My day was already bad. It started when my toast fell, butter-side down, on the floor. Then, I could not find my keys for a long time. Everything was just… off. So, when I finally got to the grocery store, I just wanted to buy my few things and go home. I really did not want any more trouble.
I walked inside the store. It was busy. Lots of people were getting food. I found my items and went to the checkout lines. There were many lines, and all of them had people waiting. I picked the one that seemed not too long, behind an older man. He had a small cart, just like me. He looked like he was maybe in his 60s or 70s. He had a few simple items, and one of them was a special fruit tart, the kind they only make sometimes at the bakery. It looked very tasty. I wished I had thought to get one for myself.
I stood there, just wanting to be invisible. My head hurt a little from the long day. I just looked at the items on the shelves, trying not to think too much. Then, a person came up to our line. She was a young woman, maybe early twenties, like 23 or 24. She pushed a baby stroller. The baby was small, maybe not even a year old, just sitting there quietly, looking around. The stroller itself was very fancy, made of some kind of soft, shiny fabric, like maybe alpaca wool, which is very expensive for a stroller. The woman had a serious face, like she knew exactly what she wanted. She did not look at anyone else, just at the older man’s cart.
She stopped right next to the old man. She leaned in a little and pointed at the fruit tart in his cart. She spoke in a clear voice. It was not loud, but it sounded like she was telling him something, not asking. She said that tart was for her. She said she had been waiting for it all week. The old man looked a bit confused. He blinked a few times. He said he had picked it up from the bakery display just a few minutes ago. He did not seem to understand what was happening. He held his ground. He said he was going to buy it.
The young woman did not like that answer. She took a step closer to the old man’s cart. She said he did not understand. She said she had a baby, and she needed special treats to get through her busy day. She pointed at the baby, who just stared blankly. The baby was wearing a tiny hat. The woman said that the store always made sure she got what she needed because she was a loyal customer and a busy mother. It was almost like she believed there was a secret rule for her. The old man just shook his head slowly. He said he was sorry, but he had the tart, and he was going to pay for it.
The young woman sighed very loud. She made a sound like she was very, very annoyed. She said it was not fair. She said he was taking something important from her. She even put her hand on the edge of the old man’s cart, near the tart. It seemed like she might just grab it. My stomach felt a little weird. I just wanted to leave this line. This was too much. The cashier, a young lady with bright pink hair, was already looking over, her eyes wide. She seemed like she did not know what to do.
Then, suddenly, from a few aisles over, a very, very loud sound burst out. It was a child, a toddler, screaming at the top of their lungs. Not just crying, but really screaming like they were very, very angry about something. The sound echoed through the store. Everyone in our line jumped a little, even the baby in the fancy stroller blinked fast. The young woman stopped trying to reach for the tart for a second. She turned her head towards the sound, her face annoyed. It was a loud noise, much louder than she was being.
The old man used this moment. He pulled his cart a little closer to himself, away from her hand. He looked at the cashier and asked her if she could call a manager. He spoke politely but firmly. The cashier nodded quickly and reached for a phone under her counter. The young woman turned back to the old man. Her voice got a little bit louder now, but still not screaming. She said he was making a big fuss over nothing. She said he was being selfish. She looked around, like other people should agree with her. No one said anything. Everyone just stood still, watching. I just wanted to disappear. My bad day was just getting worse and worse.
The young woman saw the old man holding his cart tight. She saw the cashier on the phone. She looked at the tart one last time, with eyes that said she still wanted it badly. Then, she looked at me. I quickly looked away, pretending to look at a candy bar. She seemed to think for a moment. Then, she turned her stroller around without another word. She pushed the stroller away from our line, walking fast. She did not buy anything. She just left. The old man let out a big breath. The cashier put the phone down, looking relieved. The loud screaming from the other aisle started to die down a little.
I felt a strange kind of tired. The young woman just left. No one stopped her. She did not get the tart, but she also did not get any trouble for how she acted. It was just over. The old man moved his cart forward to the cashier. He shook his head slowly. He paid for his items, including the special fruit tart. I just watched him go. My turn was next. My head still hurt. I just wanted my bad day to be truly done.
