+++ This is a fictional story. +++
It was a sunny warm Saturday. I was working at my ancle’s car dealer from morning all day. It was my Part-Time job as I
Was still a student. I didn’t mind this job, I was mostly serving coffee anyway.
I wasn’t if the car dealer was making good money, and whenever I worked in the weekends there, I was always crowded with people, mostly families with kids, asking questions, chatting, looking & trying. Of course, kids running around. I guess, because after all, this is the only car dealer in town, and it was quite big too. My ancle was proud of his shop. He even installed a mini merry-go-around inside the shop to attract people! And he did attract all kinds of people. Sometimes I was not sure it was a car dealer, or a town center…
Anyway, this strange man came up to me. He said, “can you watch my kid for a sec?” But he didn’t even wait for my response, already push a small child, no more than 1 year old, into my arms. Maybe he thought since I was working there, I had no reason to refuse… then with no thank you, no expression, he just hurried away and disappeared into the crowds. I was half shocked, who was he? When would he be back? I opened my eyes wide with disbelief, then I looked down at what was in my arms… ok, that’s a little girl. She was not shocked at all. In fact, she was smiling to me happily, as if she had known me for a long time, as if I was her aunt or something. So, what now?
She said, “can you put your hands under my pat pat please? I like that…” I thought, Really? First question is not what’s your name? Or Hello… but that? Whatever…
I did what she requested. Just like any little child, she had meaty legs and round soft buns, not sure if she was wearing pampers or training pants. Anyway, I was still thinking what to do next, standing there among all these people, and the girl was giggling in my arms and playing with my hair… Next thing I knew, my arms felt an urgent warm (actually hot!) feeling rushed into my arms, and then the smell… Did she just shit on me??? Then, she laughed even louder, even more happily, in a wicked way. Is that what you enjoy? I thought…
Anyway, the man gave me nothing, and I had something to change to, so I just waited blankly, until I didn’t know when, may be a century later? He was finally back, just a really quick “thanks”, he didn’t even looked into my eyes, just picked up the girl from my arms and hurried away like the way he came.
Oh god! That was the first time I thought I hated children. I didn’t even ask my boss, which was my ancle, I just went out to the door and put up a sign on the glass door, “No children under 2 year old” the sign said.
***
I love my shop. I love my town. I love people.
I used to work in a garage when I was young. Then, somebody introduced to work in a car dealer. The rest is history.
I was happy to own this shop. It was the only car dealer in this town, and we have a mini merry-go-around as our attraction. I knew all the people in the town. It was just a small peaceful town, in southern France, nearby the sea. There were not so much in town, just some cafes, some restaurants, some gift shops, some glocery shops & local wineries. But we always attract many tourists from nearby towns to enjoy the peaceful warm afternoons and joyful summer here. They sometimes rent cars or scooters from us too.
And then, one busy weekend afternoon, I was just busy serving customers & drinking my coffee, out of nowhere, an unbelievably loud sound, breaking all the glass windows, i only remembered seeing things & people flying in midair, the ground shaked for like 10 seconds. I felt pain everywhere. I had hard time standing up. It’s a mess around. And I couldn’t hear anything. My ears were in pain too. I stood up to what looked like Armageddon. I couldn’t understand what happened and why. There was blood & broken body parts everywhere. I felt wetness on my face, not sure it was tears or blood or sweat…
My niece, who was working in my shop, crawled up to me, looking weak and asked me, “did we just had a bomb?” I was shocked. Was that it? But why? I heard the ambulance sound coming… and I lost conscience.
+++ The End +++