The Christmas Eve Shift

When work phone you out of your working hours it can never be good news. Karl Connor stared at the display on his mobile phone for a moment before finally picking up. He had been working shifts delivering at the kebab for almost two years. 

‘Hello, Mario.’ Karl said.

His boss made small talk for a few minutes, while Karl made the right replies, just wondering what Mario wanted from him. Finally Karl cut the chit-chat.

‘What can I do for you, mate?’ Karl asked.

‘I need you to work Tuesday night, okay?’ Mario said.

‘Tuesday night? What date is that?’ 

‘It’s the twenty-fourth.’ 

‘The twenty-fourth of December. Nice try, Mario. I’m not working Christmas Eve.’

‘Please, mate. It’s gonna be busy.’

‘It’s gonna be absolute chaos, mate. It always is. And that’s why I don’t want to work it. I’ll do a couple of the nights before New Year.’ 

‘Come on, Karl. I really need you to work Christmas Eve. I’ll pay you extra.’

Karl said nothing, gutted that his Christmas Eve would now be spent being inundated with food deliveries and probably taking late, cold food to angry customers, rather than having a nice drop of single malt whiskey and watching the Christmas Carol service on television. He could always listen to the Christmas songs on the radio, and have a nip of whiskey when he finally clocked off for the night. It was Christmas, after all. Wasn’t that the time for being generous? Goodwill to all, and all that. Maybe the customers would share the sentiment and tip more generously than they usually did.

‘Go on then. I’ll do it.’ Karl said.

With Mario still enthusing that he was a star and that he had really helped him out, Karl hung up. 

Just after five o’clock on Christmas Eve, and not feeling very festive, Karl turned up for work. The kebab shop was already busy. The glass counter was lined with customers. The early evening tea-time rush would be the calm before the storm.

Mario was already enjoying the evening, wearing a wide grin and a Santa hat as he tended to the customers in the shop, and also the orders coming in over the telephone and the mobile app. In the open kitchen area, Mario’s staff, all dressed in white aprons, fried food and tended to the sizzling fries and hacked slices of the rotating donner kebab.  

‘Here he is, another of my Christmas elves!’ Mario said, waving to Karl. ‘I should get you an elf’s hat.’

‘Do that and you can make your own deliveries.’ Karl said with a grin.

Mario handed Karl the cool-bag full of the completed orders for Karl to deliver. Karl gave him a salute, took the loaded cool-bag and headed for the door.

Karl quickly found his familiar routine, driving to the address, grabbing the order, packed in a carrier bag with the address attached and if they would be paying cash or had ordered on line. He would job up to the door and hand over the food with a grin, telling them to enjoy.

He knew Christmas Eve would be more chaotic than usual nights. The big nights of the year, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and when England had a big football game, were just so busy, they just had to be endured and got through. 

Tonight as he drove from one delivery address to the next, he noticed the streets were busier than normal. People in various stages of drunkenness, paraded down the pavements in their Christmas jumpers, singing and laughing as they went.   

At one address over in a leafy suburb, across the Manchester Ship Canal, he grabbed the food and knocked on the door. A guy with a cricket jumper knotted over his shoulder opened the door. Karl heard polite chatter and classical music coming from inside. 

‘There’s your food, sir. Enjoy.’ Karl said. 

The guy simply grabbed the bag out of his hands and slammed the door shut in his face.

‘Merry Christmas to you too, mate.’ Karl said to the closed door. 

At the next address the old guy was much friendlier. He gave Karl a smile and thanked him so-much. He handed Karl a five pound note tip, and gave him a wink.

‘I have also tipped you a fiver on the app. That way you get a tenner in total.’ He said.

The guy gave him a thumbs-up. Karl thanked him and returned the thumbs-up salute before heading back to the car to continue with his deliveries. 

One woman came to the door with a young child dancing around her ankles. The woman looked tired and stressed. Clearly the school holidays were taking its toll. He handed over the food, and told her it would be fourteen pounds fifty.

She gave him a crumpled ten pound note and rummaged in her pockets for the rest. A moment later, she gave up searching.

‘Could you wait here a minute? I’m sure I’ve got some change inside.’ She said.

‘Don’t worry about it. Call it ten pounds.’ Karl said.

‘You are a good un.’ She said. ‘Merry Christmas, love.’

Later that evening, on one of his trips back to the kebab shop for more orders, there was a couple waiting for their food order. They were both in their early twenties, around the same age as Karl. By the tone of their voices, and their expressions, they were clearly arguing. 

The guy was slurring his words as he bickered with his girlfriend. The kebab-shop was often the scene of drunken arguments, as people stopped off for junk food on the way home from the pub, having had plenty to drink. 

Karl ducked behind the counter. Mario greeted him and filled his bag with delivery orders. 

‘This is your last lot, mate. When these are delivered you can go home.’ Mario said.

As he rounded the counter, the couple were still arguing. The guy was now leaning in to his girlfriend’s face, aggressively, waving his hands to emphasise his point. 

‘Liam,’ his girlfriend snapped ‘you’re always like this when you drink too much. I don’t know why you do it.’

Liam swore at her, spit frothing from his mouth. Karl stepped forward.

‘Easy, mate. Calm down.’ Karl said.

Liam turned to face Karl, happy to have a new target for his anger.

‘Who are you talking to?’ He yelled, arms outstretched, eager for a fight.

Karl placed his delivery bag down on the counter and moved closer to him.

‘I work here, mate. See all those lads behind the counter, they’re all my mates. I suggest you just pipe down and wait for your food, okay?’ Karl said.

Liam chunnered to himself, before shrugging and turning to lean on the counter, to wait for his food order. His girlfriend was still fuming from the argument. She stormed out of the door.

Karl grabbed his food bag and headed for the door, to continue his deliveries. He found Liam’s girlfriend pacing the pavement outside, tears in her eyes.

‘Are you okay?’ Karl asked.

‘Not really.’ she said, shaking her head.

‘Where are you headed?’ He asked.

‘Not sure, I was supposed to be staying at Liam’s tonight. I don’t really fancy going home to face the music with my parents either.’ 

Karl raised the cool bag.

‘I’ve got my last lot of deliveries if you fancy coming along. I might even split the tips with you, if you’re lucky. And I’ve got the Christmas radio station playing.’

‘Okay, but if that Paul McCartney Christmas song comes on we’re turning it off. I hate that song.’ She said.

‘Agreed. But that’s a top Christmas tune.’ Karl said.

‘Come off it! That part about the choirs of children, just drivel.’ She insisted. 

Ding, ding, ding, dong. Karl sang as he got in the car. 

As Karl started the engine, she spoke.

‘I’m Kelly, by the way.’

Karl gave his name, as he pulled away.

When they had made the last delivery, Karl asked if he could drop her off anywhere. She sighed.

‘Is there a hotel around here? I can’t face going home to my parents but Liam and I are done too. I just want to hide out somewhere and get my head together. Maybe room service and a Christmas film.’ She said.

‘It’s Christmas Eve. You wouldn’t get in anywhere.’ Karl said.

‘Just drop me off anywhere. I sort something out.’ Kelly said.

‘You could always stay at mine. I’ve got a spare room and a bottle of single malt whiskey.’ Karl said.

‘That is so kind.’ She said. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’

‘It is Christmas.’ Karl said.

*

Karl woke and stretched. His head was a bit fuzzy from the whiskey. As he yawned and threw aside the duvet, the events of the night before came back to him, the hectic Christmas Eve, and letting Kelly stay in his spare room as she had nowhere else to go. When they had arrived back to his flat, they had sipped his whiskey and watched Christmas ghost stories on television. 

Karl quickly dressed in tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie and went to make a cup of tea. The door to the spare room was open, the bed was made, and the curtains drawn, winter sunlight spilling into the empty room. Kelly had clearly woken earlier than him and left.

He went through to the living room. What an evening it had been. Wait until he told his family about it over their Christmas dinner later. What would they make of it all? His gaze drifted to the fireplace. His mobile phone and keys were on the fireplace where he had left them.

Then it struck him. His wallet was missing. He always placed his belongings on the fireplace when he got home. His wallet was gone. 

He felt sick. His friends always said he was too trusting, too naïve. He couldn’t believe this had happened. He made himself a cup of tea and perched on the end of the sofa, trying to decide exactly how to go about cancelling all his credit cards. It was Christmas Day, after all. Would there be anyone answering calls today? Would he have to do it online?

Just under half an hour later, the front door opened. Kelly entered smiling, her cheeks red from the cold. She had his wallet in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. 

‘Good morning. I’ve got us breakfast. Took me ages to find somewhere that was open. I borrowed your wallet, I hope you don’t mind. Liam spent the last of my cash last night.’ She said.

‘I didn’t think you-‘ Karl started.

‘You didn’t think what exactly?’ She asked, noticing the concern on his face, and guessing what his thought had been.

‘I didn’t think that anywhere would be open.’ Karl said, not wanting to express his initial suspicions.

While he was relieved that he had been wrong about his guest, he told himself off for being so quick to jump to conclusions and judge people.

With the Christmas music playing on the kitchen radio, the two of them set about frying bacon and sausages for breakfast. Karl asked what her plans were for the day, it was Christmas Day after all.

‘I dunno, really.’ She shrugged. ‘I was gonna go to my boyfriend’s but that’s off, obviously. The whole thing is off, really.’ 

‘What about your parents, would you join them?’

‘They go over to my aunt’s at Christmas. I’m not sure I want to face all the questions about Liam.’

‘I’m going over to my brother’s later. Lots of family, lots of food, you’ll be more than welcome to come.’ Karl said.

‘Okay, why not?’ she said smiling.

Karl dialled his brother’s number on his mobile phone.

‘Tony, it’s me. Would I be okay to bring someone this afternoon?’

He paused a moment, listened to the response on the other end of the line.

‘Yeah, she’s a friend. She’s cool.’ Karl said. 

He hung up and gave Kelly a grin.

‘Merry Christmas.’ He said.

By Chris Platt

From: United Kingdom