Word of the Day Challenge: Change
The sign said “No Shirt, no shoes, no service”—but that didn’t matter. He had to get inside. Joey had come straight from the beach, spurred by a frantic text from his sister: “Mom left her medicine at the cafe, and she needs it ASAP!”
Wearing nothing but swim trunks and a sunburn, Joey dashed across the street, sand still clinging to his feet. As he reached for the door of the café, a stern voice stopped him.
“Excuse me! The sign!” The manager, a stern-looking woman with glasses perched on her nose, pointed emphatically at the warning plastered on the glass door.
“But it’s an emergency,” Joey pleaded, trying to look as pitiful and urgent as possible.
The manager’s eyes softened slightly, but rules were rules. Just as Joey was about to give up, a little girl tugged at her mother’s apron nearby. She was holding a neon pink Hello Kitty t-shirt and a pair of sparkly flip-flops, both clearly three sizes too small.
“He can borrow these!” she chirped innocently, offering them up to Joey.
The whole café paused, a collective breath held. Joey looked at the tiny shirt and shoes, then at the room full of patrons trying not to laugh. The manager pressed her lips together, clearly fighting a smile.
“Very well,” she sighed, “but this is a one-time exception!”
Joey didn’t think twice. He squeezed into the pink t-shirt, the Hello Kitty face stretching comically over his chest, and shoved his feet into the flip-flops, his heels hanging off the edges. The café erupted in laughter as he hobbled to the counter to retrieve his mom’s medicine, every step eliciting a sparkle from his footwear.
As he left, a round of applause followed him out the door, the little girl waving enthusiastically. Joey turned and bowed dramatically, the back of his shirt riding up comically.
“Next time, come dressed for the occasion!” the manager called out, her stern facade broken by a broad grin.
Joey grinned back, his cheeks as red as his sunburn, and thought, “Well, if bending the rules brings a little joy along with the essentials, then maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all.”
©️2024 Celeste Burgess. No unauthorized use permitted. Click here for more posts by me. 😊
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