Stepping Down
As she walked into the manager's office, she smiled brightly. Having worked for forty-seven years, she had finally decided to retire. Having no idea what the company's retirement plan included, she was only able to pray for the best.
She hoped that her job would honor her the right way as a grandmother with people depending on her. However, when she saw the reward they had given her, her heart broke.
A Slap In The Face
As her manager handed her the goodie bag, Lashonda Michaels blinked back tears. While trying to keep a smile on her face, she failed. Is it possible that they could do such a thing to her?
A loss of emotions like this had never happened to her before. She couldn't believe this was all she got for all the things she'd done and given.
Making Ends Meet
As a 20-year-old college student in Memphis, Tennessee, Lashonda walked up to her local KFC looking for a job. In 1984, a young Lashonda was only interested in making ends meet.
Having been born to a family of six, Lashonda Deshawn Michaels was the firstborn. Her life changed forever after her father was incarcerated shortly after she turned ten.
Flaws
Despite being one of the sweetest women Lashonda knew, Lashonda's mom had her vices. She jumped from one husband to the next, having the rest of Lashonda's siblings with them.
Despite their abuse and their use of the little money she had, it didn't matter to her. As far as she was concerned, she seemed oblivious to their deficiencies until it was too late.
A Horrible Day
LaShahonda still remembers the day she lost her mother, the sole provider of the family. The young woman had just turned twenty years old, and she had the rest of her life ahead of her.
In the end, her mom's life was taken by a spent bullet after a long night of fighting between her mom and her boyfriend. It was the terrible end.
New Responsibilities
Despite no one mentioning it at the funeral, Lashonda knew that she would now be responsible for all the duties that her mom had taken on before.
It was true that she was still young. Nevertheless, they still had bills to pay in their home. The younger of her half-siblings was still in middle school, while the others had just begun high school. All of them needed bus fares, food, clothing, and other necessities on a daily basis. Having to step up was Lashonda's responsibility.
Nobody Helped
In Memphis, Tennessee, Lashonda stepped onto its cold, unforgiving streets at the tender age of twenty. For the sake of her little brothers and sisters, she put her dreams and aspirations aside and decided to find a job.
She had not received any assistance from her extended family at her mother's burial, each offering only fake condolences. She felt alone as far as Lashonda was concerned.
Open To Anything
Using her GED certificate, she asked businesses where she could find work. There was no limit to what she would do.
The duties she would have performed included sweeping offices, fetching coffee, and cooking. If necessary, she would have washed cars on the street or worked as a delivery lady. There was no limit to what could be done at this point.
No Luck
It wasn't long before Lashonda realized that nothing good comes easy. With her skin tone and education level, no business or company was willing to hire a twenty-year-old girl.
Back then, Lashonda knew that things were different. There were three disadvantages she faced, and she hated them all. Her situation changed when she saw the KFC job posting in the local paper.
Job Opportunity
It seemed like the ad was quite simple. There was a new KFC restaurant in town that was looking for employees. Among the jobs they wanted were cooks, cleaners, and cashier experts.
In the midst of reading the ad several times, Lashonda could hear her heart thumping in her ears. In a hurry, she reached town.
Going Into Town
After ensuring her half-siblings were set for the day, and safely in school, Lashonda took two buses into town. She searched around until she found the KFC in question.
But just like her, many individuals were looking for a job. Most were twice her age, making her wonder if she'd get a position at the restaurant.
Stay Optimistic
Still, a hopeful Lashonda pushed on. She'd get a job here if it were the last thing she did that day. Everything depended on it.
She wore her best smile before walking into the interview room. She'd been to many of these already and knew exactly what to expect. She would wow them with her presence.
Interview Time
Lashonda answered every question in the interview to the best of her ability. She wasn't flustered by any questions and didn't panic whenever something caught her off guard. She had this under control!
So when she heard the manager call her name at the end of the day while waiting at the restaurant's parking lot, she burst into tears, thinking her problems were over.
Starting Out
Lashonda started her job as a cook the following day. Her manager gave her two pairs of uniforms and asked her to make him proud.
Since she didn't have much money to buy items such as shoes and hair products, she used what her mom left behind. She hoped she'd be able to fit in the late woman's vacant role.
Her First Day
And so Lashonda began her work at KFC, making meals for everyone that graced the restaurant with their presence. She was lucky her mom had taught her the basics of cooking and applied that to her current position.
The job was simple enough. Lashonda would show up at 8 am and start making chicken and biscuits. By noon, she'd switch over to burgers. It was a sound system, and Lashonda loved it. But that didn't mean her problems were suddenly over.
Minimum Wage
If anything, her job layered on a different problem for her to tackle. Her minimum wage at the time was barely two dollars, and all of it evaporated the moment the money landed in her hands.
After she cleared all her utility bills and restocked the house pantry, she was barely left with money for day-to-day upkeep for herself and her siblings. She needed a way out of this hand-to-mouth system.
Searching For A Way Out
Among the first things Lashonda considered was finding another job that paid more. But she couldn't deny that the restaurant had excellent health insurance, which had saved her siblings on numerous occasions.
She asked her boss for extra hours, and although that worked wonders for her, it opened up a different problem she would have to handle.
She Needs Help
This issue came in the name of a babysitter. None of Lashonda's siblings were at the age of fifteen yet, with the oldest being only fourteen.
She'd taken an extra six-hour shift at work, hoping to make some extra cash to stabilize things at home. But she knew she couldn't leave her siblings alone.
A Babysitter
She'd need to find a sitter to watch over them or forfeit the extra six hours her boss had offered. Of course, Lashonda found a way to push through it.
She would leave home every day, ensuring she'd cooked two meals for her siblings. She'd also leave the eldest a set of instructions, including ensuring each of the little ones was in bed by nine and that he'd locked the doors before going to bed herself.
Going Through The Motions
Although the first month of this arrangement was problematic, Lashonda and her tiny family grew into their roles and made it work.
The weeks turned into months, the months into years, and before Lashonda knew it, she was a married woman with kids and a loving husband. But fate wasn't done with her just yet.
Making Decisions
It all began with a phone call on a late Monday afternoon. One of Lashonda's friends had seen her husband walk into a motel with a woman that wasn't Lashonda.
Lashonda didn't know how to handle the situation. She wanted to throw aside her apron and rush to the motel to confront the man. But she couldn't just leave her post unattended.
A Dark Future
What followed was a nasty divorce and child custody battle. But even through these trying times, moments where Lashonda could have taken the day or week off to gather herself, she didn't miss a day of work.
She even showed up after her court hearings, wearing the same bright smile she had been wearing since her first day at the job. If only her coworkers knew what was truly happening behind the scenes.
Never Missed A Day
Lashonda was hurting. But she wouldn't let that come between her and her job. She'd promised her boss to always clock in and aimed to keep that promise.
She never missed a day of work in the forty-seven years she worked at the restaurant. By now, she'd worked as a cook, a cleaner and even managed the place on rare occasions. She was sure the restaurant would grandly honor her until she saw what they had in the bag for her.
Here To Say Goodbye
The day had started normally for Lashonda, who, after taking her grandkids to school, drove to town to see what her last day at KFC would bring.
She was in her sixties now. Her hair had turned gray from all the years she'd spent working and taking care of everyone around her. She still had a lot of things to do and hoped she'd receive a good enough retirement package to help her take care of her problems. She'd be left speechless soon enough.
More Than A Restaurant
Lashonda stepped into the KFC, where all her coworkers eagerly awaited her. She was the oldest employee here and had taught everyone everything they knew.
She'd seen generations pass through the restaurant, watched kids grow into adults, and have their own kids who later grew into adults. To her, this was more than just a place to grab a quick meal.
Home
It was her home away from home, her constant in this turbulent ride we call life. She'd always come here when things weren't going her way, finding calm in her work routine.
But now she needed to turn in her apron and uniform. After forty-seven years of service, it was time to retire. She greeted everyone with stemmed tears before proceeding to her manager's office.
Her Manager
The manager, Mr. Jefreys, had only been here for three years, but even he deeply respected Lashonda. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to look her in her eyes when she stepped into his office.
He shook her hand and asked her to take a seat. Fidgeting with his fingers, he thanked Lashonda for all she'd done, saying it had been an honor to meet and work with her. Yet Lashonda couldn't help but feel like something was terribly wrong.
The Goodie Bag
Mr. Jefreys pulled open his desk drawer and fished out a goodie bag – the same kind the restaurant usually packed gifts for customers in.
He cleared his throat and pulled at his dress shirt's collar as if he was burning up. A trim line of sweat drew down his forehead. "Off the record," he began. "I really did everything I could, Lashonda."
Inside The Bag
Lashonda received the bag, her brows knitting together. She opened it and almost fell back at what she saw.
The bag contained two movie tickets, a KFC mug, chocolates, and candies. Lashonda moved the candy around, thinking there had to be more. Surely the restaurant hid some check or something along those lines here.
That’s It
But there was nothing. After forty-seven years of hard work and dedication, with sacrifice after sacrifice, this was how the restaurant was repaying her.
Her eyes stung with tears, and she felt a sickness grow in her stomach. Her manager started talking, saying he tried to help her, but she couldn't hear him. A loud buzzing had taken her ears. She stood up, wiped her eyes, and straightened her clothes. She was going to make each of them pay.