Aspirations

He looked at his hands. They were as pruned as his grandma’s skin. He dried them off with a dish towel on the upper left hand towel knob. He bobbed his head and did a little dance to the folk music playing out of his iPod. He loved to listen to music while doing dishes. He tapped his feet while doing a little jig over to his pack of cigarettes on the microwave.

He thought, “That’s one good thing about doing dishes, I can dance all I want.”

Robby looked inside his pack of Marlboro Reds. One and one half cigarettes left. His face dropped a little. He grabbed the half cigarette out of the pack, and put it in his mouth. He danced his way out the back door. While standing on the back porch he took out his lighter, and watched as the flint connected with the butane, evaporating sparks into flame. He lit the cigarette, taking a harsh drag. The sun was just going down and the warm lighting felt perfect. Robby heard someone coming through the kitchen to the back door. When the back door opened he realized it was his boss, Andy.

“Hey Robby.”

“Hey Andy.”

“Got a light?”

“Yeah, here.”

Robby handed Andy his lighter. They stood in silence for a moment. Robby was getting down to the butt of his cigarette. He flicked it away.

Robby reached for the door.

“Well, better get back at it.”

“Wait, hold on a minute Robby.”

Robby backed up and saw his boss looking at him. Andy towered over him at six foot-two.

“I was thinking, and I know we’ve talked about this before, but you really do a great job back here, and we really need someone else to work out front.”

Robby looked down at his shoes.

“I know you like your job doing dishes, but we really need someone working out there. You could be making double as a waiter. I don’t want to pressure you, and you know you can wash dishes here for the rest of your life as far as I’m concerned. I just want you to know that the option is always open.”

“Thanks Andy, I, uh, really do appreciate it. It’s just I really do like working back here.”

Andy shook his head, and walking back in the door said, “Let me know if you change your mind!”

When Robby came back inside there were a fresh pile of dishes stacked next to the sink. He wasn’t sad or disheartened. Before he walked out onto the porch, he was thinking of last summer. And the day spent around the lake with his summer sweetheart. He played his music a little louder, then became lost in thought while he worked; just how he liked to.