So, to start. This afternoon I was serving a very tiring customer. The place that I work at is a high-end fashion brand, selling both men and ladies' wear. The team and I had spent the day tagging everything in preparation for the post-Christmas sale, and were almost delirious with nuttiness. Mid-afternoon, a lady and her friend came into the shop to purchase a present for the lady's husband. After they tried to bargain me down to a lower price (I informed them that the shirts were already on sale, and anyway, they were getting in ahead before everyone else considering the sale doesn't start for a couple of days), they stood aside to compare the two (imperceptibly) different polo shirts that we had on sale. While they barked at each other on the side, I chatted idly with the lady's daughter, a 9 year old wearing a matching bracelet and necklace with baubles like hard candies of pink, yellow, red and green.
We chatted for a bit and discussed the ins and outs of having younger brothers. I asked her what she wanted for Christmas. 'A DS,' she said. 'And a diary to write in.' So I asked her if she had been good or bad this year so that Santa knew whether to come or not. She looked up at the ceiling and replied 'Mm, I'm not sure.' She had a stylish little bowl cut that was kind of almost adult, and she wore a summer dress that was white and pink and looked a little like a cupcake. Although she had pink on her lips, she didn't seem precocious, rather, bright and curious. After her mother decided to purchase the polos (not before some further deliberation and bargaining), she came over to watch me wrap.
'I want to watch this,' she said, 'because one day I want to work here.'
Grinning, I asked her why. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was because she was highly impressionable (all children are - I remember when I was about five years old, visiting our house when it was being built. I declared to the bemusement of the builders there, that I was going to be the world's first female builder. Luckily I wasn't that determined to win that title in the end). Nevertheless, she could still be harbouring a fashion designer inside. I held down a giggle as I waited for her reply.
'Oh because it's so bright in here,' she said with a sigh, 'and clean and pretty. And you would buy a lot of stuff from here. I like the clothes here.'
The gift wrapping was finished and I packed it away. I gently informed her that I haven't bought anything from here, as I need to get paid first, but perhaps I would later. Her mother didn't smile as I handed her the shirts and her receipt. As she and her mother left, I asked her what her favourite clothes were in the shop.
'The polos, of course!' she said brightly. 'They're my favourite!'
It was not long after this when another interesting character walked into the store. A thin, gangly, pale blonde haired guy with an odd-shaped head (it was shaped like an out-of-shape football) and glasses came into the store. He was after a pair of sunglasses for a female relation of his, and as I got chatting to him I realised that he was one of the extra-ordinarily bright kids that came into the store with their parents sometimes, full of intellect and completely unable to interact socially. He was the son of two doctors, and was studying for his pHD in finance (he looked a few years younger than I, so he may have been accelerated), and spoke with the intensely focussed air of someone who spends most of his time calculating the incoming surroundings while analysing data in his head. It took me a few seconds to recognise this character and then quickly disengage myself before he become too interested. Previous experience with other similarly intense people has made me realise that the conversation has to be kept quite light. Strangely enough after this, a girl and her mother, both of whom I had served previously, came in to put something on layby. On the previous occasion when I had met this girl, I had experienced the same phenomenon with her - an obviously highly, highly intellectual human being, but so intensely curious and focussed on the conversation that one begins to wonder if these creatures have seen the light of day at all. On this occasion I once again escaped as quick as I could, although I do admittedly find these people highly highly fascinating (which is probably why they think that I'm interested in them in some way and therefore try to further the conversation). In some ways I feel highly envious of their obvious intellect, and in other ways, feel incredibly glad. It must be difficult not to be able to communicate as easily as your peers.
I finished my packet of eucalyptus drops today, little golden planets of cough-relieving goodness!
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