The nephew calls me up, after work, we go for drinks. He's seriously frayed, coming undone, the hours, too long, doesn't want the responsibility, he's adjusted the tip-outs to reflect the fact he's now working, no longer content with an even cut he's taking double what the others are getting. He's not putting up with it.
I knew it. It's not unfair, well, not entirely, some do more than others, but when I was working he sat on his chair on the phone the entire day and was an equal. As were the part-timers, or close enough, 75 or 80% cut minimum, but he's cut them back to 50%, and there's been some grumbling...doesn't matter, he'll fire them, get others, he's leaving anyways, told the owner, he's only got a couple of months left, he'll be leaving January 5th, he told him, there was a scene...
There's been a few scenes as of late, the owner, selling, waiting for "his price", but in this economy nobodies getting their price. And his selling, it's half-hearted, he's not ready for a retirement spent with his girlfriend, who would happily retire as well and move in with him to make his final days a living hell.
He's coming undone, M******, the new waiter, he's caught on, already threatened to leave, ask for news of the old Italian waiter, returned to Italy, he's good, off his anti-depressants, they were entirely related to the job, the nephew, he's telling me about his anxiety, unable to sleep, his own anti-depressants, he can't wait to leave, this is no life, no way to live, he wants friends again, to go for drinks and have fun, and I know what he means, but after 7 years there I've almost forgotten, now, trying to remember a life outside of work, it's hard...