Melissa had spent her entire adult life avoiding big department stores, but now that she was an older woman, she had to visit them frequently as they were the easiest way for her to shop for all her essentials.
And while Melissa was prepared for the stares and whispers from strangers, she wasn’t ready for the constant beeping of the security alarms. Every time the elderly woman went in or out of a store, she would permanently be flagged down by the loud alarms. Did it all make sense when one security guard decided to pay close attention to Melissa?
Elderly
Melissa had lived a troubled life since she was young, and while life had given her a lot of ups and downs, she remained steadfast in her belief to be optimistic. And now that she was in her late 60s, she felt like she was entering a new season in her life.
And part of that change was Melissa finally finding the confidence to head to popular departmental stores. She had always heard all about the great deals at Target, but her first visit left her overwhelmed and excited.
Regular
But, of course, it was also accompanied by the distinct screech of the security alarms. Melissa felt lucky that the store wasn’t busy and nobody paid attention to her when the loud alarm went off as she entered the store.
And within minutes, it all felt worth it to Melissa as she browsed through the store’s aisles. The elderly woman was so impressed by the store that she vowed to visit twice thrice a week, despite knowing very well what that would mean.
In Order
Every time Melissa entered Target, all eyes would turn on her because of the alarms. But nobody paid much attention to her since she was only walking into the store. The story was far different as she exited.
With a trolly full of groceries, the alarms beeped again, but this time, the security guard came up to her and double-checked her trolley and receipt to ensure everything was in order. And while Melissa felt herself burn with embarrassment, she knew this would happen.
Ringing
The guard seemed friendly and reassured Melissa that this was routine. He even went as far as to joke that the alarms must have been faulty, constantly ringing whenever Melissa entered and exited the building.
And while the elderly woman chuckled at his kind joke, she knew the reality of exactly why the alarm rang so frequently, but she wasn’t prepared to reveal the truth. She just hoped nobody would question her further and let her be.
Jokes
And for a long while, it even became a running joke amongst the employees. Since Melissa was sweet, cordial, and respectful, everyone from the cashiers to the manager and the security guard knew her.
The manager even once joked that he loved hearing the loud alarms ring because it meant that Melissa had made it to Target that day. And while everyone thought it was odd yet harmful, nobody could have guessed why the alarms were ringing.
Routine
After a few months, even Melissa became oblivious to the loud pinging of the alarms. She waltzed right into the store and began her grocery shop until a young man stopped her a few meters into the store.
He was wearing the familiar security guard uniform Melissa had come to associate with the kindly gentlemen who usually worked this post. But Melissa had never seen this young man before and smiled warmly at him.
Cold
She thought this might be enough to allow her to enter, but the young security guard looked undeterred. He had a cold and calculating air about him, making Melissa feel instantly uncomfortable.
The elderly woman worried that this young boy wouldn’t quickly drop the fact that Melissa had triggered the alarms, and she was right. The new security guard immediately asked Melissa if she was carrying store property.
Empty Cart
Of course, the elderly woman wasn’t and claimed the alarms had malfunctioned. But the young security guard looked Melissa up and down like he had caught her stealing red-handed.
To help smooth the situation, Melissa volunteered to show the young security guard her bag and empty cart. And as the elderly woman had claimed, there wasn’t anything suspicious in them.
Move Forward
And with no reason to stop Melissa from entering Target, the guard soon moved aside. The elderly woman noted that he didn’t apologize for doing it. And while Melissa was a bit shaken by the accusation from the security guard, she decided to move forward.
Coming to Target was a therapeutic experience for her, and she loved walking through every aisle and looking at all the new beautiful products. At that point, she made a point to visit the store at least three times a week.
Irritated
Thankfully, soon Melissa was able to get lost in her routine and, after having an easy check-out process, walked through the doors, and as she had expected, the alarms went off. And within seconds, the new security guard came running towards her.
This time he looked far more irritated than ever before, something that Melissa thought wasn’t even possible. She quickly pulled out her receipt and again explained why she had felt that the security alarms were broken.
No Issue
But the new security guard reminded Melissa that hundreds of customers visited the store daily, and nobody had triggered the alarm. He pointed to a couple who walked smoothly through the alarms without causing them to ring to prove his point further.
Melissa became flustered after this and knew exactly what the new security guard was insinuating. So, to not cause a scene, she again volunteered to have her grocery bag and bag searched.
No Help
And as in the morning, the new guard couldn’t find anything unusual. Melissa assumed this would convince the guard to let her go, but she was wrong. The new guard insisted that Melissa move to the side and follow her into the security check area.
The older woman looked around, hoping to see a familiar face to come to her rescue, but all she was were cold and confused strangers who were already assuming that Melissa had been caught stealing.
Refused
But she knew the only way to prove her innocence was to comply. In the security area, she watched the new guard go through Melissa’s receipt and match everything inside her shopping bag.
Melissa noticed that the new guard also refused to make eye contact with her, and after 30 minutes of patiently waiting and having her bag of shopping rummaged through, she was finally allowed to let go.
Smirk
Again, despite the new guard being unable to find anything suspicious, he still refused to apologize to the elderly woman. He had a smirk on his face as if to let Melissa know that he was watching her.
Melissa felt the guard’s cold eyes on her as she exited, and again, as expected, the alarms went off. But this time, she didn’t turn back or wait to be stopped. She swiftly walked to her car and drove away.
Shaken
On the way home, Melissa wondered where the old security guard who had been kind to her and even helped her with her grocery bags had gone. She was left so shaken by the attitude of the new guard that she wondered if she should ever revisit Target.
The next few days passed in a blur of confusion for Melissa; she didn’t know if she should face the new guard and finally reveal why the alarms always went when she entered the store or accept the reality and avoid the store.
Conflicted
Soon, the day came when Melissa had to make her weekly grocery shop again, and what usually is an exciting day for her turned into a day of dread. While Melissa’s head told her to stay at home, her heart had another idea.
So, for once in her life, the elderly woman decided to face her fears instead of running away. And with a new sense of determination, she drove towards Target, ready to have the alarms ring again.
Blocking Her
And as expected, they did, and it seemed like she wasn’t the only one prepared for them. The new security guard was already waiting for Melissa, seemingly blocking her path. The elderly woman smiled at him and joked about how this proved that the security alarms were broken.
But something about Melissa’s carefree attitude only escalated the situation. The guard practically screamed at her to stay out of the store. The commotion turned heads, and soon, a circle had gathered around the guard and Melissa.
Run Away
The guard was yelling at Melissa that he was sure she was stealing items from the store and that while he didn’t know how she was doing it, he was soon going to find out. And while Melissa usually would have just run away and let the man to his assumptions, today she felt brave.
And with one swift move, Melissa lifted her trousers and left the crowd reeling back. Some people cursed, others looked offended, while others tried walking towards Melissa to help her. But the older woman’s eyes were fixed only on the guards.
Embarrassed
Melissa had two prosthetic legs, and the chips inside the legs interacted with the sensors, causing them to always ring. The older woman was the one who was smiling now as she explained to the guard that the only way to stop the alarms from ringing was if she would remove these.
And if he still wasn’t sure that she was stealing, he could recheck her. But this time, the new guard was pale as a sheet and looked embarrassed and regretful. He also began mumbling half-hearted apologies, but Melissa wasn’t in any move to hear them; she walked straight into Target, content that she had finally fought for herself and not been afraid of her disability.