I work in a pharmacy inside a larger store. A customer is talking to me about getting a range of prescriptions for her son — mostly ADHD medications. An older woman approaches; I learn that she is the customer’s mother and the grandmother of the sick boy.

Customer’s Mother: “Why are you getting all this crap?”

Customer: “Mom, I told you, the doctor said he needs this medication for his—”

Customer’s Mother: “Nonsense! That doctor just wants to make money from pumping [Child] full of drugs! A good parent would know better!”

Me: *Thinking I can help* “Actually, ma’am, the medications listed here are all off-brand. I don’t think the doctor is sponsoring any specific company by prescribing these.

Customer’s Mother: “Of course, you’d say that! You’re paid to lie for them!” *To [Customer]* “You need to pray harder so that The Lord sees fit to put that boy right.”

[Customer’s Mother] has been getting louder as she rants, attracting the attention of my manager.

Manager: “Ma’am, please, there’s no need to be so loud.”

Customer’s Mother: “I’ll be as loud as I d*** well please! This is about the health of my grandchild! She already went ahead and vaccinated him! That’s why his brain ain’t right!”

The grandmother then picks up the medication boxes and swipes them away.

Customer’s Mother: “We don’t need any of that crap! Jesus is the cure for all ills!”

Manager: “Then please, ma’am, tell me, when is he going to publish his research?”

I am dropping off my car at a nearby shop to get some cosmetic work done on it. I have asked my grandma, who lives next to me, if she can pick me up at the shop — a twenty-minute drive — and drop me off at the car rental place that’s on the way back. She agreed, and I texted her the address and told her I would call her when she should leave as I didn’t know how long we would have to go over the details before handing off my keys. 

Me: “Hey, I’m almost to the shop; now should be a good time for you to leave.”

Grandma: “I’m already here.”

Me: “Why? I told you I would call you.”

Grandma: “I had to go shopping this morning and figured I would drive straight here, so I’ve been waiting for you for an hour.”

I don’t say anything because I have long given up on her level of crazy and just drive to the shop. I pull in, and… she’s nowhere to be seen. I call her again.

Me: “Where are you?”

Grandma: “I’m at the shop. Where are you?”

Me: “You’re at the wrong address. I’m standing by a sign advertising the business name, so don’t even bother trying to say I’m at the wrong place.”

Grandma: “Well, where is it, then?”

Me: “When you turned onto the road, it was the first turn on the left. I’m right across from the cemetery.”

Five minutes later, she calls me back.

Grandma: “You told me wrong. I drove past the cemetery and didn’t see anything.”

Me: “No, I said across from the cemetery. I’m staring at it now. I’m standing in the middle of the driveway, and you can see me from the road.”

Finally, she pulls in.

Grandma: “You gave me the wrong address. You said it’s 426, but this is 428.”

Me: “No, I didn’t. Google Maps says 426, the mailbox says 426, and the business says 426. You think they all got it wrong, but you somehow know better?”

Grandma: “No, you gave me the wrong address.”

I’m working at the fitting rooms in a big box store when a family consisting of three children, their father, and their grandmother comes along. The oldest child goes in to try on some clothes while the rest of the family waits outside. The two smaller children ask their father if they can have some of the candy that they have in their cart.

Father: “No, we have to pay for it first.”

A few minutes later, they ask their grandmother, who opens up the package and gives them each one.

Father: “I told them they couldn’t have any until we paid for it.”

Grandmother: “It’s fine, as long as we pay for it.”

Father: “No, we have to pay for it first.”

They turn and look at me.

Grandmother: “What do you think?”

Me: “I think I’m going to stay out of this.”

Father: “That’s smart.”

CONTENT WARNING: Child Abuse

I was at a gaming retailer a few days ago to see if they had anything new in the DS cartridges I could trade for. I found something I wanted, but the employees were in the back doing something, so I started looking at the games on the walls. Then, this elderly couple came in.

Note: I wear a lot of black, so I do occasionally get mistaken as a worker in certain places.

This couple was pretty clearly out of their depth looking around. They spotted me and came over with the usual, “Excuse me, honey.”

And they proceeded to tell me their story.

Couple: “We just got custody of our three grandkids from our daughter’s ex, who is abusive. Our daughter passed away. During the proceedings, her ex destroyed the kids’ game system and all their games in a fit of rage, so as a welcome home present, we want to get them a whole new system and set them up with games.”

Yeah, I was on board after that. Being a huge nerd, I started explaining the different systems, how they could go online and play with others on certain ones, and what kind of games would be good for kids their age — seven to thirteen or so.

It took around ten minutes. They were really nice and appreciated the help, and when they got to the front and the manager came out from the back to ring them up, they complimented him on having such a nice employee.

He looked at me in confusion.

Manager: *To the couple* “She doesn’t work here.”

Our store has a self-serve candy area where you pay for candies in a paper bag by weight. I have seen a group of older teens weighing some chocolate raisins for a few minutes now, adding in a single raisin at a time and weighing the bag after each one.

Me: “If you guys have a tight budget, I’m able to adjust the price by a few pennies at the checkout if that helps?”

Customer: “No, I am trying to get the receipt to say $6.66.”

Me: “Oh… Why?”

Customer: “Grandma has been staying with us all summer and it’s all ‘Jesus this’ and ‘this house is godless’ that. She’s dragged us to church so many times and told us how sinful we all are.”

Me: “That can’t be fun.”

Customer: “She told me off for eating cheesecake the other day, saying that gluttony is a sin, but she loves her chocolate raisins, so I want it to come to $6.66 so I can tell her that her love of chocolate is a sin and that this is a sign.”

Me: “Oof! That’s a bit mean.”

Customer: “She should have thought of that before she came for my cheesecake.” 

Related:
A Price For The Devil To Pay, Part 7
A Price For The Devil To Pay, Part 6
A Price For The Devil To Pay, Part 5
A Price For The Devil To Pay, Part 4
A Price For The Devil To Pay, Part 3