Tric Kearney: 'My heart sank as the first customer of the day entered the shop and began to fill a basket'

My youngest has been itching to get a job this summer and finally secured a few hours locally. This morning she set off with a skip in her step for her first day, writes Tric Kearney.

Watching her leave reminded me of the variety of jobs I, and my siblings took over the years, to earn some spending money.

As I was a competitive swimmer, I was lucky enough to have spent most of my summers working at a pool or in children’s camps. They were long days with a small paycheck, but it was work I was well suited to.

However, I also worked for a time in a shop, a post I wasn’t quite so well suited to.

One day, after I’d been there long enough to be left alone, I was allowed to open up. I arrived early, turned on the lights and plugged everything in.

Unfortunately, the till remained silent.

No panic, I thought, as I wiggled every lead I could see in a most professional manner, but all appeared to be securely attached.

Maybe it was the plug? I checked the extension lead, which housed an unhealthy number of plugs. After five minutes of plugging and unplugging each one, I’d learned two things, the till was the grey plug, and it was not working.

I plucked up the courage to ring Mr Boss. “Not much good phoning me,” he said. “Is there a helpline number on the till?”

“I can’t see one,” I said, taking advantage of the fact Mr Boss couldn’t see the large helpline sticker in front of my face. “But I’ll keep looking.”

I hung up and immediately rang ‘help’ informing them of the death of my till.

“Is it plugged in,” asked a man on the other end.

“Of course it is,” I snarled.

“Just checking,” Mr Help laughed. “It might be the fuse. I’ll send someone out to you. In the meantime, press the release button under the till to open the cash drawer. Leave it open and you can access it for change.”

I thanked him and hung up as a flush of panic washed over me. I would have to calculate everything myself. With pen and paper in my sweating hands, my heart sank as the first customer of the day entered the shop and began to fill a basket.

As he approached me I made an executive decision to round the price of everything up or down.

As I finished totting up his total, he gave me a congratulatory wink.

Unfortunately, as I basked in his appreciation, I remembered the cash drawer was closed and he needed change.

“Bear with me one moment,” I said.

Tipping the till onto its side I poked underneath, searching for the release button. I couldn’t see or feel it but continued to poke and press in hope. Suddenly, the drawer sprang open, spewing a fortune in coins all over the floor. As I rushed to gather them I watched all words of praise die on his lips. I’d like to say that was the only time it happened, but by the time Mr Help arrived, that drawer and I were not friends.

“You’re having a small bit of bother with your machine,” said Mr Help when he arrived.

“Yes, the man on the phone said it might be the fuse?”

“By God, it might be that alright, or it might be a matter of simply turning it on.”

And with that, he pressed a large red button on the side of the till which said “On.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said, my face a deep pink.

“Never mind girl, I’ll just send a fine big bill,” he said and left laughing heartily.

Sadly Mr Boss didn’t find it quite as funny.