5. The Man with the Mushroom
I looked away like it hadn’t happened.
Had to go to the shops after work. No food, no coffee, and the dog next door is gearing up for another all-nighter.
The bus ride was uneventful, apart from a child eating Wotsits directly off the floor.
Got off a stop before Tesco to get my steps in. When I arrived, the doors slid open like they’d been expecting something.
Was loud inside. And beige. The walls, the lighting, the people. But the basket was blue.
Trudged the aisles aimlessly. Watched the rotisserie chickens spin for far longer than I meant to.
Someone’s trolley clipped the back of my ankle. They muttered something. Could’ve been a curse. Could’ve been an apology. I’ll take either.
A man was trying to scan a single mushroom at the checkout. No bag. He was holding it like an offering. We made eye contact. Then looked away like it hadn’t happened.
I microwaved one of those fancy soups in a cardboard carton for dinner. Pretty good. But they added basil, so it’s really just expensive pasta sauce.
Watched an episode of Border Force. What’s it like doing your job in public like that?
Thought about writing more. Not like the garbage in here. Something that matters. Something people might actually read.