CAUGHT (REVAMPED)

7

Elijah Alkie Rivera

"Elijah, pa-display nitong box sa may junk foods, please!"

My hands stopped arranging the canned goods and tried to find Sam. When I saw her na bitbit ang box, I immediately moved towards her.

"Hala, Sam! You can't carry this. You should have called me." I worriedly took the box from her and checked her out.

"Are you okay? Rest ka na ulit doon. I can handle this," I assured her.

She laughed and pinched my cheek. "Sige. Ikaw na bahala diyan."

It's more than two weeks na rin since I started working here sa store and all I can say is I'm happier than I have ever been. I love what I'm doing and I'm happy na I earn money without having to sell my body.

"Hello! Good afternoon po!" I greeted happily the customers coming in.

The guy wearing an army green hoody went near my shelf. I smiled when he caught me looking at him.

"Hi, sir!" I greeted him again.

I remember him, he's becoming a regular na here sa store. I see him coming here everyday. He comes in during the afternoons and kapag malapit na akong matapos sa shift ko.

Nag-smile siya sa akin at tumango. His eyes lingered on my face for a few seconds before he snatched chichirya sa tabi. I flinched when his body light grazed my shoulder when he walked past me.

My eyes unconsciously followed him when he started whistling.

I don't know why but it's making me feel unsettled. Umiling ako. I should stop overthinking things, hindi siya good for my mental health.

I went back to arranging the items from the box and minded my own business. I can feel eyes on me but I did not dare to turn my head and i-check kung sino ito.

I feel like I knew who but it'll only fuel my fear. Maybe paranoid lang ako. This place is different. The past won't happen to me again.

"Elijah, can you help me here?" Ang tawag ni Sam sa akin when she popped dulo ng shelf.

"Yes, Sam." Nagmamadali kong inilagay sa shelf ang mga items before I picked up 'yong box sa floor.

Before I went to Sam, I noticed him moving away from the shelf na opposite sa pinaglalagyan ko ng items. I sighed. Maybe I'm hungry lang.

"Ugh, kapagod na tumayo. Gutom na rin ako." My head turned to the side kung nasaan si Abigail at nag-smile.

"You can sit, Abi." I offered while I continued to swipe iyong item na binili ng customer. "I can handle this".

Umiling siya. "Naku, 'wag na. Malapit na rin naman tayong mag-out."

"Well, you can prepare your things na lang." I turned to look at the customer with a polite smile. "That will be 577 pesos and 25 cents po."

The woman handed me her bills and smiled back at me. I picked money na for her change and counted it in front of her.

"Thank you po, doc," I said when she grabbed her paper bag na.

She laughed. "Always so sweet, Elijah. Thank you."

Abi nudged my shoulders playfully. I just laughed at her and entertained the following customer.

"Ang lakas humatak ng customer niyang face card mo, Eli. Hindi naman ganiyan kabait sa akin mga customer."

"You look galit kasi, Abi," I laughed. "Though I know naman na you don"t mean it."