Welcome to Clown Town Burger Barn

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     How did she get here? Rebecca found herself wondering as she sat on the cold tiled floor. Her buttocks ached from the hard landing. Paper wrapped straws scattered around her. A child soaked in a mixture of Root Beer and Cherry cola bawling uncontrollably stood next to the still dripping soda machine. Towering above Rebecca was the pimply faced Ethan. He rolled his eyes, giving Rebecca the feeling that she was the most pathetic person he had ever met in his whole seventeen years of life.

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     Orders were barked for someone to get a mop. An attempt was made to appease the child with one of the Clown Town Burger Barn’s ridiculous stuffed toys. Another employee waived the cow with a red nose and orange puffy hair oddly coming out of its horns in the child’s face which brought about a louder decimal of discontent. However, a handful of tokens stopped the crying, and the still wet child gleefully ran off toward the arcade section.

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     “It was an accident. When I tried to open the straw dispenser to refill, it was stuck. I tugged too hard and lost my balance and knocked into…” Rebecca tried to explain but was abruptly cut off."

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     Just take your break,” Ethan said between clenched teeth. Rebecca opened her mouth to apologize but was sharply quieted when Ethan added with all the authority his assistant manage badge gave him, “Now!”

Rebecca struggled to her feet without any aid offered. He could have at least asked if she was alright. She ignored the customers gawking and snickering and started to head toward the front door.

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     "Clock out,” Ethan said. Rebecca stopped. She reversed course. Her knee ached from the fall, and she limped slightly with all the dignity she could manage to the door marked employees only. After stamping her time card, she used the rear door taking the long way around the parking lot. Tears came the moment she sat in the car.

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     How did she get here? The question loomed again as she looked out at the barn shaped building with the hideous clown face painted on the front entrance. The main door to the restaurant/arcade was positioned in the center of the clown’s sinister smile. It mocked her. Welcome to the working world lady, I’m going to chew you up and spit you out!

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     This was not how she expected her life to turn out. She’d never had to work outside the home. Starting her life over at age forty-nine was not in the plan. Forty-nine and eight months, the clown’s face reminded her. Yes, she was almost fifty. It had taken months just to get this job. Surprisingly, her college degree in Marine Biology did not offer much opportunity in Hastings Nebraska. Her lack of experience and complete ignorance of computers was another handicap.

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     Her soon-to-be-ex had made it clear that she would either have enough spousal support to survive, or he could continue to provide financial assistance for their triplets’ college. He couldn’t do both. Even her own divorce attorney agreed there just wasn’t the money. See this was your choice, so boo hoo, the clown mocked.

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     Rebecca turned away from the deranged white-faced facade with its bulbous round nose and black stars painted around the eyes. She looked down at the crochet pillow in the passenger seat. It had been made by her Great Granny Gerdy. She’d used it on occasion when driving long distances to support her back, like visiting the girls at the University. GG Gerdy didn’t suffer fools or crybabies. She could hear her voice stern yet not like the mocking of the clown face."

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     Becky, hon, pity party’s over. Now put on your big girl panties and do what you got to do,” GG Gerdy would have said. Rebecca wiped her face and took a deep breath. Was this really that hard? Eight hours on her feet. She’d raised three babies, who were babies all at the same time. She’d tackled the terrible twos times three. She’d had days upon days of 12 hours of non-stop cooking, cleaning, consoling.

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     Ethan and his eye rolls. Ha. She’d had the teen-years with eye rolls in triplicate. And she knew Ethan’s mother. How would Margie feel about her son being so rude to one of his elders?

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     She looked at her watch. Break over. She got out of the car and walked defiantly to the front entrance into the belly of the beast. AS the doors in the middle of the clown’s smirk opened, she said aloud to the gargantuan grim, “Swallow me up, and I hope you choke.”