You Just Can’t be Nice to Some Folks

A young fellow came in telling a rough story of his day’s work yesterday working for Grumpa’s Roofing. That must be one of the roughest jobs in the Louisiana August heat.  It would be hard to choose between that and going into an attic to get rid of bees or wasps.  Anyway, Cary is a easy-going, hardworking kid.  He’d have to be to put up with his irascible Grumpa.

Grumpa’s crew was hard at work when Cary went to the truck to get himself and the rest of the crew some more drinks.  Sweat dripped into his eyes as he staggered back under the weight of the heavy ice-chest, finally dumping it as hoisted it, spilling the ice and drinks on the ground.  As he scrambled to rescue ice and drinks, Grumpa lit into him, making the day even go even better.

Cary sorted the mess to the tune of Grumpa’s complaints.  Perhaps he was a good-hearted old guy, or maybe he was just hungry, but on a run for more ice, Grumpa picked up a bunch of gas-station fried chicken to treat his crew to lunch.  The hungry guys chowed down.  Gas-station fried chicken is just never a good idea.  Not long after they got back to work in the killer heat, one guy retched in the rosebushes along the front of the house.  Another staggered just far enough to splatter his lunch on the driveway in full view of the poor old lady peeking out the window.  As Cary climbed the ladder with a bundle of shingles, his eyes crossed and his knees buckled. Dropping the shingles, and clinging to the ladder, he divested himself of his chicken dinner just a few feet from the unhappy homeowner.  Meanwhile, the only functional member of the crew saved the day, whipping out his camera to film the whole thing for posterity.  Thank God for cell-phones!

As his sick crew gathered on the ground to recover, one insisted he be taken home.  They all joined in, feeling urgent need of bathrooms and privacy.  They’d met up and ridden to the job in Grumpa’s work truck.  Grumpa was livid at losing a half-day’s work after he’d been good enough to buy lunch.  “You’re just a bunch of pussies, just a bunch of pussies!  Can’t even work through a little belly-ache!”

The good thing about a rough day is the motivation to get a better job.  From then on you can look back and remember how bad it can be.