Craig hated the way the Walmart smelled on Saturdays—like plastic, popcorn, and something faintly sour underneath, the way old milk turns in the back of the fridge. It was 2001, or maybe still late 2000; the months blurred together in the endless drag of middle school. He was twelve, small for his age, with the kind of quiet face and demeanor that made him blend into any scenario. Teachers would always exclaim ‘Craig is the perfect student, never have to correct him or keep him on track- I sometimes forget he’s even there!’
His mother, Karen, called these trips their “special time.” Dad worked overtime at the warehouse, and his older siblings had better things to do than trail after Mommy’s cart. For Karen, the superstore on the edge of their sleepy Virginia suburb was an escape. She’d wander the aisles for hours, fingering towels that never needed replacing, comparing brands of canned soup she’d never open, lost in the soft hum of commerce. Craig learned early that “just a quick errand” meant three hours minimum at the Wal-Mart.
The first few times they got separated, Craig panicked. He was eight, maybe nine. One minute Karen was pushing the cart past the toys; the next, the fluorescent lights stretched into infinity and every aisle looked the same. He’d run, heart hammering, calling “Mom?” in a voice that cracked smaller each time. Eventually he’d find her in housewares or the greeting cards, humming to herself, unbothered.
“You’re fine, sweetie. I was right here,” she’d say, ruffling his hair without looking up from a set of novelty mugs.
After enough episodes, Craig understood the deal. Until recently Craig would allow his mother to daydream in the store unbothered and found ways to amuse himself through the downtime. One day though- Craig offered a truce.
“Can I just wait at the McDonald’s?” he asked one Saturday, voice steady even though his stomach twisted. “I’ll get my usual and sit right there.”
Karen paused, then smiled like it was the best idea she’d heard all week. “Sure, honey. That works. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
It was a beautiful business deal. Karen got Her guilt free retail therapy and Craig got comped all the McDonalds a $20 could buy (although Karen would always ask for the change so Craig always kept it under $15).
The McDonald’s inside the Walmart was its own strange little world—greasy air, sticky tables, the constant beep of the fryer. Craig always ordered the same thing: two Mcdoubles with chicken nuggets, fries, and a Sprite. He’d sit by the window that looked out over the parking lot, watching families load their trunks, and try not to think about how long Karen’s shopping would be.
That’s where Craig first encountered Jose.
Jose was the cashier with the soft voice and the way he leaned over the counter just a little too far. Early twenties, maybe. Slim, with carefully styled dark hair and a nametag pinned neatly on his red polo. Jose also had a single earring as well as wearing lip gloss. His hair was gelled up to the point it poked up about his McDonalds visor. Although it was too much gel, his hair was almost a crust at the tips. He moved with a gentle sway that made some of the older customers shift uncomfortably. To Craig, he was just another adult in the sea of them—until Jose started noticing Craig.
Their first interaction Craig squeezed his $20 in his pocket and approached the register; “Well, aren’t you the cutest little customer I’ve had all day?” Jose said, smiling wide as he handed over the tray. His fingers brushed Craig’s longer than necessary. “You got a girlfriend yet, handsome?”
Craig mumbled something and hurried to his table, cheeks burning. Craig knew the interaction made him feel gross- but really what are the odds this guy is going to be working every Saturday morning as the cashier? Craig sat at the table unbothered from the interaction after His food arrived. Craig thought this was just a one time unpleasant interaction.
Craig turned out to be wrong, Jose was a saturday morning/afternoon regular. Nearly every saturday Craig and Karen would show at the Wal-Mart, Jose would be there.
The next interaction between Craig & Jose: “There’s my favorite regular! How’s my little man doing today?” Jose added an extra sauce packet with a wink. “You tell me if anyone’s bothering you, okay? I’ll look out for you.”
Craig nodded, eyes on the floor. The unease sat in his gut like the too-sweet Sprite.
By the third or fourth visit, Jose knew Craig’s order by heart. “Nuggets for my favorite boy,” he’d coo, loud enough that the other customers could hear. Sometimes he’d lean across the counter and ask personal questions—how old are you really? Do you play sports? You got nice eyes, you know that?
Craig started eating faster, shoulders hunched. He never told his mom. What would he even say? Jose was always nice. Playful. The other cashiers smiled too. It was just… the way Jose looked at him. Like he was something special. Something secret.
The Spider-Man DVD had been on heavy rotation at the front of the store for weeks. Big cardboard displays with Tobey Maguire hanging upside down, Kirsten Dunst’s face tilted up toward his. The kiss in the rain. Everyone at school talked about it.
Craig was poking at the last of his fries when Jose came around the counter on his break. He slid into the seat across from Craig without asking, tray in hand with a coffee and a small salad.
“Hey, little buddy. Mind if I join you? It’s dead today.”
Craig froze, chicken nugget halfway to his mouth. Up close, Jose smelled like cheap cologne and fryer oil. His eyes were bright, expectant.
“Uh… sure.”
They sat in awkward silence for a minute. Jose sipped his coffee, watching him. Then: “You seen the new Spider-Man yet? On DVD, I mean. They got it right up front.”
Craig shook his head. He’d seen it in theaters with his dad, but something told him not to say that.
Jose’s smile widened. “Man, that upside-down kiss scene? Whew.” He made a little fanning motion with his hand. “So romantic. You’ll love it when you’re older. Boys and girls, you know? Or… whatever you like.” The last part was softer, almost a whisper, with a knowing tilt of the head.
Craig’s skin crawled. He stared at his tray, willing the minutes to pass.
Jose reached into his pocket and pulled out a crisp twenty-dollar bill. He slid it across the table like it was nothing. “Here. Go buy the movie. Tell ’em Jose sent you—they might give you a deal.” His fingers lingered near Craig’s hand. “You can think of me when you watch that kiss and tell me about it next week.”
Craig took the bill. His hand shook. “Thanks,” he muttered. He shoved the last bites of food down, barely tasting them, and stood up so fast the chair scraped loudly.
“See you next Saturday, handsome,” Jose called after him, soft and sweet.
Craig bolted into the main store, heart pounding louder than his sneakers on the tile. The twenty burned in his pocket like stolen goods. He couldn’t spend it. He couldn’t tell anyone. He just needed to find his mom and get out.
The aisles stretched endlessly under the harsh lights. Housewares. Stationery. The red aisle—seasonal crap and clearance racks where Karen always lingered. He walked faster, then slower, panic rising in waves. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Every cart looked like hers from a distance. Every time he turned a corner, she wasn’t there.
He swallowed the memory whole as he searched. Pushed it down deep where the separations used to live. *It didn’t happen. Just some weird guy. Forget it.*
Finally, in the candle section of all places, he spotted her. Karen stood humming, turning over a pumpkin-scented jar like it held the secrets of the universe.
“Mom,” he said, voice tighter than he wanted.
She looked up, surprised. “There you are! I was just about to come find you. Did you have a nice time?”
“Yeah. Can we go now? Please?”
Karen blinked, then shrugged with a little laugh. “Sure, sweetie. Let me just pay for this…”
Craig stood beside her at checkout, the twenty heavy in his pocket. As Karen approached the cashier to purchase her items- “Honey can you hand me your change for today?” Craig reflexively reached in his pocket and grabbed the to hand over. As Craig handed over the money- he noticed he was handing Karen the $20 Jose gave him. Karen was rummaging through her purse at the moment and hadnt noticed anything yet, so Craig swiftly noticed and re-pocketed the $20. Craig reached back into his pocket and made sure he handed over the $5 left over from his mcdonalds order- he desperately wanted to avoid that conversation with his mother.
It was at this moment Craig decided it was best to handle this on his own. He had the wisdom to understand what happened to him and that unless he course corrects he would be in danger with this Jose situation. The thought of complaining and being the center of attention about a case like this terrified Craig- so he decided to handle this privately. On the drive home Craig displayed a bit of coldness and new found ‘maturity’ in his relationship with his Mother. “Im too old to be doing these Wal-Mart trips with you Mom. I wanna start doing some things around the house with Dad instead.” Over the course of the next few Saturdays, Karen would pop into Craig’s room and say, “Cmon Honey, lets go run some errands, Il even get you a toy this time!.” Craig would shoot these offers down (often rudely) and just stay home- he took to mowing the lawn during these times. Karen eventually just gave up on trying to drag him to Wal-Mart.
One day months later- Karen, after her errands at Wal-Mart came home to a Craig sweaty from Mowing the lawn outside, handed him a bag of McDonalds. “From the Wal-Mart honey, your favorite!” “There was a really sweet cashier who recognized me and he asked about you- he threw you in a few happy meal toys.” Karen set the bag down in front of Craig. Craig looked in the bag and saw his order- only there was extra of everything. Overflowing fries, nuggets, etc. As Craig rummaged through the bag- he felt a wrapped toy. He pulled the toy out to discover it was a little spiderman action figure- with a note written on the packaging. “To my favorite customer, Come back and see us soon!”
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