The big store was full of people today. I went there because I needed a new box for my coin collection. My coin collection is special because I have many old coins, even some from other countries. Finding the right box is important. The store felt loud, like many different colors were mixing in my head, a big yellow and orange splash from all the talking and carts. I like when there are many people, it makes things interesting to watch.
I was walking past the fancy bag section when I saw a woman at the customer service desk. She was standing tall, like she thought everyone should look at her. She had long, light-colored hair, and she was wearing a top that showed off her arms. On one arm, she had a very big tattoo of a sparkly pink and purple unicorn. It went all the way from her shoulder down to her elbow. It was very bright. She looked young, maybe just twenty years old. She had a kid with her, a boy who looked like a teenager, maybe thirteen or fourteen. He was slumped over a shopping cart, looking at his phone.
The woman, she was talking to a store worker. The worker, her name tag said Sarah, looked tired but was smiling a small smile. The woman was not smiling. Her face looked like she wanted something very much. I heard her voice get a little louder. I moved a little closer because I wanted to see if they had the coin boxes here or in another part of the store. Also, it looked like something exciting might happen, and I always like to see what happens.
The woman started talking about a bag. It was a shiny, dark blue bag with a special kind of fabric. It was sitting behind the counter, next to Sarah. Sarah gently put her hand near it, like to protect it. The woman pointed her finger at the bag. She said she wanted that specific bag. Sarah, very calmly, told her that the bag was already sold. She said a customer put it on hold and paid for it this morning. The customer was coming to pick it up later today.
The young woman did not like this answer. She put her hands on her hips. Her sparkly unicorn tattoo looked even brighter when she moved like that. She said, “No, that’s my bag. I saw it online. It’s the last one.” She looked around the store, then back at Sarah. “I should have it. I look better with it. People like me deserve the best things.” She kept talking about how good she looked and how the bag would make her look even better. I thought the bag was nice, but it did not seem to care who carried it.
Sarah, still with that calm look, explained again that the bag was not available. “It’s for Mrs. Davies,” she said. “She has already paid for it.” The young woman just shook her head. “I don’t care about Mrs. Davies. I am here now. I want it.” Her voice was getting louder, and now it was making a harsh red color flash in my head, like an angry bell.
Her son, who was still looking at his phone, suddenly bumped the shopping cart. A toy that was in the cart, a big plastic dinosaur, fell out. When it hit the floor, it started making a very loud roaring sound, over and over. “ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!” It made my head feel bright green with the loud noise. The boy looked up, annoyed. He picked up the dinosaur and held it, but he did not turn it off. It just kept roaring. This made the young woman even more upset. She looked at her son, then back at Sarah.
“See? This is what happens when I don’t get what I want!” she shouted. She reached across the counter, trying to grab the blue bag. Sarah was quick. She moved the bag away and put it lower behind the counter. “Ma’am, please do not reach over the counter. This bag is not for sale.”
The woman leaned over the counter even more. “You think I can’t have it? Just because some old lady paid for it? I bet she won’t even wear it right. I will make this store know my name!” she said. Her son’s dinosaur kept roaring, making the whole area very noisy. A few people stopped to look. One man, wearing a hat, mumbled something about rudeness, but the woman just glared at him, and he looked away quickly.
Sarah kept her voice low and even. “I need you to step back. If you continue to try and take items, I will have to call security.”
The young woman scoffed. “Security? For what? For wanting a bag? I’m a good customer!” She did not step back. She pointed at Sarah. “You just don’t want me to have it because you’re jealous.”
Sarah picked up the phone under the counter. She spoke quietly into it. “Security to customer service, please. We have a situation.” The roaring dinosaur made it hard to hear her clearly, but I saw her mouth move. The woman did not seem to care. She was still trying to peek over the counter to see where Sarah hid the bag. Her son, meanwhile, had found a new game on his phone and the dinosaur’s roaring was slowing down a little.
A few minutes went by. The woman was still complaining, but not as loudly. She was mostly muttering to herself about how unfair it was. Her son was now quiet, absorbed in his phone. Then, a man in a black polo shirt, with a walkie-talkie on his belt, walked over. He looked big and serious. He was the store’s security guard. His name tag said Mike.
Mike walked right up to the counter. He looked at the young woman, then at Sarah. Sarah just pointed to the woman and shook her head slightly. Mike understood. He said to the woman, “Ma’am, is there a problem here?”
The woman puffed out her chest. “Yes! This lady won’t let me buy a bag! It’s mine!” she insisted, pointing again at Sarah. Mike looked at Sarah, who just gave him a small nod. He then looked at the woman very directly. “Ma’am, if an item is already sold, it is not available. You need to leave the store now. You are causing a disturbance.”
Her mouth fell open a little. “Leave? You can’t make me leave! I spend money here!” she exclaimed. But Mike did not look like he was joking. He took a step closer. “You can either leave on your own, or I will escort you out. And if you refuse, the police will be called, and you won’t be allowed back.”
The woman looked around, then at her son, who had finally looked up from his phone, seeing the serious security guard. The pink and purple unicorn tattoo on her arm looked less sparkly now. She mumbled something, grabbed her son’s arm, and started to walk away quickly. She bumped into a display of small travel pillows, knocking a few to the floor. She did not even look back to pick them up. Her son just followed behind her, still holding the now-silent dinosaur.
Mike watched them go, then turned to Sarah. He said something quiet to her. Sarah smiled a real smile this time. I felt the bright red color fading in my head. I was glad to see the end of the shouting. It was interesting to watch, but it made my head feel too busy. I still needed to find that coin box. I hoped it was in a quieter part of the store.
