Secretly The Hidden Gem

Three

It's been a really long and tiring day. 

I'm drained from all I've been through today.

After four more hours of almost constant cleaning while trying to avoid anything that would take me to Bruno's office. I know that she's still there with him and I don't want to see them again.

There is actually no telling what I might do in the state I'm in currently. 

I've come too close to losing my job twice today and I shouldn't push it. 

This is unarguably one of my worst days since I started working here. 

I didn't even have time to sit down and clear my head.

It's finally closing time and I head to the locker room to get my stuff. 

I head outside to the bicycle parking rack and hop on into my company car. 

My stomach rumbles as I do so and I remember that I haven't had anything to eat today. 

That soggy sandwich would have come in handy now. 

I remember I don't have anything at home to eat either. 

I need to go grocery shopping. 

I get into the car and start the engine, as I drive, I wonder why Bruno even gave me this car in the first place.

Bruno clearly didn’t like me, not that I minded that, I also didn’t like him.

I hated him and his entitled spoilt behavior, 

I hated that he got away with whatever he wanted.

And now I hated him because he had snatched my girlfriend.

Bruno most likely gave me this car to remind me of his place in my life. Bruno probably wanted to feel like God, he wanted to remind me that regardless of what I did or who I was, he could always snatch away everything from me.

Like my girlfriend, this car or even my job.

I drove to the nearest supermarket for my grocery shopping.

The car is so worn out but it's what I manage for now. 

I certainly cannot afford a car of my own and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to maintain it for long, especially not with the ever increasing fuel prices.

Not that I can afford it now.

The engine sounds so rusty and I keep attracting weird stares from people around. I sigh loudly as I think of how much it would cost me to replace it. 

The last time I changed the exhaust, it had cost me €100 and I knew if I removed that amount from my account now, it was likely to be a very tough incoming couple of days. The savings I had currently weren't even enough to take care of myself, not to talk of my family.

The thought of my family makes my heart ache. It saddens me that I can't put in more than I currently do. 

And then there's my sister, Tamara and her college tuition. I do not want her to have to drop out or not go to college because of tuition fees. 

She must not go through the same thing I am going through now. 

I should have used the money I wasted on Oceana's fees for her. I only paid Oceanas' first because I thought when we got married we would be able to work together to take care of my sister. I was such a fool. I should have focused on what really mattered, but I was so blinded by love. 

As it is now, Tamara already has an after school job working at a small department store to try and earn some money she can save for later. 

I know very well that my dad can't work to contribute to her upkeep. He had broken his legs years back while working in a building site. He hadn't seen the incoming trailer that had hit him. 

We had had to spend all of his savings on treatment and it still left him disabled because it wasn't enough. He hasn't been able to walk since the accident. The hospital had refused to continue treatment when we couldn't foot the bills anymore. 

The pay at that job wasn't even that good but he kept doing his best there to at least put some food on the table. The contractors and the company did not even offer any form of compensation to him. Instead, they replaced him as soon as it happened. 

He couldn't find any job after that and I had to drop out to help, not like it had made a big difference in our finances.

As for my mother, I have never met her. 

I'm so distracted by my thoughts that I nearly hit someone about to cross the road. 

“Are you high or something?” the man who looks evidently younger than me shouts. 

“I'm so sorry!” I shout back, rubbing my hands together in a sorry motion.

 He looks me up and down and scowls. 

“Sorry for yourself. And get that piece of shit off the road,” he says, hitting my car angrily before he walks away.

I am tempted for a second to say something back but I really do not want to cause a scene here right now. 

God knows I've encountered enough scenes today. 

I wish it would all end. 

Today can’t possibly get any worse than it already is right now. 

I go back to thinking as I ride to the supermarket. 

At this point I might have to consider getting an additional job or two. I could wait at a restaurant at night. And find another cleaning job or request for extra shifts where I am currently. It doesn't matter how shitty the working conditions are right now. I need the money. My sister's fees and my dad's pain medication are at the top of my list of priorities right now. 

My shoes and new car engine will have to wait till later. 

And my rent, the list never ends. 

I might just have to go and beg the landlord for an extension of payment as soon as I arrive home. 

But first, groceries. 

As I arrive at the supermarket, I park the car inside the parking lot and go inside. I walk towards the beverage shelves. Some coffee would be nice but they're all so expensive. 

I decide to try the cereal section. I find one that looks good and isn't too expensive. 

This would last me for another two weeks and so I put it in my shopping basket. 

Remembering I also don't have any milk, I walk over to the refrigerators to get some. I'm taken aback by the prices I see there. 

Isn't this supposed to be just milk? 

Why is it so expensive? 

I can't afford a whole gallon right now. 

I move to the shelves close by where there's tin milk. A tin of milk for €10. It's not even that big. If I could, I would just walk out of this supermarket right now without buying anything. Deep down I know I can't unless I want to starve or beg for food. I don't think I'm prepared to do either today. I keep walking around and scouting the shelves for the cheapest milk I can get. I keep feeling like someone is watching me but I shrug off the feeling and keep looking. 

As I am checking, I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. I turn around to see a stocky middle aged lady who has a displeased look on her face. She has a tag on her uniform blouse that makes me realize she's a saleswoman. 

“Can I help you?" she asks. 

“No ma'am, I'm fine", I reply her and turn back to my shopping.

“Can you please get out of here now? I've been watching you walk around for a while now. If you have no money to buy anything, why come here in the first place?” She screams at me with a look of disgust in her face.

I sigh deeply trying to control my anger

“The prices are just too high, I was just checking to see if there's one with a cheaper price,” I tell her 

She stares at me in a mix of wonder and disgust

“If you don't have the money, why did you bother coming here? Did you see the name of this place? This isn't the €1 store. Get out of here now before I call the security to throw you out like a madman. This supermarket isn't made for the likes of you. You look so scrawny. You couldn't even get a better shirt and you think you can afford to buy something from this supermarket,” She shouts loudly, embarrassing me.

Other shoppers begin to look our way. 

Beads of sweat pour down my body. 

I know my shirt looks dirty but that's only because I used it earlier to clean coffee off Bruno's shoes. My shoes also look old and weathered but that doesn't give her the right to insult me like this. I'm still a customer.

“Look, I may be poor but I still have the right to be here. I'm still a customer here and you can't talk to me like that. You don't talk to people like that. You know, the world revolves and one day I may be your boss,” I spit angrily, my hands folded at my side to try and check my anger. 

“Be my boss? Are you for real? Now if you are done dreaming, kindly exit this store now that I'm still being nice,” she says with a sarcastic laugh. 

Just then, a middle aged man in good clothing walks towards us and looks between us in a questioning manner.

He clasps his hands, cocks his head and asks, “What is going on here?”.

“Sir, thank goodness you are here now. This young man is a thief. He can't pay an ordinary €10 for a tin of milk and he's been walking around suspiciously. I watched him for a while before coming over to speak with him. I suggest we throw him out now. We do not want to give our other important shoppers the wrong impression that they are not safe here,” the saleswoman explains. 

The middle aged man who I guess is the manager gives me a cold look and takes in my appearance.

“What are you? A thief? What are you doing here when you can't buy the cheapest thing in this supermarket? Does this place look to you like a charity store where beggars like yourself come to take as they please,” He shouts and a small crowd has gathered around us.

I manage a small smile. I had thought the boss would be more sensible than his worker. 

What was I thinking? 

They're all just the same.

“I'm here to buy something. Won't you let me buy from you?” I ask. 

My voice sounds hoarse. 

More customers are looking our way and I'm wishing the ground would open up and swallow me.

People begin to talk around me and they're not even trying hard enough to whisper. 

“He has no shame thinking he can steal from a place as crowded as this” One of them says, throwing me a disapproving look.

“Just look at how he's dressed. He looks like a beggar. Whatever gave him the idea to come in here,”

“I wonder what's taking them so long to oust him out of this place. I can't believe I have to stay in a place where someone as poor as he is stands,” 

I am so embarrassed. 

“It seems to me that you really do not respect yourself. Don't worry, I will show you just how we treat every thief, whether or not you are a first class or second class thief,” the manager mocks, then he goes over to the wall and presses a bell. 

In a small moment, two large muscular men in dark suits come through the door and stand behind both of us, their heights towering over us. 

“Throw him out of here like the madman that he is,” the manager orders and points towards me.

The two bodyguards come to stand on each side of me. 

They grab me by the hands and I try to struggle to free myself. 

They’re so strong that I can't get myself out of their arms.

They both drag me out and fling outside the door. 

As if I am not humiliated enough, I can see a flash of red hair and I hear a mocking voice that I immediately recognise as Oceanas'. 

“I see you've had yourself thrown out of another place,” she says and laughs.

Of all the times for her to show up, it had to be now. I get up and see she's with Bruno. 

Her hands are locked with his as they both laugh and walk into the supermarket. And I had thought that today couldn't get worse. 

It just has. 

I walk over to my car feeling dejected. I've had enough problems for one day. 

I should just go home.