WashijaChristmas is the most wonderful time of the year. The streets are carpeted with snow, trees, and buildings covered in lights, the smell of delicious food in the air. It is filled with joyous times with friends and family, making memories and of course, exchanging gifts! Everyone is in a relaxed mood and consumed by the warm holiday spirit. Everyone except those who work in retail. For them, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Their days consist of endless hours, massive crowds, and some entitled uncivilized buyers who can reconstruct the happy holiday times into an ordeal.
Sarah Bélanger Demaneuf was one such retail worker who had an unpleasant experience with a customer over a Christmas ornament. Sarah decided to take the perfect revenge from the rude woman and years later this incident still makes her smile.
Time To Get Up
The clock struck 7 and Sarah’s alarm went off. She groaned in her sleep and shoved the clock away. Even after 2 years of working at the store, she was still not a morning person. Especially this time of the year, when it is freezing outside and leaving your warm bed is the most difficult task. Even more difficult than handling the busy crowds of Christmas.
Retail Clerk
Sarah worked as a clerk at a retail store. This will be her second Christmas at this store and she was not happy about it, to say the least. People were crazy this time of the year, fighting with each other for the last pieces of Christmas items. The crowd never seemed to shrink, it was always packed at the store. There was a consistent murmur in Sarah’s head because of all the chatter.
Can’t Complain
Despite everything, Sarah never complained about her job because she knew she is lucky to have one. It is not like it is her dream to work here but, at least, it was a steady income. She had a love for photography but she never considered it more than a hobby.
Swamped Streets
The wiper blades were running back and forth across the frosty windshield. Even after turning on the heat, Sarah’s car was not warm enough. It was quite early in the morning so the streets were kind of empty right now. But she knew, soon enough, they will be swamped with people, people on foot, people in cars, people on buses, people everywhere.
Reaching The Store
As she pulled up into the store driveway, Sarah could see a few people lingering outside the store already. She sighed and got out of the car. Her boots made crunching sounds as she walked across the snowy parking lot. The store keys jingled in her hands as she unlocked the door. The familiar warmth inside the store enveloped her instantly.
Get To Work
Sarah turned on the lights and made her way to the counter. She poured herself a cup of warm cappuccino from the machine and checked the cash register, ensuring she had everything in place before the day starts. Once everything was ready, she reached the front door and changed the sign to ‘OPEN’. It was time to get to work.