the place i used to work
it's a source of so much anger/bitterness but i've spent so many hours of my life in that tiny little store that i know it has made up a bit of my life
i worked there sophomore year of college & now the owners are selling the place
kaori, the manager, asked me to work there last sunday because she didn't trust any of the current workers...so i accepted since i sell cards there too
the day was long but it didn't seem that long because the novel idea of working behind the counter came back...
so many people came & so many people went & every interaction was unique...the familar faces & the new
the first customer of the day was this homeless lady that always came in when i worked there too...
she was always either very nice or just psycho...i worked there long enough to have seen both quite a bit....this morning she was nice....i think she knows i look familiar but she's too crazy to remember how....she asked me about my major & talked about berkeley for what seemed forever...& i just smile & nodded politely
then...there was the guy that worked at a store nearby that used to always come in when i worked there too...always to get a can of pringles...for a "discounted" price...first thing he said "i haven't seen you in a long time" i realized it had been a year...that's crazy...he proceeded to tell me all about his jury duty that has gone on for 3 weeks now & all the details of his trips to & from the courthouse...
& as usual...there were a few boys that would be a bit flirtateous
& always a few stinky homeless guys that would buy a drink
then there was an old lady with a thick european accent...she bought haagen daz pint...she told me to open it for her & place it in a doubled mini plastic bag...it wasn't annoying..it was kind of cute...i gave her a plastic spoon & napkins...i knew she wanted to dig in..she fumbled with her change a little like a typical older lady & when i gave her back 75 cents she flipped each one to see if they were the state ones...& she proceeded to tell me how there would be new coins for dimes & nickels too & that i should collect them because it's a free hobby...it made me smile..."you go to school here?" "yes" "and you working? ah poor thing" there was one old quarter in the bunch & she handed it to me "for you" she said
then later in the day...3 high school students walked in...one with long hair & the other two w/ short...the long haired one lagged behind as his friends walked forward into the chips area...i watched them walk but from my right ear i heard the cooler open & close & a small thunk & as i turned to look in that direction the long haired guy walked through the doors...all i could think was "i'm not stupid" he joined his friends & as he passed me i stared at him w/ a raised brow that let him know i knew what he did...he tried to act oblivious....& out of no where i mustered this courage (it can probably be attributed to a certain person heehee) but i said to him as he was wandering around "you have to pay for that" "i dunno what you're talking about" & he repeated it over & over only proving to me more he did something...i walked outside...saw the ice cream pint hiding under our store sign (so did another guy who picked it up & then handed it to me & entered the store) i put it back in the cooler & said to that long haired guy "that was completely unnecessary"...his friends freaked & paid for their stuff silently & left...
that guy that had picked up the pint outside said "take care of yourself" after he bought stuff
chanda's friends lea & ashley came in...surprised to see me working there...cuz they didn't know me when i did work there...
at night a family comes in frantically looking for gift wrap or a gift bag to wrap an impromptu present they had just bought...
as i am about the close an asian woman w/ a large rimmed hat comes in panting..."do you know where the nearest coffee place is? i've been looking everywhere & everything is closed...& i'm dying for an expresso right now" "how about next door?" "oh i didn't try them"
in a few hours of work i had seen my past & my present...
it was kinda nice to see all those faces again but it reminded me that all this...this life & this connie was no longer the present connie....& there are people in my present that don't know of my past....
all the anger & grief that these jobs(zee zee & campus) caused me was unknown to them all...
proof that it was all behind me now
& that it's only a fond memory looking back
having met all these people
being a part of all their lives in a tiny tiny way through routine actions
simply because i was the person that rang them up & bagged their purchases
it made me feel kinda special to have been a drop of water in their sea of memories
& i know i will miss campus market more than i'd ever want to admit...