What We Do

Several nights a week I take a supporting role in an ongoing play. I work with ten to twelve fellow actors and at about five o'clock we put on our false faces and take to the stage. I am given the role of the starving college student, but usually the single mother who just needs enough money for diapers takes the lead - anything to captivate the audience. It is important to keep them happy (for they put the money in our pockets) and this is when the true role playing begins. I laugh giddily at mediocre jokes, flirt with members of the opposite sex whom I wouldn't otherwise glance at, and most importantly, I pretend to love my job. We serve the food and chisel away at the dried unwanted cheese and sauce, while always holding that smile! Keep the drinks filled, the restaurant at a comfortable temperature, and my guests believing I was born and raised only to meet their every need. Now maybe, just maybe, I will reach my goal. Then, the moment of truth: is it ten, fifteen, or twenty percent? Ten Dollars! Ten dollars left for me, only me (well, and a certain percentage for the state) and the check was only twenty-five! This is my Oscar moment. A little tear runs down my cheek and I give my thanks to the bartender, cooks, and all who helped to make this moment possible. The night comes to an end, I sweep up some bread crumbs and smashed pasta while trying not to notice the burning stench of garlic on my clothes or the film of olive oil seeping into my pores. As the curtains close, I take off my mask and costume and rediscover myself. This is all just part of the business, honey.

by Jess