Page 67 - My Home on the Earth

handing over a collection of silver coins. Now she had two trolleys. Pulling the empty trolleys behind her and avoiding the main shopping precinct, she left the hustle and bustle by navigating a series of twisting lanes and alleyways. Then she noticed a familiar sign: Budget Supermarket – We sell everything – 24/7. The owner had other corner outlets scattered across the town so she was able to alternate her weekly visits. Folding both handles down, she propped her trolleys inside a deep wire shop trolley and pushed it inside. Apart from a man fiddling with bottles of wine, the shop was empty. Aware of how much the trolleys could hold, she carefully selected items: Torch batteries, tinned goods, cakes, bread rolls, biscuits, crisps, milk and tea. The man at the till watched as she lifted out her two trolleys, placed them on the floor and opened them. He peered inside to check she hadn’t stolen any goods. Slowly she loaded her shopping. ‘Twenty pounds and fourteen pence,’ he uttered gruffly. She fished out a twenty-pound note and a ten pence piece from her purse and four pence from her coat pocket.
Outside, she secured her handbag over her shoulder, closed the trolley lids and continued her long weekly trek through the alleyways and back streets.
Unlike previous weeks, today felt warmer. A sign of spring, she thought. A host of daffodils in a large wooden barrel outside the Jolly Sailor pub brought a smile to her face. These days she didn’t read menu boards to see what was on offer inside.
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