mini-mart

I'm trying to make small talk with the cabbie, and he's actually a pretty nice guy.  I guess I'm not the first fare he's picked up from the jail, because he's asking all the right questions, 'how long were you in there?' (17 hrs) 'did they feed you?' (Yes) sucked, right?' (you got it, boss).  He said, 'The store is just this side of the highway, we'll be there in a couple of minutes.  I'm not sure where the ATM is inside, but I've seen a sign out front that they have one.  If you give me $70 plus the $7 that you have, that'll cover it, tip and all.'  I'm still in a fog, but agree to these terms.  I tell him that I think I have enough in the account, and look at him in the rear-view, and notice he has a look of concern.

So, we pull in, and I get out.  It takes me about 2 full minutes to locate the ATM, one of those stand alone kiosks tucked away in a corner near a stack of Sprite cases.  I also notice that the coolers are filled with beer, and feel an immediate sense of relief.  I just hope there's something a bit stronger I can carry out of there.  Theft briefly crosses my mind, but jail is too fresh; I still reek of misdemeanors. So, I insert my ATM card and punch in my 4 digits, and hit the eighty button.  The 'we charge $2.75 for this transaction in addition to any fees your bank may charge' pops up, and now I'm sweating.  I agree to the terms, and wait while the machine connects to some relay and accesses my account.  Sure as shit, 'this transaction cannot be completed, would you like to try another transaction?'  I go for the $40, which I know is a sure thing, wondering why I tried $80 to begin with.  Maybe out of guilt.  The machine spits out 2 twenties, then I turn and look out at the cab.  The cabbie seems unoccupied, staring blankly out the window.  I quickly move toward the wine section of the store, hatching a plan.  Somehow, I gotta make it out of here with some booze and get a 40 minute cab ride, all for $47.  It's not looking too good.