Walgreens and the Man Who Works There
Walgreens is my regular haunt. I love making food and eating food so when ever I feel like a snack or need something quick for dinner, I stop by there.
There is a gentleman who works there and I've seen most of the time when I've stopped by. Soft spoken, tall, longish brown hair, white-gray at the temples, making some or other dry humor but I didn't think much of him except that he made me a little nervous.
Yesterday I stopped by to pick up some cough medicine and chicken noodle soup. Wondering through the isles I kept running into a older man, whistling as he went. I found what I needed and then headed to the cash register. There was the same man at the cash register I had seen before. I waited in line with Mr. Whistle right behind me. My turn came and he, the cashier ran my items through. Picking up the cough medicine, he seemed to speculate, glancing back and forth between the register and box.
"Is it not working?" I asked.
"It appears I need your ID." Looking up at me he replied. "I don't think I've asked for it before."
"No I don't think so." I started to say and handed him my drivers license.
"It must be because of the medicine." He speculated.
Smiling rather sheepishly, he glanced over the license. " Um....how old does that make you?"
"Twenty." I said and smiled.
Mr. Whistle spoke up behind me saying,
"He just wants your address."
I'm sure I blushed and smiled a tad. "What a way to make a conversation awkward." I thought to my self. I looked down and mumbled a sarcastic remark,
"Sure."
"He sure knows how to too." Mr. Whistle threw in again.
I don't think the cashier said anything at all during this conversation, maybe a few grunts or mumbles therefore I didn't distinguish any words. It was obvious that we were both a little confused and embarrassed.
I think after that I just took my items and left with maybe a have a nice day or something but that was the end of that. I laughed all the way home.
Okay so the next evening there was no leftovers and I really didn't feel like cooking so I ran to Walgreens to pick up a quick microwavable dinner. I knew he would probably be working and it might be a little uncomfortable but mainly, I was positive, on my part. I walked in and glanced to my right and sure enough there he was. I walked straight ahead and hid in the farthest isles. Getting my dinner I walked over to the cash. As there was someone in line I pretended to be very much interested in gum and knick knacks on the wall. When it was my turn, I slid my dinner on the counter, my gaze fixed on the bar code. He said hello in a very cashier to customer sort of way and I said hello back. I took out my little purse of quarters that I was trying to use rather then go to the bank and get them changed for dollars.
"I have all quarters today, I hope that's ok."
"I'll take them all if you want." He said.
"Oh and give me cash back?" I said uncertainly.
"Yep, that's what I'm offering."
"Ok." I started to count them.
"You can just dump them out on the counter."
I did.
He gave me a ten dollar bill and a one dollar bill.
"Or you can have this for the dollar." He said taking out a dollar coin. "Pretty cool."
I took it up and looked at the symbol on the surface. It was smooth and a gold color. "Yep pretty cool." I thought.
The conversation had been normal enough but then he had to go and add,
"I only give this to special customers."
I knew he was just doing his dry humor thing because literally his voice was all one level, no emotion what so ever but it made my gut jerk up into my throat. "Did he just flirt with me? He looks like he could be married and have kids" I questioned my self.
"Why thank you." I said out loud.
He handed me my receipt and bag and looked into my eyes and said,
"Have a nice day."
For some reason it seemed way more personal like he really meant it. I took my bag and my receipt and said right back,
"You too."
I walked out and caught my self smiling from ear to ear and laughing to my self. I didn't realize before how pleasant it can be to have a conversation with a complete stranger and feel, although you know nothing about them and they know nothing about you, that you have a certain kind of connection and words and actions mean something rather then the usual, swipe you card, grab your receipt, hasty have a nice day and exit sort of way. I'll probably see him again and yes he may have really been flirting but at the same time I don't have to be afraid of him. Before I was afraid but now it's like he's more human now and movies and books and things people tell me don't have a play in this at all because I can feel it, all the way down in my gut that he's ok and that we're friends now. In a certain, interesting, almost friends kind of way.
Anyways I just wanted to share that. It was itching to be written down but not hidden in a file on my computer, out in the open for people to judge as they will and comment as they might. Thank you everyone!
-Grace Kathleen
There is a gentleman who works there and I've seen most of the time when I've stopped by. Soft spoken, tall, longish brown hair, white-gray at the temples, making some or other dry humor but I didn't think much of him except that he made me a little nervous.
Yesterday I stopped by to pick up some cough medicine and chicken noodle soup. Wondering through the isles I kept running into a older man, whistling as he went. I found what I needed and then headed to the cash register. There was the same man at the cash register I had seen before. I waited in line with Mr. Whistle right behind me. My turn came and he, the cashier ran my items through. Picking up the cough medicine, he seemed to speculate, glancing back and forth between the register and box.
"Is it not working?" I asked.
"It appears I need your ID." Looking up at me he replied. "I don't think I've asked for it before."
"No I don't think so." I started to say and handed him my drivers license.
"It must be because of the medicine." He speculated.
Smiling rather sheepishly, he glanced over the license. " Um....how old does that make you?"
"Twenty." I said and smiled.
Mr. Whistle spoke up behind me saying,
"He just wants your address."
I'm sure I blushed and smiled a tad. "What a way to make a conversation awkward." I thought to my self. I looked down and mumbled a sarcastic remark,
"Sure."
"He sure knows how to too." Mr. Whistle threw in again.
I don't think the cashier said anything at all during this conversation, maybe a few grunts or mumbles therefore I didn't distinguish any words. It was obvious that we were both a little confused and embarrassed.
I think after that I just took my items and left with maybe a have a nice day or something but that was the end of that. I laughed all the way home.
Okay so the next evening there was no leftovers and I really didn't feel like cooking so I ran to Walgreens to pick up a quick microwavable dinner. I knew he would probably be working and it might be a little uncomfortable but mainly, I was positive, on my part. I walked in and glanced to my right and sure enough there he was. I walked straight ahead and hid in the farthest isles. Getting my dinner I walked over to the cash. As there was someone in line I pretended to be very much interested in gum and knick knacks on the wall. When it was my turn, I slid my dinner on the counter, my gaze fixed on the bar code. He said hello in a very cashier to customer sort of way and I said hello back. I took out my little purse of quarters that I was trying to use rather then go to the bank and get them changed for dollars.
"I have all quarters today, I hope that's ok."
"I'll take them all if you want." He said.
"Oh and give me cash back?" I said uncertainly.
"Yep, that's what I'm offering."
"Ok." I started to count them.
"You can just dump them out on the counter."
I did.
He gave me a ten dollar bill and a one dollar bill.
"Or you can have this for the dollar." He said taking out a dollar coin. "Pretty cool."
I took it up and looked at the symbol on the surface. It was smooth and a gold color. "Yep pretty cool." I thought.
The conversation had been normal enough but then he had to go and add,
"I only give this to special customers."
I knew he was just doing his dry humor thing because literally his voice was all one level, no emotion what so ever but it made my gut jerk up into my throat. "Did he just flirt with me? He looks like he could be married and have kids" I questioned my self.
"Why thank you." I said out loud.
He handed me my receipt and bag and looked into my eyes and said,
"Have a nice day."
For some reason it seemed way more personal like he really meant it. I took my bag and my receipt and said right back,
"You too."
I walked out and caught my self smiling from ear to ear and laughing to my self. I didn't realize before how pleasant it can be to have a conversation with a complete stranger and feel, although you know nothing about them and they know nothing about you, that you have a certain kind of connection and words and actions mean something rather then the usual, swipe you card, grab your receipt, hasty have a nice day and exit sort of way. I'll probably see him again and yes he may have really been flirting but at the same time I don't have to be afraid of him. Before I was afraid but now it's like he's more human now and movies and books and things people tell me don't have a play in this at all because I can feel it, all the way down in my gut that he's ok and that we're friends now. In a certain, interesting, almost friends kind of way.
Anyways I just wanted to share that. It was itching to be written down but not hidden in a file on my computer, out in the open for people to judge as they will and comment as they might. Thank you everyone!
-Grace Kathleen
Well that was an adventure! I guess you're just going to have to keep writing about this interesting character.
ReplyDelete