The Part Time People (7 page)

David couldn't speak. He was too busy trying to think of what Jim said. If he is right, he thought, than I've been doing the whole thing wrong. No, he couldn't be. It could never work like that. He didn't want to look at Jim anymore. He didn't want him to say another word. He wanted to tell him, just shut up and leave me alone. I have to go back to work. That old man, David thought, he was just an old man, not a sign. Just an old man, maybe he thought he saw a dollar bill but it turned out he was wrong. Anybody would have stopped to pick it up. Bending over on the curb like that and picking something up, it doesn't mean you're crazy, not at all.

A man came in and stood by the counter. David said,

“Can I help you?”

The man just looked at him a little strangely, then at Jim, then he turned and looked around the store. When he was facing the front again, he said

“Where's Gwen?”

“Gwen?” David said, “She doesn't work here anymore.”

“What do you mean she doesn't work here anymore”, the man said, “she has to be here. She's supposed to be here.”

David shrugged.

“She quit about a week ago”, he said.

“Why? Why did she quit?”

David shook his head.

“I don't really know”, he said. The man was silent for a moment, and then he began to pace, back and forth in front of the counter, with his hands linked together behind his back.

“Who are you”? he suddenly demanded, but before David could get the words out, Jim interrupted saying,

“Who the hell are you?”

“That's none of your damn business”, the man replied. “I just want to know where Gwen is. She's supposed to be here.” The man slammed his fist onto the counter.

“Well,” Jim said, “as you can see, she's not.”

“Where is she?” Martin demanded, “where are you hiding her?”

“Hiding her?” David asked, confused, but Jim took over again and with a rising anger in his voice declared,

“Nobody’s hiding anybody. She isn't here.”

“I don't believe you,” Martin said, “she's always here. She's been here every Thursday night for three years, never missed a shift, so you can stop your lying and your false pretense. I know you've got her somewhere and I'm going to find her now!”

With that he turned and ran towards the back of the store. Jim chased after him, and just before Martin reached the office door, he pounced, and knocked him down. Martin crawled out of Jim’s grasp and made another lunge toward the door, pushing it in, yelling for Gwen to come on out, before it was too late. Up front, David stood, bewildered, wondering if he should take any action, call somebody, do something, but he was unable to make a decision. Martin only got a leg into the office when Jim rose up again and aimed a blow at the back of Martin’s head.

“Ow!” Martin shouted as the fist glanced off his ear. “What the fuck, man? You crazy or what?”

“You better believe it,” Jim grunted, readying another punch.

“Screw this,” Martin muttered. He turned, catching Jim by surprise, and dashed right by him. He headed for the front door and as he passed the cash register, he yelled at David.

“You tell her from me. You’re not fooling anyone!” and he raced out into the street. Jim was right behind him, with a fierce expression on his face, like a cheetah intent on dragging down its kill. Without a word he rushed out after Martin. David watched as they both disappeared around the corner. He sighed, and murmured to himself.

“We’re going to have to do something about these part time people.”