AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She finally withdraws the banana, but eyes it warily. “I hear they’re growing bananas in Iceland now. Maybe you should look into it?” And then she tucks the banana—the single banana—into her basket and strolls away.
I let out a long, slow breath. Managing this market looked a lot easier when it was my mother who handled these kinds of questions. I wrap my hand around the pewter star charm at the end of the chain around my neck. Miss you, Ma.
I look up at the clock then walk over to Anna, one of the cashiers who has been here for years.
“The shipment from Walsh’s is late again, and when I call them, I already know they’re going to tell me they lost my order. How did my mother manage all of this?”
Anna shrugs. “With a grace only a few people possess,” she answers.
It’s true about my mom. I don’t think I fully realized how hard it was for her to raise me on her own until she was gone. We’d never been wealthy, but after I came of age and started working, at least we had two incomes to pay for the rent and bills.
Anna comes over and puts an arm around me. “Take off early,” she says. “I can close up.”
I shake my head. When my mom had this job, she was on salary, but the owner switched it to hourly when I took the position.
Let’s just say I desperately need the hours.
“It’s fine, Anna,” I say. “But it’s been so slow, you go home and take some weight off your legs. I can handle things from here.”
Anna looks skeptical. “I wouldn’t want to leave you alone with the banana guard again.”
I smile. “I don’t think she’ll be back. And if she returns, I’ll just ask her for her Iceland banana contacts, since she knows so much about it.”
Anna smiles and rubs my shoulder. “Alright. But next time, it’s your turn to relax.”
She heads into the back to put her apron away and then heads home to her husband and kids. Better for her to go anyway because there’s no one waiting at home for me.
I’m just about to start my closing process when the phone rings.
“O’Sullivan’s market,” I answer.
“Sophia Kelly, if you please,” says a clipped man’s voice on the other end.
My stomach sinks. I already know what this is, but I can’t exactly hang up. “This is she.”
“Ms. Kelly, I’m calling on behalf of your landlord, Mr. Murphy. He’s hired me to mediate in your dispute over your back rent.”
I fiddle with a thread hanging loosely from my apron. I can’t believe they called so late in hopes to get a hold of me, but I guess it worked.
“There’s no dispute. I know I owe him. My mother died this last year and had dementia. I had to stay home with her, so neither of us were working and—”
“I understand,” the collector says, and to his credit, he manages to sound like he does. “Mr. Murphy has been patient with you, but now that you’re working again and back on your feet, he’s told you several times he expects you to begin making double payments.”
I close my eyes. “And I’ve told him, I can barely cover the rent as is. When my mother was alive, we had two incomes, and now I’m down to one, and—”
“Ms. Kelly, if you can no longer afford the flat, and don’t intend to reimburse Mr. Murphy for his kindness during your mother’s illness, I unfortunately, have to inform you that you’ll need to vacate the premises. Your debt will then be forwarded to a
collection agency.”
My hands begin to shake. “I do intend to repay him,” I say. “It’s just I’ve gotten behind on other bills as well, and—”
“You’ll receive written notice within a few days, and the eviction will proceed unless you can pay in full. Good day to you, Ms. Kelly.”
“Good day to you,” I respond. And then the line goes dead.
I stand behind the register, looking out at the empty store. I can almost see my mother shuffling down the aisles, sweeping up the day’s dust and whistling to herself.
When she was here, working at this store was a dream. She made the place light up, and then, more than a year ago, that light slowly began to dim. The whistling stopped, as she forgot the tunes to her favorite songs. The smiles faded, replaced by a dark look of confusion as she stopped being able to understand what was happening around her.
