Solace at the Spar
Brenden watched as the first few people trickled in. The sugar rush of Christmas replaced with the comedown of January. It was 5:30am, the prologue to the daily commute. Brenden had a tray of limited edition Areos to price up.
How could Aeros be limited edition? It wasn’t as if someone was going to frame it and put it in their front room. Yes, it does rather draw the eye doesn’t it? A striking piece, limited edition you know.
The punters weren’t bothering him this morning so the Aeros could wait. The punters seemed to be sucked into the gravitational pull of the Costa Coffee concession, forming a grumpy Conga line.
It wouldn’t stay quiet for Brenden for long . The bastards would start coming in and asking for stuff. Twats.
I wonder where they’re all going?
He recognised one or two. They left looking tired and grey and came back looking drained and annoyed, but at least they went somewhere.
“Alrigh Brendan?”
“Alrigh Suz.” At least she hadn’t called him Brenda today, it had been funny the first time, the next dozen a little less so.
“How’s it going?”
“Yeah not bad.” she smoothed her yellow high vis security jacket down.
“How’s the wife?” he asked her, Suzie pulled a face.
“Oh you know, same old same old, women eh?” she shrugged. “Anyway I…”
“Yeah see you later Suz.”
Brenden chewed his lip as he watched her walk off.
“Well those Twix’s aren’t going to price themselves.” As soon as said it Brenden felt a flair of self hatred, but carried on with with the task in hand. He’d brought too many boxes out and realised that he’d have to take the rest back to the store room. Brenden thought about taking the trolley, balls to it, it’s only a couple of boxes it’ll only take a few minutes. So he locked the door to the store and started to walk towards the ticket barriers, the store room was just beyond them. Balls, Brenden realised that his pass was in his back pocket. He balanced the boxes in one hand and and fished the pass out with the other. He wobbled to the left. He wobbled to the right before dropping all of the boxes. There was a bright flash as Brenden scrabbled after the Aeros spilling across the station floor. He looked up to see a rake thin man in his thirties smirking and tapping on his phone. The smirk melted, the man sighed and walked towards the ticket barriers. Brendan could feel his face grow hot and he crushed one of the Areos in a fist. I’ll have to pay for that, he thought as the man with phone disappeared into the crowd.
““Come on now! Come on now! You’re making the counter wet and I’ve only just cleaned it!” he was only half joking. Suzie lifted her head and smiled which caused a snot bubble to flower in her left nostril.”
It was just half an hour till he could go home and Brenden was celebrating by eating a packed of Pickled Onion Monster Munch as he watched the commuters filing back looking tired, stressed and annoyed. They’d pop in for some milk on the way home or if the day had been particularly bad a six pack or a bottle of wine. It was rarely a bottle of wine, and Brenden would make a point of continuing to eat the Monster Munch as he served them.
“Another day another £4.48.” Brenden said and felt another bite of self hatred. He began to cash up when Suzie barrelled in her face glistening with tears.
“She’s left me Brenden! The fucking cow!” She came up to the counter and dropped her head on it sobbing.
“I’m...i’m sorry.” he lighly tapped her head as though he might get a shock off her.
“Come on now! Come on now! You’re making the counter wet and I’ve only just cleaned it!” he was only half joking. Suzie lifted her head and smiled which caused a snot bubble to flower in her left nostril.
“Ah for Christ’s sake Suz, that’s disgusting.” he quickly got her some blue roll to blow her nose.
“I really love her Brenden” she sucked in huge lungfulls of air in as she forced the words out between sobs. “I don’t know what I did wrong.”
To his surprise Brenden could feel himself begin to tear up. it made his heart ache to she her so miserable.
“I’m sorry Suz, you’re too good for her, trust me you’ll be fighting them off.” this didn’t seem to help.
“Fancy an Aero? Here you go have two. Their limited edition.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah you know it’s the least I can do.”
“Brenden that’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me all week.” She pocketed the chocolate bars and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
“Thanks Brenden. I’ll see you tomorrow.”