I was just in the big store, the one with all the things for house, you know? The place people go to get new kitchen stuff or big wood for fences. I was near the shelves with the long pieces of building material, just checking for something for a small repair I was planning. My mind was on the project, imagining how it would look finished.
Then, this woman, she came up to me. She had a bag with her, not a shopping cart, just a small purse. She looked at me, with a kind of demanding look already. She asked me, “You! Where is the special paint? The one for outdoor, for the patio furniture, that stops the rust?” She said it like she expected me to know everything, right away. Like I was supposed to be waiting just for her question.
I blinked a moment. I pointed a bit over my shoulder, to where the paint aisle was, just in the general direction. I told her, “I do not work here. The paint is over there, I think.” I thought that was clear enough. A simple answer, but also a simple truth. I do not work at this store.
But she did not move. She just stared at me. Her expression became a little bit confused, a small wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. “What do you mean, you don’t work here?” she asked. Her voice was a bit loud, like I was the one who was making no sense. “Of course you work here! You are standing right here in this aisle, looking at things. And you pointed. That is what a worker does.”
My mouth, it wanted to drop open. I just finished saying I did not work there. I shook my head slowly. “No, I am a customer, just like you,” I explained again. I tried to sound patient. This was getting strange. “I am just buying things for my house.”
She did not believe me. She crossed her arms. “Listen, I need help. I also need to find the correct screws for my new shelf, the ones that are strong and long, but not too long. And I need someone to help me cut the wood I am going to buy later. You can help me with that, right?” she persisted. Her gaze was unblinking. It was like my words went into one ear and straight out the other. My muscles in my shoulders began to feel a little tense. This was not a good feeling.
“Ma’am,” I said, my voice now a bit firmer, “I already told you, I DO NOT WORK HERE. I cannot help you cut wood. I cannot tell you about screws. I am not an employee. You need to find someone who actually works for the store.” My patience was wearing thin. My head began to feel a little bit warm.
Then her face, it turned quite red. Her voice went up a notch, becoming sharp. “This is outrageous!” she practically yelled. Some people walking by started to glance over. “How dare you speak to a customer like that! You are being very rude! I will report you to your manager, you lazy person! I will have your job!”
I felt incredibly angry now. My hands clenched at my sides. I was just trying to buy some materials for my house, and now this woman was accusing me of being lazy and threatening my non-existent job. “You cannot report me,” I said, my words tight, “because I DO NOT WORK HERE! How many times do I have to tell you?” My jaw felt tight, almost locked.
She did not seem to care. She stepped closer to me, getting right into my personal space. “I don’t care what you say,” she hissed. “You are clearly just trying to avoid working. I saw you looking at those pieces of wood, acting busy. Now, you will tell me where the small hooks for picture frames are. The brass ones, not the silver.”
A throbbing started behind my eyes. This was impossible. This person was simply refusing to accept reality. “I am not an employee! I cannot help you! Find someone else!” I nearly shouted, my voice rising more than I wanted it to. I wanted to just walk away, but she was kind of blocking my path, very stubbornly. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was bubbling inside.
She did not take my answer well. She let out a frustrated sound, a sort of growl. “You are just so unhelpful! You think you can just stand there and do nothing when a customer needs help? I will tell everyone about this! This store has the rudest workers!” She then looked around wildly, as if expecting someone to magically appear and side with her. “You are going to regret this, insolent person! You just wait!”
Just then, I saw a blur of motion. A man in a bright blue vest, an actual employee, was walking down the aisle, probably coming to see what the commotion was. He had a look on his face, like he was about to ask if everything was okay. The woman must have seen him too, or maybe just the uniform. Her eyes widened a little. Her angry expression suddenly changed to something like panic.
Before the real employee could even open his mouth, the woman spun around. She did not say another word. She just bolted. She ran away, fast as she could, down the long aisle of the store, disappearing around the corner, leaving me standing there, still vibrating with a mixture of anger and utter disbelief.
