A Developing Story

The HELP WANTED sign was still in the window of the pet shop when Alyson got off the bus on the last day of grade nine. The prospect of a long, hot and lazy summer lay before her. She and her friends had plans that summer for shopping, going to movies, hanging out and drinking Cokes in the food court at the mall and spending hot days on the beach at the lake. They knew they would need more money for these activities than their measly allowances could provide so the necessity for summer jobs had arisen.

The bell tinkled overhead when Alyson opened the door of the pet shop, and stepped into the smell of hamster shavings and the piercing scream of parrots. A man stood behind the counter filling sandwich baggies with fish food flakes.

“May I see the manager?” Alyson inquired.

“That’s me, owner, manager, janitor, and bag boy.” He said, holding the bag of flakes up to the light. “What can I do for you? Are you here for the job?” He asked without looking at her. “Leave your phone number on this piece of paper and I will get back to you.” He slid a pen and a piece of paper across the counter and continued to fill the bags.

It took Alyson five minutes to run the 10 blocks to her home. She burst through the front door and announced to her father and her little brothers that NO ONE but her would answer the phone. She would do the answering if it rang. An agony of hours went by. Finally at 6 o’clock the pet store owner finally called. He said that he would like to give her a trial period starting tomorrow, if she was at the store by noon he would see if they could work together.

Right after supper Alyson met her friends at the bus stop. Giddy with excitement and chattering like monkeys, they descended upon the mall to spend what remained of their allowances on career essentials. They bought eyeliner, lip liner, tweezers and body cream. They bought chain belts earrings, chewing gum and dark green nail polish.

That night Alyson could hardly sleep for the excitement of beginning her new career as pet shop assistant, fashionably dressed and looking very attractive leaning behind the counter, loved by all the animals and admired by all the customers. This was the beginning of wealth and fame.

When Alyson opened her eyes in the morning the alarm clock read 9:00 AM. She flew out of bed. Three hours to get ready, she would barely make it.

Her annoying little brothers pounded on the bathroom door as Alyson floated in her steamy tub, shaving one leg and then the other. She rubbed her skin with exfoliation grit until she nearly bled. She plucked her eyebrows in the foggy mirror and covered herself all over with moisturizing cream. She blew her damp and curly red hair as straight as it would go. Opening the door she stepped out in a cloud of perfumed steam and catwalked into her room to dress for work. She was almost late by the time she had chosen her outfit and caught the bus.

“We will start you off dusting all the shelves and helping the customers”. Her new boss said. Alyson worked diligently, she dusted everything within reach, waxing and polishing the fish tanks and rearranging the cat and dog collars. She noticed that her lovely green nails were beginning to chip on the edges.

Occasionally the bell would ring and a customer would come in. Each time that a shopper would ask her for assistance their eyes would open wide and a smile would creep across their faces. Even a dour old lady looking for a bone for her pug began to chuckle when Alyson was able to show her where the best quality treats were kept.

Late in the afternoon the bell rang and a couple came in asking for help with choosing a pet for their son. The looked at one another and giggled softly. They told her that their son was having his 5th birthday party tonight and they were looking for a very special pet that would never leave his side. “What,” they smiled, “would Alyson suggest they buy?” Alyson’s favourite movie was Finding Nemo and that very afternoon she had seen a clown fish in a tank all by himself at the back of the store. She knew this could be the very special pet.

The work day finally ended and the store owner, without looking up from his account book said that he would call her later about maybe coming back to work tomorrow.

When Alyson skipped in the door she was puzzled when her family howled with laughter, her horrid little brothers covered their mouths and bent over and held their stomachs as they rolled on the floor, pointing at Alyson.

“Come into the bathroom dear” said her mother, grabbing half a lemon on the way. She closed the door and said. “Look in the mirror honey.” Alyson gasped in horror. There she was in the reflection, her face and neck as orange as a pumpkin, with deep brown lines around her eyes, ears and her nostrils as if she had been breathing in coal dust. Her eyebrows were the colour of carrots. Yesterday she bought self tanning lotion by mistake and had liberally lathered herself with the stuff in the morning. All day at work she had developed like a photograph, becoming this orange apparition.

“I will die, I will never go out again”. She moaned as her mother rubbed the lemon on her stinging exfoliated face.

The phone rang. “I am not home, tell them I died.” She wailed.

A few moments later there was a knock on the bathroom door. Her father was on the other side. “Allie, its your boss. He wants you to come in to work at 9:00 am tomorrow. Apparently a couple called him after the store closed and said you had been very helpful, their handicapped son was really happy with his birthday present. You see, he is confined to a wheelchair and his favourite movie is Finding Nemo and he said getting that special clown fish was the best thing that had ever happened to him.”