C2 JUST ONE LITTLE MISTAKE

“I’ll have a bowl of your creamy white chicken chili and a glass of water; I just find myself craving for some this lovely cool evening. I think my baby also craves for that,” a pregnant female diner said to Autumn with a bright smile.

Autumn smiled back at her and said,

“Okay Ma’am and you sir.”

The lady’s husband said,

“I’ll have the same thing; if that’s what the baby wants, then we’ll all have the same thing.”

Autumn smiled and said she’d bring their other soon. She went to the kitchen to inform the chef of the couples’ order. Few minutes later, she was heading back to the couples’ table with a tray of their ordered meal. She was just a few seats away from them when a diner suddenly got up from their seat and bumped into her causing the content of her tray to tip over.

“I’m sorry; I’m so sorry,” the diner apologized, feeling really bad.

Before Autumn could reply and say it was ok, she heard someone yell,

“WHAT THE FUC…”

Autumn looked to her side to see a man, who had had his clothes drenched with the content that was on her tray. The man happened to be Jaxon, although she didn’t know who he was. Her eyes widened in shock as she began to apologize profusely.

“I’m so sorry sir; I didn’t mean for that to happen. It was an accident. I’m really sorry,” she said.

“SORRY? DID YOU JUST SAY YOU’RE SORRY BITCH? WHERE’S THE MANAGER HERE?” Jaxon yelled, drawing the attention of other diner.

Before Autumn could say anything else, the manager rushed out of his office. Someone had gone to inform him of the incidence before Jaxon even asked for him.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Wellington about the accident. I promise it won’t happen again,” the manager said calmly, trying to calm Jaxon down.

“What happened here, Autumn?” he turned to face the poor Autumn who had been shaken up by the unfortunate incidence.

Autumn explained to him that a diner accidentally bumped into her causing her to mistakenly dump the tray and its contents on Jaxson. As the managher turned to face Jaxon to continue with the apologies, Jaxson spoke.

“Fire her,” he said.

“Fire her now,” Jaxon repeated.

“I’m sorry Mr. Wellington but Autumn is one of our best employees here. She has never made a mistake in the last three years of her service here. I’m sure she didn’t mean for this to happen,” the manager said, trying to get Jaxon to change his mind.

“Her employment or my patronage?” Jaxon said, shutting the manager up and putting him in a tight corner.

there was a brief moment of silence before the manager spoke. he turned to Autumn and with a heavy heart, he declared,

“I’m sorry Autumn but we have to let you go.”

Autumn look at her boss with her eyes wide open. She couldn’t believe that her boss was letting her go over a mistake that she wasn’t fully responsible for.

“But Mr. Mc…”

“I’m sorry Autumn but we cannot afford to lose Mr. Wellington at our restaurant. I’m sorry once again,” the manager said.

Autumn shifted her gaze from the manager to Jaxon who was staring back at her, his anger subsided but hers was over the roof. She was hurt but very angry at Jaxon for making her lose her job, the job she loved so much. Without any more said, Autumn walked to the back of the restaurant to get changed. Before she came back out, Jaxon and his friends had left the restaurant. She walked out of the restaurant feeling really heartbroken. All these, the other diners who were watching this scene unfold, condemned Jaxon for making the poor waitress lose her job.

Autumn took a cab and went home. Without taking off her clothes, she climbed her bed and wrapped her blanket around her body. Within minutes, she was consumed by sleep. When next she opened her eyes, Ruby was standing above her, with a sad look on her face.

“I heard what happened. Are you okay?” she asked.

“No I’m not. You know how much I loved that job and just because of one little mistake I made that wasn’t entirely my fault, I lost my job,” Autumn said, tears swelling in her eyes.

“Oh, come here,” Ruby said as she sat on the bed and spread her arm out for Autumn to come into it for an embrace.

They stayed in that position for a while before separating. Autumn’s face was red from al the crying that she had done and Ruby felt bad because she knew there was nothing she could do about the whole situation.

“I can’t believe Mr. McCain let you go just like that. I thought you were his favourite. When I heard what he did, I went to his office to question him about it and all he could wad give me an envelope for you, saying it contained a compensation fee to say how sorry he was for doing that. That traitor,” Ruby said, her anger starting to build up.

“I don’t blame him; Customers are always right and besides that customer seemed like a pretty big deal. My anger isn’t for Mr. McCain but the rich bastard that cost me my job. I wish I could slap him and hurl insults to his face for causing me so much pain,” Autumn said.

Ruby comforted her some more and tried to cheer her up by declaring girls’ night. She ordered pizza and they watched lots of movies together. After that day, Autumn began to search for a new menial job because she needed to find a way to fend for herself. But all her efforts were to no avail.

One day she returned from an unfruitful job hunt and a thought struck her mind. She pulled out her certificate from where she had kept it.

“I guess it’s time to make use of you again,” she said blowing away the accumulated dust.