Pay It Forward

By Alison Karlene

The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person’s life.

~William Wordsworth

Every fast-food employee knows that the drive-through window is the worst position. Perching at the frost-covered glass, a fierce wind spits mercilessly in your face. You press the headset closer to your ear and repeat the order perfectly only to be greeted with a harsh "What? Isn't this Timmies?"

I glared at my Starbucks supervisor every time she handed me the headset. On the early morning shift, the headlights of pick-up trucks blinded me as rig workers sped through in a rush to their well-paying jobs. I frothed milk and ground espresso for minimum wage.

I wasn't bitter. I loved my job. But I hated that drive-through window.

It was a freezing Tuesday afternoon when everything changed.

Every once in a while, the sub-zero temperatures of northern Alberta seal a vehicle's windows shut. Drivers don't exactly enjoy having to stand outside in the cold, screaming their orders into a speaker box, when they had expected to cruise through on their heated leather seats. In such cases, most customers tend to take out their frustration on the employees.

This woman was different.

"I'll get the next car's order as well," she said as she came up to the window to pay. She stood outside, gathering snowflakes on her hair and eyelashes. Though she was obviously freezing, her bright smile lit up her face like a fire.

"You can't take their drinks," I said, confused and fatigued. My breath evaporated into a dense fog around my face.

The lady laughed, her chubby cheeks turning crimson with cold. "No, but I'll buy them," she said. "Pay it forward and all that."

Completely dumbfounded, I charged her as requested, and when the next customer arrived at the window I explained what had just happened. I watched as his expression changed like a succession of photographs on a choppy slideshow — first enraged to be out in the cold, then surprised at the random act of kindness, and finally, delighted by his luck.

"I suppose I'll pay for the next order then," he replied, nodding and waving at the impatient driver behind him. He handed over the cash and received his pre-paid beverage.

The trend continued throughout the entire rush. Customers arrived annoyed and hasty, only to leave humbled and calm. No one had any idea how many beverages they would have to purchase. Some customers were shocked to spend much more than they had anticipated, while others ended up receiving their order for less than half the price.

Five cars passed, then ten, then twenty. No one refused to pay. Customers stood at my window emptying a fist-full of change to buy coffee for a complete stranger. Cars rounded the bend as they drove off, honking and waving their anonymous gratitude, knowing they would likely never see each other again.

Every fast-food employee knows that the drive-through window is the worst position. The window sticks with constant ice, the roar of engines injures your ears; your words are lost in the howling wind.

It only takes one customer, one person, to change the entire flow of traffic. It only takes one moment, one smile, to warm up even the coldest of days.

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