The Night Shift

It always felt like three in the afternoon inside Jim’s Diner, even at three in the morning. The low wattage of the overhead lights bathed the napkin holders and cutlery in a soft, golden glow. Maggie loved the night shift for this very reason. She found the warmth comforting, like a gentle hug from the diner itself.

After four years of night shifts Maggie was used to a particular routine. Andy, Jim’s son, insisted on keeping the diner open twenty-four hours because it was the only spot in town where people with no place to go could buy a cup of coffee at two in the morning. She never minded it even though it was so slow she once deep cleaned the entire diner without a single customer coming in. It gave her plenty of time to study, which meant she was always ahead on her readings.

The only thing Maggie had to entertain her was Ollie. He had been a regular at Jim’s since before Maggie started working there. It seemed to be a ritual of his. At exactly four A.M. the bell above the doorway would chime and Ollie would find his way to his usual seat at the counter, the third spot to the left of the cash register. Maggie knew to have his coffee set out with three creams and two sugars, which he gingerly opened with shaky fingers. He was her favorite customer. Ollie would sit for hours with Maggie at the counter, sharing stories from his younger days. She had no idea how adventurous he was when she first met him. Every morning he would wear the same beige wool cardigan, with his shoulders hunched forward he looked so frail. It was all so routine, which made his adventures that much more exciting.

“Hey, Ollie?” Maggie asked him one foggy morning in January. It was the day before her birthday, the only day she ever requested off, but it meant she wouldn’t get to see Ollie. “Will you tell me a story? A new one?”

Ollie furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to come up with something worthy of being shared. After four years it was getting harder and harder for him to keep track of the stories he had already told. While Maggie waited for him to decide what tale he would spin this time, she fished the little black journal she always carried out of her apron. After the first few mornings listening to Ollie’s stories, she’d decided to write them all down. It did occur to her once that he could be fabricating everything just to keep her entertained, and for some reason the thought made her smile.

Maggie flipped through the pages and settled into her spot to absorb Ollie’s story. When she looked up at him he was tapping his index finger to his mouth and squinting.

“Tomorrow is your birthday, isn’t it.” He didn’t say it as a question, but very plainly.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I won’t be in. You know how much I love hanging out, but my mom and I have a tradition of spending the day together. I always take the night before off so that I’m well rested,” Maggie said.

“I’ve been coming to this diner for nearly twenty years, since it opened really. Most people who worked here, at this hour… well they usually spent their time with the chef instead of out front. It’s just nice to have company really.” Ollie smiled softly and the golden glow of the light gave his eye a mischievous sparkle.

He had confided in her a few months after they met that he had never married or had children. All of his time had been spent traveling or working. Ollie insisted that he didn’t regret his choices, he appreciated his rich life and he had done everything he had ever dreamed of. From cliff diving in Acapulco to chasing a tornado through Kansas, he even ran with the bulls in Spain. He had told her that his favorite story was when he briefly wrestled crocodiles at a roadside attraction in Florida for the summer.

“Well, I like listening to you.” Maggie returned his smile and waited patiently for a story that never came.

“I know, you’ve been so kind to me all these years. So, I wanted to give you a gift. After everything you’ve done for me I’d like it if you would consider it a token of my appreciation,” Ollie said.

Maggie blinked in surprise at the old man’s words. She really wasn’t sure she had done anything to warrant a gift, but Ollie seemed insistent. Her question came out hesitantly. “Um, are you sure you really want to give me a gift?”

“Of course! No strings, or whatever you kids say. Just something I want you to have, Dear.” Ollie smiled wider, making the wrinkles around his eyes more pronounced.

“Okay, Ollie…” Maggie set down her journal and moved to refill Ollie’s coffee. “Okay, I’m curious about this gift.”

Ollie chuckled, a low rumbling sound that came from his chest. “First, you promise to accept it. I don’t care what you do with it, but you take it.”

She hesitated at the odd request, but the thrill of the unknown pulsed around her. “Fine… I promise, but I really don’t understand why it’s necessary.”

He chuckled again, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he started fishing around in his pocket. Ollie pulled out a small folded paper and set it on the counter, motioning for Maggie to pick it up. She slid the paper into her hand and unfolded it. Staring at the paper her jaw slackened and she squinted her eyes to make sure she was reading the thing right. Because it really couldn’t be right.

“Why does this check say you’re giving me twenty thousand dollars?” Maggie blurted awkwardly.

“Because I think you deserve it,” Ollie said simply.

Maggie stared at him, unable to string together a sentence that expressed her shock. There was no way to know what mysterious gift he was going to give her, but this seemed unimaginable. Her head dropped to the check in her hand and she blinked seeing the number again. A laugh bubbled up her throat and she thought the sound came out too sharp, too high, like it wasn’t actually coming from her.

“I can’t accept this. I can’t,” Maggie said.

“Ah, but you promised!” Ollie sounded pleased with himself. “It’s yours and you can do whatever you wish with it, but I do hope my stories have inspired you to adventure.”

Maggie shook her head at him. “This could pay off a good part of my student loans. It’s the practical thing to do.”

“What’s the fun in always being practical?” Ollie huffed petulantly, like a child that had been reminded to share their toys.

She thought about those words. And when she thought about her little life in her little town, she realized how practical she always was. She had a practical job to help her pay off her practical degree that would help her get another practical job so that she could continue her practical life. Maggie loved her practical life, she loved her routines and traditions, and she knew that she would be perfectly happy being practical. But maybe she could be adventurous, just once.

“What if I make you a deal?” Maggie crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

Ollie quirked an eyebrow back at her and nodded softly.

“I promise to go on at least one adventure, the rest goes into my savings so it can help me start my life as an actual adult,” Maggie said.

“Promise to do one impractical thing with all of that,” Ollie said.

Maggie grinned at him. “I promise. And… Thank you.”

She tucked the folded piece of paper into her back pocket, making sure to straighten her apron after. The sun was rising, and Maggie watched as light began to creep through the windows of Jim’s Diner. Her feet were sore from standing all night, but it was familiar, something she was used to. She picked up her journal again, flipping to an open page and grabbing a pen. Maggie was poised to write whatever story Ollie had ready for her. The old man stirred more cream and sugar into his coffee and took a long sip.

“Alright,” Ollie started, “Did I ever tell you about the time I swam at the edge of a waterfall?”