Vegetable interlude
Sometimes it amazes me that civilization doesn't come tottering to a halt due to man's inability to communicate with fellow man. Today I went into Dunharrow to return something to Debenhams and pick up some leeks to make cock-a-leekie soup for dinner. The fruiterers in the pedestrian zone have twigged that their business will improve if they open on Sundays in a commuter town, so I headed there rather than to overpriced M&S.
The lad at the stall comes over, strikes interrogative pose.
Pellegrina: I'd like a couple of leeks please.
Lad: [Nods. Turns to his right. The leeks are behind him on his left. Begins to fill a bag with lychees and talk to the Asian lady on the other side of the lychees.]
Pellegrina: [Oops. Must have hijacked him while he was serving that lady.]
Older Fruit & Veg Man: Can I help you?
Pellegrina: Yes, I'd like a couple of leeks please.
Older Fruit & Veg Man: [Wanders off to the back of the stall, ignoring the leeks.]
Lad: [Turns back to me and proffers big bag of lychees.]
Pellegrina: Er, I wanted leeks not lychees.
Lad: [Looks dismayed. Empties bag of lychees back into crate.]
Lad: [Turns towards veg side of stall. Tentatively picks up some celery.]
Pellegrina: Er.... [Nods encouragingly towards the leeks.]
Lad: [Eventually gets to the leeks. Picks one up with doubtful expression.]
Pellegrina: [Gives thumbs up.]
Lad: [Bumbles over to scales. Muttered conversation with Older Fruit & Veg Man. Comes back.] 60p.
Pellegrina: [Pays 60p. Continues towards Debenhams, torn between internal rant on appalling standards of education & pernicious British attitudes to food, and horrid guilty suspicion Lad may have learning disability and merit kindness and a smile rather than subject of internal rant. None of which explains why Older Fruit & Veg Man wandered off while Lad busy with lychees when customer wanted leeks.]
The lad at the stall comes over, strikes interrogative pose.
Pellegrina: I'd like a couple of leeks please.
Lad: [Nods. Turns to his right. The leeks are behind him on his left. Begins to fill a bag with lychees and talk to the Asian lady on the other side of the lychees.]
Pellegrina: [Oops. Must have hijacked him while he was serving that lady.]
Older Fruit & Veg Man: Can I help you?
Pellegrina: Yes, I'd like a couple of leeks please.
Older Fruit & Veg Man: [Wanders off to the back of the stall, ignoring the leeks.]
Lad: [Turns back to me and proffers big bag of lychees.]
Pellegrina: Er, I wanted leeks not lychees.
Lad: [Looks dismayed. Empties bag of lychees back into crate.]
Lad: [Turns towards veg side of stall. Tentatively picks up some celery.]
Pellegrina: Er.... [Nods encouragingly towards the leeks.]
Lad: [Eventually gets to the leeks. Picks one up with doubtful expression.]
Pellegrina: [Gives thumbs up.]
Lad: [Bumbles over to scales. Muttered conversation with Older Fruit & Veg Man. Comes back.] 60p.
Pellegrina: [Pays 60p. Continues towards Debenhams, torn between internal rant on appalling standards of education & pernicious British attitudes to food, and horrid guilty suspicion Lad may have learning disability and merit kindness and a smile rather than subject of internal rant. None of which explains why Older Fruit & Veg Man wandered off while Lad busy with lychees when customer wanted leeks.]