The Last Story of Mina Lee

Mina feels strong after a month of stocking shelves. She makes friends with some Latinos at work and learns a few Spanish words from Consuela and Hector, who also stock shelves. Mr. Park notices their conversations and scolds her for making friends with the Mexicans. He says they have no business sense but admits that they are hard workers. He tells her that they will move her to cashier in a week, which means she will leave the stocking floor. Mr. Kim will help her learn the register. When she tells Hector, he tries to hide his disappointment. He has been stocking shelves for a long time and is obviously disappointed that she is already being promoted over him.

Mr. Kim teaches her the register. Her first day goes well, although she is slow and the line of customers makes her nervous. On the way home, she worries that she may have made a mistake by leaving the stocking floor. The bus driver—a Black woman—asks if she is all right. Mina says yes but is unsure why the woman is asking. She doesn’t know whether she is expected to ask the woman a question in return.