Cashier At Al Asad

by Delbert Serranio
(Manil, Phillipines)

I used to work for Mr. David at Al Asad. I had been a cashier for AAFES but left to work for Mr. David's company as a welder.

When I heard that Mr. David was opening a store and needed two people, I asked if I could work for him. He tested my computer skills and said I had his approval but he would have to ask his boss to make sure it was okay. And it was.

I really had fun working as a cashier at Al Asad in the hardware store. We were really busy and Mr. David really worked us hard. But I was happy and he was a good person to work for.

Unlike a lot of people I have worked for overseas, Mr. David worked right along with us, and just as hard. Many times at night when we went home, he was still working and kept $1,000,000.00 in merchandise. It gave me a sort of power to know he trusted me.

He trusted me with the keys to the store and the safe. At times we had up to $100,000 in the safe.

We really had fun serving the soldiers, contractors and civilians at Al Asad. Mr. David even started having a Friday BBQ for us and whatever customers happened to be in the store at the time.

Mr. David was always buying us stuff. You could tell that he really cared about his employees.

Mr. David went on R and R. While he was gone another guy came to run the store. He was not a nice guy. I did not like him.

Then the news came that they were sending Mr. David somewhere else when he got back. This upset me so I went to work for another company.

I hear it upset him as well because he resigned.

But I did something stupid when I left. I made a copy of my ID badge and laminated it. I did not realize how serious it was at the time.

When the Army found out they would not let me come back. Mr. David tried to get them to, but his efforts were fruitless.

I really do miss my friend Mr. David.

I also missed the good times we had at the store, especially being a cashier at Al Asad.

I have friends at Al Asad and they tell me the store is no longer open. It seems that the company could not find someone as good as Mr. David to operate the store.