The girls behind the supermarket’s service desk were chatting.
One of them was telling the other two about how she had dumped her boyfriend. She was saying how she had put up with him for far too long. She knows it’s one of the best things she has ever done. She described how hopeless he was and how she realised that she was continually solving all of his problems for him. She was ranting so much that none of them noticed a woman standing a short way off. She looked teary and was blowing her nose. She had obviously overheard the conversation, but was uncomfortable about interrupting. Finally, she came forward slowly and timidly raised her hand.
“Sorry,” she said, wiping off tears, “perhaps you can help me…”
“Yes, love, of course I can,” said the talkative girl, “my advice to you is to get tough. Don’t put up with anything you don’t have to. You should probably change your phone number…”
The woman waved her hand. “No, you don’t understand.” She wiped her eyes. “Sorry, I have a dreadful cold. Can you tell me where to look for Mulligatawny soup?”
