Ivan reached to the supermarket where he used to work and he entered and at the reception was a woman which surprised him. The woman smiled and greeted, "Good evening sir, what do you want today?"
Ivan smiled with a sweat, he never greeted like this...he smelled that he is going to fire from his this part time job. Ivan walked to reception and asked with curiosity, "Are you new at work?"
And the woman was surprised, but the owner of the supermarket came and said, "Ivan, you are fired from your job. You can just take your clothes and leave."
And the woman's eyes widened, but Ivan tried to be calm and still kept the smile and asked, "Um...but can you tell me why...am I fired?"
The owner arrived and answered straight, "The reason is you only work at afternoon and evening shift, but the new comer has said to work from the morning to night shift. It isn't about salary, I used to give everyone their salary on the basis of hours they worked, but you see...I can't take loss of keeping both, so you are fired and she will be on your place. It was nice that you worked for me, you can move to staff room, take your clothes you left and leave now."
The woman was left frozen, but Ivan just smiled, he was glad that at least the owner is telling the reason and still talking politely. Ivan just kept his smile alive and started moving to the staff room. The woman was left speechless...but she also started walking towards the staff room and the owner sighed.
"...So it's her first time doing a job? It's normal, many take places of each other and many get fired, but she's new to these things I guess."
Ivan reached to the staff room, and snatched his name tag from the uniform which was of him once and he opened the shelf of him and started taking out his things and the woman reached to the staff room and stopped behind of Ivan.
Ivan looked back with surprises and wished, "Congratulations for getting a job, I hope you will work properly here and give your best."
And the woman was left speechless... Elisa looked at Ivan with widened eyes and Ivan was still smiling and started leaving with his things without saying anything--
"Why did you say that to me?" But Elisa stopped him and Ivan looked at her with surprises. Elisa looked at him and with sorrow said, "...You should be angry from me that...I took your job."
But Ivan just smiled, "It's all about money and scarcity, economics. The owner doesn't has infinite money to pay, and what's best and most profitable to him, he will chose that. Nothing special. And you would be new to this, like part time jobs, but it will become normal, I am working on part time jobs from years, you will make someone fire, you will see someone being fired and you will be fired or promoted, I know it and it will become normal to you, if you kept on doing these part time jobs. Anyways, congrats again."
And Ivan walked away and Elisa was just looking down, age really is just a number, it's a situation or experience which grows you, which teaches you, which makes you mature not the age. Ivan had learnt many things earlier already and Elisa has learnt something new which she couldn't learn until she doesn't gets out of the golden cage.
Ivan walks out of the supermarket and Elisa tried to keep her thoughts aside and she started her work again and the owner left and soon the customers started coming and Elisa started her work.
Ivan was kicking a stone, the evening was going to end and he was trying to be normal but he couldn't...he suddenly stopped, and tears filled his eyes...he couldn't control and he just cried with silence. He knew that he would be fired, he has been fired but after being fired again, he would only think...what he should do next? He already has two more part time jobs which he does from morning to afternoon, but still...he doesn't knows that what's next.
But suddenly came walking, put his arms on Ivan's shoulders and Ivan looked at side and wiped his tears and looked again and Ichinose was walking with him, holding something in his mouth.
"You also...smoke?" Ivan asked and Ichinose smiled and opened his mouth and it was actually a lolipop. "It's a lolipop, I have one more, mango one, do you want?"
Ivan wiped the small tears and just smiled, "No...I am afraid if I would go in debt, yesterday a girl gave me two chocolates and I didn't realise and from today I am thinking that I should pay her back for that two chocolates."
And Ichinose laughed, "If she has given by her own will without saying that she will want commission over it, how it's a debt? And the lolipop is free, I keep on giving to kids...but they run away immediately, I don't know why."
And Ivan laughed gently, "...You act like a kidnapper then what the kids can do anyway." And Ichinose smiled, but still handed the mango lolipop and Ivan removed the wrapper and started having it and kept on walking ahead.
"Have you lost your third job?" Ichinose asked which surprised Ivan...but he looked down and nodded his head. Ichinose looked at Ivan and with a confused face, "Just that? Then now find a job which doesn't needs time, like cleaning, you just need to clean some area at evening time and get monthly or work daily as well, if in case there's someone who just want today. There's a lack of each work, and resources, it's economics."
And Ivan was surprised but smiled, "Resources are limited, yeah, it's economics. And I guess your idea is good, but where I should do that."
"Hm...schools, and colleges? Or maybe in events but it also has limitations that you would earn only while the event, but it's not a bad idea. You can also try to do some skillful tasks, learn something you know and give your skills, learning can take time but it will actually give you a good earning, you can actually get a proper job by that. I am saying, take ten days, learn something and try, keep your two jobs also."
Ivan smiled with a sweat, he never thought that but he was more surprised that who was telling him and he looked at Ichinose and said, "...How old are you, by the way?"
Ichinose smiled with a sweat, "Well...I guess 17? I forgot, but as I am in 11th so I will assume 17." And Ivan laughed gently.