When I returned to the main floor, the last customer was walking out the door with three big shopping bags. “Boy, what a day,” Buddy said as he wiped sweat off his face with both hands. “I don’t remember the last time we was this busy. Every time I tried to get to the toilet, somebody came up to my counter with a cart overflowing with items for me to ring up. It’s a wonder my bladder ain’t busted wide open.”

“Well, this is the holiday season. We need to be thankful we got so much business, and not be complaining,” Sadie scolded. “There is hundreds of thousands of folks still out of work. Being busy at any job is a blessing.”

“I ain’t complaining!” Buddy snapped. “I was just making a comment. You been moaning and groaning all day. If anybody is complaining, it’s you.”

Sadie gave him a sheepish grin. “Oh well. Anyway, I can’t wait to get home. I need to soak my feet. My bunions feel like somebody dropped a brick on them. But I ain’t complaining.”

“I really appreciate how hard y’all worked today,” I said, giving them my warmest smile. “Y’all can get your things and go on home now. I can handle the next half hour by myself.”

“Will we still get paid for the whole day?” Buddy asked with a anxious look on his face.

“I’ll pay y’all for the whole day,” I assured them.

They didn’t waste no time gathering up their things and leaving. I waited by the cash registers after they’d left in case another customer wandered in. When nobody had come by five minutes to five, I dogtrotted to the aisle where we stocked the kerosene.

I was about to walk out the rear exit door holding a box with all six cans of the kerosene when I heard Buddy’s voice. “Odell, what you doing?”

I whirled around so fast, I almost dropped the box. “W-what? I thought you left.”

Buddy strutted up to me with his hands on his hips. “I did leave. I forgot my spittoon under the counter.” He squinted at my burning face, then at the box. I hadn’t put a lid on it, so he seen what was inside. “What you going to do with all that kerosene?” He took his hands off his hips and made a sweeping motion toward the kerosene and peered at me from the corner of his beady eye.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? My daddy asked me to bring it to his house and torch them tall weeds in his back yard.”

“You need that much?”

“He got a big yard.”

“Oh. I’ll help you tote it to your car, if you want me to. Them cans is heavy, so I hope my back don’t go out again . . .”