Against All Odds

A guy, his girlfriend, and one of his buds enter the Dominion one fine day. The couple is a newish member of Fernando's congregation, having begin using the Dominion's services perhaps a month prior. Fernando has had no trouble with them. The bud is just a guy who tags along with them.

The boyfriend member of this triumvirate approaches the counter. “Hey, how many stamps do you need to get a free one again?” he asks, producing a stamp card approximately four-fifths of the way to the vaunted free rental.

“You need to get to ten.”

“Well, do you think you can stamp us for the last time we were in, when we forgot to bring our card? That should get us there I think.”

This seems like a reasonable request to Fernando, who was (by necessity) present during this transaction three days prior. He does as the gentleman requests and the card reaches full capacity.

“Awesome, thanks,” says the man. He and Girlfriend and Bud stream out into the store and decide that tonight's film du jour will be The Woman in Black. “Free, right?” Boyfriend asks, despite Fernando having made this clear a minute or so ago.

“Yes indeed,” Fernando responds. He fills out the rental slip, retrieves the movie, all seems well. Being as it's a Friday, he then asks, “Receipt or popcorn?”

“Wait what?” Boyfriend asks.

“It's Friday, so you're welcome to a complimentary bag of popcorn to go with your complimentary movie, if you like.”

Fernando's clarification only served to further muddy the waters of comprehension. “Hold on, what?”

So Fernando does the song and dance he has done before on the options which are made available to customers when popcorn is involved. After all is explained, the three share a look and Girlfriend tells Fernando, “No, I think we're good, thanks.” They depart.

However, in all the tizzy and confusion, Fernando neglected to take the full card into his possession. This seems like it should be no problem, right? After all, he can just ask them to turn it over next time they are in, or to destroy it if it is not with them. There is no reason to mistrust these people who have never given Fernando cause for worry before.

The following day Boyfriend returns along with the movie. He is on his own, only in to drop it off. “Thanks much,” Fernando says when he sets the case down upon the glass of the counter. “By the way, I accidentally forgot to snag your guys's card when you were in yesterday. You wouldn't happen to have it on you by chance?”

“Uh...no,” says Boyfriend.

“Okay, that's fine. Just tear it up or something, or bring it in next time.”

“Yeah, sure,” he says, though his voice has an odd lilt to it, the sort which belies the existence of facts which are meant to remain obscured. He departs.

The day after that, Bud comes in. “Hey man, can I rent under Kiribati's name?”

“Yeah, sure,” Fernando answers. “You're in with them often enough.”

“Cool.” He sets something down on the countertop. “Can I use this then?”

It's a full stamp card! O, contrivance!

“Uh,” Fernando says, using his fingers to slide the card over to his side of the counter. “You guys used that last time you were in.”

“No, this is a different one.”

“Really now.”

“Yeah.”

“Weird.” Fernando lifts the card up to the light, peering intently at it. “It doesn't look like any kind of forgery.”

This confuses Bud. “What?”

“Oh, I'm thinking to myself, 'How could you guys have gotten another stamp card when I only ever gave out the one to you guys?' I mean, nothing's outside the realm of possibility, what with quantum probability and all, it could very well be that another full stamp card for this particular store spontaneously generated after I asked that the old one be destroyed. Really odd.”

“Um...y'know what, never mind. I'll go talk with Kiribati about it.”

“Okay, sounds good. I'm going to remain in awe of this marvel of creation. Maybe I'll buy a nice frame to keep it in.”

Bud leaves.