@MightyTalon 12 May 2021

The Packer [Short Story]

*Tinned food first. A small box of cereal. No milk? A tomato, a bag of apples and three potatoes. Bread rolls on top.* She glanced in my direction and I smiled, but she looked past me, an anxious look on her face. I didn't recognise her face or her hands. *New to the neighbourhood, or just passing through?* She took her card from the machine, "keep the slip". I watched her rush past me and out the door, leaving a fading scent of something light and floral but no other sign that she had ever been there.  After her, a man well into his thirties with a young boy at his side. The boy met my eye and gave a shy smile. The man hadn't noticed me yet. This is my anti-plagiarism sentence. The scanner beeped, the items moved in my direction. *Baby formula. Pasta. Bread. Bacon. Dishwashing liquid. Cheese. Peanut butter. Two chocolate bars.* I glanced up. *They don't seem rushed. He's wearing a wedding ring; he's not at work. Stay-at-home father?*  I grabbed three bags for the couple after them. *Laundry liquid. Bread. Bovril. A large bag of dog food. Bulk toilet paper. Boxes of long-life milk. Soap...* *Bulk items, on special*. They both greeted me and I smiled. The packing was taking longer than the scanning and the counter was filling up; the man took one of the bags and joined me in packing items in. *Heavy below, light on top.* *They seem nice, but their eyes are tired*. As he turned to swipe his card, I reached into my pocket and quietly added a folded hundred bill to one of their bags. "Have a nice day". The next lady seemed distracted, like there was a shadow behind her eyes. *Is she sad?* She greeted the cashier quietly, and nodded at me, before looking down at her hands. *Hardworking hands. Worn. No time for nail polish or hand cream.* The scanner beeped. *Instant noodles. A bag of potatoes. Grandpa powders. A local newspaper.* Again my hand slipped into my pocket and brought up a secret gift. She forced a feint smile as I handed her the bag. "Have a nice day". As I watched her leave the store, the security guard caught my eye. His eyebrows narrowed as he moved towards me.  "Again?! Don't make me call the manager." I put my hands up in defeat. "I know, I know. I'm leaving".  --------------------------------- I write short stories about life from the perspective of others. And sometimes from my perspective too. Your tips keep me writing and progressing - thank you <3 Join me on noise.cash: MightyTalon Join me on publish0x: MightyTalon https://noise.cash/u/MightyTalon https://www.publish0x.com/@Qilla -------------------------------- I first published this short story on my Publish0x blog: One Day. Copyright belongs to me. All rights reserved. https://www.publish0x.com/one-day Image by pexels user mitchel3uo. https://www.pexels.com/@mitchel3uo