Code Black

When I got a partner manager in the produce department of the Market that I worked in 2001. I was able to have 2 days off in a row and that alone seemed wonderful to me! Wendy and I were a fun duo of knowing how to run our produce. We sent gifts to our vendors for Christmas and gave many praises as referrals for them to sale to other stores around the valley. We even took notes as we walked through the Co-op, the fruit stands and the grocery stores. I thought it was better to sale our produce as close to our own cost as possible. While the owner wanted us to mark it up 3 or 4 times as much. "Profit Girls! Profit first!" She would say to us. But she actually had no idea how much anything should cost. Then when grocery manager was always telling us to have "last day" produce sale section....the owner freaked out on us as she walked by it "This is horrible quality!" She would shout in a whinny voice, for she loved to yell. Wendy would roll her eyes at me as she explained to our boss what the other manager wanted a last chance sale. "Oh well now that is just stupid we aren't some WINCO! Pull it now...I was thinking you girls were ordering such crap!" I often wondered day to day if she was on medication. It was also stressful to have so many managers in that one location. Our boss and the owner of both the coffee shop and this store, was always wearing black. Black skirt, black shirt, black leggings and black shoes. Along with Black coats and sweaters, she even had jet black hair. She used big black boots to make herself taller. When she entered the store it was known as "Code Black". If the seafood guys saw her first then they would walk quickly through out the whole place saying "Code Black" looking just as freaked out as the rest of us. Sometimes someone who would get on the phone speaker through the whole store announcing "Code Black in 20 minuets." We would all laugh usually relieved to know she is on her way so we can prepare. It was hard on us when she sneaked up from behind watching us closely then yell "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" For you would no doubt jumped 20 feet in the air! Having to quickly explain what you were doing trying to stop your pounding heart. If she thought it was work related then she would simply say "Oh. Okay." and walk away while you try not to mutter "Bitch" under your breath. When Her husband and her had a disagreement it always got crazy, they would go into my produce cooler to scream at each other. I would over hear thinking to myself "Oh, how lovely." sarcastically. The fact that she was a crazy short tempered person didn't bother me like it did others. I was use to people like this in my life, but I didn't like when she yelled at my vendors who helped me keep my produce looking good. She once came over and took my phone out of my hand as I was ordering from Grasmick. Then she slammed it down while screaming at me for not having the white asparagus from the Martha Stewart show in my department. I couldn't just sit there embarrassed that she didn't even care I was talking to a professional produce person. Though He was very understanding, he had already heard all about our owner from other vendors and other business people who had run-ins with her. "How Dare you grab my phone! I am the manager of this department! Show some respect!" I yelled equally loud back at her. It had gotten around the store suddenly that we were in a screaming battle. She flared "HOW DARE YOU raise your voice at me!" she retorted. I flew out of my seat waving my hands "I can order your goddamn asparagus! Just give me a note about it and I will have here this afternoon! DO NOT I repeat DO NOT EVER hang up my phone when I am talking!" I could see the group of employees gathering watching in awe that I wasn't so sweet and so quiet anymore. She was enraged but it didn't scare me at all, so she threw a tomato at me. I of course ducked and laughed at how crazy everything had gotten. I pointed right at her like my father had always done to me. I kept a direct glare as I said stiffly "Do not throw my produce around just because you are being a big baby! You hung up on my best vendor so YOU owe him a bottle of wine. I will order whatever you want! I didn't even know asparagus came in White!" I stood boldly never loosing eye contacted with the produce table between us. She held another tomato maybe she was going to throw it at my head again. She looked behind her at all the pairs of eyes watching and moving about trying to see the fight. I kept my finger pointing her down and my own anger was waiting. "Well...I thought you were ignoring me on purpose. I yelled your name all over the store and you never came so I was very mad at you." She explained while I frown in reply "What are you 10 years old!?" She began to giggle and waved her hand "Go get a cheap bottle of wine for your vendor who I hung up on...Just don't tell him what happened." As fast as she had been there she was gone, but she never did that again. In fact everyone said she avoided me now because I wasn't intimidated by her at all. I would just shrugged jokingly to whoever was asking me about it later "Well I guess...I just lived through my own "Code black" moment after all." I would smiled realizing that it wasn't so bad, maybe it wasn't as sad as I had first thought to have grown up in a household of many unstable people. For I wasn't bewildered beyond words, I wasn't lost among such sudden fear anymore. I now knew how to duck at a flying tomato, or whatever else came towards me.