“I…uhmm…I need your waste, please.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” The young lady standing by the counter looked confused as she furrowed her eyebrow, eying him.
This image
“Please… uhm…Sorry,” he fumbled with his words, laughing awkwardly. “Please, don’t misunderstand. I mean, I need the waste from the store. The unused plastic bags and maybe bottles.”
“Oh. You collect for recycling?” she requested with a smile.
“Oh yes!” he replied, returning the smile.
He was dressed in his usual hoodie, one he had owned for more than 10 years. It had patches of torn spaces on a smear from waste on it. That was the only piece of clothing he had that he wore during the winter, spring, and even summer.
He looked suspicious but that was to people who were seeing him for the first time while for people who had always seen him, he was known as Seb the loner. He was homeless and the tunnel by 4th Street Avenue was his place of abode after he was chased from his former streetwise home.
He had always fed on the remnants from restaurants and waste bins but recently, he got the idea to recycle plastic bags and bottles for reuse after he saw a plastic-like slide on a 6-year-old's feet who dropped a dollar note for him.
Sebastian rested his elbow on the counter, waiting for the young lady who was the cashier of the convenience store. He looked around the whole place and his eyes caught a pack of Doritos and a chilled drink in the fridge.
Sebastian swallowed hard, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and smearing the dirt on his face. He shut his eyes, trying to stifle the urge.
“There’s no one around. No one is watching you,” he heard his inner thoughts say to him.
His subconscious was right. No one was watching and there was no way he could have been caught. He rubbed his temple as he took the hood off his head and ruffled his hair. He paced around the store while in front of the counter as he thought hard for a few seconds.
“If you’re gonna do it, you’ve gotta do it now!” his subconscious pushed him further.
“But I promise never to take what’s not mine. I have been able to stay true to that for the past years that I have been homeless!” he said to himself in an attempt to fight the protruding urge.
“But you took the little kid’s ice cream at the park two weeks ago.”
“She offered it!”
“You took a plastic bag the old woman was going to recycle,”
“That was because I thought it was dirt, just pure waste.”
“You took…”
“Leave me be!!” He yelled at the top of his voice.
“I’m sorry, what?” The cashier interjected with confusion on her face. “You do not need them anymore?” she asked as Sebastian turned around to see a truck full of bottles in the strolling cart.
“I’m… I’m… sorry. I still need them,” he felt happiness from within but he let out an awkward smile as he scratched his hair.
The lady smiled and handed the cart to him.
“I should get you a plastic bag to pack them all,” she said as she walked over to the counter side and offered him three giant plastic bags with a broad smile on her face.
“Thank you… Thank you so much!” he said repeatedly with tears welling up in his eyes as he filled the plastic bags.
“We get lots of plastic for you to recycle here. It might not be my shift the next time you come over but tell anyone you meet by the counter that you’re from Claudia.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much! This means the world to me!” he appreciated repeatedly with vehement bows and tears rolling down his cheeks as he thanked her.
“Oh, please. Don’t mention. We dispose of those bottles anyway.”
“Still means a lot to me.”
“What's your name though?”
He looked up from the third bag he was filling up and stared blankly at Claudia. This was the first time in decades since anyone asked him his name. Most people just call him Seb the loner.
“I’m…huh… I’m Sebastian,” he said with a broad smile that reached his eyes. It was a genuine smile, one he hadn't had in years.
“Nice to meet you, Sebastian,” Claudia stretched her hand out for a shake. Before Seb took it, he hurriedly rubbed his palm on his hoodie.
“Nice meeting you too, Claudia,” he smiled.
As he set the cart aside and was going to leave, Claudia called him back.
“Here,” she handed him the Doritos and the drink he was ogling at earlier as though she was there with him while he stared.
“Thank you,” he quickly grabbed it from her with a broad smile.
“You have a beautiful smile, Sebastian. You should smile often.”
Those words stuck to him till he stepped out of the store. Beautiful words he had never heard before. He smiled from ear to ear and thanked the fact that he stepped into the store.
This is my submission to the Inleo prompt suggestion for the month of May. The topic is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.....". You can join here. This is the calendar
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
Oh my, Seb was really lucky that day. He did not know Claudia had a full stash of plastic bags and bottles just waiting for him. I admire his courage to not steal and I love Claudia for letting him have that Doritos and drink .... she is really kind.
I guess if there was going to be a part 2 of this story, Seb and Claudia will just end up together 😂
I can't leave this place without talking about this
That's one thing the dark side of our subconsciousness does, it makes you to do things you don't want to by reminding you of your worst.
I have days like this too and when they come, I will be like "Get out!!😂
Madam Queen, please don't start asking for part 2. There is no part two unless you will come and write it ooo, lol
You've got this, girl!!!!
You mean you will not do part for the sake of sisterhood? 🙄😂
Are you going to give me Kingkong? 🙄😂
Huh! 🙄 I think I will write the part 2 myself 😂
Stingy girl. You can't even give me Kingkong. Write it by yourself 🤣
Rebuilding the image that others have of him will have a beneficial effect on Sebastian's life. Someone has looked at him as a person and now he will find a way to rebuild his life. Thank you for this story, @sabrinah.