I’m in the supermarket. I don’t know how I got here, I don’t really remember. I don’t know why I’m in the supermarket either. Maybe it’s because of all the people that I ended up here. Maybe I followed someone here without either of us realising. It’s quite possible given the number of people there seem to be around me. And maybe if I could find the person I followed here they could tell me where I was before. I start to ask the questions.
I’m in the washing powder section. Maybe it’s because I need to buy some washing powder, but no, that would be too obvious. Maybe I’ll stroll over to the deli counter and pull off one ticket after another until they throw me out. Maybe I’ll walk through the off-license section and open all the beer cans again. That might make me happy.
A girl comes up to me and asks the usual questions. Everyone I seem to meet asks the same things. But maybe it’s because that’s a part of my work. I’m still not used to it. Maybe I’ll give the usual answer, but no, that would be too obvious. It’s not even a girl, it’s a middle-ager. I see that now and it warms me. I give an atypical answer.
Over in deodorantland now, maybe I need to buy some. Maybe I’ll rearrange the shelves again, but in a different way from last time. I don’t know what I want as usual. I still haven’t found the person I followed and it’s getting late. Maybe he or she just popped in for a carton of juice. Maybe he or she left already and I’d never know. Maybe it’s better for me like this.
Woman spots me and struts across into jam. Maybe this is as good as I get today. Maybe I should cut my losses. I move nearer, start the machine. The rest of me sighs and goes home.
