Story: Adding to the List

I walked up to the cashier’s stand, checkbook in hand. I was so excited to use my new Spongebob Squarepants checks.

“Your total is $32.15,” the cashier told me. I noticed a hint of suspicion in her voice. Did she know what I was up to, I thought.

“Hold on a second, ma’am. I have my savings club card.” I searched through my wallet looking for the card for that store. “I have so many of these things, you know.” She did not look amused. “Here we go,” I said smiling as I handed her my savings card. She scanned it robotically and then dropped it on the counter in front of me.

“Your new total is $32.07. You saved a whopping eight cents, sir.”

“Oh good. Now I can take my wife out to dinner tonight,” I retorted, trying to get the robotic cashier to smile. She just rolled her eyes at me. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?” She reached for a pen out of her smock and handed it to me, refusing to look at me. “It’s Kranston’s now, right? I remember you changed from Kingston’s a couple years ago. Kranston’s sound much better.” I smiled, trying to convert her look of disgust into a smile. I ripped the check out of my checkbook and handed it to her.

“I’m gonna have to call the bank on this, sir.”

“Call the bank? Why do you have to call the bank? You’ve never done that before.”
“We’ve had a run of bad checks lately, sir,” she said begrudgingly. “It’s our new policy. Anything over $30 we have to get bank approval.” Her voice was very accusing towards me, but as she reached for the phone, I decided to let her do her job without arguing. Besides, there’s enough money in my account. I’m sure of it. Yesterday’s purchase hasn’t posted yet. It’s too quick. It usually takes a couple of days, at least. I watched her dial the numbers to the bank. I could feel the eyes of the long line behind me staring me down. They knew about my lack of funds. I could feel it. I looked at the woman behind me. She gave me an annoyed smile.

“There’s plenty of money in my account,” I told her. I don’t think she believed me. My heart raced as I heard the cashier speak to someone on the phone. What was she saying? Is she telling her that I’m a bad check writer? That I’m a deadbeat? That I don’t deserve to come into a store and purchase goods like everybody else? I’m going to put the money in the bank tomorrow. I just have to wait until I get paid. But do they care? No. Finally, the cashier hung up the phone. She looked me in the eyes, held my check up for all to see, and ripped it into many pieces. She laughed incessantly with each tear.

“We can’t accept this check, sir, or any other checks from you.” She smiled gleefully as she announced the verdict for all to hear. “You’re gonna have to pay with cash or get the hell out!” I fumbled for my wallet, knowing I had no money in there. But I pretended to search for money just the same.

“I..I left my money in the car. I’ll be right back.” I ran out of the store, through the shoplifting detection devices. I had to pause for a second to wait for the automatic doors to open to let me out of my cell of embarrassment. I jumped in the car, where my wife was waiting for me. “Okay. We can’t come back here for awhile,” I said.

She looked at me and pulled out her small notepad and pen. “I’ll add this one to our list.”