Two months had passed.
The workload has not changed one bit.
Edward finally realised this.
So, minimum wage workers really suffer like this, huh.. No one deserves to live like this just to barely get by.
After working for a month, Edward realised the pay was barely enough for anything. It was almost a miracle to him. After covering his food and essentials, he'd only have a couple of hundred bucks left. Fortunately, he didn't need to pay for dinner since his stepmother, Olenna, would prepare it for him when he returned. He also didn't have to pay for transport, as she picked him up and dropped him off. So, he figured his co-workers, who didn't have the same luxuries, must be in a much worse situation—especially those who had to pay for transport and housing bills. It was even worse for those with families.
One of his co-workers was a married man with a daughter, and whenever Edward thought about money, he couldn't help but think about him.
Edward eventually quit his job after receiving a letter with his High School Final Examination (HSFE) results. The letter arrived just a few days before the results were due to be announced at school. As he stared at the letter, memories of his time as a cashier came flooding back, including a particularly unpleasant encounter that changed how he viewed the hardships of minimum wage work.
A week after starting at Noron's, one customer encounter permanently altered his perspective. It did not get better from there.
A tall, burly old man stared at Edward as he scanned the items at the checkout.
"Boy, do you know how much weight that carrier bag can hold?"
Huh? Is he really asking me how much weight a bag can support? That wasn't in the job description, and how am I supposed to know that? Maybe he's just curious... In that case...
"I don't know, sir. I've only been working here for a week."
Suddenly, the man's tone became harsh.
"How do you not know? You're working here!"
What? Is he serious?
"S-Sir, like I said, I've only started working here a week ago..."
"Plenty of time to know! You work here!"
"E-Even so, I don't particularly manage the bag section of the store—"
"This is no excuse! You SHOULD know! You WORK HERE!"
What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he yelling at me? Who does he think he is, lecturing me just because he's older?
The man's wife tried to calm him down, but he kept shouting at Edward.
At that point, Edward couldn't take it anymore. He felt the heat of anger rise inside him and muttered curses under his breath.
"What was that? I heard you muttering. What did you say?!"
Edward glared at the man, his voice rising almost to a shout.
"I said I don't know, and you're getting angry over that?"
"How dare you?! The audacity..."
As the situation threatened to escalate into a full confrontation, John calmly stepped in between Edward and the old man. He led Edward to the staff room, where another co-worker took over the register.
"Ey bro, I know there are stupid customers like that, but store policy says the customer is always right. You could get your pay cut for that. Don't worry, though. I know how you feel. I've been there. We just have to take it. Don't stress. I've got your back. I'll talk to the boss, and you won't lose your pay."
John comforted Edward.
That was the moment that changed how Edward saw minimum wage work.
A few other instances came to mind when Edward thought about the customers he had to deal with.
There was the begging type, who'd try to haggle and reduce the prices of the items they wanted to buy. Of course, this was beyond Edward's control as a cashier, even if he had wanted to give them a discount. They would become irritatingly rude once they didn't get what they wanted.
Then there was the negligent parent type, who'd let their kids run amok in the store, messing up the organised shelves, or running through checkout with unpaid items. Some would let their children scream, whine, and cry loudly, causing a scene.
The last-minute type came in just before the store closed—sometimes five, sometimes only one minute before closing—and would stay for ten, no, thirty more minutes, delaying the store's closure.
The impatient type would get angry over long lines and take out their frustration on the staff.
And then there was the narcissistic type, like the old man, always looking for an excuse to pick on staff. These people led miserable lives and thought they were superior to minimum wage workers and teens.
However, there were a few good moments.
A simple "thank you" and "have a good day" with a smile could make a cashier's day a little bit better. More people needed to do this regularly.
Thus, after quitting his job, Edward finally felt the light return to his eyes.