Tales from the shop: Cathy, Chris & Carrie

As regular readers of my blog know, I have a second hand goods shop (as well as selling online) and I meet all kinds of people. I've made good friends with a very few, but get along well with many of my customers, especially as we have been in business for 25 years! I also meet the weird and wonderful, and not so wonderful, with an emphasis on the weird.

Once, a long term customer became a long term staff member, and she still works for me ten years later! Now that I have moved to bigger premises, it is more difficult to keep an eye on the far corners of the shop, and especially on my clothing. I sell a lot of branded second hand clothing, and shoplifting can cause serious losses. After a month at the new shop I decided to employ Chris, another long term customer, to help out with security on Fridays, when the shop is the busiest due to weekly paychecks.

Chris used to work for an opposition second hand shop, which has since closed. Due to the difficult business environment, only the hardiest survive. He has bought books from us for many years though. Once he lost his job, his mother (Cathy) and sister (Carrie) started accompanying him on his visits to the shop. To be honest, I found the mother rather annoying for the longest time, she has no filter between her thoughts and her mouth. Usually this is a positive quality, as I prefer people without an agenda, but it can get a bit much. Once she asked to use my toilet, and graphically informed me of her bladder woes.

I'm not sure exactly how old Chris is, but I would guess he is around my age. His mother has been asking me if I had a job for him for the longest time. (For pocket money.) She said he can't be on the books as he is receiving a government disability pension. I am curious to know what the disability is, but I think I can guess. My guess is that he is autistic, as he is extremely socially awkward, and I can see how he rocks from foot to foot when he feels nervous. I may be totally wrong. There is nothing wrong with him mentally, as he has a driver's licence, and I notice the type of reading material he buys.

Lately, I've been getting to know Cathy and Carrie a little bit better. Business was very quiet in our old shop, so I had a little more time to chat. I discovered that Carrie is Cathy's foster daughter, who Cathy rescued from an abusive home eight years ago. The family tends to chat with me as if I already know everything about them! (It is strange how some people do this, I have noticed this tendency in others too, and I just have to nod and play along sometimes.) Carrie looks as if she is around 20 years old, and she has also started chatting to me now. I think she was too young before, bearing in mind I've known them for years, and she probably had issues due to her early upbringing. She has been buying quite a few clothes from me as she embarks on the dating scene. When I see the lovely young lady she is, I know Cathy who is 60 something years old now, has done an amazing job.

Cathy also recently told me she works for a feeding scheme, and when she spoke of her work, I saw the passion she has for her job, which involves a lot of manual labour. She physically picks up donations, and helps in meal preparation for underprivileged school pupils. Feeding schemes in South Africa are one of our most vitally important charities, as there are children so poor, school is the only place they receive a good meal. Cathy told me a principal had showed her how the marks of underprivileged pupils had dramatically increased after their feeding scheme was introduced at the school.

Chris worked for me for the first time last Friday, and it was a little awkward as it always is on a first day. I was completely happy with how he executed his job, and I am sure his social awkwardness will ease over time. I think he is very happy about the extra income, as well as having something to do with his time.