Trash in the House
A few days later and a note from his parents giving permission to work, Fred led David through the red back door of Dairy Queen. Being in the front part of the store as a customer, David was surprised by how different the backroom was in comparison to the front.It was dark and crowded with boxes marked cones, syrups, and cups. Across the room, there was an entryway to the front part of the store. To David’s right was a large white door that looked like a walk-in freezer. To his left was an older man with wire-frame glasses in his late forties sitting at a desk inside a room the size no bigger than David’s bedroom closet.
“Mr. Treaz,” called out Fred.
The closet-man turned and stood up from his chair. He wore a white shirt and an apron that went down pass his knees.
“This is David,” said Fred. “He’s the guy I told you about for the job.”
The man shook David’s hand and said, “I’m Raymond Treaz.”
David replied, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Trash.”
Mr. Treaz gave David a questioning look, and said, “It’s Treaz with a z.”
“I’m sorry if I mispronounced your name.”
David had been down this road before. With his hearing and speech issues, he was use to “the look” that a person would give when he mispronounced a word. Ironically, David never got Treaz’s name said correctly. He thought he said it properly, but it always came out as “Trash.” Co-workers would giggle when David said his name. He learned to mumble his name whenever he spoke to him directly.
Fred walked through the entryway to the front part of the store leaving the two to talk. Mr. Treaz sat at the desk in the closet while David stood in its doorway. During the interview, after each question Mr. Treaz asked, his eyes searched David’s face. It wasn’t a normal type of look. It was: Up; Down; Left; Right; Forehead; Left ear; Chin; Right ear; Left eye; Right cheek; Right eye; Everywhere. It wasn’t lively; it was perturbing. Maybe his eyeball actions were trying to be a lie detector. Later, David learned that this was how Mr. Treaz’s eyes acted. He did it to everyone, all his employees, customers, and his family.
The closet-man turned and stood up from his chair. He wore a white shirt and an apron that went down pass his knees.
“This is David,” said Fred. “He’s the guy I told you about for the job.”
The man shook David’s hand and said, “I’m Raymond Treaz.”
David replied, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Trash.”
Mr. Treaz gave David a questioning look, and said, “It’s Treaz with a z.”
“I’m sorry if I mispronounced your name.”
David had been down this road before. With his hearing and speech issues, he was use to “the look” that a person would give when he mispronounced a word. Ironically, David never got Treaz’s name said correctly. He thought he said it properly, but it always came out as “Trash.” Co-workers would giggle when David said his name. He learned to mumble his name whenever he spoke to him directly.
Fred walked through the entryway to the front part of the store leaving the two to talk. Mr. Treaz sat at the desk in the closet while David stood in its doorway. During the interview, after each question Mr. Treaz asked, his eyes searched David’s face. It wasn’t a normal type of look. It was: Up; Down; Left; Right; Forehead; Left ear; Chin; Right ear; Left eye; Right cheek; Right eye; Everywhere. It wasn’t lively; it was perturbing. Maybe his eyeball actions were trying to be a lie detector. Later, David learned that this was how Mr. Treaz’s eyes acted. He did it to everyone, all his employees, customers, and his family.
Mr. Treaz said, “Since you have no experience, you’ll work two weeks with no pay and will see how it goes.”
Fred appeared from the front entryway, and stated, “That’s not fair Mr. Treaz. It’s not fair to work for no pay.”
Mr. Treaz was flabbergasted by Fred. Whether it was because of what Fred said, or it was that Fred appeared out of nowhere. David was amazed by Fred’s actions.
For a few moments, Mr. Treaz’s eyes froze while he was in thought. Then, as if full power was no longer needed for his brain since he deliberated a reply, his eyes turned back on searching David’s face.
“Okay, one week with no pay and will see if you fit in.”
“No, Mr. Traze,” said Fred as he walked into the rear part of the store towards David and Mr. Treaz. “People don’t work for free. David can do a test run with pay.”
“Good idea,” cut in Mr. Treaz, “Probation without pay.”
“No,” said Fred firmly.
Mr. Treaz stood up, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looked right into David’s eyes, and said in a dramatic soft voice, “What do you think, David? You want the job?”
David’s mind race at the peculiar logic of Mr. Treaz, but mainly that his eyes were fixed onto David’s eyes; they were perfectly still. David thought, being new to the work force, maybe this is how things are done. But then again, he never heard of such a thing before, and it seemed only right to pay someone for their work. Fred seemed teeming with his arguments.David wanted to please Fred. Plus, he wanted the job to see more of Fred.
“It only seems fair,” was David’s return.
“Three days no pay,” snap Mr. Treaz, and at the same time snap on his eyes. Up; Down; Left; Right; Left cheek; Right ear; Chin; Forehead.
David remarked weakly, “That’s better than one week with no pay.”
Fred and Mr. Treaz both spoke at the same time: Fred said loudly, “No”; and Mr. Treaz said in his normal voice, “Good, see you tomorrow.”
Mr. Treaz continued, “You start at ten tomorrow morning, and since Fred is opening tomorrow, he’ll teach you how things are done around here.” He held his hand out to David, “Deal?”
David answered in a questioning tone, “Um? Okay?” He took Mr. Treaz’s hand and shook it.
“He’s working with pay, Mr. Treaz,” said Fred as he walked out the backdoor with David.
In the parking lot, Fred told David, “Don’t worry. You’ll get paid. I’ll see to it. He’s just trying you out.”
To David, Fred looked even more Trojan than before they walked into Dairy Queen. His gallant defense was notable. That same spark within David hit again.
Fred appeared from the front entryway, and stated, “That’s not fair Mr. Treaz. It’s not fair to work for no pay.”
Mr. Treaz was flabbergasted by Fred. Whether it was because of what Fred said, or it was that Fred appeared out of nowhere. David was amazed by Fred’s actions.
For a few moments, Mr. Treaz’s eyes froze while he was in thought. Then, as if full power was no longer needed for his brain since he deliberated a reply, his eyes turned back on searching David’s face.
“Okay, one week with no pay and will see if you fit in.”
“No, Mr. Traze,” said Fred as he walked into the rear part of the store towards David and Mr. Treaz. “People don’t work for free. David can do a test run with pay.”
“Good idea,” cut in Mr. Treaz, “Probation without pay.”
“No,” said Fred firmly.
Mr. Treaz stood up, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looked right into David’s eyes, and said in a dramatic soft voice, “What do you think, David? You want the job?”
David’s mind race at the peculiar logic of Mr. Treaz, but mainly that his eyes were fixed onto David’s eyes; they were perfectly still. David thought, being new to the work force, maybe this is how things are done. But then again, he never heard of such a thing before, and it seemed only right to pay someone for their work. Fred seemed teeming with his arguments.David wanted to please Fred. Plus, he wanted the job to see more of Fred.
“It only seems fair,” was David’s return.
“Three days no pay,” snap Mr. Treaz, and at the same time snap on his eyes. Up; Down; Left; Right; Left cheek; Right ear; Chin; Forehead.
David remarked weakly, “That’s better than one week with no pay.”
Fred and Mr. Treaz both spoke at the same time: Fred said loudly, “No”; and Mr. Treaz said in his normal voice, “Good, see you tomorrow.”
Mr. Treaz continued, “You start at ten tomorrow morning, and since Fred is opening tomorrow, he’ll teach you how things are done around here.” He held his hand out to David, “Deal?”
David answered in a questioning tone, “Um? Okay?” He took Mr. Treaz’s hand and shook it.
“He’s working with pay, Mr. Treaz,” said Fred as he walked out the backdoor with David.
In the parking lot, Fred told David, “Don’t worry. You’ll get paid. I’ll see to it. He’s just trying you out.”
To David, Fred looked even more Trojan than before they walked into Dairy Queen. His gallant defense was notable. That same spark within David hit again.