Letters To Miss B

Date: October 2025

Dear Miss B,

It's been awhile since we last talked. How are you doing? A lot has changed for those you used to know, and I wanted to get you caught up. Tatum is still on the prowl for “The One”. Please don't worry, she's not seeing that jerk Elliott anymore. Or as you once very affectionately called him ‘Little Sprout’. He went back to Kentucky where he belongs. Amelia had a baby girl, she sent pictures to Tatum and I the other day. She's beautiful and I know you wanted to meet her. Jan is still working as hard as ever. Though she tried to drop a few hours, she continues to persevere. I guess I would do the same thing too, if I was with a company for sixteen years. Rina is still supervising. She tries to combat the criticisms that the managers continuously throw at her. She has been battling with some health issues but she's like you, a fighter. She is always so positive even when she is feeling down and sick. James stepped down from his position or got demoted, I never got the truth. Since I left it seems I am sort of out of the loop so to speak. The only ones that clue me in on anything going on are Rina and Tatum. If you have the ear and insight that God does, I'm sure you know the full story. Jan and Rina miss you the most, after all they were closest to you. I still think about you even though I have moved on from where we used to work. I know you are looking down and shaking your head with immense disappointment. Not in those you left behind, but the ones who ran the place. I know the people at your church miss you too. From what you told me sounds like you were a true asset. I almost forgot to tell you. I got a new opportunity to work as a receptionist for a nice, small law firm. It's peaceful and they are very patient with me. It's a totally different pace and much less stressful than work ever was. Before I left, I held the fifth spot in the store for most credit. I was told you would have been proud of me, I hope you are. I also know that I probably wouldn't have held nearly as many credit cards if you were still here. Tommy was number one and I'm sure you'd be giving him a run for his money. I wish you were still around to do that. You put a lot of people to shame. You worked and persevered through everything. We were all so proud of you but we accepted that you needed to rest. I know they are hurting without you, and I know if you were here right now. You'd say they are hurting without me too. I will talk to you again soon.

PS I miss you

Kindest Regards,

Your Colleague

Date: November 2025

Dear Miss B,

How is everything going? I was reflecting on the “good old days” , the days when I enjoyed being at work and I had a thought. If we are being honest here, as “mean” as people thought you were, you weren't. You told the absolute truth, and sometimes that meant being firm. Which some didn't take so well. You held down the fort, got the most credit out of all of us and demanded the respect of the room. Things just weren't the same. I started to notice things even before you left. Management would never take what you wanted them to take seriously, seriously. I so very badly wanted to stick it out to become supervisor or a manager though I doubt I'd make it that far. I remember the Christmas party, right before you got really sick. We were all in the computer room. Tatum brought her bacon wrapped asparagus as an appetizer. Amelia curled her hair and I remember her glow, how happy she was as she passed out the goodie bags she made for everyone. Jan was there in her Christmas getup, spreading her Christmas cheer like a little elf. I remember the gifts you made for everyone. I said you had done too much and you didn't have to be so giving. You rolled your eyes at me and said, “If one more person says that to me…” I cut you off and thanked you graciously, for a gesture that meant a lot to us. That was just the point. You thought about everyone before yourself. Us, your brother and your fur babies. That's what was so special about you, you were fiery and you didn't give a damn what people thought of you. I wanted to tell you, my job is going great! I work for some really good people. Tatum and I go to dinner regularly once a week to catch up. We talked about you the other day, we haven't forgotten about you. I just wanted to share that with you. I'll talk to you again sometime soon.

PS. I hope you are better now.

Kindest Regards,

Your Colleague

Date: December 2025

Dear Miss B,

I remember the day we found out things had gone from bad to worse with you. Your brother came in with his partner. They were at the registers talking to Isaac about your condition. How you had gone from one end of the extreme with your health to another over night. I was pushing a cart down to the opposite end of the store, I stopped dead in my tracks when I knew they were talking about you. Up until that point, I had a really good feeling you'd make it through. I really thought you'd pull through this and in a way, you did. I know your time is up when it's up, but you should have been around longer, I wish I knew you longer. Things were always changing even when I started, and things would continue to change without you. I never got to thank you for everything you taught me. After our times together it doesn't surprise me how bad you wanted to be a teacher and I knew you were good at it. I considered you one of my mentors besides Dilly of course. I never thought I would end up where I ended up. In fact, sitting there on the bench beside customer service for my initial interview, I didn't think I would like the job. When I got promoted, I started working more closely with you. I thought you were hard to read and a tough nut to crack. You taught me how to balance the registers, pull the money, pitch a good sale to customers and most importantly how to be a good instructor. The ability to teach others the correct way to do things. Your way or no way as I used to recount. I know you were close with Jan and Rina, even though you ladies got into small fights, I knew you all were close. Rina would relive those moments with you, even the hard ones just to hear your voice again.

Kindest Regards,

Your Colleague

Date: January 2026

Dearest Miss B,

Happy New Year! How is everything going? I have a few more things I wanted to share with you. Like I told you in my last letter, things are continuing to change. I was thinking about your friendships with Jan and Rina. I thought they were like the friendships I had formed with Amelia and Tatum. The friendships that I unfortunately left behind me, that decision was made for me. Amelia went back to work, and it sounds like she's much happier now. The last time we talked was around Christmas last year. Tatum and I unfortunately aren't as close as you may have remembered. You know what she told me? She said I was "spending too much time with my boyfriend." A person who has been in my life since I was in Kindergarten, a person whom I had been dating prior to even meeting her. One of the last times I saw her, she picked me up for dinner and before stepping out of the car. She told me I made too much time for my boyfriend and not enough for her. It honestly broke me. No matter the compromise or what I did for her it wasn't enough. All I could think to say to her was, “He’s my boyfriend” and then I completely shut down. I felt more downhearted than angry. The girl I met over a year ago, the quiet and soft spoken girl. Showed me another side of her that I didn't see right away. Maybe you knew her differently because you had met her before me. This was coming from the same girl that told me you didn't like the get well gift I had gotten you. It wouldn't have mattered if you actually didn't like it. I could have lived with that. What I couldn't live with was her assuming that fact and putting me down. Miss B, I think you'd be disappointed and tell me if we were really friends we would just work it out. That maturity does not come with age. I miss the girl I used to know. I wish I could have the good days back with her. Before the animosity, before the disagreements we had. Before the immense guilt she made me feel. Making me feel like I was a bad friend if I didn't make enough time for her. I made time for her but Ill be honest somedays were more than others. I did a lot to make her happy. All the times she called me up crying that one of the boys she was in love with broke her heart or didn't live up to her expectations. I was there for her, I listened and I gave her advice. I told her “If a guy is treating you like crap you need to let him go.” Or "Don't force anything because it will only scare the guy away.” She never listened to me but I think she will listen to you. If you have any better ideas, I'm all ears.

PS. You would know what to do

Kindest Regards,

Your Colleague

Date: February 2026

Dearest Miss B,

I have continued to write to you and I know I may never get a response. I have been thinking about what you might say to me if you were here. It might sound something like this. "There are two types of friends in this world. The keepers and the drifters. The keepers will posses the traits of my dog, loyal, gentle and are always by your side when you need them. The drifters, may seem like good friends at first but overtime, you will see they are as good as a wet paper towel. Useless. I want you to really think about not only the types of friends they are, but who you are. Don't let people walk all over you, don't let anyone tell you how to live your life. People who have problems with you, have inner problems within themselves that they aren't ready to face. Knowing who you are is all that matters." Its up to me who I choose to keep in my life.

It was a pleasure being able to work with you. Youve missed a lot of people coming and going. We also said goodbye to some good and not so good people. Evan got fired, and I can't say it wasn't deserved. I tried to distance myself from him after he revealed to me his true colors. One day in particular, Evan had a chip on his shoulder. You had told him to do something, jump on the register or to help carry something out to a customer's car. He said he “Hoped something bad would happen to you.” Wishing a certain illness on you. An illness you would eventually battle. I sat with that. Thinking how broken you must be as a human being to wish so ill on someone you really don't know. Months after he left, he got into a car crash and lost his limbs. Rina is now taking care of multiple departments and she said while its hard most days, she is managing. Jan is ready to retire any day, as soon as she finds a house she likes. She would always say she was ready to walk out that door and say “Screw this place!” She hasn't yet. Like you, she wouldn't.

You continue to teach me to this day. You were the best mentor any person could ever ask for. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me when I was having an anxiety attack. You let me cry and talked me through my sanity. Thank you for teaching me what it meant to be a leader and to work through the toughest of problems. I will remember the fighting woman who was not defined by that hospital bed who looked at me and Tatum and reminded us “This isn't the end and I am going to beat this.” You meant a lot to us and there's a reason why your picture hangs by the manager's office. A constant reminder of the great person you were. I will remember the woman with PHD’s on her wall, Ally the alligator that sat on her desk and trophies. For the highest scores in bowling anyone had ever seen. I know I will forge my own path, after all you did. I will think of you and everyone else as I do.

I'll meet you up there someday. Rest In Peace Miss B.

Kindest Regards,

Your Colleague