Deal Breaker
Everything was going well with Carl, his boss has been nice to him even though she paid him just few dollars, he didn’t bother because he was doing fine .
It’s Tuesday evening, his boss had gone home while he was left behind in the store to clean and sleep after he was done cleaning as usual.
After Carl was done with everything he was supposed to do , he changed from his uniform into a comfy short and singlet before retiring to bed .
All of a sudden he heard a voice from behind the window . ” Why is the back window of the store open ?” It was obvious the person was talking to himself. ” That new boy Carl or what is he called is so careless that he could not even cater for the store well before leaving ” .
Carl heard the sound of keys clutching, the person had the key to the store and was about to open the front door of the store.
” Why am I finding it so difficult to open the door?”
“It’s my boss’s husband” Carl began to shiver in fear as soon as he recognizes the voice.
” What do I do ? ” Carl asked himself. ” He will soon find out that the door was locked from inside the store”.
Carl’s heart raced as he realized the weight of the situation. He knew he had to act fast, but his mind was blank. He thought about hiding, but where? The store was small, and he would be easily found.
Just as he was thinking, he heard the sound of keys jingling again, followed by the creaking of the door as it slowly opened. Carl’s boss’s husband, stepped inside, his eyes scanning the store with a mixture of confusion and anger.
“What’s going on here?” He muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the open back window. “Carl, you foolish boy, what is he getting paid for if he can’t close up just a window?”
Carl knew he had to think fast. He quickly scanned the store, his eyes landing on a small storage room in the corner. Without hesitation, he darted towards it, hoping to hide before his boss’s husband spotted him.
He managed to slip inside just as his boss’s husband turned on the light, flooding the store with a harsh glare. Carl held his breath, listening to his footsteps echoed through the store, getting closer and closer…
Carl held his breath, hoping to remain undetected. But his luck had ran out. Mr. Jenkins footsteps stopped right outside the storage room door, and Carl could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
” Why do I feel like something is wrong in here ?” His boss’s husband asked himself with his hands on his waist looking all around the bar.
” Please, please don’t open the storage room door” Carl said a silent prayer in his mind..
” I will just go get what I came to pick in the storage room and go back home” He said .
Immediate Carl heard what he said, his heart was almost in his mouth. He was so confused and shattered that he don’t know what to do at the moment or what to even say to his boss’s husband if he gets caught.
His boss’s husband flung open the storage room door, ready to confront the careless culprit who had left the back window open when he resume the following morning. But what he saw made his eyes widen in shock and his face turn white as a ghost.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Carl, crouched in the corner, his eyes widened with fear, looked like a startled rabbit. His boss’s husband’s mind raced – who was this intruder? And what were they doing in his store?
For a few moments, the two just stared at each other, frozen in surprise. Then, his boss’s husband expression changed from shock to outrage, and he let out a loud “AHHHHH!” as if he had just seen a ghost.
Carl who was startled by the sudden outburst, jumped up from his crouched position and bumped his head on the low ceiling of the storage room. “Ow!” he yelped, holding his head in pain.
Mr. Jenkins, still looking like he had seen a specter, took a step back, his eyes fixed on Carl as if he was some kind of burglar or thief. “Who-Who are you?” he stammered. “And what are you doing in my store?”
Carl, still rubbing his sore head, looked up at his boss’s husband with a confused expression. “Uh, I’m Carl, your wife’s new employee… sir?”
Carl had only seen him once because he was a busy man who goes to work every single day of his life. He wasn’t shocked that his boss’s husband didn’t recognize him .
Mr. Jenkins’s face turned from white to red as he realized his mistake. “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” he exclaimed, his voice shaking with laughter. “I thought you were a burglar or something!”
His boss’s husband felt relieved after realizing, he was not a burglar or thief but his wife employee.
” So why are you here by this time of the night ?” He asked Carl .
“I.. I.. I..” Carl didn’t know what to say .
” Don’t tell me you have been sleeping inside the store all this while?” His boss’s husband asked to be sure it was not what he was thinking but definitely it is .
” Who gave you the permission to sleep inside the bar ?” He asked. “I am sure my wife is not aware of this because what the flip !”
” Your wife gave me the permission to sleep in the store when I explained to her that I am homeless” Carl explained to him .
” Noo ! That’s not possible, I am very sure you just lied because my wife knows I hate such things” he said .
” I’m saying the truth sir ” Carl said.
” You know what Carl, I know by the time I get home , she would have been asleep but we will discuss about this tomorrow morning” .
Mr Jenkins stormed out of the bar in anger . Carl knew he was about to face the judges by morning.
….