We'll call her Beth. She works at the self-checkout at the grocery. You know, she's one of those workers who has three people tugging on her shirt at once -- a lady with coupons, a man who wants smokes, and a confused teen who can't get the machine to take her sad, wrinkled dollar. Beth is there to come to the rescue every time. She has short, greyish hair, a thick build, and her face is rather...well...easy; that is, she's easily approachable, easy to talk to, easy in general. Easy. Nothing intimidating about her in the least. Although I bet she could take someone out in roller derby. She has that "I used to skate" or "I'd like to skate" vibe.
Well, one afternoon not long ago, I was checking out, when I looked over at Beth, and she just didn't seem herself. "How are you?" I asked her. I scanned items, dropped them on in the bags. Quickly, I might add. A master.
"Just trying to get through the day," Beth muttered.
"Man, bad day?" I asked her. Beep, beep, bag. Like Flash.
"My husband died this past week," she answered. "I can barely work."
"Didn't they give you time off?" I asked.
"A few days," she answered, sniffling.
"I'm so sorry," I said to her. And after I finished bagging my groceries, instead of leaving the store, I headed over to the flower section, and I bought a yellow bouquet. Nothing big or fancy, but cheery, no dead leaves. Then I headed back to the self checkout and looked for Beth.
When Beth saw me return, she looked confused. Then her eyes widened in that look of, How can I help you.
I held the flowers out to her. "No, I don't need help. These are for you."
Her face brightened, and I gave her a hug. Now, this was big for me. I'm not the hugging type at all, especially with strangers. But I did it, and then I left, feeling good about being good and such. Why not. The sun was out, and I had my burritos.
Well...
About a week later, I was at the same grocery, in the same self-checkout. And there was Beth, looking easy.
I glanced over at her and said, "How are you doing?"
"Great!" she replied, smiling.
"Good," I said. "And you're not missing your husband?"
"Who?" she asked me. Literally, she had no idea what I was talking about. I dug deeper, but still, she seemed dumbfounded. She said she was going on a trip with girlfriends soon. No one died.
And then I bagged my groceries and walked out the door, realizing this: perhaps I'd been scammed. Okay, not perhaps...definitely. She'd made up the story for attention and sympathy? Probably. Because she had no idea what I was talking about one week later. She didn't even have a husband, it seemed.
I guess I should've been disappointed in humanity, I'm not sure. But then I thought...maybe I needed to hug a stranger, to do something good, regardless. Maybe it was me who needed the help that day after all. Indeed, overall, scam or not, I still won.
Well, with that cutthroat mind, Beth would've kicked my ass in roller derby.
C.A. MacConnell
