Today was a little insane at work. I was alone all day - a bit uncommon for Saturdays as we generally have more people than during the week (or on Sunday, when it's painfully slow). Fortunately, the wind and rain kept a lot of people out, and I was able to handle the trickle of clients that came in. I do have to say, however, that something must have been in the air today: all of my customers had something unique or different about them, and it made for a more challenging day.
For example, the first people into the store were two girls. Neither spoke French or English. As a matter of fact, neither spoke. They were both deaf, and wanted to know how to get to the Eiffel Tower. The problem? The Eiffel Tower is pretty far from where I work, and I had to explain how to take the metro from my bookstore to the necessary stop. Exclusively using hand motions. Not so simple. You should have seen how the first girl explained to me the Eiffel Tower in the first place. She employed moves reminiscent of voguing.
Then I had a regular come in who wanted to lend Kathypath (who wasn't there) a Bridget Bardot movie. She still doesn't know why. He gave me a Rolling Stones book. For no reason.
Next, a friend of the owner - who is officially a bum now, and sleeps in the metro on the weekends - came by to say goodbye. He's leaving town, for the zillionth time. This time, however, it's for good. Just like last time. His face was covered in bruises; apparently he was beaten up last night by some young people, across the street from the police station. I might sound cold-hearted for not believing him, but the guy is completely bonkers, and has been known to thrown bags of paperwork into the gutter at the bookstore in the middle of the night. There is no real explanation for this behaviour, and he thinks "other people" are doing it in the night Regardless, maybe the beating yesterday really happened, maybe it didn't. In the end, he walked out of the store today with his bruised face while muttering to himself about a good shower.
Finally, I had a nice, decent, normal customer who was excited about our 50% off on contemporary art catalogues party. Upon discovering that her 20 euro purchase only amounted to 10 euros, she attacked the contemporary art section and found another 10 euros worth of stuff. She giggled alongside me when our regular Saturday bum came to pick up his weekly two euros from our cash register. Not because she was giggling at the bum, but because I thanked him as he left, even though I had given him money. I automatically thank anybody when they close the door on the way out. Habit.
When Normal Girl finally came to the register to pay, I thought, "At last, a normal person." During our exchange, a high-strung woman came in and actually said, "Madame, can you help me? I am desperately searching for the Centre Pompidou, and I fear I will never find it!!!." Seemed a bit dramatic, but I gave her the appropriate directions. As she was shutting the door, the Normal Girl looked at me apologetically, as if to say, "Bums, directions, craziness here all day, eh?"
Just then, another woman beelined in the door, thrusting pamphlets in my face. "Take these, and hear the words of Jesus. He's the only thinkg that can save you in life. Without him, you cannot do anything!!!"
A little overwhelmed by her exhuburance, I just waggled my finger (something I never do, for fear it's a little patronizing) and murmered a low, but stern, "Noooo...."
The woman backed off, perhaps a little shocked that I didn't want to hear the Word of our Lord, when Normal Girl sort of barked out, "We can do lots of things! Look! I can smile!"
And with that, she smiled, thanked me, and took her contemporary art home.
Fun times.
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