I was just trying to figure out which kind of sealant I needed for the bathroom. There were so many tubes all lined up on the shelf, different colors and promises. My head was starting to ache from looking at all the labels. I just wanted to get what I needed and go home.
That’s when this lady comes up. She just appeared next to me, real close, like she thought we were buddies or something. I felt a little jumpy, just because she was so sudden. She started talking right away, not even a ‘hello’ or nothing. She said, “Excuse me, can you tell me where the small bags of concrete mix are kept? Not the big ones, the ones for patching little cracks.”
I blinked at her. I was wearing my regular jeans and a t-shirt, not a vest or anything that looked like a uniform. I even had my phone in my hand. I tried to be polite, like you do. I told her, “Oh, I don’t work here. I’m just trying to find some caulk for my shower.”
She didn’t even seem to hear me. Her eyes just kind of looked past me, like she was thinking about something else. She just said, “Well, it should be easy enough for you to find. They moved them last time I was here. They used to be near the garden stuff, but I looked over there and they weren’t. You should know where they are.”
A little knot started to form in my stomach. I’d just said I didn’t work there, plain as day. What part of “I don’t work here” didn’t she understand? I felt myself getting a little annoyed. “Ma’am,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, “I really don’t work for this store. I’m a customer, just like you.”
She put her hands on her hips. Her voice got a bit louder. “Look, don’t play games with me. You’re standing here, you’re looking at things, you obviously know your way around. Just point me to the concrete. It’s your job, isn’t it?”
My jaw started to clench. My head began to throb right behind my eyes. I felt heat rising in my neck. “No,” I said, my voice a bit tighter now. “It is not my job. I do not work here. I am trying to buy something for my own house.”
She let out a huff, like I was the most difficult person on earth. “This is ridiculous! I need to get this done today. You people are just so unhelpful. Fine, if you won’t tell me, then go get me a manager. I’ll report you for being so rude and uncooperative. I bet you’ll get fired for this.”
That really got me. Fired? For what? For not working somewhere? It was just so stupid. My hands, which had been loose at my sides, started to curl into fists. My vision narrowed a bit, and I felt a strong pulse in my ears. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but it just made me angrier.
“I. Do. Not. Work. Here!” I practically shouted, each word coming out like a hammer blow. I didn’t mean to yell, but it just burst out. My chest felt tight, like a band was squeezing it.
She gasped, like I’d slapped her. Her face went red, really red. “Oh, you think you can yell at a customer? Is that what they teach you here? I’m going to make sure you never work in retail again! I’ll call corporate! I’ll stand here until I get your name badge and I’ll tell everyone what a horrible employee you are!” She took a step closer to me, like she was trying to get in my face. She pointed a finger at my chest, almost touching me.
All the effort I’d put into staying calm just melted away. Everything went red. A wave of pure, hot anger washed over me, pushing everything else out of my mind. It was like a switch flipped in my brain. My body just reacted before my brain could even catch up. I don’t even remember thinking about it. One moment she was pointing, the next moment my hand was moving.
I pushed her. Hard. She stumbled back, hitting a display shelf with a crash. Tubes of sealant rolled onto the floor. She let out a shriek, a real loud, surprised noise. I stood there, breathing heavy, still seeing red. My muscles were all tense and shaky.
Then I heard other voices, people yelling. Someone was running. A few seconds later, there were two big guys in uniforms, store security maybe, grabbing my arms. They were strong, pulling me away from the mess. I could hear the lady still screaming about what I’d done, how she was going to sue the store and me.
They marched me right out of the store, past all the other customers who were staring. My heart was pounding like crazy. Outside, there was a police car already pulling up. The security guys told the police what happened, real fast. I didn’t say anything. I just stood there, letting them put the cuffs on my wrists. The metal felt cold. I could still hear the lady’s voice, even from inside the store, still yelling. The car door opened, and I was told to get inside.
