I'm waiting patiently to pay for my coffee while the cashier's chatting with the guy in front of me.
It's early, not many places are open yet, and they're laughing. I'm bleary eyed, but smirking, as I catch bits and pieces of their banter. The cashier's sheepishly admitting that she looked both ways when leaving her house this morning... to walk to her car in the driveway.
The guy she's talking to is shaking his head.
"Patty, you need a day off" he says.
He's probably right from what I gather. The cashier—Patty—looks exhausted, but she's cackling jovially, if not a bit deliriously. I've been waiting a while at this point but I don't press. What's the point? This is a general store attached to a gas station in Vermont. Patty's the only one behind the counter, and there's only two other people in the store besides me. And it's not even 7am.
Patty's wiping her tears from her eyes now that her laughing fit's dying down.
I'm still waiting, but there's a smile on my face. Admittedly, I was hoping they'd have food, though it looks like the grill's just getting started and nothing's ready yet. Unfortunately, I don't have time to wait. Sure, I have a long drive ahead of me, but so what? A confrontation with Patty would only kick off the next part of my drive on a sour note. Plus, it's objectively funny picturing Patty looking both ways for oncoming traffic across her lawn before taking a few steps to her car in the driveway. And I tell her so. The laughing resumes.
"Just the coffee?" she chokes out?
"Yep" I say with a nod.
"Cash or card?" she asks.
"Card please."
She starts tapping some keys on the register before catching herself and looking back up at me.
"Oh, ya know what... you're all set, hun" she says. "Don't worry about it."
It took me a second to realize she'd just gifted me a free cup of coffee. So, I smile graciously and thank her. Then I make a show of looking both ways before opening the door to return to my truck parked six feet away.
Patty starts cackling again as the door clinks closed behind me.
When's the last time instant karma worked to your benefit?
onward.
For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.