The Guy At The Counter

When was that? The day I lied to the guy on the counter. It seems to be a long time since that day. I still remember it just like yesterday. He was sitting there sniffing one winter evening, so I asked him if he was alright. He shrugged at my question and never answered, since I had no time to wait for his answer, I ignored his silence and took off to board the bus. Yes, I lied that day. I knew he was really sick but his ignorance had caught me off guard. I saw him again that evening. He was still working late at night when I returned from a date. It was pretty late for a gift shop to be open. I tried to hold myself but it was until I saw his pink face with a runny nose, hardly managing alone while he was on duty. I wondered what the owner was doing while his employee was about to die of cold.

I hesitated at first, but it was strange of me to offer him a cup of coffee.

“It’s okay.”, I said when he ignored me once again. He accepted my little kind gesture and thanked me. I stood right there watching him taking a sip of coffee and I felt my cheeks getting flushed when his cheeks turned red in fever. He frowned and asked me if I would like to get something from the shop. I do not have a niece but I lied to the guy that day, “Yes..! For my niece’ birthday.”, I already had spent a hella amount that day to buy a gift for my date. And here, what could I have been thinking?

“Niece?”, he asked for confirmation.

Regardless, he let me take a tour around the shop. He did not ask me anything and even though I was not interested in buying gifts, even if the very purpose for me to be there was not clear, I stayed there. He finished his coffee and talked. “How was the date?”

So he cared, I shook my head in disappointment. “It was more like a blind date.”

He looked far into the road, so I couldn’t find what expression he wore at that moment. Soon after I decided to return home, it had started to rain. My house was two streets away from the shop. He watched the rain with his lips parted, although it was not a surprise that it rained as it had been raining for about a week. His hair was messy, he had curly hair it got frizzier than when I saw him that morning.

“Ah, my bad!”

He rushed in and disappeared for a moment. When he came back, he carried an umbrella with him. I did not decline it, I took the umbrella and he billed it, and did not take a second look at how I was walking through the rainy road. Throughout the conversation, he never looked straight into my eyes. He looked nonchalant and serious.

After that day, I do not see the guy at all, I walk past the shop almost every day. And sometimes I do wonder where in the world he is. I remember his vibe, the comfortable abode he made when he was around. It has already been a month without the guy at the counter. The shop has hired a new employee, I happened to see the new guy this morning. That made me wonder how many times could I have made a proper conversation with him? Twice? Thrice? Ah, yes, I used to watch him sitting at the counter and collecting bills every day. Sometimes he watched the packed road from the shop window. He always smelt nice even though he was not nice. I miss watching him doing his routine, it kinda affects my daily life. After that day, it has rained last week, I guess it was a Thursday. I declined another blind date that my officemate had set for me. I carried the umbrella he gave on the way back home when I crossed the shop, suddenly I took a wrong turn and that turn lead me to the entrance of that shop.

That’s when I noticed a mirror in front of the counter that showed the other side of the road, that is the path I take. And I wondered if he used to see me walk through that mirror like I did every morning and evening.