LatinosUSA

Machines hummed, grills baked, and the sound of orders processing through the gentle words of cashiers filled Valena with pride. What had not so long ago been a failing burger spot was now a winning healthy restaurant. No longer did they try to keep up with hundreds of dishes and only two or three employees. Now, there were two meat dishes and five vegetables to choose from, created, served, and cleaned up by nearly twenty well-trained employees. Good healthy cooking, ready when their customers arrived.

There was a shout from beyond the cashier line.

Valena walked to the front of the restaurant.

A red-faced male gestured and almost hit a daily customer in the face.

The other customers stepped back out of the man’s way.

Her place was beside her cashiers. With the flick of her wrist, she alerted the cooks to be prepared to call for help. She stepped forward to Gwendal’s side.

“Little girl, my order is a quad burger with extra sauce, fries, and a triple large drink. Not anything else.”

“I’m sorry, sir. This restaurant is Beef and Veggie now. We no longer serve burgers.” Gwendal’s hands shook behind the order screen.

“You’ll serve what I ask for, and now. Or I’ll speak to your manager.”

Gwendal glanced at her.

Valena nodded. Her gulp was audible. “Sir. We do not serve burgers, fries, or extra-large drinks anymore.”

The man’s face reddened. He reached across the counter and grabbed Gwendal by her shirt collar. “You will place my order as I placed it. Do you understand? Lazy little girl. You have no place in a business. Do your job, or I’ll make your manager fire you! The customer’s requests always come first.”

Even as the man made threats against her employee, Valena did not falter. She heard of him before. Every employee and customer needed to know how she expected her employees to be treated. The threats were real. Now they would all know the results.

Valena chopped her arm across the man’s forearm, forcing him to release Gwendal. That would be enough for the cooks to alert the police.

He then turned his anger on her. “I’ll have you written up on assault charges!”

His face had turned so red that he might have a heart attack.

“Actually, you verbally and physically assaulted a cashier.” Valena crossed her arms. “I suggest you lower your voice to a legal sound limit, well below 90 decibels, and apologize.”

The man shook his head violently. “Who are you? She’s just a lazy little girl who refuses to do her job. No manager would hire her. She doesn’t even have the brains for this type of work. A wild animal could do better. Now find the manager so I can have my order placed. If you have that many brains.”

Valena saw this before. At too many places she turned around. Violent men, and sometimes violent women, abused the employees until they couldn’t function in their jobs out of fear. Verbal, physical, and often sexual. This man almost crossed that last line. In some of his words, he had. “I am the manager.”

“No wonder this little girl isn’t willing to do her job.”

“Sir. You will leave this establishment. This is a restaurant. We do not allow any employee here to be abused by a customer. You may leave. Now.”

He backed up before he bounded toward the counter. “You girls don’t have the brains to even fix a burger and fries.”

The angry man turned to the other customers. “We might as well all leave. They don’t have any sense. They’ll be closed down in no time.” He added a few choice sexual innuendoes. The man stalked toward the door.

A policeman opened the door. He held up his hand to stop the cussing customer. “What seems to be the problem?”

Jaws dropped at the stream of words that poured out of the man’s mouth.

“Disturbing the peace. That’s a start. I’ll take it from here.” He escorted the man out of the restaurant.

There would be much to deal with in the coming days. Another lawsuit. Another judge. Another customer who would learn that abusing working people would not get him what he wanted.

“Need a break?”

Gwendal took a deep breath. “I’ll try.”

Valena held up her hand to the chatter of customers. «We do not allow our employees or customers to be abused. All meals for those in the restaurant during the ruckus will be discounted to half price.” It was the least she could do for frayed nerves and time lost.

She stepped back as the customers rushed forward.

Gwendal shook as another man approached.

If the cashier wanted a break, no one would blame her.

The man glanced at Valena, and then back Gwendal. “Do you mind being called young lady?”

“It’s okay.”

“I’d rather not call someone I don’t know by their first name. Seems too forward. You handled that well. Now for my order.” The man placed his order. His voice was a little husky. That was likely due to the tear that rolled down his cheek.

The process quickly smoothed over. Soon, the customers happily chatted while their orders were filled. It would take time. Someday, customers would stand up to people who bullied their servers.

Valena walked back to her office to type the report of what had happened. The microphone-enabled cameras backed up the entire scene. Written words would place the case in perspective.

previously published in “Concurrent Earths”