The New Girl

A supermarket is the setting for this gentle short story by Alyson Hilbourne.

Why was Shannon taking so long to get the hang of this? Things just weren’t stacking up . . .

only a small supermarket and, as Jeff kept telling us, margins were small and profits hard to come by.

Each evening I watched as Shannon grabbed some of the out-of-date produce.

Most of the girls didn’t bother and it was sent to a food bank, but Shannon carefully selected several items each day to take home.

****

Shannon has been with us a full week. I tell myself she is looking better: that she has a little colour in her

I watch, mesmerised, as Shannon efficiently sorts things out

cheeks and is getting on with the customers.

So when Jeff says, “It’s not working, is it?” I feel a lump sink in my stomach.

I’ve done my best to help her, but I know at the end of the day Jeff’s going to send her on her way.

I doubt she’s got any qualifications and she won’t get a good reference. I’d like to help her, but . . .

There is a sudden commotion from the shop floor. Somebody screams, a child wails and several people hurry towards the exits.

In the middle aisle a small crowd of people is gathering.

I’m about to investigate when Shannon slips past me.

I frown. She must have left her till.

I follow, intending to tell her off for leaving her position.

But as I push through the ring of customers I see a woman lying on the ground, jerking uncontrollably, her shopping basket tipped over and her handbag open.

Shannon bends down, ignoring the mess, and lifts the woman’s head, checking quickly inside her mouth with a finger.

She undoes the top button of the woman’s shirt, removes her scarf and makes a pushing motion with her hands that I interpret as people should move back.

I watch, mesmerised, as Shannon efficiently sorts things out, then I snap back to life.

“There’s nothing to see,” I announce. “Let the poor woman have some space.”

I make a scooping movement with my arms. Then I take my mobile from my pocket and call for an ambulance.

Shannon, meanwhile, is stroking the woman’s forehead.

“Can we move her to the office, Shannon?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I think she’s having an epileptic seizure.

“It’s better not to move her. Just keep everything out of the way.”

“OK. An ambulance is coming.”

I busy myself putting the woman’s handbag back together and collecting her shopping.

Jeff comes over and together we block the aisle.

Thankfully the ambulance is not long in arriving and as the crew comes into the shop, the woman appears to come to and blinks in fright.

“It’s OK,” Shannon says.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe here.”

The poor woman is looking around as if she has never seen the shop before and can’t understand how she came to be there.

“What happened?” a paramedic asks, setting down a bag beside the woman.

Shannon looks up at me but I indicate she should answer.

“I think she had an epileptic seizure,” she says. “I checked her mouth for blockages and moved everything out of the way.”

“Well done,” the paramedic says.

Ten minutes later and the medics help the woman walk to the ambulance.

As they are leaving, one of them turns to Jeff.

“Good job you’ve got someone on the staff who knows how to deal with these things.”

Jeff nods and glances at me.

I shrug.

Shannon has returned to her till without a word and order has been restored to the shop.

“This makes things a bit difficult,” Jeff says to me.

“It would seem churlish to sack her after she’s dealt well with a difficult situation today.”

I nod.

“I asked her how she knew what to do. She has a brother who is epileptic. He is often hospitalised.

“He can’t be left, so Shannon’s mother can’t work.

“Shannon has had to leave school to get a job and help support them.”

I don’t add that I think the only food they eat each day is the out-of-date produce Shannon takes home from here.

“That’s terrible,” Jeff says. “But it’s not a good reason to employ her.” He frowns.

“We don’t want people who feel they have to be here.”

I nearly blurt out that there are not too many people whose life’s ambition is to work in Hawthorne’s Supermarket, but this is Jeff’s family business and he’s very proud of it.

“I think we should give her another chance,” I say instead. “She’s obviously got hidden talents.

“You know what? She could be our health and safety person.

“You could send her on that course. She’s already proved herself.”

Jeff folds his arms over his chest.

“I’ve to keep someone who works at a snail’s pace and can’t communicate with the customers? And put her in charge of health and safety?”

I stare back at him.

“Yes.”

“You’re a soft touch,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I’m agreeing to this.

“What’s going to happen to my profit margins?”

Together we watch the girls leaving. Amrita and Rachel wait for Shannon at the door.

“You were awesome this afternoon!” Rachel begins, putting a hand on Shannon’s shoulder.

“How did you know what to do?” Amrita echoes. “I’d have been helpless.”

“You know what? I think she’s going to be fine,” I say to Jeff. “She’s already settling in.”

The End.