Hi my name is …., before I could
finish, they will say just water with no ice or coke with no ice. I
am like, F*** you too! At least let me tell you my name!”
The kids are loud and throw food all
over the place. I have even people ask for cut lemons and sugar, so
that they can make lemonade while waiting for food, and they don't
have to pay for any of that . At the end they will leave a tip of 8
to 10%“
Swiping through her text messages she
shows me the picture of a bill with a 6% tip, some one texted her
today.
S: “I always tip well, 20% or more.”
T: “They should understand that I am
a server at the restaurant and not their servant!
I live on tips. The owner pays me
around $4.50 an hour. In a really good day my total sales will be
close $1500. “
Me: "So considering a 15% tip your take
home will $225 plus your hourly for the day, right?"
T: “No no no.... 20% of that goes to
others, like the people who work in the kitchen, the guy who makes
drinks for me.. On top of that I have to also pay tax for the tip
amount. “
Me: “oh, that leaves you with only
close to 150 dollars”?
T: “Yes, I make close to 25 thousand
dollars a year.”
Pointing to her leg, “These muscles
are hard”.
Now I am able too see where her
frustration was coming from.
I was amazed how soon she was able to
put all that down and was showing me the old music boxes she got from
her grandma's place and enjoying the pizza S ordered for them.
Later walking back home I was
thinking.
I make enough money for a comfortable
living and saving for my retirement.
Tomorrow onwards I don't want to be
identified as a cheep Desi. More over, if that extra 3 dollars is going to put a
smile on her face and make a difference in her life or someone like
her, that is the best that $3 can buy for me.
A one bedroom apartment in the complex
right next to my town home rents for $1300 month. She won't be even
able to afford a toy for her daughter's birthday if she has to live
by herself. I am glad she has a boyfriend and has a roof above her
head for now.
At the age of 14 my most valued
possession was a bicycle. I used to find joy in sharing my bike,
shirts and other things with my friends. When did I start seeing
money and material things so much more valuable. I may have some sole
searching to do here.
Now onwards if I
eat out, I will leave at least 20% for the server.
