The Train Station Intern: Chapter 1
January 26th, 2008A serial story by marginally experienced webeditor and novice blogger Ryan Grim.
Jameson Bee has a new motto: “The railroad pays me in life experience.” That’s what he’ll tell you if you ask him why he works at the Midwest Express train station in Lima, Ohio, three days a week for no pay. Well, he does get free a train pass, but his odd variety of motion sickness (he cries rather than vomits) has rendered that perk useless. “I also get free sandwiches on days the cafeteria makes extra sandwiches, which isn’t that bad.”
No, Jameson is not slow or disabled upstairs. Nor is he passionate about trains or train stations in the way museum volunteers presumably are about art. Nor does he plan on pursuing a career as a train conductor, train station manager or locomotive engineer like the station’s previous intern did. Jameson just needs something to do. “I live caddy corner from the station, so it just made sense for me to work there. Well, intern there.”
And what else could he do? As a recent graduate of Lima High with no work experience, no desire to prepare fast food or wash cars, and no driver’s license, Jameson had few options. Within walking distance from his house there’s the car wash, the Hardee’s, the KFC, the fancier car wash and the train station. “So I chose the train station. They said they couldn’t pay me but that I was allowed to hang around and intern, or something. So I was like yeah, sure.” And what does he need money for? His father, who makes an impressive living ($180,000 a year) as the most successful divorce attorney in northwest Ohio, gives him a more-than-generous allowance, at least by northwest Ohio standards ($100 a week). Like Jameson, his father is named Jameson Bee, but don’t call Jameson Junior or he’ll throw a brief and violent fit. And that’s the last thing you want somebody in the station’s control room to do.
Jameson interns on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, even though he’s needed most on Sunday, the station’s busiest day hands down. Upon being hired he had told the station manager, Deejay, he couldn’t come in on Sundays because he leads a series of Bible study groups, one for married couples, one for old people and one for the blind. The truth is that every Sunday Jameson and his dad visit Jameson’s schizophrenic mother at the Institution in Toledo. Her name is Polly Bee, and she spends most her time in the art room.
Yes, once they’re on highway Jameson will be tears, but “it’s just the motion sickness, Dad.” Not the fact that he has to spend the day coloring coloring books and molding clay with his smelly banshee mother.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Bored, are you?