About 20 years ago, I was 19 and working at Rosier's Country Market in Mccutchensville Ohio. (Which was a small gas station/grocery store.)
We had a level 3 road condition for the roads and I hadn't had a customer in about four hours.
I was supposed to have left at 4pm but my relief called off. The manager was supposed to cover for an employee who doesn't show up. I called her and she said she wasn't coming in and that I would have to close the store at 8pm that night.
I tried calling the owner to see if I could close at 6. The winds were picking up and the roads were drifted over.
The owner shot that idea down. So I stared out the window behind the counter that faced the parking lot and the state highway 53 to the north.
I was also reading Needful Things to pass the time by.
I could make out a faint glow down the highway. As it got nearer, I could make out the shape of a car. It was moving very slow. And eventually made it to the store.
The driver pulled off to the right by the pumps. It looked like a Lincoln towncar. I remember thinking "why would anyone be driving a car like that in this snow storm?"
A minute later the front door open and in came a fella wearing a long over coat. He easily outsized me and my first impression when he faced me from across the counter was, "this guy looks rough".
He asked where we kept our pop (I think he said soda... either way). I told him it was around the corner back by the ice.
He came back with a diet coke (I think). I told him that would be 85cents with tax. He pushed some coins around in his hand and then dropped them into mine.
After that we stared at each other for a few minutes. He had a look on his face like he was waiting for me to say something.
So I said, "becarefull driving. I hear it gets worse farther down the road." Something like that.
The guy didn't say nothing back, he just left the store. And as he got in his car I said out loud, "Holy **** that was Stephen King!"
I went to the door and looked out, convincing myself that it couldn't have been because why in the world would Stephen King be in thus area of north west Ohio, in the middle of a snow storm.
As he pulled out onto the road I looked at the rear license plate. I could just make out "Bangor Maine".
This was the winter, I believe, before parts of The Shawshank Redemption were being filmed at the court house in Upper Sandusky Ohio. Which is only 10 miles or so South of the store I worked at.
So I want to apologize to Mr. King foe not having something more interesting to say or getting his autograph.
I would like to thank him for making staying at work till 8 worth while.
Thank you,
Greg
We had a level 3 road condition for the roads and I hadn't had a customer in about four hours.
I was supposed to have left at 4pm but my relief called off. The manager was supposed to cover for an employee who doesn't show up. I called her and she said she wasn't coming in and that I would have to close the store at 8pm that night.
I tried calling the owner to see if I could close at 6. The winds were picking up and the roads were drifted over.
The owner shot that idea down. So I stared out the window behind the counter that faced the parking lot and the state highway 53 to the north.
I was also reading Needful Things to pass the time by.
I could make out a faint glow down the highway. As it got nearer, I could make out the shape of a car. It was moving very slow. And eventually made it to the store.
The driver pulled off to the right by the pumps. It looked like a Lincoln towncar. I remember thinking "why would anyone be driving a car like that in this snow storm?"
A minute later the front door open and in came a fella wearing a long over coat. He easily outsized me and my first impression when he faced me from across the counter was, "this guy looks rough".
He asked where we kept our pop (I think he said soda... either way). I told him it was around the corner back by the ice.
He came back with a diet coke (I think). I told him that would be 85cents with tax. He pushed some coins around in his hand and then dropped them into mine.
After that we stared at each other for a few minutes. He had a look on his face like he was waiting for me to say something.
So I said, "becarefull driving. I hear it gets worse farther down the road." Something like that.
The guy didn't say nothing back, he just left the store. And as he got in his car I said out loud, "Holy **** that was Stephen King!"
I went to the door and looked out, convincing myself that it couldn't have been because why in the world would Stephen King be in thus area of north west Ohio, in the middle of a snow storm.
As he pulled out onto the road I looked at the rear license plate. I could just make out "Bangor Maine".
This was the winter, I believe, before parts of The Shawshank Redemption were being filmed at the court house in Upper Sandusky Ohio. Which is only 10 miles or so South of the store I worked at.
So I want to apologize to Mr. King foe not having something more interesting to say or getting his autograph.
I would like to thank him for making staying at work till 8 worth while.
Thank you,
Greg
Let's hope that one doesn't come back!
