Holiday Shift

“What should I get the kids?”

“The board game would be a family gift for us all, or I could just stick to something I know they would all like”

“The boots I have been wanting all year are finally on sale, we have just got to go check out Shoe Lot after this.”

These are all examples of things you should expect to hear if you work in a mall, especially during the Christmas season - that is when it’s the worst. I sighed, sitting down my mop, wiping the sweat off of my forehead - as they liked to keep the heat at around a solid eighty-nine degrees, something about keeping the customers ‘warm’. Obviously, they didn’t seem to mind the fact that the workers - I included - found this sweltering heat obnoxious. 

Just as I was going for a swig of my Aquafina water - which was much needed at the moment - I got interrupted. I groaned, feeling the need to throw something increase, but that would be considered ‘immaturity’ in my boss’ eyes. I plastered on the best - and least fake - smile that I could, turning to the customer.

“Welcome to Fiona’s Firs, we offer high-quality fir trees that will make your Christmas tree one of the best! Is there anything I could help you with?” 

That recited line would probably never leave my head, as it was repeated throughout the day like a chant. 

The elderly lady looked around the shop, probably taking in the many trees that lined the wall - each decorated to the boss’ liking. She walked over to one of the smaller trees, taking in its exquisite design - gold ornaments were scattered around the tree, illuminating themselves amongst the neverending green tone of the tree. Silver ribbon wrapped around the tree like a second skin, contrasting against the golden hue of the ornaments. At the very top, a light-up star sat, its white light shining upon the store creating a ‘spotlight’ of some sort. It was just small enough that it could be sat on a dining table as a centerpiece.

She just kept staring at the tree, almost as if in awe. I rolled my eyes, I would give her time to look but I had other customers to attend to. Walking back to the register, I repeated that neverending ‘intro’ to our store. 

Five customers later and that lady was still at the tree, I hesitantly made my way over to her. I stood in front of her gesturing to the tree.

“Ma’am I couldn’t help but notice your immense interest in this certain tree, would you like to purchase it. It comes with the decorations and everything, today is your lucky day. We are having a fifty-percent off sale on all tree’s under two feet tall”

I ranted on about the sale, hoping she would just buy the tree and move along. Compared to others I didn’t have a particularly exciting holiday planned, but anything beats working until nine-thirty on Christmas Eve. 

Not getting a response from the woman, I sighed - leaving her to her ‘staring’. I didn’t even reach five feet away from the tree when I heard her speak. 

“Before my husband died, he said he wanted to find the perfect Christmas tree for our last Christmas together. I-I think I have finally found it, if only he were here to see it”

As she spoke tears welled up in her eyes, sobs racking her frail body.

I listened to her, now feeling quite guilty for thinking the things that I did earlier, as the woman was clearly upset. 

“Living alone, I never get to experience the ‘warmth’ of Christmas anymore, it’s still one of my favorite holidays, but it’s lost that ‘magic’ that it once held. It hurts having no one to spend it with, every time I think about how our Christmas was before he passed, I break down. Not one Christmas is spent without me sobbing, looking back at worn-out photos of my family.” she choked out, obviously more hurt than she let on.

It was at this moment that I realized I needed to make a decision, I could let her spend - yet another - Christmas day sitting on the floor surrounded by old pictures, or I could take this chance to maybe be someones ‘Christmas miracle’. 

As bad of a mood I was in today, I wasn’t always in such a mood - as hard as it is to believe. I sighed, before opening my mouth to speak - hoping for the best.

“Ma’am I know this may seem odd, but would you like to spend Christmas with me in one of the local cafes, I don’t have anything planned for that day and we could both have a Christmas without being alone..” 

At this point, I was ranting, trying to cover up my embarrassing request in case she did decline. I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, in hopes of dispelling some of the tension that came from the fact that she hadn’t yet replied.

I looked up hesitantly, nervous to see what kind of expression she would be wearing. I was shocked to see that instead of the judgmental glare I had been expecting, she instead has tears streaming down her face. I panicked, thinking I had made her more upset by requesting such a thing.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, ma’am, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I was simply just suggesting it…” I muttered, scared of messing this up any more than I had already.

“No, it is not that. It is the fact that for the first time since he died, someone has actually offered to spend Christmas with me - instead, leaving me to celebrate Christmas myself.” she wiped the streaming tears off of her rosy cheeks - probably from the amount of crying she had been doing. 

“I would love to spend Christmas with you, it will feel nice to not have to sit in the house all day, stuck in my own thoughts”

She beamed, and the light in her eyes had returned for the first time since she had entered the store. I could just feel in my heart that this was the first time she had smiled in a while, and it made me so happy that I could cause that. 

Following our conversation, she strode to where the tree was located, lifting it up. Sitting it down on the counter she dug into her clutch, pulling out a twenty-dollar bill. 

“You can keep the change, think of it as a thank you gift for helping brighten my otherwise dreary day. So is 7:30 a good time for our ‘Christmas meet-up’?” she asked, picking the tree back up off of the counter. 

“It sure is”

She smiled waving slightly, as she approached the exit doors. I smiled to myself, going back to my previous job of mopping.

“I guess you never know what is going to take place when you work the holiday shift, huh?” I mumbled to myself.