Only Once

Chapter Twenty-Two: Good News

Chapter Twenty-Two: Good News

Christmas was just around the corner. With the cheery holiday music that was constantly blaring on radios and speakers; and the crowds of people that gathered at malls and stores doing last minute holiday shopping, that fact was cleanly inevitable.

The local mall, for one, was crowded with people. All around, jovial beings were bustling around carrying their much valued purchases and gifts. Seniors were hobbling around, desperate to find cheap gifts for their grandkids. Parents were dragging their children from one store to another, seeing what they wanted and secretly trying to purchase them while the children weren’t looking. The food courts were crowded with shoppers taking a short-lived break or loitering teenagers and preteens who merely wanted to be at the mall for its atmosphere and to hangout.

It seemed that everyone was happy and cheerful. That is, everyone was happy and cheerful but one particularly person.  

Spencer Collins, who was standing at the entrance of the local Target, was far from happy. In fact, he was nothing less than the opposite of happy. He, more simply put, reeked of displeasure as he handed shoppers flyers and told them all the same boring line in his monotone voice,

“Welcome to Target. Merry Christmas.”

He looked over at an elderly couple and handed them a flyer disclosing the discounts of the day.

“Welcome to Target. Merry Christmas.”

He walked towards a family and, again, handed another flyer.

“Welcome to Target. Merry Christmas.”

Some people would have looked at him and replied with a bright ‘thanks’. Others, however, simply ignored and disregarded him and continued on with whatever it was they were doing. After all, it wasn’t as if anyone could care about and give their time of day to a door greeter at Target. They had far more important things, such as present shopping, to worry about.

Children though, he noted, always seemed to notice him. Children, it seemed, were the most observant of them all. Due to their natural curiosity and bliss, children simply had to pay attention to every detail of their life and surroundings.

“Ahem.”

Spencer looked over to find his boss and manager standing a few meters away beside a brightly decorated Christmas tree, crossing his arms and staring at him. He casually pointed at a family of three and Spencer realized that he had forgotten to give them a flyer.

“Shit,” Spencer muttered as he chased after them, flyers in hand.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that he had to stand around and hand out flyers while pretending to be merry, he was also under the constant watch of his vigilant boss. It was an apparent and unfortunate fact that under these conditions and times, screw-ups had to be a word of the past.

“Welcome to Target. Merry Christmas.” He said when he got up to them.

“Oh.” The woman said perplexedly, taking the flyer from him. “Thank you.”

Spencer was about to reply with a ‘no problem’ until he heard their little girl speak.

“That’s a boy, right?”

The dad let out an embarrassed chuckle while Spencer frowned; the ability to differentiate his gender had never been an issue before.  

“Yes, sweetie, he’s a boy.” The dad told his daughter.

“Then why does he have long hair?”

“Although unlikely, boys can have long hair too.” The mother explained and Spencer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Everything about that family, from the mother’s stiffness to the little girl’s obliviousness, screamed conservative.