I WAS AT THE MALL

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

I was at the mall today but have no intention of shopping. I am not a shopoholic. So I was just looking around, then there was this commotion at the jewelry counter of this store where I was just snoopin' around and trying to let the time pass before I pick up my wife at the train station.

At the jewelry counter, there was this lady, whose voice is already loud and was arguing with the manager and saleslady. I was standing at the next counter where all the sweet things are and I can still hear this whinning woman, demanding that she be reimbursed if the store cannot change the item that she bought. The manager was saying that he cannot reimburse her no can he changed the item that she is returning because this is a jewelry in a jewelry case and she has already destroyed the case and the earring in the set one of the stone is missing. The woman kept on yelling that it was given to her like that and she did not destroy the case and the earring.

The manager said, there is no way that we will sell jewelries like this, wherein the case is destroyed. So he was showing the rest of the jewelry sets the same ones that this woman has purchased and was returning back. Then the manager said, we will not accept and replace any item that you have bought more than 30 days ago.

The more the woman yelled and was making a scene at the jewelry counter. She was shoving the receipt and kept on saying it has not yet been more than 30 days when she purchased the item. The manager then scrolled back the computer/cash register and printed the receipt of the purchase and gave it to the woman. This time, the woman is yelling that the saleslady was yelling back at her. She has to be compensated because she was discreminated upon by the sales lady. The manager said that he was in the hearing distance of the saleslady and never heard the saleslady raised her voice on this lady, until another customer approached the group with all the onlookers and said she is willing to testify that the saleslady did not yell at this hysterical woman.

I was about to leave the sweet counter, when a little boy of ten came forward and said in Tagalog to the mother :" 'Nay, huwag mo na daw ipagpilitan yan isoli sabi ni ate, kasi ginamit mo na daw ng maraming beses 'yan".("Mother, dont force yourself in returning the item... my sister said, because you have used that many times")

Oh my God!! I said quietly to myself .
Then I walked out of the store without looking back.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I wanted to sing "Woe, is me...shame and scandal in the family", but I stopped myself because I have no talent for singing nor do I have the voice and tempo for the song. I was just so embarrassed when I found out that this whinning woman was a Kababayan!!