I stepped out of my apartment building and started my walk to the store. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze in the air, making it a perfect day for a walk. As I approached the store, I saw Ashley, my boss, behind the counter.
She saw me and waved hello. "Hey, Kai!" she called out.
"Hey, Ashley!" I replied, making my way over to the counter.
"How's it going?" Ashley grinned. "Can't complain. Business has been good and we're getting a lot of new customers thanks to you and Ethan." I felt a surge of pride at her words.
"Glad to hear it. Ethan's a quick learner and a hard worker." Ashley nodded in agreement.
"He sure is. You two make a great team." She smiled.
"Yeah, I think we do. It's nice to have someone to work with who's on the same page." I leaned against the counter.
"So, how's your grandma doing?"She asked
I shrugged. "She's hanging in there. We're managing."
Ashley's expression softened. "You're doing a great job taking care of her, Kai. I know it's not easy."
I felt a lump form in my throat at her kind words. "Thanks, Ashley. It means a lot." I head inside and make my way to the back of the store, where I see Ethan already organizing some inventory.
"Hey man, ready to get started?" I ask as I approach him. Ethan turns to me and grins. "Always ready, Kai. Let's do this." We spend the next few hours working together, putting away shipments, and organizing the shelves.
As we work, we chat about our favorite music, movies, and books. It's easy to talk to Ethan, and I feel like we're becoming good friends. As we finish up for the day, Ashley comes into the back to check on our progress.
Great job, you two. You're really starting to make this place look amazing."
I smile at her. "Thanks, Ashley. We're just doing our best." She nods in agreement.
"Well, your best is definitely paying off. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you both tomorrow." Ethan and I nod in unison and make our way out of the store. As we walk out, Ethan turns to me.
"Hey, do you want to grab at my place? My treat." He smiled at the invitation.
"Sure, that sounds great. Thanks, man." As we walked towards my grandma's house, I could sense Ethan's excitement. He kept looking around and asking questions about the neighborhood, and I could tell he was curious about everything. When we arrived at the small, cozy house, my grandma greeted us warmly and welcomed us in.
"Kai, my dear, who is this young man with you?" she asked, smiling at Ethan.
"Grandma, this is my new coworker, Ethan. He's been working with me at the store," I replied, introducing him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Ethan said politely, extending his hand. My grandma shook his hand and smiled.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ethan. Please, make yourself at home." We sat down at the small table in the kitchen, and my grandma brought out a delicious meal she had prepared for us.
As we ate, my grandma asked Ethan about his life and his family, and he opened up to her easily. I could tell he felt comfortable with her, just as I did. Ethan's phone suddenly rang, when he picked up after a few minutes his face dropped and he said that Ashley's store was being robbed and with that, he took off.
I quickly followed Ethan as he took off toward the store. My heart was pounding in my chest as I ran after him, not knowing what to expect when we got there. As we approached the store, I could see that there were people outside with their lights flashing. Ethan ran up to Ashley, who was talking to a man who seemed like he was in charge of offenses like this.
"Are you okay?" he asked her. Ashley nodded.
"I'm fine. They didn't hurt me, but they did get away with a lot of our merchandise."
Ethan looked around the store, assessing the damage. Shelves had been overturned and clothes were strewn all over the floor. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. I could see the anger and frustration in his eyes as he took in the scene. He turned to me. "Kai, can you help me clean this up?"
I nodded in agreement, not knowing where to start. Together, we began to pick up the clothes and put them back on the shelves, trying our best to make sense of the chaos. It wasn't long before Ashley came over to us with a solemn expression on her face.
"Guys, I need to talk to you both," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. We followed her to a quieter corner of the store, where she proceeded to break the news to us.
"I'm sorry, but I can't keep you both on. With the store in this condition, I won't be able to make enough money to pay you both. I understand if you need to look for other jobs."
Ethan and I exchanged a glance. It was a tough pill to swallow, but we both knew that it was a possibility. We had seen firsthand the devastation that the robbery had caused, and we couldn't imagine how hard it would be for Ashley to try and keep the store afloat.
"We understand," Ethan said, putting a reassuring hand on Ashley's shoulder. "We'll start looking for other jobs right away."
As we walked back to my grandmother's house, Ethan and I talked about the robbery and how we were going to manage without a job. I was grateful to have him by my side, even though I knew he was probably just as scared and uncertain as I was. When we arrived at my grandmother's house, Ethan turned to me and said, "I'll see you later, man. Take care of yourself."
I nodded, feeling a sense of loss as he walked away. Ethan had become more than just a coworker - he was a friend, someone I could count on in times of trouble. But now that the store was closed, I wasn't sure if we would ever see each other again.
As I walked into my grandmother's house, she looked up from her knitting and asked, "What happened? Why did you come back so early?"
I took a deep breath and told her everything that had happened at the store. How the store had been robbed, and how Ashley had told us that she couldn't pay us anymore. My grandmother listened intently, her face creased with worry.
"What are you going to do now?" she asked when I finished.
I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try to find another job."
My grandmother nodded. "That's a good idea. But don't worry too much, Kai. You'll figure something out."
Her words brought me some comfort, but I couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty that had settled over me. How was I going to provide for my family? How was I going to make ends meet without a steady income? These questions swirled around in my head as I tried to sleep that night, making it hard for me to find any rest.