Chapter 2: Losing It All
When Loretta finished cleaning the tables, she saw workers starting to come towards the shop. Throwing away the gloves and disposable towels, she put away the cleaning bottle and washed her hands quickly. Loretta welcomed the distraction because it gave her mind something else to focus on aside from her financial worries.
She chatted with her customers as she made their sandwiches, barely looking at the counter below her. She had known the order and arrangement of the food so well that she didn’t need to look down to check whether or not she was putting the correct things on the sandwiches.
Soon the shop was filled with the smells of lemon, baked bread, deli meat and the sweat of the workers who had come in from the metal fabrication plant and paper company. They were all very kind to Loretta and asked how she had been getting along, offering her encouraging words. Loretta thanked them for their business as well. She knew those faithful men and women who came to the sandwich shop Monday through Friday were responsible for keeping the place afloat.
Eventually the lunch crowd slowed down to just a few customers and then Loretta was alone again. She took the opportunity to have a seat at one of the tables and rest her feet for a while. Before she did, she grabbed a diet Pepsi from the refrigerator and opened it, sitting down in a chair. Loretta had only taken a few sips from the can when she saw Gus Kemp, the owner of the building walking towards the shop.
Loretta greeted him as he came through the door. Gus was a large, tall and stern, but friendly figure. His green eyes shined bright as emeralds through his wired rimmed glasses as the lighting from the shop reflected off his bald head. He scratched his goatee as he came closer to Loretta.
“Hi Gus. How are you?” Loretta greeted.
“I am fine. How about you Loretta? Mind if I have a seat?”
“I’m okay. Go ahead and sit down.”
“Well,” Gus began as he joined her at the table. “I came by to talk to you about the annual lease agreement. It is due to renew in a couple of months from now. I hate to tell you this, but I have to raise the raise the monthly payment of my properties, including this one by eight percent.”
“Oh,” Loretta acknowledged as she began to frown. “Since Jack’s passed, I am barely able to maintain things now.”
“I know Loretta. I have tried to keep that in mind since you are two months behind on the lease payment already,” Gus sympathized. “That’s why I haven’t pressed you too hard. I liked Jack. He was a good man. But you must understand I have to treat all my tenants the same. I can’t let you stay here for free forever.”
Loretta’s head dipped down, looking at the checkered table cloth as a few of her salt and pepper dreadlocks fell to her chest. Her throat tightened as her face became more etched with dread.
“I will make something work out Gus. I promise I will find a way to catch up on the payments. You have been more than fair. Please be patient with me a little longer. This place is all I’ve got,” Loretta pleaded as she clutched her can of soda.
Gus gazed at Loretta as he put his hand on hers. Seeing how distressed she was, he sighed heartily as he paused for a few seconds.
“Here’s the deal Loretta,” Gus addressed, “today is the seventh of October. You have until the seventh of November to get current on the lease. If you do not have the money ready, I am sorry, but I will have no choice but to evict you from the building for non-payment. I can’t allow you to get 3 months behind.”
“Well we paid off our house just before Jack died. Maybe I can take a loan against it to pay you back,” she offered.
“Now Loretta, I already feel bad enough doing this to you. Please don’t make this worse by risking your home and adding more debt on your plate. Try to find another way. Maybe your son can help.”
“I don’t want to burden junior. He and his girlfriend have a baby on the way and need their savings.”
“Well, you have my number,” Gus said as he stood up from his seat. “If something comes up, keep me posted. Good bye Loretta.”
“Good bye Gus,” Loretta replied as she watched Gus turn towards the front door of the sandwich shop and quietly left.
Loretta put her head down as the feeling of overwhelming hopelessness began to cascade through her. Her and Jack had been running the sandwich shop together for nearly a decade before he died a few months ago. Loretta remembered all the difficulties they worked out to be able to get the business off the ground. The thought of losing what her and her husband had worked so hard for broke her heart.
Loretta glanced at the picture of her and Jack and whispered, “I’m sorry Jack. I am trying so hard. I wish you were here to help me. I love and miss you so much.” She dipped her head again as warm, quiet tears began to stain her cheeks. After a few minutes, she pulled herself together long enough to wipe the side of her face.
As she finished drinking her soda, Loretta began to focus once more on Carol’s offer of help. While she had her reservations about taking her up on the offer, the possibility of losing the sandwich shop would be more devastating than a bruised ego from asking the church to take up an offering. Loretta knew she didn’t have very much time to mull over the limited options available to her. She had to make a decision and act fast.
Loretta lifted her head towards the ceiling, clasping her hands and closed her eyes.
“Dear Lord,” she implored, “Please give me the strength and guidance to see through this difficult time. I don’t know what to do. If it be your will Father, bless me with the way to keep the shop. I need your hand.”
Loretta opened her eyes and released a deep breath. She got up to throw the can of soda away in the garbage bin on the back wall and walked back to the cash register. Loretta reached down for her cell phone below the register in her cubby hole. She scrolled through the contact numbers until she reached Carol’s name. Loretta selected her cell phone number, pressing the call button and waited for Carol to pick up the other line.
“Loretta?” Carol asked.
“Yes, Carol. It’s me.”
“How you doing? I’ve been really thinking about you. Michael and I were talking about you over lunch earlier. He’s worried about you too Loretta. Have you given any thought to what I said?”
“I have,” Loretta replied in a hesitant voice. “I got a visit from the building owner a few minutes ago. I’m in big trouble.”
“Uh oh. What’s going on?”
“I am two months behind on the lease payment and the monthly amount is going up almost ten percent.”
“Oh my goodness Loretta. Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
“I was hoping I could take care of it myself.”
“Ok,” Carol began, “When does the rent go up and how long do you have to get caught up with the back payment?”
“I have until the seventh of next month to get current on my rent. The new lease agreement goes into effect in a couple of months.”
“How much is your monthly lease payment?” Carol inquired.
“Twenty-two hundred a month,” Loretta stated.
“All right. I think we may be able to figure something out. We can ask everyone to sort through their things they don’t need so we can set up a couple of yard sales. There’s also the parishioner rainy day fund we have at the church. Michael and I can also help you look into a few charities and programs as well.”
“Oh thank God and thank you and Michael. I will try to pay the church back as best as I can,” Loretta expressed, letting out a small sigh of relief. Her anxiety level had started to come down. The possibility that there may be a potential light at the end of the tunnel gave her some comfort.
“You’re welcome. You don’t need to pay us back. I just wish you would have said something sooner. Being too prideful is not always so good Loretta,” Carol informed her.
Loretta looked outside and spotted two young men approaching the sandwich shop. She said to Carol, “I got to let you go. I have customers coming. Can
I call you back?”
“Sure. Just call me when you close the shop in an hour. I’ll talk to you again soon. “
“Okay. Call you then. Thank you again Carol.”
“No problem at all,” Carol stated, hanging up the phone. Loretta placed her cell phone back inside the cubby hole and prepared herself to help the young men who were coming into the shop.
She greeted the two young men who came through the door. They were completely unfamiliar to her. The first man wore his black hair in a ponytail and dark sunglasses. His companion also wore sunglasses, but he his head was clean shaven. The two of them sported baggy blue jeans, tennis shoes and black hooded sweat jackets that appeared to be about two sizes too big. Neither of them lifted their heads up as they approached the counter.
“Welcome to J&L’s Sub Shack. What can I get you young men?” Loretta asked, smiling at them.
The bald headed man slowly pulled a nine millimeter gun from his jacket, ensuring that Loretta saw the barrel of the gun pointed in her direction. She stood, frozen in complete terror, unable to utter a word. Loretta’s heart was pumping so hard, she thought the robbers would be able to hear her heart beat. Loretta’s hands began to tremble.
Sandwich Shop Miracle- Inspirational Stories of Faith Book 1 Page 2
