Creative Writing: "What Fuels a Fire"

Please welcome our latest contributor, Liz Bongiovanni! Her first effort for Talk-Frank is a short story, What Fuels a Fire? and is based on a true story.



What Fuels A Fire?


Apparently, the answer is many things. In one particular instance, a job termination may be the accelerant, literally.

We have all read the statistics stating that convenience store clerks have the third most dangerous job. That may be true in the more populated areas of the country but in my little corner of Northeast Pa, I had it fairly easy. The hours were long and the work physically demanding, but I enjoyed that sort of thing; just enough brain work to keep me stimulated and just enough of a workout. The hardest part was the management of people, for people are complex creatures. Many different personalities working in close proximity make for a most interesting day at times.

I had always enjoyed creating an easygoing workplace, a difficult task in that type of business. It was fast paced and hectic more times than not and I am sure you don’t need to be told how it is dealing with the public. I managed a staff of many and have more stories to tell than I care to admit. But the one that comes to mind most often includes a troubled young woman with whom I took a great chance for. I am happy to say I lived to regret it.

You see, Tammy had a problem. She was young and strapped for cash, an issue we can all relate to. I was happy to give her a job. At first, she showed all the signs of an exemplary employee: acceptable shortages, no problem with attendance, and she was kind and welcoming to the customers. That was soon to change.

When the complaints about her attitude became commonplace we had several discussions. For a time, it would get better and then fall back to unacceptable behavior. Shortages became unmanageable. After too many chances, I reluctantly had to fire her. I say reluctantly because, as a manager for many years, I have seen people do things completely out of character for many reasons. Some just need a few chances. And I gave her her share.

Tammy did not take kindly to being terminated. A few weeks went by and then it happened - her retaliation!

It was a cold Presidents Day. The morning was moving along at a fine pace, my paperwork was done, the morning hustle and bustle was over. My order for the Pepsi rep was ready to go, unusual for me as I would leave it for last minute and we would do it together. It was a great day. I happened to glance out the window and saw the rep pass the store. I wondered why, as he would always come to me before the supermarket. "No worry, take a breather", I told myself. That didn’t happen because just after I finished that thought I looked over to the other side of the store to see a basketball sized orange glow in the drop ceiling. Quickly realizing it was a fire, I alerted the clerks and customers to get moving and calmly got the fire extinguisher. It became all too obvious that this was not going to help. In fact, it seemed to fuel the fire. It started to spread quicker than I could have imagined.

Debris started to fall on the products located directlybelow where the fire had started. This was the location of the paint thinners, lacquers, Coleman fuel, propane tanks and spray paint cans. I was once so proud to be the store the contractors in the area came to for their quick last minute needs. We were in such a remote place, I was worth my weight in gold for these contractors! Pop Pop Pop….everything now started to burst.

Everyone got out just fine, including me. However, had that Pepsi rep come to me first as usual, we’d both have been trapped in the cooler. As I ran about five feet out the doors, I saw the gas pumps and cursed myself for not remembering to turn them off on my way out the door. There was nothing I could do except go back in. The interior was hot and smoky with a distinct smell of chemicals. I never moved so fast in my life: in and right back out.

The building burned down to the ground in 15 minutes. It was a complete and total loss. The smoke, black and nasty, was seen for 25 miles down the highway. When all was said and done, Tammy was found to be the culprit. She stated to the detectives that, "I had fired her and that I should pay for not giving her another chance". Although originally charged with arson and attempted murder, she spent 18 months in a mental health facility instead of prison. It pays to know people in small towns. So what fuels a fire??? I guess I do.


Liz Bongiovanni:
The second of seven children was born and raised in Brooklyn to an Italian, Roman -Catholic family. A single mother of three, who graduated from the school of hard knocks, she has recently lived in Northeast Pa and currently resides in Northern Ca.