Shop

“Oh, hello!” said Mrs. MacCorkle.

She hurried over to the shop assistant.

“You used to work at… oh, thingamajig, didn’t you?”

The haggard woman turned to look at her. “Yes. That’s right.”

Mrs. MacCorkle beamed. “I thought I recognised you.” She gazed off into the distance. “I was so sad when it closed…” She looked back at the assistant. “But I’m glad to see you’ve found another job.”

“Mm,” said the assistant.

She hauled a cardboard box out of a trolley and held it close to her body.

Mrs. MacCorkle smiled sympathetically. “Gosh, that looks heavy!”

“It’s fine,” said the assistant. “I just need to get it up the ladder and onto the top shelf with the rest.”

She gave a great sigh and then gingerly went up the ladder, deposited the box and came down again.

A female supervisor came over. “Could you take over on the till now?”

“Of course,” said the assistant.

She made her way over to the till with Mrs. MacCorkle following on behind.

“It’s a lovely place to work, isn’t it?” said Mrs. MacCorkle. “Bright and airy.”

“Yes,” said the assistant, as she dealt with her first customer—someone talking on their phone and not making eye contact or acknowledging her existence.

“Such a lovely atmosphere…” continued Mrs. MacCorkle.

“Indeed,” said the assistant. “Sorry—could you excuse me one moment? I just need to serve these schoolboys who are sniggering at me.”

Mrs. MacCorkle smiled. “So. Are you enjoying it here?”

The assistant turned slowly from her queue of customers and looked at Mrs. MacCorkle. Her jaw dropped and for a moment she simply stared.

“Am I enjoying it? Am I enjoying it..?”

She abruptly reached forward and embraced Mrs. MacCorkle.

“Er?” said the lady.

But the assistant appeared to be weeping.

“At last! At last! I assumed it was impossible!”

She raised her head.

“A wicked witch put a curse on me. I had to work here until someone asked the question: ‘Are you enjoying it?’ And I thought it was absolutely hopeless! Who on earth would think to say that here?”

Mrs. MacCorkle looked confused. “Well, I was just making conversation. I thought you might be enjoy—”

“I mean, you’d have to be an utter fool to ask me that question...”

Mrs. MacCorkle looked around at the other shoppers for reassurance. “It’s just the sort of thing people say, isn’t it?”

The assistant put her head on Mrs. MacCorkle’s shoulder. “But you asked it anyway and broke the spell! I’ll be forever grateful!”

The assistant suddenly let go of Mrs. MacCorkle and took a step back. Her hand flew to her mouth.

“Oh, my God. I completely forgot.”

She shook her head.

“You’ve broken the curse and released me, but now you’re doomed to take my place until someone says the magic words to you.”

The assistant solemnly removed her name badge and handed it over to Mrs. MacCorkle.

“I’m so sorry.”

“This… is sarcasm, isn’t it?” said Mrs. MacCorkle taking the badge.

The assistant embraced her one last time and ran towards the exit, pausing at the automatic doors.

“I’m off to join the circus!” she cried.

And then, she was gone.

“Ahem.”

Mrs. MacCorkle turned slowly and saw the supervisor staring at her. This time she was wearing dark robes, a pointed hat and carrying a broom.

With one gnarled finger she beckoned to Mrs. MacCorkle.

“Come my pretty.” She grinned. “You have to do your induction training.”

Mrs. MacCorkle gulped and nodded resignedly.

One cannot fight the curse of shop work.