CHAPTER 2 An Unusual first day
978 Words
That morning, the shop opened earlier than usual.
Rian was already standing in front of the shop even before Maya unlocked the door.
The air still felt cold. The streets were not yet too crowded. Several vendors were just beginning to arrange their goods along the roadside.
Rian stood holding a glass of warm coffee he had bought from a small stall across the street.
His eyes occasionally glanced at the shop’s signboard, which had begun to fade, worn down by time.
For some reason, looking at this place made his heart feel a little calmer.
It had been such a long time since he had felt something like this.
The feeling of having a place to return to.
Not long after, the sound of keys turning could be heard from behind the door.
Maya appeared, carrying several notebooks.
When she saw Rian already standing there, she looked slightly surprised.
“You arrived very early.”
Rian gave a small smile.
“I was afraid of being late on the first day.”
Maya shook her head gently.
“The shop isn’t even open yet.”
“Better too early than late.”
That answer made Maya smile faintly.
For the first time since they had met, that smile looked warmer.
“In that case, come on in.”
Rian nodded.
They entered the shop together.
The moment the door opened, the aroma of aged wood and cardboard immediately greeted them.
The atmosphere was still quiet.
Only the sound of an old ceiling fan starting to spin slowly could be heard.
Without needing to be told, Rian immediately began working.
He cleaned the shelves.
Swept the floor.
Tidied up goods that were still disorganized.
He even did several small tasks that had not been asked of him.
Maya observed him a few times.
“If you keep working like this, you’re going to run out of things to do later.”
Rian laughed softly.
“It’s alright.”
“Why?”
Rian paused for a moment.
Then answered quietly.
“Because if I keep busy, I don’t think too much.”
Maya did not answer immediately.
Somehow, that simple answer sounded heavier than it should have.
As if there was something hidden behind it.
But just as she had promised yesterday, Maya did not ask any further questions.
Towards noon, the shop began to get busy.
Customers came and went one after another.
There were mothers buying kitchen supplies.
Schoolchildren buying stationery.
There were also several regular customers who seemed to have known Maya for a long time.
Some of them began to notice Rian’s presence.
“New employee?” asked a customer.
Maya nodded.
“Yes.”
“He’s quite diligent.”
Rian simply smiled.
He answered only what was necessary.
Neither overly friendly nor cold.
As if he were maintaining a safe distance from everyone.
In the afternoon, the atmosphere in the shop began to calm down again.
Maya brought two cold drinks from the refrigerator.
She placed one bottle right in front of Rian.
“For you.”
Rian looked slightly surprised.
“Thank you.”
Maya sat down on a chair near the cashier desk.
For a while, they simply enjoyed the silence that returned once the customers had left.
It was quiet again, with no urgent work to be done.
Only the sound of vehicles passing by outside could be heard occasionally.
“Tired?” Maya asked.
Rian shook his head.
“Not too much.”
“Liar.”
Rian smiled faintly.
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little bit.”
Rian laughed softly.
It had been such a long time since he had laughed like that.
A simple laugh without any burden.
Maya observed him for a few seconds.
Then said quietly,
“You are different from the people who usually come looking for work.”
Rian looked at her.
“How am I different?”
“You look like someone who isn’t actually looking for a job.”
“Then what do I look like?”
Maya thought for a moment.
“Like someone who is looking for a place to stop.”
Rian fell silent.
That sentence hit something right within him.
Something that, all this time, he had never been able to explain.
He looked down, twisting the bottle cap in his hand.
“Maybe.”
Maya did not pursue the topic further.
But her gaze remained fixed on Rian.
As if trying to understand the person standing in front of her.
A person who had arrived without direction.
A person who always answered only what was necessary.
A person who seemed to carry a long story that he had never told to anyone.
As closing time approached, the sun began to sink slowly.
Orange light streamed through the front glass, filling the room with a warm hue.
Rian helped close up the last shelf.
Then stood gazing outside.
The streets were starting to empty.
His first day ended quietly, without anything significant happening.
And strangely…
it felt unfamiliar to him.
As Maya turned off most of the shop’s lights, she glanced at Rian for a moment.
“You always look like someone who is ready to leave at any moment.”
Rian turned his head towards her.
Maya continued speaking.
“If one day in the future you find a reason to leave…”
She paused briefly.
“…will you just go without a word?”
Rian did not answer immediately.
The question hung in the air.
It felt heavy, and for some reason, deeply important.
Several seconds passed.
He looked out the window.
Towards the road that, until now, had always led him away.
But for the first time in his life…
he did not know the answer.
Perhaps… that was the most honest thing he could feel at this moment.
Outhor :
Stiven.shangra haliem
- Writer
