Sunday 23rd January 2005

"What if..."

School starts again tomorrow after a six week break. Miles will be in Grade 2 this year. Frances was ironing his school uniforms when I called in to see them on my way home tonight.“I can't stay long,” I said. “I haven't fed the cats.”

“Are you staying for dinner?” asked Joel. “I'm cooking sausages on the barbecue.”

They smelled good. “The cats can wait a bit longer,” I said.

Three-year-old Hayley ate half of her sausage and insisted that she couldn't eat anymore. I started to recite, “Not last night but the night before...”

Hayley giggled in anticipation. “Have some more while I say the rest,” I told her.

She took another bite while I recited the rest of the silly verse.

“Not last night but the night before,
Three tom cats came knocking at my door.
One had a flute, one had a drum
One had a pancake tied to its tum!”

I don't know why, but it works every time. She happily finished the rest of her meal.

While Frances was getting the dessert, Hayley put her feet on the table. (Table manners are not her strong point.) “They could be my knife and fork,” she said. She looked at me thoughtfully. “It will be funny when you do it, Meemar. You might fall backwards.”

“I might hit my head on the cupboard,” I said, “And I might slide under the table.”

“And you might fall on Nelson,” said Miles. (Nelson is their corgi.)

“And Nelson might jump up in fright and hit his head on the table..”

“And the table might tip up and all the food would spill on the floor...”

“And when Mummy comes in, she might slip on the messy floor and slide out through the window...” Miles was really warming to the story.

“And land in the tree..”

“And the branch might bend down , and then bounce up and Mummy might fly up to the moon...”

And so the story went on, while they ate their ice cream.

“You're sticky,” said Frances, helping Hayley out of her chair. “I'm going to run you a bath.”

“What if the taps wouldn't turn off and the water filled up the house...” Miles imagination was still fired up “and out onto the road...”

“And all the neighbours came out and swam in the street...”

“All the way to Sydney!”

But Hayley was beginning to look worried. “Mummy,” she called “turn the water off!”

Thursday 27th January 2005

An exercise in futility

We usually avoid shopping on Pension Day, when the banks and shops are crowded, but this week it was the only day that Mum and I had free for shopping.

It was particularly busy this week, because of the public holiday (Australia Day) on Wednesday. Everyone seemed to be out shopping, in spite of the heavy rain.

“I'll have to go to the bank,” I said. “Hope there's a parking spot..”

There wasn't.

“We'll have to go round the block and park down further.” I was busy talking about something (can't remember what) as we drove around past the Post Office.

“Where are you going?” asked Mum as I drove past our turn off.

“Oh blast! Now I'll have to go around again!”

I now had to drive round the park as well.

Still nowhere to park. I went round the block again. “Do you have to go to the bank?” I asked Mum.

“No,” she said. “I'll stay in the car and keep dry, if you'll just take my negatives into the chemist for reprints.”

“I'll walk around from here, then,” I said, pulling in near the side of the Post Office.

A car in front of us turned into the driveway at the back of the Post Office. “Why don't you walk through there,” asked Mum. “It would be quicker.”

“It doesn't go through.”

“It must do. Why else would people be going in?”

With my mind on what I had to do, I forgot about the shortcut and went the long way round.

The Chemist's assistant was very patient. The negatives were from two different films.

“No problem,” said the girl. “We'll just put them all into the one packet.”

“No,” I said. “Two of the strips have the same numbers.” It took ages to sort it all out. I wasn't sure how many Mum wanted of a couple of them, but guessed she wanted two of each to make it up to ten to get the cheaper rate.

“But do they have to be in the same packet to get them for $6?” I asked.

“I 'll find out,” said the girl, “if you'll just bear with me...”

She had been bearing with me for quite a while. She came back. “Sorry, the offer is only if they're from the one film.”

Its tricky when you are ordering for someone else.

“Look, I'll come back another day when I know what we want!” I said. I went around to the bank. There was a queue right out through the door. I still have another week to pay my bills so I decided to leave it till next time.

Now for that shortcut. I started round the other way.

Of course. There is a fence between the parking lot and the Post Office. I retraced my steps around the block.

“Well, that was an exercise in futility!” I told Mum as I got back into the car.

It was just as chaotic at the supermarket. There was only shopping trolley available when we arrived. “You take it and I'll find another one,” I said, expecting to find more outside in the trolley bay.

It was empty. All the trolleys were being used inside the supermarket. The rain poured down as I hunted all over the car park and finally pounced on one as a woman emptied her groceries into her car from it. Triumphantly, I wheeled it into the supermarket, where I was confronted by an anxious looking elderly woman with her arms full of shopping.

“Are you looking for a trolley?” I asked her. “Take this one – I'll go and get another one...”

I eventually found a trolley for myself and completed my shopping.

“Thank heavens that's over,” I said to Mum on the way home “Next time we'll shop on a different day!”

Monday 31st January 2005

A tight fit

Plenty of customers at our Jumble Sale last week. It was our first day back after the Christmas break and it was good to see everyone again.

One woman was looking for a sheet for her dog to lie on. I rummaged through the boxes and found one, but she noticed a small spot on the corner. “Oh, no,” she said. “There's a stain on it!” I wonder how long she thought it would stay spotless with a dog on it! I pulled out more boxes and she finally chose a floral sheet - because it is a girl dog! She could have had the other sheet for half the price, but she was happy. I hope the dog appreciates it.

Everyone was paying with big notes (remember, it was Pension Week) so we soon ran out of change. “I'll see what I have in my purse,” I said. For safety, I had tucked my handbag way back behind a large screen that stood against the wall.

“Its safe, alright” I said “I can't reach it myself!”

“You'll never fit behind there,” said one of my friends.

I can't resist a challenge. It was not easy, but I pulled myself in as tight as possible and wriggled in between the screen and the wall.

“I've got as far as my bag,” I called from behind the screen, “but there's not enough room to bend and pick it up.” I wasn't even sure if there was enough room to wriggle out again!

“Push it with your feet!”

Somehow I managed to shuffle it out with my feet, and emerged back into the room, thankful to resume my natural shape again.

“Got it!” I stood hugging my handbag, trying to remember...

“What was it I needed it for?”