Jack stood alone in the store, a sack of potatoes hung loosely in his fingers, as pop music blared over the intercom. Scratching his chin, he skimmed the dairy section looking for milk that wasn’t spoiled. He couldn’t find any. Behind him was a wall of people scooting past, the pitter-patter of their feet almost blocking out the music. He felt like leaving but couldn’t bring himself to. He just stared at the milk.
“Excuse me.” said a woman, brushing past him, as she reached for one of the spoiled milks. A screaming child was next to her.
Jack didn’t move, only peering over at the child, then back at the milk. He felt like he had something to do, someplace to go, but couldn’t remember what. Then, he turned around and left towards the electronics section. He thought he might look at the computers he couldn’t afford. Half-way there, he decided it wasn’t worth it, so he just went to the checkout line.
“Just the potatoes, sir?” Asked the man at the counter.
“Yeah.” He replied.
“Would you like to buy a meal for a starving child in—”
Jack stopped listening before the cashier could finish.
“No, thank you.” He said, before handing the man a 5-dollar bill and making his way towards the exit.
“Wait.” said the man at the counter.
“Yeah?”
“Do you want your receipt?”
Jack feigned thought for a moment, before saying “No, but thank you though.”
Before he could leave, an employee dressed in a yellow uniform stopped him, and reached out his hand.
“Your receipt, sir?” said the employee.
“Didn’t you hear the guy at the counter? I didn’t take a receipt.” Replied Jack.
They eyed each other down for a while, before the employee sighed, and dropped his hand to his side.
“Alright, you can go.”
Jack smiled and left.
Once in his car, he threw the potatoes in the passenger seat, and pulled out into the road, bumping a few shopping carts on his way out. Driving down the road, he wondered if anyone had broken into his house while he was gone. After deliberating, he decided that someone probably did, but he didn’t care.
Peering across the lane, he saw that the woman who had brushed against him was in the car adjacent to his. He couldn’t see the child, but from the look on her face, he was still screaming. She took a left turn towards the city, then was gone.
Pulling into the lot outside his apartment, Jack noticed that the group of boys that usually harass him for money had been waiting for him.
“Hey Jack,” said one of them, “You got anything for us?”
Jack scampered out of the car, carrying his potatoes. He waved, and said, “No, I spent it all on these.” Before holding the potatoes in the air.
The group of boys stood in silence, before their leader said, “Okay, we’ll take those.”
Jack stood motionless, as he felt another wrinkle form above his brow. He then approached the leader and handed him the potatoes.
“Make sure you have money next time.” said the leader.
Jack nodded and said, “Will do,” while smiling awkwardly. He then entered the apartment complex and took the elevator to his room. Sure enough, the door was busted open; someone broke in. But, as Jack had suspected, he didn’t care.
Approaching his broken door, a voice called Jack’s attention across the hall.
“Someone broke in.”
Jack turned and saw that it was the landlord.
“I see that.” Jack replied.
“Did it ‘bout 3 hours ago.”
“Yup.”
“While you were out.”
“That’s the time to do it.”
There was a brief pause in the conversation, before the landlord finally broke it with, “Can’t get the door fixed till Sunday; Sunday’s work day.”
“Okay, that’s fine.” Replied Jack.
“Do you wanna know what they took, the kids who broke in?”
“I’ll find out when I go inside.”
“Oh, okay,” said the landlord, “you better go in quick then, gotta call the insurance company.”
“Doesn’t the government cover break-ins?”
The landlord stared at him with an empty expression, and said “No.”
“Oh, I see.” Replied Jack.
“Well, I better get goin’ now. It’s been nice talkin’ to you Jack, real nice.” said the landlord, before vanishing into an opened door across the hall.
Inside his apartment, Jack saw that the thieves had ransacked everything, tearing shelves apart, and cutting into the cushions of his chairs. They must have thought he hid money in them, but he hadn’t. Stepping over the piles of scattered paper, wood, broken DVD cases, and loose disks, Jack made his way to the kitchen, and opened his fridge. Inside was a single jug of milk. He took it out and smelled it. It had spoiled.