Graduation was a bit of a chore; I mean sure it’s great to celebrate your achievement of knowing all there is to know about your chosen subject (mine being business administration) but being made to sit on old uncomfortable wooden chairs which are probably older than me gets a bit tedious. Even more so when every. Single. Department of the University is allowed to have their own little speech and well wishes for their students. That and while the teachers may be all cheerful smiles the looming debt that I have to pay back for a good part of my life might have soured the mood a bit. What can I say I’m a bit impatient when it comes to these things and meaningless rituals never really did sit well with me, being handed my diploma and kicked out into the wonderful world of employment would have been far more palatable than this tripe.
I’m not bitter you’re bitter….
Alright, I guess I am a bit bitter but for good reason and while this drawn-out excuse of a graduation enters its 3rd gruelling hour, I shall regale you of the true issue that I find myself in voices in my head (Christ I should have just feigned sickness or something).
For a little context, my family isn’t exactly poor, far from it actually they own a large chain of stores called Calladar. What never heard of em, wouldn’t be surprised as we don’t really cater to the wider public, were more of an in-between store i.e., we are where restaurants, theme parks and other places that sell things but need to get their stock from somewhere first.
But that’s not important, what is important is that I was in line to take over one of our stores and help run it (hence my major). However, a few days just before graduation I get a very special email came to me from my father who so graciously informed me that no I won’t be taking over that part of the family business. I mean common pops I wasn’t gonna lounge around and be lazy (at least not most of the time), but no his word is final, and I’ve been told I was going to attempt to build up a new store from the ground up. Now this news within itself wasn’t what caused me any grief, I mean common this is what I’ve been studying for the entire time, no my true issue lay with the location and what store I was supposed to run.
NEW MEXICO was the state I would have to run this store in, a far cry from the cool climate of New York already but to add to my suffering this store is on the side of a disused road out in the desert. Oh, but my plight does not end there, no siree, instead I have to take over the shop from my old uncle who recently passed away. Now you might be asking what might be wrong with this old shop my late uncle had, well strap on in because this one´s a doozy. Ya see my uncle was a kind fellow, very kind probably the only person within my family who I was actually pretty close with, but he had his quirks.
While my dad went and started up his business in the big apple his brother decided to go and open up a roadside store on (what was then) a busy road. Profits were great for the old man until they weren’t, a new road was built which took away most traffic (and along with it his clientele) practically overnight. This seemed to have caused something to snap within him as he seemingly started to convert all of his remaining money into gold and buy up things that would be more at home in a survivalist bunker than a roadside shop. Along with that, he seemed to make a shit ton of money while still not having anyone visit his shop so naturally people began assuming he was in bed with local criminals. This sort of made him the black sheep of the family with most if not everyone staying away so as to not be associated with him. AND NOW I HAVE TO SOMEHOW RUN THAT
Well, everyone in the family except for me as I would constantly be sitting on his lap as a child listening to his fun little fantasy stories about a magical world. That was until those rumours of him being part of some gang front or something barred him from coming to any family reunions and had me not being banned from seeing him as “he might be a negative influence”.
Yeah sure dad he was the bad influence while you were locked in your study enjoying more than the recommended amount of whiskey and malt liquor really was the best role model. Oh and not to mention mom being-
“Are they still not done yet” I heard from my right in a hushed whisper and being brought out of my mental recollection of family relations.
“Well, you know how they are Alex, like the sound of their own voices and whatnot” replaying in a similar low tone so as to not arise the ire of any of the staff.
“But we´ve been here for hours what more can they talk about; I mean surely they would run out of things to say about now” bemoaned my friend.
Oh, poor Alex a great but usually awkward guy never really did do great with social situations preferring usually to be part of the background or locked up in the university's lab concocting God knows what behind closed doors. But when even he can no longer deal with being part of the crowd and speak up something must have gone terribly wrong for that to even be considered.
“Hey, you still being exiled down south to deal with your uncles, what was it… farm?” Alex began to initiate small talk a rarity within its own right but not an unwelcome one.
“Yea and for the last time, it’s a store, not a farm I mean how the hell are you supposed to be growing anything in a desert, and here I thought you were the smart one” I replied with playful banter.
“What never heard of a cactus farm, they sure do exist”.
“Yea well whatever, it’s a store and while exile might be what it looks like it’s more of my father attempting to make me distance myself from his brother”.
“Why that”
“Father thinks he’s a wacko, and before you ask it’s a loooong story one that even here I don’t think I've got enough time to explain”.
As if on cue the dean finally takes the stage after the last speech from the art department wishing us all well and bringing an end to the torture that was graduation.
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After getting up and waiting for any sort of feeling to return to my legs I wished Alex well in the years to come and began on my way to where my father was waiting for me.
“Mark my boy,” he says as his grin is hidden beneath his brown walrus moustache with arms outstretched.
“ That sure was a long graduation ceremony, hopefully, it didn’t tire you out too much you have a flight to catch” seemingly spotting my unamused reaction or possibly attempting to reassure me he continues “look I know it’s a bit sudden and all but the preparations for the shop are on a tight schedule and I wouldn’t want you to lose out on the ability to gain some first-hand experience when it comes to running a store.”
Sure, dad, that’s why you´re sending me to the other side of the country, to gain experience and not make me come crawling back home when I inevitably fail. “I know dad” I responded with a sigh.
Before I could get another word in my father once again spoke “did you at least make sure to say goodbye to all of your friends, you do know that it's important to make good long-lasting relationships which can help later on in life”.
“Yup all good had a small get-together the day before” and when I said small, I mean small. Look I know I was talking about how bad Alex was with social interactions, but I do have to admit I may not be that great either, still a great deal better than Alex but not really by a long shot. I can easily make friends in the way of people that I may hang out with time from to time but no deeper than that, what can I say I’m a private person.
The ride to the airport was uneventful with only small talk between my father and I, same with my flight unless you count the cramped space and terrible sandwiches, they give you; oh and I can't forget the best tunes of “baby crying on an aeroplane” being played all flight long. After being picked up by a driver who communicated solely in grunts with the odd word being said here and there, that meant another long and boring car ride, but since this is New Mexico it's also incredibly hot.
Once we finally arrived at the ass end of now where with the closest town Carisbad being hours’ drive away from here I could finally behold my new store's majesty. Its cream sandstone bricks with dark orange ones outlining its corners, its 2 stories, its… a piece of shit with no windows, a sign with most of its letters missing and an out-of-place metal grey double door. This place is going to take a hell of a lot of work, and I am not looking forward to it. I bid my grunting chaperone goodbye and watched as his car drove down the sand-covered road.
“*sigh* well better get started with finding out what´s wrong with the place… excluding the obvious”. I turned around and began to make my way towards the front door, which wouldn’t open.
“Oh, right locked,” I said to myself and went fishing for an envelope the driver had given to me just before he left. Opening it I found a letter and a set of keys. Reading the letter revealed it to have come from my dad.
Dear Mark
I hope your trip wasn’t too taxing on you as you will be soon responsible for managing this wonderful little store on your own.
While the condition of the building may seem run down at first, there is nothing to worry about as I had taken the liberty to send someone to check up on the condition of the building and it has been approved for use in a commercial setting. As an added bonus I have given you an assortment of goods to sell to start out with that should arrive a day after you have arrived, however, restocking your inventory will be on you.
Within this envelope, you have no doubt also found a bundle of keys which as you may have guessed belong to the shop. All the keys are there except for one which is the front door key but I am sure you can figure out that issue on your own, I know it’s a bit of a bother but don’t let such small hiccups slow you down or you will never be able to become a proper businessman.
Signed
Your loving father
Well, this is off to a great start I don’t even have the keys to the front door to my own place. Oh, did I forget to mention this, the reason this store has 2 stories is not for added floor space (not mostly at least) but because some of this building is dedicated to living space. Guess who’s the lucky guy who gets to be living inside said space, me…
“Fuck, me” I whispered in exasperation.
“Quit appreciating the ground and get a move on” as my late uncle said when he would take me hiking with him and then taking liberal breaks. So, getting a move on is exactly what I’m going to do as the sun is currently cooking the top of my head. With a newfound resolve of wanting to see what I have to work with and more importantly find refuge from the sun's deadly rays I marched up to the front door and then marched to a similar metal grey door around the back of the building after I realised it was still locked. Thankfully this time one of the keys worked and I wouldn’t be stuck outside for much longer, opening the door and flicking the light switch I was greeted with a storage room seemingly being a 10m by 5m room. What surprised me the most however was how good it look, the floor was made out of smooth concrete, and the metal storage shelves that adorned the walls as well as sitting in the middle of the room were in mint condition it seemed with only a light coating of dust.
Thankful that all I would need to do was dust off some storage shelves I then made my way to a double door hoping that the floor space was just as good of a condition as the storage room was.
And hallelujah were my prayers answered as once I flicked another light switch it revealed that other than a similar amount of dust that coated everything it looked wonderful…
It looked good…
Look I don’t know much about interior decorating, but it looked damn well better than its exterior that’s for sure.
Though before I go about inspecting the store properly, I want to figure out what´s wrong with the front door. Other than me not having a key to it I want to know if there are any other issues, I need to be made aware of, but most importantly I was really hoping that I could at least open it up from the inside. Once I got up close to the pair of metal doors, I really had to wonder why these uninviting things were put in place instead of, I dunno glass doors which would allow people to see what a store could provide, or better yet why there weren’t any windows, to begin with.
“Just what was my uncle thinking,” I said aloud trying to contemplate what use this could have to a… would box store be a fitting enough name?
Looking at the door frame revealed that the doors were held in by hinges that didn’t seem to have any visible issues which was good but also had 4 pairs of bolts for each door holding them in place. The two on top were simple latch types which were not too hard to open, the ones on the ground seemed to be similar to hooks which swung up once pressed on. After confirming that everything about the doors (except my lack of keys) was in order I placed my hand on the doors handles and swung them open. What greeted me was not the god ol´heat blaring sun, nor the large flat sandy desert, no instead I was greeted with a much different sight.
What I saw first was a lone dirt road in a grassy field with just beyond that a large forest of great green leaves similar to the ones I had seen when I visited a national park going hunting with my uncle. But as wonderful as this sight may have been to a usual hiker or hunter, I believe they too would be quite surprised to find such things IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING CHIHUAHUAN DESERT.