Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: REDEEM (03/03/22)
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TITLE: Office Treasure | Previous Challenge Entry
By Corinne Smelker
03/10/22 -
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I wearily walked to the stairs at the end of the building and walked another flight to access the kitchen on that floor. I hated coming into work early and rummaging in other peoples’ rubbish, but what was I to do? My soon-to-be ex-husband had walked out, “I never wanted a brat to begin with, he’s your problem now,” leaving not only a baby, but debts that he had sneakily mounted up in my name. No one was more surprised than me when the debt collectors came calling and calling and calling…
I had planned my month’s bills out so carefully – day care for said baby, rent, car insurance (thankfully my car was paid off), gas for the car, all my utilities, and food. A mad rush to the ER with a colicky baby, and a five-day stay put paid to my best-laid plans, and I was saddled with a co-pay and emergency room fees. After making a payment plan and paying the first installment I was skint.
As my thoughts wandered, my hands were busy. I ensured I came to the office really early in the morning so no one would see me delving into garbage in search of soda bottles and cans. Has it really come to this? It had, and I realized I would do whatever it took to keep my baby, and me, alive.
On the fifth floor I hit the payload, as it were. Obviously there had been some kind of office party, and cans and bottles were thrown into the trash cans with gay abandon. Each one was worth 10c, but I guess the party planner didn’t care that in the grand scheme of things she was losing a few dollars by not cleaning the items and returning them.
But these were my salvation! I quickly gathered them together and did the mental math. I had $10. I had formula for Max, so only had to worry about myself for the next 14 days. I would skip breakfast, get coffee or tea at the office, so I was good there. I could make a good dinner and bring in leftovers for lunch.
OK – so I can buy 5 Ramen noodle packs for $1. Let me buy 10, that’s $2.
Carrots – a small bag is $1.50.
Onions – 2 for 65c.
Mushrooms – $1.50 for a pound, maybe less if they’re on sale.
Two small oranges – 50c.
A bag of apples – $3.50.
Pleased with my calculations, I hurried back down to my cubicle before my co-workers came in. At the end of the day I’d go to the grocery store, redeem the cans and bottles, and get my groceries for the next two weeks. I silently thanked God that there were people who didn’t have to count every single penny!
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Although fiction, this is based on real events. There was a time I relied on those redemption cans to feed my family.
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