The hours blurred together as she worked, the repetitive tasks offering a brief respite from her worries.
Near the end of her shift, as she restocked the shelves, her manager, Mr. Edwards, approached. He was one of the few who didn’t judge her on anything but her work ethic. “Hey, Jasmine, I noticed you were a bit late today. Everything okay?”
She sighed, placing a can on the shelf. “Yeah, I’m sorry. My teacher held me up after class. It won’t happen again, Mr. Edwards.”
He nodded towards her, “I’ve told you to call me Isaac. Anyway, no worries about being late, things out of our control happen sometimes. If it’s because of school, I don’t mind. Especially since you work harder than everyone else and always have a smile on your face.” he leaned towards the shelf she was stocking, giving him a better view of her face as she placed another can up. “Except when you’re stocking shelves.”
Isaac chuckled, and even she had to laugh at his little joke. “Was my tardiness the only reason you came to check on me?”
He shook his head, “Not completely.I overheard the other employees saying some disturbing things about your father.”
Jasmine released a large exhale, as if she’s been defeated. “What else is new? Everyone in this city has their opinion of me and my father. I hear it all the time.”
She pulled her cart of merchandise down the aisle, stopping a few feet down to continue stocking. Issac followed her, standing next to the cart. She squatted down, starting to place boxes on the bottom shelf. She could feel Issac’s eyes on her, causing a shiver to go down her spine. “That may be true, Jasmine, but I won’t tolerate anyone badmouthing my employees, especially their co-workers. So I warned them against it.”
Jasmine laughed, “No disrespect, sir. But they will still say stuff, everyone always does. It’s like that everywhere I go, so you were just wasting your breath.” Her head dipped down towards her chest. Her nails dug into her palm as she clenched her fists. “But thank you.”
At that moment, her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She looked up at Isaac, silently asking for permission to check it. He nodded without a word, allowing her to pull the phone out. Her heart sank as she saw it was a message from her dad:
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Don’t forget to bring home a 12 pack and a bottle of whiskey
She threw her head back, her hands dropping to her lap. With a sigh, she slipped her phone back into her pocket without replying to him. She stood up, surprised to see Isaac still standing next to the cart.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
She nodded, grabbing a few boxes from the cart. “Dad just wants me to bring home some booze, like always. He always forgets we can’t afford it, but always demands it.”
As she turned back to the shelf, she could see Isaac place his hands behind his back. This was extremely out of the ordinary for him, he never stood and chatted with her before. “Well, I’m glad you’re a hard worker and you’re not like him. It’s a shame he drinks and gambles his money away.”
Jasmine immediately threw the items in her hands onto the shelf, knocking down a bunch of cans and boxes. She turned towards him, all her frustration and anger coming to the surface. “Don’t ever compare me to my father! Not in any way, shape, or form! I want nothing to do with that bastard!”
The look on Isaac’s face was utter shock, and she didn’t blame him. She never lashed out at anyone, and she instantly regretted it. She hated who her father is now, but he used to be so different. He used to help her study, take her on trips, when she was younger he was her shield from anything and everything. He used to be her hero, but now, he spends all his money on gambling and drinks in order to run from the pain and anger. She didn’t want to be around him, but she knew his old self was still buried somewhere deep inside. Her arms started to shake as she caught her balance on the cart.
Isaac just stood there, clearly seeing the turmoil she felt. “I’m sorry I said that. Why don’t you go ahead and clock out, I’ll cover the booze he asked for and we forget this conversation happened?”
Jasmine nodded her head, “Sure. Whatever.”
She headed towards the back, clocking out and grabbing her backpack. On her way out, she grabbed the booze her father wanted and headed home. She ignored the stares from everyone on the streets. That was normal to her. It was the same with her neighbors who whispered and pointed at her as she walked towards her house. Only a couple more months, graduation, and then I can leave this city. It’ll all go away, eventually. Just deal with it for now.
When she was a few houses away from hers, she stopped mid stride. Most of the day had been normal for her, except for a few instances. But nothing ever changed at home, it was always the same. Except today, a car pulled out of her driveway… it wasn’t her father’s car for work… a black luxury sedan she didn’t recognize.