Brandon wade worked tirelessly at the crown hall’s mall. Facing life’s struggles and working hard to meet ends meet.

“That’s two dollars, ma’am,” he said to a customer in the stand. Despite Brandon being a manager, he still had to take turns at the mall.

“But I bought two pairs that should be four dollars” the woman queried. Brandon was most times clumsy at work, finding it difficult to keep up with the amount of customers he attended to all day.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I have printed the receipt already. I won’t take much of your time but I need to meet the senior manager to rectify it”, he apologized to the woman.

“No problem, I will wait”, leaving his own part of the stall empty with loads of customers, Brandon hurried off to the senior manager’s.

“You made a mistake again, didn’t you?” the manager asked Brandon immediately he entered his office.

Head bowed down in shame, Brandon hands the receipt over to him.

“I will deduct this from your paycheck. Let the woman go free, you’re wasting time. There are people in the queue” the manager said harshly.

“One more thing sir, I might need an advance payment for…” Brandon was still talking when the senior manager cut in.

“I will listen after work, just get out!” he commanded. Brandon left his office in haste.

“My boss said you should go with the goods, the company would pay for it”, Brandon said to the woman.

“I know it would be from your salary. You accept tips, don’t you?” the old woman asked. Brandon smiled at the woman.

“Thank you” he said, accepting the tip she offered.

“I will add it to the advance payment I’ll get from Anton” he thought in his head.

“I still have till six p.m. before I can head home. Junior’s birthday is today. He has asked for a new video game”.

Loud voices and chattering were heard on the other sales reps, directly opposite his. He walked over to the place. “Hi, I’m Brandon. I will help you” he said, smiling to calm the tension between the customer and the sales rep.

It was a young girl, probably in her twenties. She stared at Brandon, observing him from head to toe. Brandon had natural blonde hair that made him stand out in the crowd, full eyebrows, a well built muscular body, he was also very tall.

“So what are you? A model or an attention seeker?” she asked rudely.

“No, ma’am I also work here” Brandon humbly replied. “why aren’t you in uniform like the rest?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

“How may I help you, ma’am,” Brandon shortened her unending rude questions.

“I want a refund, that’s all!” she blurted. “You have to wait for me to go through the details!” he said to her. “Did you just tell me to wait? Do you know who I am?” she shouted at Brandon.

“I am Vanessa Sillverio you nitwit!” she added.

Brandon was used to such customers, making them feel like they are in control or power is the best strategy. “I’m sorry Miss Vanessa< I went through your orders, you ordered a home delivery for toys ?” Brandon asked her.

“Yes, that’s it! Why the delay? The party would soon be over!” Vanessa said with disgust.

“I understand how you feel mama, today is also my son’s birthday and I need to get toys for him”, Brandon said, smiling despite her harsh behavior.

“ I will make sure the toys are delivered before you get back home, ma’am. We are sorry for the inconvenience”, he apologized to her.

“better and why didn’t you attend to me in the first place. you're a bit better than that idiot, this job doesn’t fit you. You look like shit!”

Vanessa said as she left his place.

“I need your card for the payment ma’am?” Brandon called out to her. “I made a transfer with my phone”, she replied to him.

“I’m sorry. ma’am, it has no record here”. The problem was with her all this while, her transaction never went through.

“Yes, that’s true. I just checked it, here’s my card”. She handed the black card over to him.

“Not even an apology, so full of herself because she’s rich” Brandon said to himself.

“Jeez, it's almost after six, I need to head home to see Junior”, Brandon said to himself as he headed back to the senior manager’s office.

“Did you solve the issue?” the manager asked him. “Yes I did, the problem was from her” Brandon replied the senior manager.

“I care less, why do you want to see me?” he asked him.

“I want an advance payment sir, I need to get something” Brandon said to him.

“You're so clumsy and annoying, the only good thing you have is your good looks. I guess that was the only reason you’ve been able to solve disputes between customers”, the senior manager said.

“I will give you tonight, but one part now and the other the next morning” the senior manager said.

“Thank you Mr. Casanova, I need the money now, I have to rush home”.

“ This mall if filled up with everything my son would have loved. But my salary is the price tag for some of the good here”

“I’m so happy, I didn’t get all the money, but I did get enough to buy Junior the video game”, Brandon thought out loud as he walked out of the building.

“Daddy!!!” Junior ran towards Brandon. Immediately, he stepped inside their compound.

The whole compound was turned down, littered, dirt everywhere. “Daddy, do you have my gift?” Junior asked him. “No, I don’t, I forgot”, Brandon planned on giving him an unexpected surprise. “Lets go in to see mom so we can celebrate a little”, Brandon said to his son.

“The party is over dad, my friends just left, grandpa, grandma, and uncle Félix are all inside”.

“That’s crazy, they had a party without me on my son’s birthday?!”

Brandon walked inside the house. He was startled. “There was a party here really and we have the whole house full, all ?!”

“Guess who wasn’t invited? ME!”