Go To Work With Mom Day(s)

When I was four years old, my family and I resided in a house across from Jaycee Park in Melville. I had a clear view of Mom’s workplace at the end of the block. One day, I decided to surprise her at her work, and her reaction was nothing short of astonishment – but not in a good way. Dad, who was convinced I was in my room, was even more startled. Little did he know, I had ventured across two busy highways to pay an unexpected visit to Mom at work.

Fast forward thirty-something years, I found myself back in Melville, visiting my family for Thanksgiving. My parents now own two adjacent stores: Vapeville and Snackville, both located in the same building on First Avenue. The new siding for their house had just arrived, and with the days of warm weather dwindling, Dad stayed home to put up the siding, while I accompanied my mom to the store.

During my time at the store, I learned the basics of pricing items, stocking shelves, and operating the Point of Sale machine for customer checkouts. Despite my initial nervousness, I quickly picked up these skills. Whenever I faced a challenge, I did what I could and patiently waited for Mom’s help. Saturday was a day of extensive learning, but by Sunday, I found myself performing many tasks independently. I felt proud of the few moments I managed to handle things on my own.

One memorable incident occurred when a group of people disembarked from the train and placed a heap of snacks on the counter. I saw Mom sneak a peek from the back and I urgently mouthed, “help!”

During quieter moments, I enjoyed playing The Sims 4 on my laptop. Mom and I also watched movies and indulged in snacks. My personal favorite was the freeze-dried ice cream sandwiches. Although I attempted to focus on other tasks, my attention frequently veered toward monitoring the store’s security cameras for customers.

On Monday, when things were calm, Mom had planned to teach me how to make Bubble Tea. I was thrilled at the prospect of learning to concoct this mystical drink. However, my excitement was short-lived, as a surge of customers entered the store. I retreated to the back and assumed camera duty while waiting for customers. The rest of the day was dominated by a seemingly endless stream of Bubble Tea orders. My responsibility was to wash out the blenders after each use. At one point, I playfully remarked, “I just washed those,” to which Mom responded, “I don’t think so.”

Working at Snackville and Vapeville turned out to be an enjoyable experience. I even had the chance to reunite with a couple of old acquaintances. It was heartening to join Mom at work and, for once, not get into trouble for it.

Pictured alongside this blog post is Pixie, who lent a paw in composing this post.